Title: 3's A Charm: De Nova
Authors: Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil
Ratings: 17+ 
Keyword: Mulder/Scully/Krycek Romance
Summary: The three agents realize their feelings for each other and need to
confront them something that turns quite interesting.

PLEASE READ FIRST
Author's Note: To read this story you need to keep and open mind to extreme
possibilities. Not only do you need to accept homosexuality but you must be
able to see Krycek as an innocent man. In here, he's no rat guy and if you
can't live with that, don't say we didn't warn you. If you're an opponent
to homosexual relationships and intimate situation between two individuals
of the same sex stop right here. If you're not... hope you Enjoy!

Thanx to The Emu and Elisabeth who have been to great help in the making of this 
story and who deserves a lot of credit for it. You've both been amazing.

Disclaimers: I do not own these characters they belong to Chris Carter and
FOX Network, you know the drill.

Please feel free to send feedback to sageo@hotmail.com

And visit the MSKRA (Mulder Scully Krycek Romance Association) at:

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Rampart/2941

3's A Charm: De Nova
by Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil


From his seat in the back, he had a perfect view over her. The red hair
rested on her shoulders as she sat, comfortable behind the wheel. He was
impressed with her calm as she drove in the snowstorm. You could hardly see
the road up front, yet she kept herself and the car on track. He was glad
that he had been asked to come but a little surprised they'd thought of him.

The partnership with Mulder had ended too soon. Working with such an
intelligent agent was an honor and during the time they had worked
together, he had become a much better agent himself. There was something about 
Mulder he just couldn't resist, something he couldn't explain.

Then there was Scully. He hadn't known all that much about her and the
little time he'd spent with her before the abduction had been too short and
too professional. At some point he had even been jealous of her, of her and
Mulder's relationship -- not that the feelings had lasted very long; she
wasn't the kind you could dislike, not for long.

When she had been returned and reassigned to Mulder, he had to admit that
he had been hurt. But at the same time he wouldn't dream of denying Mulder
that. No one deserved it more.

Since he and Mulder had become close during the time of her abduction, it
was natural for them to continue their friendship, even after her return.
Mulder was very serious when he let him know how much he had appreciated
his support in his time of need. After that, he had found himself drifting
toward the basement more and more as time went by.

That was how he had noticed her.

Dana Scully. He didn't know where to start, nor where to end. At first, she
had been special to him only in that she was special to Mulder, but it
didn't take too long until he began to see her in a different light. He
kept expecting her to start to irritate him, and in turn to start to
dislike her, but she didn't and as the days went by, he became to like her
more and more. It was probably safe to say that he'd never been this
enchanted by anyone in his entire life. Before he had had the time to catch
up, he had to face the inevitable; he was in love with her as well.

"Hey, have you fallen asleep back there?" Mulder said, turning his head to
look at him.

"No," Krycek replied.

"You're awfully quiet." Scully smiled, meeting his gaze in the rear-view
mirror.

Krycek returned the smile, not sure of what to say. Something that had
caught his interest, and kept it, were her eyes. Her eyes were the
clearest, most beautiful shade of blue he had ever seen in a woman. They
broke in harmony with her red hair, and every time her eyes met his, he
found himself almost unable to breathe.

"Believe it or not, Scully, I think the boy has a crush on you," Mulder
joked, pronouncing the words separate with a southern accent.

Against his will, Krycek blushed, turning his head to look out the window
in hope that the cold outside would help him to cool off.

"Mulder!" Scully laughed, giving his arm a gentle nudge. "You're making him
uncomfortable." She glanced in the rear-view mirror again, and caught him
looking right back at her again.

She didn't understand why she was reacting like this, but there was
something enigmatic about him, especially his eyes. They could be so cold
and yet so tender. She had to admit that she hadn't expected Mulder to
trust him, not as quickly like he had. There was something special between
them, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Eventually, Krycek fell asleep in the back seat, his head leaning against
the window. After a while, Scully noticed both of them dozing peacefully,
drifting away to dreamland and devouring every minute of the peace, so
quiet and warm. She mused that this was a peace and quiet she could get
addicted to.

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

Half an hour later, they reached the cabin, parking the car outside. Tons of
snow surrounded them, and civilization seemed to be miles away. Mulder
frowned and forced himself into the snowstorm after Krycek and Scully got
out of the car, folding his headgear over his head as he walked to the
trunk to help carry the bags.

It was still a little chilly inside the cabin. Scully hurried to adjust the
thermostat, knowing it would take a while until the place was properly
heated. The place belonged to one of the Scully's, and it was big, bigger
than Mulder had expected, although he knew the Scully family was quite
large. The walls were of timber as well as the floor and it pretty much
looked like a larger-than-expected hunter's cabin.

"It'll take a couple of hours until it's completely warm in here," Scully
explained, rubbing her hands together. "We can make a fire and hurry the
heating up that way," she suggested, making her way to the storage for wood.

Krycek joined her to help as Mulder opened the flue of the fireplace. A
couch and a table faced the hearth. In front, where Scully and Krycek were
sitting to stock the wood, was a hide of a big old bear. The fur looked as
though it had seen better bears -- certainly the bear had.

Mulder turned around, almost bumping into the decoration on the wall,
something coppery and furry. Lifting his gaze, he found himself looking at
a fox, its face twisted in a tormented expression.

"Hey, Scully, I didn't know you disliked me this much," he joked.

Scully smiled ruefully and looked at the smaller animal.

"My father's work," she explained. "Missy and I always complained about his
hobby, and this was his final catch."

He nodded slowly, watching her look at the animal next to him. There were a
lot of memories of Ahab in the cabin, and he was glad she could share it
with him, that it was comfortable for her to do so. He could imagine a
younger Dana Scully begging her father to spare the animal's life, trying
to save the fox, and he realized that she hadn't changed that much.

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

By the time the darkness settled around them, the cabin was warm. Scully
was curled up in the corner of the couch, reading from a file -- never
wasting a minute, that was Scully -- and Mulder and Krycek were typing on
their laptops. The only sound was the slapping of fingers against the
keyboard and the fire crackling as the flames rose to the chimney. Outside,
the snow was still falling, more calm now as the storm stilled. Scully
stretched out on the couch and sighed in delight. This was life in its true
meaning.

Putting the file on the side table, she glanced over at Mulder and Krycek,
both engrossed in their reports, neither aware of her gaze.

Up to a couple of weeks ago, she had believed that there could never be
anybody else than Mulder in her heart that the extent wasn't enough for
anybody else. But now, she found herself so utterly in love with the both
of them that she sometimes forgot time and space.

Mulder had been her best friend for so long, her ally. She would do
anything for him and never regret it. It only took to know him to fall in
love with him, and she knew him, better than anyone. She knew his honesty,
his kindness and his life force. She even knew and cherished those things
that were dubious about him, the way he ran off on her without telling her
where he was going, because even that was in some way thoughtful of him.

Then came Krycek, with his kind eyes, his shy look and sweet smile,
knocking her right off her feet. The two men were by no means identical,
that wasn't the issue. They were different in spirit as well as in looks,
but still not. She knew that Mulder liked Krycek, that he had trusted him
as his partner and friend. At first she had been jealous, knowing Mulder
didn't take trust lightly, but later she had accepted this new friend of
his, glad that he had been able to find someone else to rely on when she
wasn't there.

Not that she hadn't been skeptical about it. The first thing she did was to
find out everything that she could about Alex Krycek, terrified that he
wasn't who he appeared to be, someone who was going to not be worthy of
Mulder's regard. But she found nothing out of the ordinary, even though she
went to extreme measures to find out anything suspicious. Then she met him
a couple of times, even spoke to him on occasions, learning what a true and
honest man he was. It wasn't anything you could easily pretend to be and
Scully was the kind of woman with a sense for these kinds of things --
although she would have denied it to her dying breath.

Finally, that day in the basement, when Krycek had come by to pick up his
things, she met his eyes. From that day, it was almost as if he had cast a
spell on her, because she could just as little get him off her mind as she
could shake Mulder from that place she knew he shouldn't be in.

She sighed again, this time more troubled. She threw her legs over the edge
of the couch to a sitting position. Mulder saved his report and turned off
the computer as he heard her move. They had been working far too long, and
he could feel his eyelids dropping from time to time, telling him he ought
to rest.

"I'm going to call it a day now," he said aloud, flexing his tensed fingers.

Krycek raised his gaze from the screen, looking a little puzzled. Mulder
swallowed hard, trying to ignore how sexy he looked.

"I still got some left here," Krycek said, smiling in a pained kind of way.

Mulder rose as he looked at Scully, who were sitting up straight on the
couch, staring at the wall absent-mindedly. He shifted his focus back to
Krycek, who was attacking the computer again; truth to tell, he was a
little worried about leaving the two of them alone. Realizing how
absolutely ridiculous that was -- although that didn't stop him -- he
forced such thoughts aside, giving his "good nights" before leaving.

A couple of minutes later, Krycek turned off his computer as well. Her
heart was beating faster by the time he sat on the couch next to her with a
sigh.

"All done?" she asked, making herself more comfortable.

He nodded, leaning back. It felt good to sit in a soft couch after a few
hours in a wooden chair. And the company wasn't all that bad either. She
was looking at him, he could tell, watching her from the corner of his eye
a while before meeting her gaze. And his eyes were trapped again.

For a moment, Scully thought she could distinguish every single color in
those beautiful eyes; somehow, they seemed to pronounce themselves. Then
the next instant they blended together once more, giving him that look she
could not erase from her mind.

"It's a nice place you got here," he said, breaking the connection to look
around, the color rising on his cheeks.

"Yeah," she agreed, scanning the familiar room to shake off her
embarrassment. "It was my own little haven as a child."

"Really?" Krycek sounded a little surprised.

She continued to stare at a painting on the wall, afraid to meet his gaze
again, knowing she'd be lost. The mere thought of having him looking at her
was enough to make her blush.

"We always moved around, since my father was in the Navy. Every place meant
new faces, new settlements. This place always stayed the same. My one solid
ground."

The couch moved as he made himself more comfortable, all the while watching
her as she spoke.

"You came here a lot?"

"Not really. Maybe once a year, but it was enough to give me that feeling
of belonging -- you know."

To her surprise, she saw him nod. It wasn't really a question, and even if
it had been, she didn't expect him to understand. But then again, she
didn't know all that much about his childhood.

He noted her reaction. "My parents were Cold War immigrants," he told her,
regarding his hands as she turned to look at him. "We moved a lot."

She nodded already knowing that he was from Russia. It was nice to hear him
say so; it strengthened her sense of his honesty.

"It's like living your life without getting to know who you really are," he
continued. "Because you don't get time to think about it with everything
else changing around you. I didn't feel complete until later, when I had
moved away from home and demanded my own independence."

It surprised her that they were actually so alike. She recognized the truth
of everything he had said.

"Then you try to retrieve what you lost."

"All at once," she filled in with a smile. "Like defying your parents."

He laughed.

"Yeah, until you really do find yourself."

Smiling to themselves in silence, they watched the fire play along the
walls inside the fireplace. The flames had died down, since they had not
bothered to add any more wood. Scully remembered a time so long ago, when
she used to sit here with her beloved Ahab until the fire turned to a
glowing hot mass. They used to sit up for hours after everybody else had
gone to bed, talking about everything that sprang to mind. This was the
spot when she had first heard the story of "Moby Dick," told to her by her
father in only that way he could tell a story.

"So," Krycek began, breaking the silence. "Is it nice to be back at the
X-files?"

She shook her head.

"It's not nice, it's wonderful."

He cursed himself for bringing it up; he felt a sting of jealousy build up
inside him. He just had to go there and cause more pain to himself, didn't
he?

"I have never worked with anyone the way I do with Mulder," she tried to
explain. "I've never felt so strongly about anything before, and working
with him makes me do the best I can."

"When I was assigned, I ... I read some of the cases you solved together,"
he said, his voice low. "It was pretty amazing."

She smiled.

"Yeah, Mulder's probably the brightest agent out there. It's challenging,
to say the least, working with him."

"Hey, I wasn't just talking about his work." Krycek smiled. "You never know
what goes through his mind."

Scully knew what he meant. She knew Mulder better than anyone did, but
sometimes she felt like she didn't know him at all. He could tell her a lot
of personal things, especially about Samantha, but she could never remember
them having this kind of conversation.

"He did tell me that he considered you as one of the sharpest agents he had
worked with," Krycek said, interrupting her thoughts.

"He said that?"

"Mhm."

The usual question was hanging in the air, but neither one of them had any
intentions of letting it out. Krycek was afraid to hear that she was in
love with Mulder, and so losing them both, and Scully knew she wouldn't be
able to lie to him that she wasn't. So they remained silent.

Instead, they started to bring up small events from their childhood,
feeling how they connected with each passing second. Scully couldn't
remember feeling this safe with anyone aside from Mulder and her father.

They talked and laughed each story more vivid than the last. Coming from
similar backgrounds they could both adjust to the other's situation and
feel it as if it had been their own.

"C'mon, don't tell me that you didn't have a special stuffed animal when
you were a kid," he challenged after telling his story about his missing
hippopotamus, Blarec.

She wiped tears from her eyes and stifled the last laugh as she nodded.

"I had this little white seal," she said, still smiling wide. "I called him
'Moby Dick,' although it wasn't a whale."

He smiled, remembering her story about Ahab and Starbuck. "Where is he now?"

"Back home, I guess," Scully pondered, pulling her hand through her hair.
"In some unpacked box."

"Suppressing childhood memory?" he joked, arching a brow.

She shrugged and looked into the fire. The last glow was soon to be gone,
radiating a fading red light on her face. A chill went through her body,
making her shiver a little.

It was colder when the dying flames no longer build up any heat. Krycek
noted her shiver, remembering there was a quilt behind them over the back
of the couch. She had no time to object as he leaned forward to wrap it
around her shoulders, the scent of his cologne affecting her senses in the
most pleasant ways. He couldn't help but feel her gaze as he tried to
settle the quilt around her, making the mistake of looking into her eyes.

The light from the glow danced on her soft skin, the reflection flickering
in the blue of her eyes. He froze, feeling how their breaths blended as his
head neared hers. It was as if his brain had ceased to exist, as his only
reality was him and her, alone. She didn't protest as his lips landed
softly on hers, but she didn't move to deepen it either, not until he did.

It was innocent at first, moving lightly against each other, tasting the
other. But the hunger expanded and soon the kiss was anything but innocent.

Not until they had moved to a resting position on the couch, Krycek's hands
working under her blouse, their lips never parting, did they realize what
they were about to do. They reacted at the same time, stopping the kiss
abruptly as they opened their eyes simultaneously. Krycek pulled his hands
out from under her blouse and shifted away, looking like it was all his fault.

"I'm sorry Scully," he said, blushing as he rose from the couch. "I had no
right doing that."

She got up as well, not knowing what to say. It had felt so good, the touch
of a man after all this time, skin against skin and the taste of a mouth
against hers, even though she felt a slight twinge of guilt, thinking of
Mulder.

"It's okay," she managed, not daring to look at him.

But she had to know for sure.

"Why did you do it?"

He had feared she would ask, and he didn't know what to say. Not that he
didn't know why he did it; he was attracted to her, but the consequences
were so complicated. If he told her he loved her and she didn't love him
back, he would be left standing there. If she did love him back, he
wouldn't be able to be with her and not having Mulder, because he knew he
couldn't choose between them.

She couldn't read his silence, but understood that he didn't feel like
telling her, so she didn't push it. He looked hurt, though, and she felt
responsible. Obviously, he did have some kind of emotions for her; but the
question remained how strong those emotions were. She placed her hand on
his arm, feeling him flinch.

"It's not that I don't like you," she began slowly, not wanting to disclose
too much. "It's just that everything is very complicated for me right now."

"I understand," he said, his voice more understanding than she had ever
dared to hope. "I ... I like you too, but I have a lot of other ... things
on my mind."

She was both relieved and hurt, not knowing what exactly he meant by that,
deciding to let it be.

"No hard feelings?" she asked, insecure.

"Of course not," he answered, smiling openly, turning around to look at her.

And she felt like kissing him again.

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

Next morning, they found themselves being snowed in. Not even the windows
would open, no matter how much they pushed. Scully knew that even if they
did get out, they wouldn't be able to get far from the cabin; the roads
would be blocked.

Even before this discovery, Mulder had noticed that something was different
between Krycek and Scully. It didn't take long for him to realize that
something must have happened the night before, and it made his heart sink.
They tried to hide it, pretending that everything was all right, but they
couldn't fool him. He should have known.

Scully watched Mulder as he was reading a file. She could tell he wasn't
concentrating, and she sensed he knew. Could he have seen them? It didn't
occur to her until then that he could have walked in on them as they were
making out on the couch. The memories came back and made her blush.

"Are you warm, Scully?"

Mulder regarded her with those calm hazel eyes, her embarrassment all too
evident, as she shook her head and returned to her own work.

"Are you sure? We can turn down the heat."

"No, it's okay," she said nervously, smiling, noticing Krycek look at her
from the corner of her eye.

Mulder noticed too.

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

At dinnertime, he was positive that something had happened. The looks they
were exchanging when they thought he didn't notice was evidence enough.
Besides, Scully was avoiding his gaze, knowing he could read her like a
book.

He didn't know what to do or even if he could. It was as if he was losing
everything all at once. Maybe he should have told them from the start, both
of them, but it never felt like the right time and now he was standing
alone. When he realized later that he was in love with both of them he had
a hard time choosing, knowing whatever he decided he would never know if it
was the right decision. Now it felt as if he had to do something quick, but
it was hard.

All the time he had known Scully he had never told her. He figured she knew
that he loved her, but he didn't think she knew how. It was the same the
other way around; he knew Scully loved him, but he didn't know how, and
honestly, he was too afraid to find out if she didn't -- so he never asked.
He didn't want to lose her, and having her as his friend was better than
not having her at all.

Then this last time, since he had started working with Krycek, he felt
himself going through the same thing all over again. Only this time it was
different. He didn't know if Krycek was bisexual or gay, but he had become
to suspect it during the time they had spent together. Not only did Krycek
look at him "that way," but he once had been almost kicked down by someone
who he guessed to be one of Krycek's old, jealous, boyfriends. Not that
Krycek had actually confirmed it, but it had sure as hell looked like it.

He didn't know what was worse, telling Scully, whom he hadn't told in all
this time, or coming clean that he was bisexual and risk both of them. It
was a tough decision, but all the same, it was a decision he had to make.

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

"Anybody want some tea?" Scully asked later as they were finishing up
their work.

Both men nodded and she went out to the kitchen to find the teapot she knew
was around there somewhere. Mulder followed her shortly after, knowing
Krycek was watching him. The tension was building inside him; he had made
his choice.

"Scully," he said wondering why, all of a sudden, he felt like 15 again.

She turned around, the pot in her hand.

"Found it," she said with a smile, knowing by the tone of his voice that he
really wanted to talk, and it troubled her.

He didn't say anything as she turned around to rinse out the teapot and
fill it with water. His heart was pounding like a drum, and a wave of
dizziness came over him.

"I need to talk to you," he managed, stepping closer.

"Did you find anything new on the McMannon case?" she asked, her back still
turned, knowing that wasn't it.

He placed his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around and face
him. He was standing close, his body inches from hers, making her knees
weak as she caught his scent.

"I want to tell you something," he said, lowering his voice.

She swallowed hard, begging to God that he wouldn't say what she suspected he 
would.

"Mulder, I..."

He prevented her from saying more, lifting a single finger to her lips. She
grew limp.

"This is going to be hard enough to say as it is, so please ... just let me
say it."

Moving his hand from her face, he collected her hands between his,
wondering if she could feel his heartbeat. She looked scared, but he
couldn't turn back now.

"I should have told you this a long time ago, but I ... " his cheeks
blossomed with a shade of red.

Not knowing if she should laugh or cry, she just watched him. Everything
was happening too fast; she didn't have time to catch up. He had had such a
hard time telling her, and she knew that one way or another, she would end
up hurting either of the men she loved. She couldn't lie to either of them
if confronted. Silence was one thing, but out and out lying was a
completely different issue.

"I love you, Scully."

He tilted her head, making her look at him.

"Truth is," and he had to smile at his own choice of words, "I have always
loved you. More than anything."

The last words were spoken with such effort she knew exactly what he meant
by it. Fox Mulder didn't do anything by half measures, and she couldn't
imagine his love for her being any other way. She couldn't speak.

Not knowing what her silence meant, he moved closer, slowly, not wanting to
scare her away by doing anything hasty. But she didn't move; she was
paralyzed as he leaned in to kiss her.

It was a moment she had been waiting for so long, a moment she thought was
one only possible in her imagination. And now she stood there, feeling his
lips almost touching hers, the soft curve of his upper lip just about to
make the barest of impressions between her slightly parted ones, and she
couldn't let him go through with it. How could she possibly kiss Mulder
after having kissed Krycek just the night before?

"Mulder, don't," she whispered, the movement of her lips nearly causing
them to encounter his.

He moved away, looking hurt, and she felt the guilt filling her body. She
couldn't meet his gaze.

"Why?"

She kept staring at the floor, silent.

"Look at me, Scully."

The request was understandable, and reasonable, and she lifted her head to
find him looking at her like a little lost schoolboy. She wanted to cry.

"I don't want to hurt you, Mulder," she whispered, knowing she already had.

"Is it Krycek?"

There was no need to say yes. Her silence was enough.

"What happened?" he asked. She could hear his voice break.

She saw the tears in his eyes. "We..." she hesitated, mumbling. "We just
kissed."

He sighed, disconsolate, rubbing his forehead to try and cope with the moment.

"I see," he said as he nodded. "So you could kiss him but you can't kiss me."

"Mulder, it's not like that... I didn't..."

"... Do you love *him*?"

"This is really complicated for me, Mulder. I..."

"... Do you *love* him?"

Their eyes met.

"But it's more complicated than that, Mulder, if you'd just let me explain..."

"... Spare me," he said before leaving, his heart in a thousand pieces.

Krycek noticed that Mulder ignored him as he dashed through the living room
toward his room. He had heard the last part of their conversation, aware
that Mulder knew. So he was probably the last person Mulder wanted to speak
to right now. Even so, he rose to talk to him, if not for his own benefit,
then for Scully's.

The door to the bedroom was ajar and he could see Mulder packing his bag.
But Krycek knew it was an activity triggered by frustration; it wasn't as
though any of them could leave, since they couldn't even get out of the
cabin.

Krycek rapped lightly on the doorframe, knowing that Mulder had already
noted his presence.

"What do you want?" Mulder asked, his voice charged with rage as he threw a
shirt into the bag.

"It's not what you think," Krycek started, seeing Mulder's jaw clench.
"There isn't anything between us."

Mulder slammed a pair of files into the bag, not believing a word.

"Where are you going, anyway? We're snowed in, remember?"

Looking up at the man before him, Krycek couldn't help but notice the
pained expression on his face, his green eyes filled with sorrow.

"Are you in love with her?" Mulder asked him straight out, shaking inside
as he awaited the answer he didn't really want to hear.

"Yeah," he confessed, wanting to tell him more but finding his courage
failing him.

Mulder nodded. He was losing both of them and he couldn't stay around to
watch it any more. So he started walking away, beginning the process 
suppressing his feelings, little by little.

Krycek stepped into his path. Their eyes met.

"Do you?" Krycek demanded to know conscious of the answer already.

"Do what?"

"Love her."

"Does it matter?"

He nodded.

"Well, I think it doesn't, since you're the one she wants. Why don't you go
right ahead and take her."

"I won't be able to do that."

Mulder's brows came together.

"What are you talking about? She loves you and you love her, don't let *me*
stop you."

"It's not that. I ... I'm in love with someone else as well."

A feeling of deja vu came to mind, but Mulder shook it off. 

"Grow up will you," Mulder said a little too harsh. "You don't know what you're 
talking about."
 
Krycek swallowed hard and nodded. He didn't know yet if he should
tell him or just keep quiet. Standing this close, he knew what he wanted to
do, but it wasn't that simple. There was no saying how he would react.

"Get out of my way," Mulder commanded, closing up to Krycek as he spoke
until he was dangerously near.

But he didn't budge. Neither did as their eyes locked, both trying to read
the other's. All either of them had to do was to lean a little closer, just
a little, and it would be inevitable.

"I won't take her away from you," Krycek said, hearing the tremor in his
own voice. "I can't choose between her and..."

Mulder saw him having problems spilling it out that he was breathing more
rapidly now, the look in his eyes no different from his own.

"Who?" Mulder challenged, not knowing how much longer he could resist.

Krycek closed his eyes, afraid to learn what change he would see in those
in front of him.

"And you."

In a swift second he could feel Mulder's lips upon his own, harsh and
longing. He let out the breath he had been holding and followed the
movement of the other man's lips, his emotions in a tangle. It was such a
long time ago since he had tasted that special fragrance you only got from
kissing another man.

Meanwhile, Scully was trying to determine on what to do. She knew better
than going after Mulder in the heat of the moment; instead, she went over
the past few days in her head. Things were really starting to get out of control 
and she felt herself unable to stop it. This wasn't who she was, was it? Dana 
Scully was rational not the kind who would urge for two men at the same time.
She had wanted Mulder to kiss her, she really had just as much as she had 
wanted for Krycek to kiss her the night before. That was outrageous. But all the 
same, it made perfect sense. She knew it was time to face what she had been 
trying to deny. It was inevitable. She wanted them both. With that thought in 
mind she prepared herself to face him again and give him the facts straight out.
She walked past the living room, heading for Mulder's room.

It was quiet. She wondered where Krycek had gone, since she hadn't seen him
where she expected, on the couch. She turned the corner.

What came next took her completely off-guard. Mulder and Krycek were
standing inside the bedroom, sharing a passionate kiss. She could only
stare as she watched Mulder reach up to take a firm grip of Krycek's head,
deepening the kiss. Krycek didn't seem to mind at all.

At first she was confused and shocked. Both Mulder and Krycek had in some
way declared that they had emotions for her, and now they were standing in
front of her kissing. In all the time she had known Mulder he had never
told her that he had those kind of feelings; she never had suspected it.

When the first reaction wore off, she experienced something she had not
expected. This was the first time she saw two men together like this, the
very first time she became aware of the certain way only two men could
touch each other, and she found herself being completely and utterly turned
on by it. It was a discovery she could not deny. Her attention was
completely devoured by what was going on in front of her and the heat in
her midsection was increasing like wildfire.

A sound, comparable to a moan, passed her lips and suddenly she broke the
spell.

The two men stepped away from each other, puzzled. Scully kept staring, no
less embarrassed herself.

"I ... I'm sorry," she said with a cough. "I'll be ... I'll go and ... "
she couldn't form the words, concentrating on getting out of there as fast
as she could.

Mulder and Krycek closed their eyes. Could things possibly be a little bit
more complicated?

"I'll go talk to her," Mulder suggested, still shaken from the kiss.

He started walking toward the door when Krycek called his name.

"It wasn't a ... I mean you don't..." he stammered, insecure.

Mulder smiled at the younger man, whose cheeks seemed to turn one shade
more red by the minute.

"Relax, Alex," he said seeing the tension wear off from his shoulders.

Scully was sitting out on the couch staring into the fire, her mind all in
a jumble, trying to process what had happened. Mulder recognized that look
of hers as he sat down beside her -- it was the one when she was trying to
solve a tough case. No words were spoken in a long time.

"I was watching the fire here earlier," she said suddenly, unexpectedly.
"It occurred to me how ... how much it reminds me of you," she said,
smiling, still staring into the flames. "Beautiful, strong and hard to put
out."

His gaze lay heavy on her, trying to discern her thoughts.

"I love you too, Mulder."

He was, to say the least, somewhat surprised.

"But I love Krycek as well."

This was too ironic.

"Are you disgusted?" he asked, a little worried.

She laughed softly and shook her head.

"You never told me," she said, for the first time turning to look at him
since the scene in the bedroom.

"I didn't think you'd..."

"... Approve?" she suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I don't know. Maybe I was afraid you'd look at me in a different way,
that you would shun me."

"I think it would disappoint me, knowing you wouldn't take any interest in
me," she said, and smiled again. "Which brings me to another subject. Why
did you say ..."

"... because I do. I do want you," he confessed again. "But I want Krycek
as well."

"Deja vu," Scully mumbled. "So what do we do now?"

"Well ... I got to kiss Krycek, Krycek got to kiss you, but..." he smiled
innocently. "You can't decide before you've tried it all, after all."

"Decide?"

"Yeah, Krycek told me he loved you, and me, so..." he waved his hands in
the air.

"You're asking me if you can kiss me?"

"Uhh, I guess so."

She turned her head away from him, confused by it all. They were in love,
all three of them, and someone had to go. Someone, or all.

"This is so strange, I don't know what to think of it," she told him
instead of letting him kiss her. "I mean, whose choice will it be?"

"I don't know."

"I know I can't choose."

"Me neither."

"And I don't want to lose either of you."

"Me neither."

She turned to him, frowning. This was too hard, too damned convoluted.

"Maybe we should talk to Krycek too," she suggested calmly, calmer than she
felt.

"I'll go get him," Mulder offered, touching her hand before he moved away
from the couch.

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

Scully and Mulder sat in the couch, Krycek on the bear fur in front of
them. No one spoke. Either they were too embarrassed or they couldn't think
of anything useful to say. Perhaps both. It was an uncomfortable silence
that was just waiting to be broken.

Krycek let his gaze wander over Scully, then Mulder, snapshot memories
flashing through his mind, making him blush. They had both felt so good,
different, but oh so nice. How could he choose? He couldn't. He wanted them
both, he needed them both. But it was either that or standing alone.

"This isn't going to work," Mulder sighed finally. "Maybe we should be
together all three of us, at once, or take turns or something," he added
ironically.

Scully raised her eyes, wondering how Krycek would react to that. He was
meeting her gaze -- and he was interested.

"It was a joke, okay?" Mulder said with a smile. "I'm sorry, it was stupid."

Krycek smiled at Scully, a smile lurking in response.

"C'mon, you guys, I was just *kidding*," Mulder continued, not a little
frustrated.

Their smiles widened.

"We can't do that," he coached, wondering what had gotten into them, to
Scully most of all. "Can we?"

Their eyes were shining like a child's on Christmas as they looked at him.
He felt awkward being the one who were being reasonable. But how could he
resist those eyes?

"We can at least give it a try," Scully almost pleaded, and Mulder fought
the urge to rub his eyes in disbelief.

"All three of us?" he dared her, watching the color rise in her face.

"Yeah." She shook off the embarrassment, starting to like this idea even
more as she thought it through. "I think it's worth a shot."

Mulder waved a hand in front of Scully's face.

"Hello? Scully? Is it really you?"

She ignored him and turned to Krycek.

"What do you think?" she asked him, knowing the answer already.

"I say we go for it," he suggested, leaving the final decision for Mulder.

Mulder suddenly found his tongue tied as they turned to him once again for
the final decision. What could he say? He wanted it, but it felt strange,
thinking of them all together.

"Uh ... I ... it's ... I ...," he stammered, trying desperately to come up
with something to say.

"You what?" Krycek wondered a glimpse of humor in his eyes.

"I ... I guess we could try," he managed, still a little puzzled.

Scully smiled widely. He was amazed at how she was acting. Krycek was
another thing, he didn't know him *that* well, but he had a pretty good
idea he knew Scully better than this. Well, even he could be mistaken, and
it wasn't as though he disliked this new side of her; quite the contrary.
This should be interesting.

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

A couple of months earlier


He'd never thought about how much her presence had meant until she was
gone. How empty and dead the office looked when she wasn't sitting in front
of his desk or going through the files that were spread across the table.
But most of all, he realized how much he needed her as a person, a friend
and that how much he would ever try and ignore it, he depended on her in
every way there was.

"Welcome back," he said, smiling, the sight of her, safe, bringing peace to
his heart.

She looked up at him from in front of his desk, a file open in her hands,
and it struck him how it had never bothered him to have her sitting there.
She was one of the few women he knew with whom he had never slept but the
only woman who had her own key to his apartment.

"It feels good to be back," she said, returning the smile.

There was a comfortable silence as their eyes met. Scully broke the contact 
first, 
scanning the office briefly.

"I see things haven't changed around here," referring to the mess.

He followed her gaze and smiled again.

"To tell you the truth, I haven't been down here all that much," he told
her and walked up to the piles of papers she last had set her eyes on.

"That's right," she remembered, spinning her chair around to watch him sort
the piles. "How was it to work with the guys for a change?"

"Okay," he said. "You met Krycek, didn't you?"

"Yeah, he seemed nice," she forced out, fighting down that lump of jealousy
that had no place being there. "You worked well together?"

Mulder turned around and walked up to sit on the edge of his desk, facing
her in a way that demanded eye contact. She looked troubled.

"Well, yes, actually," he told her with caution. "Not as well as with you,
though, too little resistance," he joked, noting the embarrassed smile he
manage to provoke from her. "He told me to say hi."

She flinched and as soon as the words reached her, she fought to hold it
back. So they were still in contact. That she hadn't expected. She supposed
she should be happy for him.

"So let's get to work," she said, deliberately changing the subject.

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

There was a small tap on the door and Scully lifted her eyes from the file
she was perusing. No one ever came down to see them. Mulder had left the
door open when he had gone out to buy lunch.

"Hi, I hope I'm not interrupting you," Agent Krycek said, smiling as he
noted her puzzled expression.

She kept staring at him, obviously not prepared to find *him* standing
there, and Krycek started feeling uncomfortable.

"I ... I was looking for Mulder," he explained, not wanting to walk inside
until she asked him.

"Oh, come in," she said, coughing as she put down the file. "He'll be back
in a few minutes."

"Is it okay if I wait for him?" He wanted to make sure. "I could come back
later."

Scully couldn't help but smile. Their first meeting must have given him the
wrong idea about her, the way she had ignored his presence. It had just
been hard for her to accept Mulder having another partner, after all they
had been through together, and she had to admit that she had been a bit
jealous. A small part of her was still jealous that Mulder seemed to
socialize with him even now. He hadn't been willing to do that when it came
to her, he really wasn't like that with her at all. Personally, she had
nothing against Krycek; she would probably even like him if she got to know
him.

"It's no problem."

He blushed and took a few steps inside. The last couple of times they'd met
he had gotten the feeling that she didn't like him.

"How are you?" he asked her, not knowing if he should take a seat or stay
where he was.

"I'm fine," she said with a nod. "Ready to get back to work, anyway."

As she finished, Mulder came back with a bag of what smelled like Thai
takeout. Surprised to see Krycek there, he felt his heart skipping a beat,
seeing them both together made it beat harder. It was important for him
that they get along. He liked Krycek, in more ways than he could allow
himself to admit, and as far as his feelings for Scully were concerned,
they needed no description.

"Krycek," he said with a smile, putting the bag on the desk. "Are you
disturbing my partner?"

"Uh ... hi, Mulder," he said, stumbling over the words, wondering why he
suddenly felt so guilty. "I just came down to have you take a look at
something," he explained, suddenly feeling the need to have an explanation
for being there.

"Sure," Mulder nodded and walked over. "Let's see it."

Handing over a file, Krycek hoped that Mulder really would find something,
just to make it less obvious that he was just looking for an excuse to
visit. Scully rose from behind the desk and reached for her briefcase.
Mulder looked up at her.

"Going home already?"

"Nope. I'm going over to Pendrell to have this analyzed," and she produced
a piece of metal, presumably evidence, from a little container. "See you
later."

"Yeah. Don't forget your food," he reminded her and returned to the file.

"Nice meeting you again, Krycek," she said.

Krycek found himself trapped in her eyes; he noticed that she didn't look
away immediately. They were a beautiful shade of blue, so different from
Mulder's hazel. He felt something strange twist inside him as they held eye
contact, but he didn't want to dig too deep.

"Yeah, the same," he managed, seeing a change in her eyes.

"Bye, then."

And she was out of there, leaving the two men alone.

"This looks all right," Mulder mumbled, checking once more to see if he had
missed anything. "I mean, other than it's a boring case."

Krycek smiled in agreement and took back the file. He wanted to ask Mulder
if they could go out, but couldn't find the courage. It wasn't as if asking
that question would reveal his sexual disposition, but to him it felt as if
Mulder would notice anyway.

"What are you doing after work?" he asked cautiously, watching him take a
seat by his desk.

"I don't know," Mulder said, a little occupied as he picked up and looked
at a brief that Scully had left on the desk. "Probably watch a movie and
order some takeout. Why?"

"Uh, I just wondered."

Mulder looked up at him curiously. He was holding something back, yet he
couldn't figure out what. Not that they had had a relationship equal to his
and Scully's, but during the time they'd worked together they'd grown quite
close, and he couldn't think of anything that would be uncomfortable for
them to talk about. Except his own feelings, and that wasn't anything he
would ever bring up.

"If you want to, you can come over," he offered, seeing this as a good
opportunity, at the same time knowing he shouldn't be doing this to
himself. "That is, if you can handle the mess."

"That would be great," Krycek said, and he realized he had answered a
little too quickly and felt his cheeks getting hot. "If you're up for it."

"Sure, come over at six and we'll grab a pizza or something."

"I'll be there," Krycek grinned and felt the tension leave him. This had
been easier than he had dared to hope for. Almost too easy. But he didn't
give it any more thought as he left the small office in the basement.


Later that night, when the pizza had been eaten and the movie had ended a
long time ago, they sat talking in Mulder's couch. Both had a hard time
keeping their eyes off each other and found themselves from time to time
embarrassingly observant of each other.

"Have you heard of any new partner yet?" Mulder wanted to know.

"No," he said, knowing too well that they both knew why. No one wanted to
work with "Spooky's" old partner. "I guess there's a lineup," he offered,
knowing that wasn't true.

Mulder nodded and appreciated that he didn't want to hurt him by saying how
it really was.

"How are things with Scully?" Krycek wanted to know, glad that Mulder had
finally gotten what he wanted.

"Oh, it's great," Mulder smiled, a glimmer in his eye. "Although I think
she's already getting tired of my ideas," he joked, knowing somewhere
inside him she never would be.

"They're not so bad, once you've gotten used to them, they're actually
quite ..."

"Amusing?"

"Yeah, that too," Krycek teased and smiled. "No, it was interesting," he
added, sounding more serious. "Can't say I didn't like it."

Sharing a smile, they were both thinking the same thing, neither dreaming
of the fact that they actually were.

"Well, it's late," Krycek said, looking at his watch. "I'd better head home."

"Yeah," Mulder agreed, not really wanting him to go home just yet. He was
enjoying himself.

Standing in front of his front door, Mulder leaned against the wall,
watching Krycek put on his jacket. What was it with this man that made him
react so strongly? Normally, he was able to suppress his homosexual side,
but just as with Scully, Krycek was impossible to remove from his mind and
heart.

"If we don't see each other at work tomorrow, give me a call, why don't
you," Krycek dared, glad that the room was so dark. "Maybe we can do
something tomorrow."

"Okay," Mulder said, smiling, relieved he had brought it up.

Krycek nodded and lingered a while at the door before leaving Mulder in a
state of mind that threatened to explode. Everything was happening too
fast, with Scully's return and his feelings for her and Krycek. He needed a
break, although he didn't see one presenting itself anytime soon.

With a loud sigh, he went back to the couch, knowing the smell of Krycek
would still be there for a while, disturbing his sleep.


It went on like that. He met Krycek almost every day after work and spent
his entire working day with Scully. Every time he saw one of them, he felt
so sure of his feelings, but if he started thinking about choosing between
them, he couldn't.

Scully didn't seem to have anything against Krycek, and he appeared to like
her too. Sometimes when he was late and Krycek had come to visit in the
basement, he caught them talking, usually about some case or something else
involving work, but by the looks of it, they enjoyed each other's company.
As for himself, he had a hard time seeing them together.

Then one day he was late and she realized she would have to enter the
cafeteria alone again. If she were lucky, he would come join her halfway
through with some bad excuse she would only half listen to. Not that she
cared very much, it had become close to a habit and in some strange way, it
felt comfortable now after her disappearance and return to learn that
everything was back to normal.

Just as she was about to enter the cafeteria, however, she felt a tap on
her shoulder and was surprised to see Krycek standing there with a smile on
his face.

"Hi, Scully," he said, still smiling. "Mind if I join you?"

She was astonished. Normally, the other agents didn't pay her much positive
attention, her being "Spooky Mulder's" partner and all, and she didn't care
much for them, one way or another. But Krycek had also been his partner and
from what she had heard, he had problems getting a new one because of that,
so her surprise settled quickly.

"Sure." She smiled back, finding this a little amusing. Two outcasts,
eating lunch together. It was practically junior high school all over again.

They went into the cafeteria, bought their food and found a free table.
Aware of others staring at them, they sat down and did a good job ignoring
the attention they had managed to garner. <Years of practice> Scully
thought, amused, and glanced at Krycek ,who didn't seem to care either.

"So where's Mulder?" he asked, an ironic undertone in his voice.

She smiled and arched a brow. It wasn't hard to figure out that he had
undergone the same treatment from Mulder. If you could call it treatment;
when you got used to it, it was -- almost normal.

"Have you been assigned a new partner yet?" she asked, looking into those
deep green eyes.

He shook his head and sighed.

"No, no new partner yet. I figure it'll take a while," he said, realizing
that she was probably the only one who could understand his position. "In
the meantime, I'm on my own."

"If you need help with anything, let me know," she offered, feeling sorry
for him. It was hard, being left out like that, and she couldn't help but
feel guilty about being the one who put him there.

"I might take you up on that," he said as he raised his glass to her.

Their eyes locked for a moment. It had happened before and every time he
looked at her, she felt warm all over. He was a very good-looking man and
she couldn't deny her attraction. But it wasn't just an attraction; it felt
deeper than that.

Dismissing the thought, she forced herself to look away. He didn't feel the
same way. Maybe he was just curious, as everybody else. After all, she was
Fox Mulder's partner and friend. And so was he. She smiled to herself and
took a sip of her beverage.

Talking through lunch, she was drawn even more to this man whom she hardly
knew. They both felt the chemistry between them, but neither dared to
question it.

"I need to look through a file, I hope you don't mind," she said not wanting him 
to get the feeling that he was boring her.

"No, that's OK," he assured her and gave her a quick nod.

She lifted her bag from the floor beside her the grip a little too loose as she 
accidentally dropped it back to the floor. A few things fell out of it and both 
of them were quickly on the floor to gather her stuff. She blushed; glad she 
hadn't had anything really embarrassing in there.  Krycek lifted a book smiling 
to him self.

"You're reading this?" he wanted to know holding up the book that said: "The
 old man and the sea."

She  put down her wallet in the bag and he joined her back by the table.

"Yeah," she nodded with a smile.

"I love this book," he told her, reaching her it across the table. 

"Me too," she smiled and felt his fingers linger over hers as she took it. "I.. 
uhm," 
she put it back in her bag feeling her heart beating faster. "I've read it about 
a 
thousand times."

He couldn't stop staring at her.

"Really?" realizing how stupid he sounded. "You read a lot?"

"Yeah, I love reading. It' so relaxing."

"Can't argue with that."

She avoided his gaze on purpose.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" he teased.

"What do you read?"

He pushed away his trey to lean his elbows on the table, a thoughtful look on
 his face.

"Well, Hemingway is a strong favorite, of course," he nodded towards the bag.
 "Then I read a lot of Russian novels, like Tolsoy and Dostojevskij."

Of course, she thought, reminded of the fact that he was from Russia.

"Any favorites?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"No. I'm not very good at choosing favorites."

She met his gaze.

Mulder stepped into the cafeteria, scanning the room after Scully. He knew
her well enough to know that she wasn't mad at him for being late, but he
still tried to work a little better on his excuse. Letting his gaze wander
to a corner of the room, he found her sitting opposite Krycek and felt a
slight surprise. They were talking and seemed to have a pleasant time,
something that did something to him. He was jealous -- but not. There was
something about seeing them together that was both confusing and appealing.

When he had gotten over his first reaction, he moved to reach them,
wondering why he felt as if he was going to be in the way.

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he sat down next to Scully.

She gave him an odd gaze, sensing something strange about his mood. He
smiled back at her, suddenly having forgotten the elaborate excuse he had
concocted for her.

"It's okay." She nodded at Krycek. "I was lucky to get some company anyway."

"Yeah, I noticed," he smiled toward Krycek, who looked like a boy caught
with his hand in the cookie jar, Mulder's usual expression.

A silence spread over them and they all felt a little awkward. Usually,
when they met like this, they were in the basement and Krycek only talked
to Mulder. Scully was just present but never really part of the
conversation. Now, Mulder felt as if it were him standing outside, and he
didn't like the feel of it.

Krycek was feeling the same way and felt it was time to hit the road.
"Well, I have some work to do," he explained as he rose. "I'll see you
later."

"Yeah," Scully said as she looked up at him, realizing he was looking at
Mulder but that he quickly moved his gaze to her. And they were locked
again. Not for long, but long enough for Mulder to notice.

Without another word, Krycek left, making his excuses to Mulder in passing.
Mulder turned in time to see the blush draining from Scully's cheeks,
wondering what the hell he had interrupted.

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

"Do you want to come along for a beer?"

Mulder looked up from the computer screen to find Krycek standing in the
doorway. For a moment, he looked confused but gathered his thoughts
quickly.

"Uhh -- sure, give me five."

"No problem."

Krycek sat down in the only spot in the room that wasn't covered with work.

"So where's Scully?"

"She went home an hour ago," Mulder replied, putting his glasses down.
"Where are we going?"

"The usual joint," he said, watching Mulder rise and grab his jacket. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

Two other agents joined them as they went down to the garage. Mulder knew 
them by reputation as two hotshots from the VCS that Krycek had spend some
time with before he had been assigned with him. They seemed pretty OK to him
and he figured they had more things on their mind than to even bother and bug 
him but as Krycek started a conversation about a case they'd just solved, Mulder 
decided to "butt out," knowing they wouldn't be so fond of his ideas. The thought of 
going out and socializing with other people amused  him. If Scully could see him now, 
she would have a hard time trying to rationalize it.

The joint's atmosphere was noisy and a thick smoke lay heavy in the air.
They sat at a table for four but half an hour later they had multiplied to
six. The conversation was still on the old case, though it was now being
seen from different perspectives. Taking a sip of his beer, Mulder heard
one of the new agents by the table speaking to him.

"Do I call you 'Spooky Mulder' or just 'Spooky'?"

Mulder clenched his jaws, forcing a smile.

" 'Mulder' will do just fine."

The agent pretended not to hear him.

"So, Spooky, what's your opinion on the homicide? Do you think the guy went
plain crazy or does he fit the profile of one of your abductees?"

Mulder grinned, shaking his head. He should have known better than to try
to make nice. He was just about to answer when Krycek cut in.

"Lay off, Logan!"

"Boy, you've gone touchy since your time in the basement."

"It would do you some good to spend some time with an agent with real
experience."

Logan stared him out but clearly realized it would be for the best to let
it be.

After four beers, Mulder realized he had been staring at Krycek for far too
long. He didn't have time to be embarrassed about it when one of the guys
at the table offered him his attention.

"Where's your partner, Mulder?"

"Home, I guess."

"I thought the two of you kept a much closer watch on each other than that."

"No." Mulder smiled, still willing to be friendly.

"You mean the two of you haven't done anything against bureau policy?"

"Depends on what you mean," knowing exactly what he meant.

"You know."

"No, I don't," he said, enunciating clearly. His meaning was clear: Drop
the subject. Now.

However, not unusual when it came to having his opinion heard, he was
ignored. "Don't tell me you haven't given it any thought. She is pretty
hot."

"Our relationship is strictly professional."

"Come on, you're human, you must at least have thought about sleeping with
her."

"No." <You know you're lying now, don't you? >

"I had a female partner once, didn't work out. Just after a week we ended
up in bed,"  one of the other agents at the table mused. Mulder was
grateful; he didn't want to get into this, not here, not now.

"What happened?" the guy who had brought up the topic in the first place
was really getting interested.

"Well, first of all, she was married, though that wasn't any major
obstacle. The AD found out about it."

"Let me guess," an other Agent started. "First: Skinner yelled at you for an 
hour
or so, then made you assure him that you know the bureau rules about
partners getting involved."

The agent nodded. "That was the easy part. He suspended me for a week
without pay and then reassigned us."

"Did her husband ever find out?" Mulder inquired to know. He didn't need to
be told that the female agent was married. He just knew.

"No, he didn't." The agent grinned widely.

Mulder joined him. Just to be polite.

"I still wonder, though --" the agent went on.

"What?" Mulder asked, sighing. He just wished that the topic would be dropped.

"How you can work without a constant hard-on."

<I'll drink to that. >

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

He woke up, fully dressed, after a couple of hours' sleep on the couch,
from the light streaming in through the window shade.

He was late. He had stayed far too late, drunk far too much the previous
night.

Getting up, he felt a dull headache coming over him. Shuffling off in the
direction of the bathroom, he got undressed on the way, grabbing a towel as
he did. A quick shower and some new clothes were all he needed before going
to work, not feeling tiptop, but enough.

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

She was surprised he wasn't there when she got to the office. While waiting
for him, she sat down to do some paperwork, trying to clear the desk of
some old cases, if not actual debris. She wondered if he had spent the
evening with Krycek; she had called him a few times to ask about the latest
case last night, but each time had only gotten his answering machine. Since
Mulder didn't have a social life; he had expected the same for her, so now
when he was "socializing," she couldn't help but to feel abandoned. If she
was sitting at home every night, cleaning her Smith and Wesson, she
expected the same from him.

Raising her eyes at the sound of someone entering, she saw a very tired
Mulder walk in.

"Good morning."

He noted that tone she used when he was late. It was cheery and chipper,
and he hated it.

But he played along. "You're bright and early?" He grinned.

She looked at her watch.

"Not really. Late night?"

Wishing he wouldn't hear the curiosity in her voice, she tried to occupy
herself with the files in front of her as she waited for him to answer.

"I just took in a couple of beers with Krycek." He looked down at the
papers in her hand. "So what's on the agenda for today?"

"I have an autopsy in half an hour, and you --" she rose from the chair to
hand him the pile of papers --"have some filing to do."

Giving her a tormented expression, he took the papers. As she was walking
out of the office, his cell phone rang, making her stop short. Watching him
hang up, he gave the papers in his hand a quick glance before commenting.

"I guess this will just have to wait."

"Who was it?"

"A fellow agent who's just gotten a dead body on his hands and thought it
looked like something we normally would investigate."

"So where are we going?"

He gave her a devilish look.

"Is Agent Scully ditching her 'date' with the morgue?"

"I have a pretty strong feeling that I'm going to have two dead bodies to
'date.'"

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

Mulder kneeled beside the covered body, lifting the sheet. A young man,
approximately 17-20 years of age, lay face down.

"So what do you think?" He glanced up toward Scully.

"It looks like he froze to death, but I can't be sure until the autopsy."

Mulder rose, taking the latex gloves off and facing the agent who had
called him there.

"Who found him?"

"A woman walking her dog. I guess he's been here a day or two. I appreciate
your help on this."

Scully smiled at him, assuring him it was no problem. She also noted the
way he looked at her and found herself feeling uncomfortable. A soon as she
and Mulder were alone in the car, she asked, "Do you know the guy?"

"Not really. I met him last night," he said with a laugh at the memory of
the conversation.

"What?" Scully wanted to know.

"His hormones starts a riot every time a woman walks past him."

"No wonder he couldn't stop staring," he heard her mutter and just had to
reply to that.

"Don't take what I said the wrong way, Scully, you're a very beautiful woman."

He caused her a very serious case of blush.

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

Leaving her with the forensic evidence, he took the elevator up to see the
assistant director, in whom he had for the first time in a very long while
failed to cause a bad mood and a long lecture of bureau rules. After the
initial shock and the short meeting was over, waiting for Scully to finish
the autopsy, he grabbed a quick lunch with Krycek in the cafeteria.

"How's your day?" Krycek asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Nothing but a dead guy."

"Interesting?"

"Dunno yet." He hesitated. "What are you doing after work?"

"Why? You want to impose on my cooking experiences?"

"Actually -- yes, I do."

"I'll be home after six."

Mulder nodded, promising he would show up sometime after that. He realized
he'd spent a lot of time with Krycek lately; it actually felt as if he were
giving in to a habit every time he met him. The same thing happened every
time he was away from Scully, but he had thought it was just a side effect
of her abduction, a psychological reason. When the same feeling came over
him with Krycek, he had spent nights of restless sleep thinking about it,
trying to come to a conclusion. The one that seemed to be the most
reasonable scared him.

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

She had just finished when he came in.

"Hey, doc, what's up?"

"Well -- " she began, ignoring his attempt to be funny. "Nothing indicates
that he didn't freeze to death."

"What about alcohol or drugs?"

"There were no traces of either, though I did find some traces of
cardiobenzene."

"Cardiobenzene? What's that?"

"It's used to slow the heart -- too much of it and it kills you, but that's
not the cause here."

"So the cause of death was exposure?"

"Yeah."

"Intriguing."

Scully knew how he felt. She had hoped for some excitement too; their
latest cases had been ridiculously easy and boring, and it was almost
starting to feel as though they were getting other agents' leftovers.

Mulder was disappointed; he had been looking forward to a mindtwister.
Their last cases had been meaningless stakeouts and homicides that turned
out to be death by natural causes. The rest of the day he had tried so hard
to find something to occupy his mind, and he had made Scully promise she
would do the same.

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

Coming home to a well-lit apartment, Krycek realized just how empty it was.
The silence was almost scary, and it reminded him of a boyhood experience
when his brother had left him alone one night. He had been so afraid of the
darkness and the silence that he had crawled under the bed to hide from the
monsters that always came out when it was dark.

To escape them this time, he decided to turn on the TV. The voice of the
news anchor echoed in the room.

He gave the phone a hopeful glance, knowing that Mulder had promised to
give him a call later that night. Wishing for his company, though knowing
he was in Pikeville, West Virginia, with Scully.

Rummaging around in the kitchen to find something edible, he made himself a
couple of sandwiches and some tea. <Tea, the only thing Mulder can make in
the kitchen without burning it,> he thought, smiling to himself. Even
though the television was on, he grabbed a book from the bookshelf but
found himself unable to concentrate. His thoughts wandered to Mulder in the
swimming pool, wearing nothing but a pair of tight Speedos, exposing a
beautiful body he would not mind exploring in every possible way. The
thought was almost painful, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for himself
for falling in love with a "straight" guy.

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

He must have dozed off, because the phone's trilling woke him. Reaching for
the phone, he answered sleepily.

"Yeah?"

"It's me. Did I wake you?"

"Mulder?" he straightened up. "No ... no, you didn't wake me. So how are
things in Pikeville?"

"It's coming along. I think we'll be home the day after tomorrow."

"Great," he said, trying to keep his exhilaration down. "How's Scully? Is
she glad for the sudden excitement in the case?"

"She should be, since she's been getting her fair share of dead guys,"
Mulder joked, receiving a laugh from his former partner. He missed him,
though he was glad to spend some time with Scully. "Can we do something
when I get back?" Mulder continued.

Krycek smiled. "Sure, as long as it's not running."

"I promise."

After talking to Krycek, he decided to impose on Scully. Seeing her in
jeans and a tight T-shirt made him look at her twice. She was acting so
casual and relaxed that it almost made him a little uncomfortable. As she
spoke about the progress on the case, he found himself occupied with her
hands, imagining what it would feel like to have them touch his body.

She noticed how he kept on staring. She hoped he didn't see her blush.
Instead, she kept on talking, hoping he would notice how she stared at his
body as he was stretched out on her bed, resting his head in the palm of
his hand. His long legs were dressed in the Armani suit pants that he had
worn all day. The white shirt he was wearing had the first three buttons
undone, exposing his throat and chest, leaving the rest for her to imagine.
As her gaze wandered up and met his, his eyes enchanted hers, imprisoning
her in the hazel dimension that recklessly stole what little dignity she
had left.

She remembered their shared gaze after they returned from West Virginia and
he had dropped her off. Reaching his answering machine for the 10th time,
she was starting to give up hope. Where the hell was he? She knew him well
enough to know that he would bring his cell phone if he were out on a lead.
<Because he needs me to save his ass, > she thought as she stared at her
clock. <Why do I care? >

She sat down. <Yeah, why do you care? > The little voice inside her head
said. Moaning out loud, she rubbed her face. <Because I do care, don't I? >

The time hadn't moved. <Stop caring so much, it's none of your business.
He's a good-looking man; he probably has a lot of women lined up for him.
You don't stand a chance. >

The phone rang.

"Mulder?"

"No, Dana, it's me," her mother said. "Is it a bad time? Has something
happened to Fox?"

Scully leaned back, feeling how the tension left her body. Great, now she
was going to draw the conclusions. The last thing she needed was to be
confronted by her mother.

"No, I just -- I couldn't reach him," she mumbled. "I'm sorry, I have a lot
on my mind. How are you, mom?"

"I'm more worried about you. How are you, Dana? You haven't been yourself
lately. Is it Fox?"

"I'm fine, mom, I'm fine. Really. It's just been -- hectic lately."

"Maybe you should take some time off from work, get --"

"No, I can't do that. I don't want to do that. I told you, I'm fine."

"Dana, you know that I didn't approve of you getting back to work so soon
and if you're feeling stressed out, maybe you should step back from it for
a couple of days. Go up to the cabin, it's empty for the following couple
of months. It would do you good."

Scully rubbed her eyes.

"Mom, I know you just want what's best, but I need to work. Even if I
wanted to, I couldn't."

She went silent for a while.

"Thanks for caring, though," Scully said, smiling, hoping her mother would
get over it.

Mrs. Scully knew it was no use to talk her into anything. Dana had always
had a mind of her own and she would be foolish if she thought she could do
anything about her decisions. It didn't keep her from worrying about her,
it never would.

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

He swallowed the last of his beer before answering.

"I totally agree, De Luca should come down to earth with the rest of us."

Krycek laughed at his choice of words.

"No, hey, but listen. He stole the entire profile. I read the same profile
a couple of years ago; the real writer, Agent Tunis, worked for four years
on that case."

"But how couldn't Skinner have noticed?"

"I don't know, but it was a weird case -- Satanic murders, you know,
typical stuff that ends up in the basement."

"I guess that could be a reason."

He noticed Mulder glance at his watch.

"It's getting late, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"If you want to, you can spend the night." <Hold that thought! > "I mean,
you've been drinking --" for some reason, he felt that he had to explain
himself.

"If it's no problem."

"No problem, so -- you can use my bed if --"

"The couch will do just fine," Mulder said, cutting him off, though almost
tempted to take him up on the offer.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

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

Krycek didn't get any sleep at all that night. Knowing that Fox Mulder was
sleeping on his couch caused his heart to speed up and keep him awake. How
many times had he cursed himself for letting himself have feelings for a
"straight" guy? He just hadn't been able to stop those feelings.

But sometimes, it felt as though his feelings were answered. Like last
night. He had felt Mulder's gaze rest on him for quite a while, and
sometimes, it felt very much like magic. Even if they were good friends, he
hadn't told Mulder about his bisexuality; he was afraid.

Mulder woke up as Krycek walked past him. Just when he was about to say
"good morning," he noticed that Krycek was only wearing a pair of boxers.

Stunned into silence, he devoured the view with appetite. The man's back
exposed well-trained muscles that flexed and glided every time he reached
for something. As the sight began to arouse him, he knew he had lost
control over his reactions as many times before.

Taking control was the hard part. He forced himself to look away from his
living painting of beauty, and meaningless thought choked his imagination
as his voice betrayed him.

"You're up early."

At the sound of the voice, Krycek nearly jumped. He hadn't been prepared
for it. Turning around, he had to gasp. The man was even sexier with that
sleepy look.

"Good morning" was all he could manage to come up with. "I hoped you slept
well."

"Yeah, it's a very comfortable couch."

Krycek laughed.

"Now that's a new one."

Mulder got up and stretched, ruffling his hair as he did so.

"Are you hungry?"

"I know my way around your kitchen, don't worry," Mulder said with a smile.

"I'm not worried. I just thought you might want to use the shower first and
while you're showering, I can make some breakfast."

"Sounds great."

Mulder shuffled to the bathroom, not aware of Krycek's gaze following.

The shower felt great. As the soap and warm water coursed down his skin,
however, images of Krycek flooded his mind. <No! Not now> He whined
quietly, turning off the warm water and twisting the cold-water knob at the
same time. As the cold water fell down over him, he shivered. <What we've
got to do,> he mused as he gasped at the sensation of the icy water hitting
his chest.

Coming back out, this time fully dressed; he smelled the scent of newly
brewed coffee. Grabbing a mug, he accidentally bumped into Krycek,
momentarily bringing to mind the erotic images that had occupied his
shower. Mumbling something about being sorry, he hoped that Krycek wouldn't
notice the blush he could feel spreading across his cheeks.

To occupy his mind with something else, he decided to give Scully a call.

As Krycek made his way to the bathroom, a sting of jealousy came over him
as he overheard Mulder talk to Scully. <Life's a bitch sometimes. >

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

Coming out from Skinner's office, Mulder and Scully were both engrossed in a
discussion about the profile that De Luca had presented to the group. Mulder had 
objected to almost everything, knowing the profile hadn't been the agent's own. 
If 
nothing else, his insistent questioning had raised some red flags.

They were still engaged in their discussion on their way to the elevator
when someone behind them interrupted them.

"Excuse me, Mulder?"

Scully turned around, meeting Alex Krycek's eyes.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said, his gaze shifting from one to the other.

"Don't worry," Mulder assured him. "You weren't. What's up?"

"You forgot your key when you left this morning."

Her jaw dropped as he handed Mulder a set of keys. <What was that about
Mulder leaving 'this morning'? > A picture materialized in front of her
mind, though it didn't stay long, since it had to leave room for her
burgeoning jealousy. She wanted so much to ask him what he had been doing
at Krycek's place that millions of questions started to pop up. Had he
spent the night? Were they closer than she had realized? Why did that make
her so extremely jealous?

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

"Mulder!"

"Hi, it's me."

"Krycek, what's on your mind?"

"I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner tonight?" he
asked. He sounded a little odd Mulder mused.

"Sure. Just tell me when."

"I was thinking around six, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, that's great, I should be ready by then. Should I bring anything?"

"Uh, actually, I was thinking that you could ask Scully if she wants to
come too."

Mulder was struck by a surprised silence. He wanted him to ask Scully to
join them?

"If that's not a problem," Krycek continued, noting all too well the
silence on the other end of the line.

"No, not at all," he managed. "I'll tell her when she comes back."

"See you tonight then."

Mulder kept staring out into space as he slowly replaced put the phone
down. What the hell was this about?

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

She had been surprised that they'd asked her to join them. Knowing that
they spend a lot of time together, she never thought she would be included.

Standing before Krycek's door, she felt a little awkward. Before she had
left her apartment, she must have changed nearly a dozen times, and she
still didn't know if her choice had been right.

How bad could it be? She rang the doorbell.

"Hi, Scully," Krycek smiled, stepping aside to let her in.

He wore jeans, same as she was; they were even as tight as hers, which did
strange, unfamiliar, attractive things to her. To cover his own upper body,
he had on a simple T-shirt that he was aware shaped his body perfectly. At
his waistline was wrapped a towel, on which he now wiped his hands.

"Let me take your coat," he offered, making sure he didn't mess it up.

"Thanks," she said, smiling as she let him.

His hands brushed her sides and she felt herself shiver from delight by the
simple act. Her cheeks flushed and suddenly she felt warm. Embarrassed by
her reaction and determined to keep her cool, she hurried to speak.

"You're cooking?"

"Yeah," as if it was perfectly normal. "Actually, I love to cook."

Scully arched a brow, impressed. Who would have known?

"Need any help?"

"If you don't mind. Know how to do a salad?"

"I've mastered that," she said as she followed him into the kitchen.

Finding herself shamelessly admiring his butt, she didn't hear him speak.
He turned around, thinking she hadn't caught up with him yet, but she was
right there behind him. Startled, he met her eyes, waiting for her to say
something.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said with a little cough, hoping her face didn't
match her hair too much." Did you say something?"

He flashed her another one of those dazzling smiles of his and turned to
open the fridge.

"I was just wondering if you know how to do a 'Greek salad,' " he
explained, wondering where her head was at today. "That's if you don't have
any other ideas, I mean, there's nothing wrong with being creative, right?"

"No, it's fine, I'll stick to the Greek version. Creativity was never my
strong suit."

With an amused nod, he pulled out a plastic container of ingredients from
the crisper and put it on the sink next to a chopping board.

"There," he told her. "Do you want an apron or something?"

"No, thanks," she said as she peered into the container. This guy really
did have a sense for perfection. Everything was so neat.

Krycek walked back to the stove, checking in a pot. She watched him from
the corner of her eye as she started preparing the salad. Was it just her,
or was there something between them? In some strange way, she always felt
so relaxed around him, so carefree. Smiling to herself, she noted how he
was spicing the concoction, wondering what it would take for her to ever
find someone like him.

"Seems like Mulder's running late," he observed, looking at the watch.

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," she said, glancing at him.

He muffled a laugh.

"He promised he'd be on time."

"Doesn't he always?" she said with a grin.

"He'll call if he...." they both trailed off, realizing that they had
spoken in unison.

Quiet for a while, they tried hard not to look at each other, fighting not
to give into it. Scully finished tossing the salad and cleaned out the sink
as Krycek started working on the entree. After she was finished, Scully
came up beside him.

"Smells good," she said, leaning forward and sniffing at the sizzling meat.
"You really do know what you're doing."

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said with a smile, the feel of her
body so close to his making him almost dizzy. "Do you want to taste the
gravy, see if it needs more seasoning?"

"Sure."

He gave her a spoon, which she dipped in the gravy. The way he kept
watching her made her nervous and when she was about to put the spoon into
her mouth, she managed to drip some gravy on her sweater, just above her
breast, splashing a little on her exposed skin as well. Krycek tried to
catch it before it landed, in the process accidentally placing his hand on
her breast.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said with a blush, snatching his hand off. "I'll get
that for you."

Tearing off a square of paper towel, he started to blot the gravy from her
skin and her sweater, where it was starting to stain. Her flesh turned into
goosebumps at his touch.

Mulder had let himself in. He figured Krycek was still in the kitchen
working on the dinner. Some part of him hoped that Scully hadn't arrived
yet. This evening would get interesting but so dangerous. Every time he saw
them together, he felt as if his heart would burst. The feelings they
provoked in him scared him more than he could explain. When he met one of
them, he thought he knew where he stood, whom he wanted, but seeing them
together always threw him into uncertainty.

He stepped into the kitchen just as Krycek was wiping Scully's cleavage. He
couldn't help but notice the tension between them and their flustered
expressions. Coughing in an attempt to let them know he was there, he saw
Krycek withdraw his hand hastily, as if he had burnt himself, his cheeks
reddening. Scully looked just as emba.

"Are you sexually harassing my partner?" Mulder said, the humor in his
voice clearly evident.

"Come on in, Mulder," Krycek said with a smile, fighting the awkward feeling.

" I used my key, I hope you don't mind," he said, walking into the kitchen.

<My key? > Scully reacted strongly to the fact that Mulder had his own key
to Krycek's apartment. Sure, he had the key to hers but that was different,
they were partners; it was convenient.

"What were you doing?" Mulder asked, looking at Scully, his eyebrows
slightly raised.

"Uh, I spilled some gravy on me," she explained, glancing at Krycek.

A silence filled the room.

"Do you want to borrow a T-shirt or something?" Krycek offered, still a
little at unease.

"Yes, please," she said. "That would be great."

"I'll be right back," he said as he left the kitchen, leaving the two of them.

She wished he would stop looking like that; it made her nervous. It was an
intense look she couldn't interpret. Usually she had some kind of an idea
of what was going on inside his head, but now she found herself clueless.

"Did you follow up that lead?" she asked to break the silence.

He shook his head and continued to study her. She looked different. It was
if she were another Scully from the one he saw every day. Her clothes, for
one. Ordinarily, she wore a jacket over the sweater -- and come to think of
it, the sweater had never looked quite as tight before -- and he couldn't
remember her wearing such tight jeans, even out in the field. Even her face
and hair seemed different -- not that she wasn't always beautiful, but now
she looked ... amazing.

Krycek returned with a T-shirt in hand, and Scully was glad to be able to
get away for a while to change. Her hormones were at war and she didn't
know what she was feeling anymore. They both had such a strong effect on
her.

She went in to the bathroom to change. Before pulling it over her head she 
found herself brining the soft material to her face, taking a deep breath. It
 smelled wonderful, just like Krycek did... she held that thought. <Already 
aware of how he smells like, are we? > She couldn't keep from smiling, he 
did smell wonderful.

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

Dinner went by smoothly. She had never seen Mulder so relaxed before, so
carefree. It was obvious that he enjoyed Krycek's company and frankly, she
didn't blame him one bit. Why did they both have to be that amazing?

Krycek tried to keep himself from looking at them to intensely. It hadn't 
occurred to him how it would affect him to see her wearing his clothes. The white T-
shirt was too big, obviously, but he was totally enchanted of the image it made on 
her body. It was a much bigger turn on than her tight sweater had been and even that 
had been a little to much for him.

"Scully, you do realize that we've postponed about three weeks of
paperwork," Mulder smiled and gave her that "I really really don't feel
like doing them" look.

"Yes, I do," she smiled back. "And we have to grab in to them soon."

He offered her a weak smile in return; knowing it wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Don't talk about paper work, please," Krycek moaned in pain. "I have a
couple of piles too."

Mulder put his arm behind the back of Scully's chair and leaned in on her
with a charming smile. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Luckily for me, I have Scully to do that for me," he informed Krycek, who
seemed doubtful.

And for good reason. "In your dreams, Mulder," she shot at him, noting
Krycek's grin widen. "But I do have a suggestion, though."

"Give them to Pendrell?" he deadpanned and leaned back in his chair.

" No," she said with a sigh, and glared at him.

"He would if you asked him," he teased and smiled at Krycek.

Scully turned to Krycek, ignoring Mulder's comment.

"My family has a vacation cabin that is empty for a couple of months. If
you'd like, we can go up there and make a weekend out of it and get that
paperwork out of the way."

"Sounds good," Krycek said and raised his glass.

"Why not," Mulder agreed, a little surprised over her suggestion but not
having much against it.

"Then it's set," she said, asking her self what the hell she was doing.

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

There was a soft knock on the office door and the two agents looked up.

"Hi, Krycek," Mulder said, smiling, as he watched the younger agent enter
the room. "How can I help you?"

Krycek smiled at Scully, who couldn't tear her eyes away from him as he
walked up to Mulder. They both looked so great, so - she'd
better go back to her reading.

"Skinner just told me that I could be included in a stakeout team tomorrow
night," he said with a grin, happy to get away from the surveillance for a
while. "That is, if I can get another agent to go with me."

Mulder looked up at him, understanding the unspoken question. He could hear
Scully shift in her chair.

"Uh, I would, but I can't," he confessed, feeling guilty about it. "I have
... Uh, plans," not wanting to tell neither of them that he had to go see
his mother.

Krycek looked disappointed but tried not to show it. Even if he had been
available to go, he knew that it would have been hard for him to go like
that with a slew of other agents.

"Well, maybe I can get someone else," he tried, knowing that there wasn't
anyone who would want to go with him.

Mulder bit his lower lip, understanding. Scully flipped a page.

"But maybe --" he turned around. "Scully? What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing special," she replied, knowing what he was about to ask, the mere
thought making her heart pound.

"So are you interested?" he asked, wanting to hit him self for putting them
together like that.

"I don't see why not." She looked over at Krycek, who was giving her that
intense look again.

"Are you sure?" Krycek persisted, glad that Mulder had asked her. He would
never have had the guts to do so himself.

"Yeah, just fill me in on the details, and I'll be there," she said with a
nod, doing a good job of sounding casual.

"I could come down later and fill you in -- around six?"

"Well, I'm leaving at four." She tried to think of another solution.

"Maybe I could drop by your apartment -- if it's no problem, that is," he
suggested, hoping she wouldn't be offended.

"No, it's fine. That would be great," she said with a smile, feeling how
Mulder was listening intently to every word they spoke.

"Great, then I guess I'll see you." He turned to Mulder. "Bye, Mulder!"

Mulder looked up and gave him a quick nod, fighting to hide his jealousy.
What the hell had he been thinking of, setting the two of them up like
that? And now they were going to meet at Scully's apartment, alone.
Clenching his jaws, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Scully smile.

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

"Damn," she mumbled under her breath as the doorbell rang

She hadn't decided on what to wear yet and as it was at the moment, she was
only half wearing the sweater she had last decided to wear. Tugging it down
over her breasts and stomach, she stole one quick look in the mirror before
opening the door.

<God he's beautiful>

"Come in."

He regarded her carefully as he stepped inside and she found herself
staring back at him. They smiled at each other and she could feel her face
flush.

"Have a seat," she offered quickly; afraid he would hear in her voice
exactly how glad she was to see him. "Do you want some coffee or anything?"

"No, thank you," he smiled, unable to stop looking at her. "I have to get
home to grab something to eat after we're done."

She saw her chance.

"Uh, I was going to order some takeout. If you want to, you can eat with
me." She trailed off, not knowing if she had made a fool out of herself. "I
mean, if this is going to take some time, there's nothing worse than
working on an empty stomach."

"If you don't mind," he nodded, even so knowing that the briefing wouldn't
take that long.

"No problem," she assured and moved over to grab the phone. "What do you
prefer? Italian? Chinese?"

"Whatever you're having."

She ordered and joined him on the couch. It hadn't escaped her attention
that he was studying her closely and that the look on his face wasn't
completely innocent as he did. Confused, she tried to ignore it as they
started going over the basics.


An hour later, they were well over discussing the case. The plates lay
empty on the table in front of them and the sound of their voices filled
the room. Every now and then, they found themselves locked into each
other's gazes.

"So, how come you don't believe?" he asked her, tilting his head to the side.

<How can he be this cute? >

"I don't really know," she mumbled and ran a finger along her thigh. "There
is my science. And then maybe I'm afraid of the ramifications."

"And then there is more."

It was more of a statement than a question and she looked up at him, amazed
of how well he could read her.

"Yes, then there is more," she said slowly, nodding. "But I can't define
it. Sometimes it feels like I'm being skeptical just to prove a point,
which is silly, because I know when I'm right. It's just that --" she
shrugged.

"Mulder's outrageous stories sometimes happens to be right," he observed,
knowing what she meant. "And your science can't prove it."

"Yeah," she smiled, realizing he really did know what she was feeling. "And
that just happens a lot, doesn't it?"

He chuckled. It was so nice to talk to someone who didn't have a negative
opinion about Mulder. Someone who actually liked him and knew his true
nature. He only wondered in which way she liked him and if the feelings
were mutual. Not that he could blame either of them.

"I don't understand," he began, seeking her attention. "How everybody can
put him down like they do. He's so -- I don't really get it."

Scully nodded. She knew his frustration.

"I think they realize he has a great mind -- that they think he's wasting.
I think it scares them," she spoke very softly. "That is part of his
strength."

"Yeah." Krycek looked dreamy. "I guess so."

Not being aware of it, Scully mirrored his look, the thought of Mulder
making her warm inside.

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

With the stakeout ahead of them, Scully and Krycek drove up to the
nightclub, noting that the place was already crawling with police cars and
unmarked, most likely FBI, cars. They looked at each other, a little
surprised.

"Looks like they've already caught him," Krycek said, pulling over. "We
should check it out."

They got out of the car and walked up to a fellow agent, who was talking
loudly with one of the policemen.

"I'm Agent Krycek," he waved his badge. "This is Agent Scully, we were
supposed to do a stakeout here but it seems as if you're done."

"Yeah, we just need to get all these fucking police cars out of here.
Someone called 911 as our men caught Fjord in the middle of the dealing,"
the agent told them, giving Scully some extra attention. "Agent Scully?" he
checked again. "Aren't you 'Spooky's' partner?"

"I usually work with Agent Mulder." She tried not to sound to offended on
his behalf. "Will you be needing us anymore?"

"No," he said, turning back to Krycek. "You're free to go."

Krycek smiled at Scully. The nightclub was closing and the people started
moving over to the one at the other side of the road. It was smaller and the 
music played loud out in the street; it looked like a place to be. The cars were 
starting to leave, and the sound of voices outside on the street were getting 
dimmer.

"You know if you don't feel like going home, we could always take a look
inside," he suggested with caution. "If you feel up for it."

She turned to look at the entrance to the nightclub. It looked all right.

"Sure, why not," she said, surprised by herself. It wasn't every day she
went out to a nightclub just like that, even if she had intended on being
part of a stakeout.

The place was dark and smoky and they moved right over to the bar. Ordering
two drinks, Krycek hoped that he wasn't pushing his luck. It wasn't his
intention to get her out there and get her drunk. But Scully was a big
girl; she could probably take care of herself pretty well.

After two drinks, Scully started feeling a little tipsy. Not too much, but
enough for her to be aware that she had been pouring alcohol down her
throat. She looked at him and smiled inside. He was so good-looking. Her
heart skipped a beat as he met her gaze, letting it linger. She was
starting to feel a little bolder.

"You want another drink?" he asked, draining the last of his.

"Uh, no thanks," she said, shaking her head. "But you know what? I just
need to go to the ladies' room and then maybe we could do some tequila.
What do you say?"

"Hey, that's a great idea," he said with a grin, not having been aware of
the wild side of Dana Scully. <Tequila, I'll say> "I'll order."

"Yeah, go ahead, I'll be right back."

She hadn't been away for three minutes when his cellular phone rang.

"Hi, it's me."

"Mulder!" he wasn't aware that he was raising his voice.

"Where are you?"

"Oh, they'd already caught the guy, so we went into the club to have a
drink instead. Where are you?"

"Is Scully there too?"

"Yeah, she just went to the ladies' room. ... Uh, wait a minute," he said
as he saw their tequilas coming. "No, I just ordered two of those," he told
the bartender.

"No, you wanted four," the bartender insisted.

"No, I just ordered two tequilas, I know I did."

"Wow! You're plying my partner with tequilas?"

"Actually, it was her idea. ... No, no, I don't want those two. Thank God,
Scully, help me out here."

"What?" she sat down next to him.

"I didn't order four tequilas, make him understand that."

"Well, we'll just save those for later," she suggested, flashing the
bartender a smile.

"What now?" Mulder wanted to know.

"What? Oh, we're taking all, or Scully's taking all of the extra drinks, or
whatever."

"Who's that?" Scully inquired as she promptly started in on her first. She
was going to be flying without a plane very, very soon.

"Mulder."

"Yeah?"

"No, I just told Scully ... what did you want, by the way?"

"Uh, I just wanted to see how things were going," he managed, feeling the
jealousy taking over. "I have to go now. Tell Scully hi."

"You don't want to talk to her?"

"No, just tell her I said hi."

"OK." He hung up and turned to Scully. "Mulder says hi."

"Where was he?"

"He actually didn't say," he said, realizing it was a little odd. He was
sure he had asked.

"Was it something special?"

"Uh, no." Krycek sounded a little confused. "He, he just wanted to know how
it was going."

Their eyes met and held, the same thought crossing their minds. In the
moment of truth, both chickened out. Scully broke first.

"So, tequila?"

"Yes, ma'am."

After a couple, Scully knew that she had had enough. She wasn't drunk, like
really drunk, just a little tipsy -- the Scullys were an alcohol-resistant
lot -- but she felt how she was able to let go some. Krycek was being a
great company and it felt almost too easy for her to relax with him. So
when he asked her to dance, she couldn't find any other answer than yes.

He smelled good, too good. As he pulled her closer she realized that she
never had been this close to Mulder, and a part of her felt as though she
were betraying him. That was ridiculous -- they weren't together and she
had all the right in the world to go out and dance with whoever she felt
like. Maybe that just didn't include Mulder's former partner and close
friend. <Well, I can't leave him standing here, now can I? >

Her small body fit perfectly in his arms, and he enjoyed the feel of her
against him. This was the kind of feeling he had been fighting so
desperately. It was bad enough that he had them for Mulder, but to yearn
for Scully as well was just plain stupid. Maybe this had been a bad idea.

The dance ended and they decided to take a taxi home, exchanging few words
on the way. It wasn't awkward; they both just needed to get some space.
Soon they would be spending time alone, all three of them. If they weren't
careful, the feelings could backfire, blow up in their faces and the
consequences would be too much to even consider.

"Good night." Scully smiled up at him, the alcohol still in her system.
"I'll call you ... I mean, I'll see you Monday."

He smiled and nodded.

When she got into her apartment, she leaned heavily against the door and
took a deep breath. She had been so close to telling him something...
Anything. It was probably the liquor. Then again, maybe not. <Pull yourself
together. > She closed her eyes and pictured him before her, the image
changing back and forward between him and Mulder. <You better behave now,
Dana Katherine, you better behave. >

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

A couple of days later.


Now, she lay on the fur, in front of the fire, the men on either side of
her, and she was very glad she hadn't behaved. It was all too overwhelming;
she still hadn't been able to come to grips with it yet.

This was so strange, but she was actually happy.

Mulder had fallen asleep, his face nuzzled against her neck. She could feel
his soft breathing against her skin. Krycek, however, lay awake, staring at
the fire, his mind deep in thought. It would take some time getting used to
this for all of them, but she had a feeling they would make it. Smiling
widely, she thought back a couple of hours, the memory clear enough to give
her that tingling feeling back.


The following days after their talk had felt very strange for all three of
them. Sometimes it had been awkward, while at other times they were just
talking as if things had always been as they were. All they could do was to
wait until the snow let up and let them leave. And in the meantime, they
had food -- and time. Time to get to know each other better, time to think
about how they felt.

They hadn't been physically intimate yet with each other, none of them. It
was frustrating, but no one wanted to be the one who broke the ice. As the
time closed in on them, this became more of a tension than the thought of
being together.

"Skinner must think we're dead," Scully mused. "You've never taken a
vacation voluntarily, Mulder, so either you're dead or up to no good."

"I think he'd just be relieved not to have us around for a while," Mulder
shot back.

Scully sighed and rolled her eyes. She could feel him looking at her like
*that* again, and it made her warm all over. Looking around the room, she
realized that Krycek was nowhere to be seen.

She looked back at Mulder; his eyes were dark and tempting, very tempting.
Suddenly, her breath seemed to get caught in her throat, her head pounding.
He was getting closer.

Was it just him, or did the temperature rise with the speed of light? She
looked as though she were scared, yet daring him to get closer. So he did.
Little by little, until he could feel the heat radiating from her face and
body. He was careful not to hurt her with his weight as he reached forward
to touch her cheek with his index finger. She held her breath, feeling him
slip one arm under her to slide her down into a more comfortable position.
Why was she feeling so dizzy?

"Can I kiss you now?" he whispered, close to her now.

The sensation of his body against hers left her speechless. All she could
do was nod, the mere thought of having Fox Mulder kiss her sent a flood of
arousing thoughts to her mind.

He moved the last inch to feel her lips, warm and soft. First just feeling
them against his satisfied him, knowing he was allowed, knowing that she
was just as excited about this as he was, but in time he realized it wasn't
enough. The sweet taste of her, the scent she indulged, the way she felt
against him, everything about the moment woke his body. Meeting her tongue
with his, he felt the need to hold her tighter, knowing that she could feel
his erection against her, the very notion that it was okay, driving him
further.

Krycek came back from his shower to find them on the couch. At first, he
felt as if he were imposing on their privacy, but before he had time to
realize that he hadn't, Mulder sensed his presence and looked up.
Understanding Krycek's dilemma, he wanted him to know that it was all
right, hoping that Scully really was up to this. He would never push her.

"Come over here, Alex," he pleaded, forcing his body away from Scully's.

Following suit, Scully turned around to offer Krycek a smile. He looked so
left out, as if he thought he wasn't welcome.

"Come on," she said with a smile, reaching out toward him.

Wondering if they could hear his heart pounding, Krycek slowly moved to the
couch. Scully took his hand and led him down onto the couch. She was glad
to finally be able to break the ice, whatever that was left of it in that
room.

Mulder started nuzzling her neck, his arms finding their way around her
waist, taking a firm grip around her. She moaned and tilted her head back
against his shoulder. He was having direct eye contact with Krycek all the
while, giving him an encouraging smile.

In Mulder's arms, she could feel how in front of her, Krycek leaned forward
and put his lips on her throat, placing his hands on top of Mulder's arms
as he moved up, past her chin. She was in heaven.

Mulder started nibbling at her ear, his lips working magic. He put his
mouth close against her ear, his breath uneven, teasing her before he spoke.

"Do you want us to make love to you, Scully?" he whispered hoarsely,
hearing a low moan from the back of her throat, but no actual answer.

She was fully dressed, but totally aroused. It was a sensation that spread
through her entire body, leaving her unable to speak.

"Just tell us if you feel uncomfortable and if you want to stop," he told
her. "We won't do anything you're not up to."

Amazed that she managed to nod, she closed her eyes and felt her body
relaxing. Krycek moved away from her for a while and she was swept up in
Mulder's arms.

He took a couple of steps to place her on the fur in front of the fire,
loving the color the fire created on her soft skin. Scully opened her eyes,
finding on each side of her, the two men she was ready to give her body to.
And she wasn't scared.

Mulder looked at Krycek, forcing his gaze from Scully. They knew she was
watching them. Reaching out to place his hand under the line of Krycek's
jaw, he could hear Scully draw her breath. Was she disgusted? Both men
shifted their gaze toward her and they saw the desire there. Still a little
unsure, Mulder arched a brow at her. She smiled and tried to control her
breathing.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked.

"Are you sure you're not..." Mulder began, not wanting her to say that
just to please them.

"... Yes," she hissed the excitement evident in her voice. "Enough with
the torture."

Surprised and relieved, Mulder turned back to Krycek, for the first time
feeling absolutely sure about kissing another man. It meant so much to him
that she accepted it and that she was turned on by it he could never have
dreamed.

As she watched their lips meet, she felt the heat spread between her legs
again. It was amazing how it affected her to see them like that. She had
never given it much thought, never felt the need. Now it was filling her
mind, stealing all the space she could lend out that wasn't caught up in
the moment. Disappointment hit her when they stopped but was soon replaced
with other feelings as they turned to look at her again.

It didn't take long for them to strip her. Every inch of her, except those
who most wanted attention, were blessed with the feel of lips or a tongue.
Then she found herself lying there, naked before them, exposed. It was the
most vulnerable she had ever been and yet she felt perfectly safe.

<God, she's beautiful. > Mulder couldn't stop staring at her. Her eyes were
closed again, her taut nipples revealing her feelings. Gracing Krycek with
a brief glance, he found him staring at her as well. He couldn't blame him.

She slowly opened her eyes. They were both studying her body, in detail.
Desirous for a touch, she tried to get someone to pay her attention,
shifting slowly, just to show what she wanted.

Mulder reacted first, running a hand from her shoulder, down by the side of
her breast and all the way down to her thigh -- but still not where she
wanted him to caress. Krycek followed suit by placing his lips on the tip
of her other shoulder, trailing a row of kisses up to her neck.

Mulder moved away from her for a moment to take his shirt off. In the
meantime, he watched Krycek smooth his hand down to her breast, teasing the
nipple with his fingers. Scully moaned and couldn't keep herself from
urging her body against his hand. When Mulder was ready to give her
attention again, Krycek let him take over his activity so he could remove
his shirt as well.

Two warm lips closed around her nipple and Scully thought she would explode
from the pleasure. He moved his hand down to her abdomen, just above the
triangle of red hair, feeling how she tried not to move in his direction.

When Krycek had removed his own shirt, he went to Mulder's side, wanting to
feel his body against his own. He ran his hands down the hard muscles of
his chest and pressed his erection against Mulder's ass through both their
jeans. Mulder tilted back his head searching for his lips, feeling the other man 
nudge gently at his own all the while touching his front. They played like this
for a while, very much aware of the fact that Scully was watching them 
intensely, enjoying what she saw. Teasing Krycek's erection by rubbing his ass gently 
against him, he could hear his reward against his lips deepening the kiss a little. 
Not wanting to take that any further, Krycek moved away shortly after to give
Scully some attention again. He placed himself between her legs, parting
them gently. First he blew out a gentle breeze in her most sensitive area,
hearing her moan as her body reacted. Looking up at Mulder, he noticed that
he was watching him, smiling, the desire in his eyes. Scully grew restless
under them and both men went back to attending to her body.

Finally, Krycek lowered his face, letting his tongue dance gently over her
clitoris. Scully's breathing was speeding up and she urged her body up
toward him, only to learn that he wanted to be in control. He tasted her
again, a little longer, but still just using the tip of his tongue, teasing
her.

She moaned again, louder, and dug her fingers into Mulder's hair, as she
couldn't reach Krycek. Mulder smiled and moved up to her face not getting
any contact with the rest of her body. He kissed her parted lips, letting
his tongue make love to her mouth. She grabbed hold of his head, feeling
how Krycek started licking her in just the right way. Unaware of it, Scully
was moaning violently into Mulder's mouth, wrapping her legs around
Krycek's body as she felt how she was nearing the edge. Mulder let his hand 
go down to tease her nipple pleased over the reaction. She was at once very
aware of what was going on with her body the very thought of it sent her head 
spinning. They both knew exactly how to touch her and the consciousness
of that hey were in fact the ones who were making her feel this way, both of 
them, made the final touch. With a small squeeze of her hands that were wrapped 
around Mulder's neck, she came, moaning her pleasure in to Mulder's mouth.

Afterward, she loosened her grip around the both men, feeling how all the
strength had left her body and left her limp. Amazing.

Mulder moved over to Krycek, wanting to taste Scully on his lips, taking as
much as he could. Krycek moved his hands to work on Mulder's jeans, both
men looking at each other in agreement. They wouldn't go all the way with
each other this time; that would be too much for her, and them. Instead,
they stripped each other's jeans and boxers, admiring each other's bodies.
Mulder smoothed his hands on Krycek's shoulders, moving down his arms, and
Krycek leaned forward to meet the other man in a kiss.

Scully was able to move again and had shifted to her side, watching them
play their game. Still shaken from her own orgasm, she watched the two
beautiful men and the sight of their bodies. Because they were, truly,
beautiful.

They pressed their erections together, the feel overwhelming. Krycek moved
one hand in between, stroking the shaft of Mulder's rock-hard cock and was
rewarded with a low moan. He kissed down Mulder's chest until he reached
down to the straining erection. First, he stroked it and moved a hand down
to touch his balls, knowing just what torture this was from personal
experience.

Mulder begged for more by pressing his body against Krycek's hand,
surprised to get the response in the other man's mouth. When he had
adjusted to what had happened, he started trusting his cock into the other
man's mouth, down his throat. It was heaven and he increased the pace, at
the same time grabbing hold of Krycek's hair.

After a while, he realized that this was going to end rapidly if he didn't
stop. Gathering as much self-discipline as he could, Mulder slid out of
Krycek's mouth, pulling him up in another breathtaking kiss.

She could hardly breath. When Krycek had started going down on him, 
she had prepared herself for what was about to happen. Still, as she watched 
him take him in to his mouth she had lost all notions of time and space. Her
body aroused once more she wanted to touch her self but found that she was
unable to make the slightest move. 

"Hey, guys," she barely spoke, in need of more attention. "No offense, that
was beautiful, but --"

Krycek smiled and moved over to her. He rolled her over onto her back and
was about to start arousing her again when he realized she was still wet.
Letting one finger enter her at the same time as he moved his other hand up
to her face, he gave her a questioning look.

"I watched you two," she explained with a smile.

Mulder was filled with a warm feeling of completeness. Everything felt so right, 
so natural. Now she lay there, telling them that watching Krycek giving him a 
blow-job had turned her on. He felt like hugging her. That woman was just too 
amazing, she never had let him down in anything and he wondered how that still 
could surprise him.

Krycek smiled and kissed her, the finger working slowly inside her moist
center. She reached down to touch him, moving her body in pace with his
finger for a while. When she had been stroking his hardness long enough,
she removed his hand and nodded to show that she was ready. He moved her
legs up over her head and entered her body, slowly. She inhaled sharply.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, afraid he'd hurt her.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine," she said, smiling, and kissed his cheek. "But I have
a feeling we both can feel better."

Getting the hint, he started moving inside of her, increasing the pace at
her request. She threw her head back and released a low moan. He knew what
he was doing.

Mulder watched them with astonishment. He couldn't remember ever having
seen something this beautiful as the two of them, making love. Krycek
grabbed her waist and pulled her closer so that he could control the speed
easier and Scully bucked against him, her body amazing in the glow from the
fire.

She reached up to place her hand behind his neck, showing him she wanted to
tell him something. He leaned down and met her eyes close.

"Let Mulder give it to me," she whispered hoarsely. "Just let it go."

Increasing his speed, he thrust again and again, closer and closer to the
edge, until he felt his erection explode inside her, filling her. It took a
little while before he could manage to leave her body.

"Mulder," she said, reaching out, inviting him over.

He came over, starting to kiss up from her feet and along her leg. The feel
of his warm hot lips made her shiver and he finally came to rest between
her legs, spreading them wide to gain access with his tongue. He tasted her
juice combined with Krycek's, hoping he would never forget it.

Suddenly, he felt her hands grab hold of his hair, prompting him to get up.
Obeying, he moved up to kiss those beautiful lips, knowing that she was
longing to feel him inside of her. He was too.

"Do you want me?" he dared her, his breathing uneven.

"Badly," she said with a smile, trailing her hands down his back.

And just as Krycek had he entered her slowly, one hand supporting her
buttocks to keep in control. She felt how good he felt when he filled her,
just as Krycek had done, and as he started moving inside her, she was
relieved that she couldn't discern that one of them were better than the
other. That didn't exactly come as a surprise to her.

Now it was Krycek's turn to watch them, and he devoured every minute of it.
This was as new for them as it was for him and that reassured him. He
realized then that it didn't hurt at all to see them make love. It made him
warm with love for both of them.

Mulder felt her getting closer, giving all that he had left to give,
pushing her over the edge. He followed her shortly after, knowing by the
feel of her shudder that he had satisfied her. He collapsed on top of her,
letting the strength come back to his body again slowly.

Later, he rolled to lay at her side, snuggling close to her. Krycek moved
some quilts from the couch and came to lay on the other side of her, all
three close together.


She moved closer to Krycek, feeling how Mulder followed her in his sleep.
Krycek searched her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back and kissed his
back. This would be all right, it actually would.


The End

Title: 3's A Charm: Venus
Authors: Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil
Ratings: NC-17
Keyword: Mulder/Scully/Krycek Romance

Summary: Mulder Scully and Krycek are getting adjusted in to the relationship...

WARNING: If you're having problems reading about a sexual intercourse between 
two men, stop right here, if not, you'll probably love this one :-)

Author's Note: This chapter is really only about sex and the plot is rather 
thin. There will be more; I'm working on the third chapter and it's getting 
along fine.

Thanx to The Emu and Elisabeth who again have made wonders for this piece of fan 
fic and deserves half the credit. You guys are great!

Disclaimers: I do not own these characters they belong to Chris Carter and FOX 
Network, you know the drill.

Please feel free to send feedback to sageo@hotmail.com

And visit the MSKRA (Mulder Scully Krycek Romance Association) at:
http://memebers.xoom.com/MSKRA

3's A Charm: Venus
by Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil

Krycek zipped down the backside of Scully's dress letting the long evening gown 
fall in to a pile around her ankles before he started on his own shirt. She 
kicked the dress in to a corner and smiled wickedly. He answered by tossing his 
shirt aside and grabbing her slim waist to pull her against him, roughly, 
kissing her full lips with desire.

After a while, Scully tore herself from his grasp and turned around to walk 
towards the bedroom, swaying her hips a little too evidently. He watched her 
soft curves as she walked away and smiled at the sight of the black underwear 
she wore. Everything that was black made a sensational contrast towards her 
milky white skin. The lace bra, string undies, sexy hold ups and high heals 
shoes made him light headed. 

She gasped as he grabbed her from behind as soon as she had reached the door. He 
had taken the time to take his pants off and she felt the cloth of his boxer 
shorts as the only thing between his erection and her skin. It felt great. His 
hands were traveling up and down her body, cupping her breasts intensely 
massaging them for a while as he leaned in to kiss her neck with his hot wet 
lips.

Using one hand to clasp of the hem of her bra he continued to caress her breast, 
now skin to skin. Scully's head tilted back against him, her moans getting 
louder. He let his hands travel down, releasing her from her underwear. She was 
standing almost naked in front of him, stroking her aching body against his. It 
was all it took before he slipped out of his own boxers and turned her around, 
both knowing he was in control of what was about to happen. She didn't mind at 
all.

His erection was hard against her body and she rubbed herself against it hearing 
his moans coming from somewhere in the back of his throat. Sliding her arms 
around his neck he lifted her up so she could lock her legs around his waist, 
his throbbing erection just at the opening to her wetness, only threatening to 
enter. She kissed him hard as he walked with her towards the bed, lowering her 
there with him on top of her. Then he slid in, starting to trust inside of her, 
slowly at first. She bent her legs over his head, still wearing her hold ups and 
shoes, the knowledge that it turned him on working as an even greater turn on 
for her part. When his pace increased, she grabbed hold of his ass, trying to 
help him as she started to come with loud moans. He sent her over the edge right 
before his own release, muffling the sounds of pleasure in her neck.

It took a while before he pulled back to slide out of her, bumping down beside 
her in the bed. He was still breathing heavy, a smile decorating his face.

"Oh God," he smiled staring up at the roof.

"Mhm," she agreed closing her eyes.

They lay like that for a while feeling pleased and content the sound of 
breathings mixing and getting steadier as each minute went by. Scully was the 
first to go up, but only to take off the remains of her clothing. Then she 
returned to the bed to snuggle closer to the man beside her, placing her petty 
head on his chest, his arm around her small body. She kissed his right chest, 
then relaxed against his body and fell asleep.

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

She was going through a report about their latest case to se if she'd missed 
anything when the phone rang. Leaning over to Alex's side of the bed, she 
grabbed the phone, hoping it wasn't anyone from work.

"Alex Krycek's residence," she tried to sound formal. 

"Hi," Mulder smiled on the other side of the line. "So there's where you are. 
Had a good night?" 

She blushed and smiled in to the phone. Since Mulder had to run some errands, 
she figured she could come in later. Obviously he had managed to get them done 
sooner than she'd expected.

"Can I talk to Alex?" he grinned, noticing her embarrassment.

"He's in the shower," she explained, leaning back against the pillows.

"Really? And you're not?" he joked. "So where are you?"

"In bed." 

"Oh, tell me more," he whispered back, already getting a clear picture. "What 
are you wearing?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing," he repeated, sounding pleased. "Are you covered with anything?"

"The cover," she sighed, understanding where this was leading.

"Take it off," he ordered softly.

"Mulder, I don't have time for this, I have to get ready for work."

"Please," he begged.

"*NO* Mulder. Now I'm gonna tell Alex to call you when he's available, OK?"

"OK but--"

"No, and I'm hanging up now, OK?"

No answer.

"See you soon Mulder," she smiled before hanging up on him.

Just as she had leaned back against the pillows, the phone rang again. She 
rolled her eyes.

"Scully," she sighed, ready to blow him off.

"Agent Scully?" A.D Skinner asked confused. "I must have dialed the wrong 
number, I was trying to reach Agent Krycek."

"Oh, no, you've-- I'm here-- I mean, I you dialed right. I was just dropping by 
with some-- Uh, some papers," she studdered, praying for Krycek to get out 
there.

"Is Agent Krycek there?" 

She could hear the suspicious in his voice and rose from the bed.

"Uh, he's a little busy now, I can tell him you called," she offered, wanting to 
sink through the ground.

"Yeah, do."

When she hung up, she realized that she was standing there whiteout anything to 
cover her naked body with. She had been talking to Skinner while standing in 
Alex's bedroom, butt naked.

 That was how Krycek found her as he returned from the bathroom with a towel 
wrapped around his waist. He smiled and approached her.

"What are you doing?" he chuckled and embraced her body. "If you're gonna walk 
around naked like this I'll never get anything done around here."

She offered him a shy smile, still a little shaken.

"Mulder called."

"Mhm," he nuzzled her neck. "I'll call him back."

"And then Skinner called."

He froze momentarily and leaned back to look at her. She looked bothered and he 
couldn't help but smile. 

"Then I'll have to call him too," he leaned in to kiss her. "Anyone else?"

"Alex, what if he--"

"Why would he?" he placed his hand under her chin. "Besides, even if he did, it 
would be OK. You and I could legally be together."

"Yes, but we agreed to keep it quiet and I don't feel like dealing with it now."

"Then don't," he gave her another kiss. "Just... Just relax and it will be OK."

She looked at him and was lost in his eyes. He was right, it would be all right. 
No one would suspect anything. How could they? They were being too careful. With 
a smile she gave him a kiss before stealing his towel and disappearing in to the 
bathroom.

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

The Hispanic man pulled the collar of his jacked a little higher to avoid those 
nasty raindrops. He looked at his watch again. It was evident that he was 
waiting for someone and that someone sat in a gray Mercedes that pulled over by 
the sidewalk right on time

"Luis Cardinal?" the man in the car greeted and lit a cigarette.

"Yes," the Hispanic man answered.

"A job has come up for you."

The smoking man handed him a file from his own personal filing cabinet.

"You will be working as a federal agent, assigned to a certain agent."

Luis Cardinal flipped thought the pages of the file.

"Has he become a problem?"

"No, on the contrary, he's become quite an asset. Your job--" he stopped to lit 
a new cigarette. "Is to make him trust you, to become friends, so good that he 
would trust you with his life."

The Hispanic man hadn't paid so much attention to him; a photograph had caught 
his interest.

"She is the weakest link," the smoking man said. "And also our security for this 
plan not to failure."

"He has good taste," closing the file he met his gaze. "What about Agent 
Mulder?"

"If you win Agent Krycek's trust, Mulder won't be so difficult, " The smoking 
man killed the last of the cigarette in the ash tray. "I'll engage our next 
meeting until then remember not to do anything that could jeopardize our plans."

The Hispanic man stepped out of the car.

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

"On whose authority Agent Mulder?" the Assistant director asked flat, slouching 
back in his chair.

"No ones sir."

"I sure hope you have a hell of an good explanation for this because the last 
hour I've been apologizing on your behalf to the law informant in Texas. And you 
should know if you pull a stunt like that again, your future as a federal Agent 
is going to be very short. Do I make myself clear Agent Mulder?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, you're dismissed."

Mulder turned to leave, heading for the basement where he would probably feel a 
lot more welcome

Scully had been patiently waiting for him in the office with the lab report that 
Pendrell had finished so quickly. While waiting she ate her lunch, reading the 
report. Suddenly he appeared in the door, mumbling something to himself. When he 
caught sight of her he creased his forehead. "Already?"

"Pen-shrell--" she tried, still chewing on a piece of apple. Waving her hand in 
the air she swallowed "Uh, sorry, Pendrell took the liberty to finish this 
first."

"What a sweetheart," he teased. "What do we got, I hope it's good, cause Skinner 
just gave me a taste of what he will be like."

"After the stunt you pulled, I don't blame him, here read for your self, I have 
a date with Alex," she handed him the report and stole a quick kiss before 
leaving.

"Have fun," he shouted after her.

Roaming through the corridors on her way to meet Alex, she delved into her mind, 
trying to fine one time, just one time when she had ever felt this happy and 
good about her self without any special reason. She joined the crowd that waited 
for the elevator. Standing there in her own thoughts miles away from reality she 
heard her name being spoken.

"Dana?" 

Turning around she met and old friend.

"Marissa, hi."

After a friendly hug she had to ask. "What are you doing here? I thought you 
were stationed in Florida."

"I was, but I kind of got married and my husband got a promotion. So here I am," 
the young Agent explained, glad to see and old friend. 

"Congratulations. When?"

"Oh it's just a month ago. What about you? How's life going for you? I've heard 
the rumor that you and that Mulder guy are working together."

"I'm doing fine, nothing special has happened really."  <How do you define that? 
> "And yes, I do work with Agent Mulder," she smiled.

"Is he really that weird as people say he is?" she asked with caution.

Scully chuckled. "No, not when you get to know him, he isn't. Where are you 
heading?"

"To meet John, my husband. And you?"

"To meet a friend uhm, Alex Krycek."

"Aha, something you want to tell me?" Marissa tried.

"No, he's just a good friend."  <I got to stop lying like this. >

"Well, I have to get going, I'm late. Take care."

"I will. Say hi to your husband for me."

"I will, bye."

Scully smiled, she hadn't seen her since Quantico. It was always since to meet a 
friend.

He was patiently waiting for her by the car, chewing on some seeds, a bad habit 
Mulder had thought him. Arriving she greeted him with a smile and a bat of the 
eye. Since she was spending the evening with her family and he was going to New 
York the day after they decided to spend an extended lunch time together.

"So tell me about this new partner of yours," Scully required as they sat in a 
corner of the restaurant. 

"Well," he began taking a sip of his water. "He's from Nicaragua I learned 
today... Other from that I really don't know that much about him. He seems 
really OK, I have a feeling it will work out fine."

"That's good," she smiled and squeezed his hand over the table.

He looked at her and smiled back. It had come as a pleasant surprise with his 
new partner and he was even happier to learn that he didn't seem to have 
anything against neither Mulder nor Scully. Not that he had said it straight 
out, but he had figured as much after their short conversation. 

"Mulder-- Uh, was wondering something," she grinned and let go of his hand.

"What?"

"Uhm, he was pondering weather Cardinal was gay or not," she exposed even more 
teeth. 

Krycek laughed.

"He did, did he now."

They shared a gaze.

"Maybe you should get him back on track," she suggested with a glimmer in her 
eyes. 

"Well, I was kind of planning on that," he smiled and raised his glass towards 
her. "He's up for a surprise tonight."

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


Krycek took a detour by Mulder's office before going home. Since he was leaving 
the next day he wanted a special memory of him to keep his mind occupied until 
they met again.

Mulder was deeply buried behind his desk with his nose in a file as usual. He 
didn't even notice Krycek in the doorway.

"Mulder?" he spoke and received a confused gaze.  Mulder looked totally unaware 
of time and space. 

"You're unbelievable, you know that," Krycek chuckled

"Hi," he replied a little late. "You going home?"

"Uhm," he leaned against the doorframe. "You know I'm leaving for New York with 
Cardinal tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Would you like to help me pack?"

"Help you pack?" he arched a brow.

"What ever, just keep me company."

"What about Scully?" 

"You don't wanna spend some time with me?" he tried to sound hurt. "She's having 
a family dinner and can't join us. That is if you want to come."

"Sure, around--" Mulder glanced at his watch. "Around eight."

"Great, bring a bottle of wine."

"Red or white?"

"What ever you like."

Krycek formed his lips into a kiss as a good bye and left the office

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

Before going over to Krycek's, Mulder decided to take a shower and slip into 
something more comfortable. He was definitely going to miss him this weekend.

After the quick shower he didn't bother to do anything about this hair so with 
that hair due and leather jacket which actually belonged to Krycek, he had to 
admit, he looked really dangerous.

Krycek had cleaned the place up while waiting. Two candles were burning on the 
coffee table in the living area. When it came down to it, Mulder was a sucker 
for romance. Knowing that he would let himself in, Krycek confiscated the couch 
and continued to read Tolstoy.

At the sound of a key in the door he smiled to him self.

Mulder had let himself in as usual. He slipped out of his jacket before heading 
into the living area where he found Krycek on the couch. The dim light in the 
room felt relaxing and mixed with the lovely sight of his male lover 
outstretched on the couch it gave him a perilous feeling of longing, knowing 
that tomorrow by this time he would be in New York.

Krycek had dragged himself off the couch to give him a warm hug. 

"What took you so long?"

"I decided to take a shower before I got here." He lifted the bottle of whine up 
to get Krycek's approval. "I hope red is OK."

"It's perfect."

Comfortably seated in the couch they sat close together, small talking. Mulder 
was toying with his fingers in Krycek's hair. The now little too long hair was 
soft and his fingers went smoothly through it. Krycek shivered from his touch, 
starting to feel sleepy.

"Did you have a nice day at work?" he mumbled.

"Until Skinner made me deaf from all his screaming."

"Yeah, Scully said something about that," Krycek smiled.

Mulder smiled and let his hands wander from Krycek's hair down along his 
cheekbone. The silence that followed felt very natural. Almost in slow motion 
the next move took place with Krycek leaning forward, claiming those sensual 
lips of his male lover. The kiss intensed a little fiercely and Krycek's hand 
slowly started to pull Mulder's T-shirt over his head, feeling a chilliness 
against his bare chest that caused goose bumps to break out. Krycek's hands 
rested on his shoulders, tenderly moving down his arms, exploring them. So 
strong and protective. He smiled at the thought of his intentions by asking 
Mulder to come. Moving closer he kissed him again and put his weight on him 
pressing him down to the couch.

Through the ruff material of his jeans, Krycek could feel it, the desire and the 
sensation only another man could bring. Rubbing himself against him, their hard 
erections met. He arched up, allowing a soft groan to disturb the silence. The 
sweet lip had moved, beginning a journey down his throat, leaving moist red 
marks behind. One of his nipples was suddenly surrounded by wonderful warmth, 
though it ended a little too fast. His hands were now pulling at the hem of his 
pants but before starting to remove them, he stopped, looking straight in to his 
eyes.

"Fox--" the voice was clear. "Fox, I wan to make love to you."

The request was so straight and honest and he didn't really know what to say. 
They had never spoken about it before. Krycek sensed a slight fieriness.

"If you're not ready, then I won't pressure you."

"If I don't, my curiously is probably going to kill me," Mulder joked.

Krycek chuckled.

"No, seriously--" Mulder started. "I want you to make love to me."

Krycek rose slowly, offering him a helping hand to get up.

"I think the bedroom is a little more appropriate for this."

Mulder's naked body caused his mind to go wild. He had wanted him so badly for a 
long time and now he stood in front of him more beautiful and more perfect than 
ever. A pair of burning eyes that had imprisoned him and recklessly stolen his 
love now glanced upon him, scared but curious. Afraid of the pain, mostly but 
curious about it, about finding something new that they would have in common. 
Trapped in a hazel burning maze he leaned forward, sensing the electricity when 
their lips met. Allowing the kiss to intensify even more when he broke the 
barrier between them and his tongue could break through the ruin.

Fingers entwined and untangled, only so their hands could return to each other's 
naked and burning bodies. Demurely Mulder pulled him closer to let his tongue go 
deeper, fighting a battle where both parts would be the winner. The sensation of 
another man's masculine body against his own caused an immense feeling of magic 
and excitement as the thought of doing something forbidden took control over his 
mind. 

The kiss slowly died out and as he starved for closeness he leaned in for 
another meeting with the now swollen lips but to his disappointment the man held 
his distance to admire him more closely. The abyss between them were distressing 
and without getting his decision confirmed, he pulled him closer aware of the 
time standing still.

"I want you on the bed," came the first whisper. "I want to feel your body 
beneath mine."

Moving backwards, Mulder obeyed him by lying down on top of the bed, making sure 
his partner did the same. A new impression came over him when the weight of the 
other man's body lied down on top of him. Pressing his erection against his he 
felt a sensation that untied the knots in his abdomen, releasing  his fear for 
pain into the darkness in the room and made him shiver.

"Do you feel comfortable?" pressing down.

Moan "Yeah."

A smile appeared on Krycek's face before Mulder's sensual lips found something 
else to keep busy with. Licking the firm throat he left a wet trail as he 
continued down, engulfing a nipple. The pleasant effect the rather violent 
sucking had on Krycek turned in to a row of moans. But the lovely torture he was 
exposed to made him impatient. Arching up he let his hands get a firm grip of 
Mulder's arm. Mulder smiled and hooked Krycek's hand to his side letting his 
tongue swirl around the sensitive area feeling his lover squirm in his arms. 
Suddenly he moved up to grace him with a kiss that went deeper and deeper.

Krycek's arousal grew harder at the sudden change and it was throbbing towards 
Mulder's thigh in need of some attention. Not wanting the kiss to end, he clung 
to him, fastening his hands around his neck to keep him in place but Mulder had 
other things in mind. With a devilish look he slowly made his way down gently 
brushing his hand over the rock hard erection to tease him.

After a long painful moment of waiting came his reward for his stamina.  Two 
soft lips kissed the head of the pulsing organ gently softly teasing him with 
dussin kisses, denying him what he really wanted. As he tried arching up several 
times, he had to keep him in place by fastening his hands at his waist line to 
hold him down so he could continue his torture. After a while he started placing 
lingering licks, tasting the bittersweet taste of pre-cum.

Krycek whimpered and it almost sounded like he was in pain. He needed to feel 
those perfect lips wrapped around him before he went nuts.

"Please-Please--" he sobbed, letting his fingers go through the thick mass of 
hair, entwining his fingers, gently trying to force his head in the right 
direction.

Taking pity over him, Mulder took in all of him, sucking hard and greedy. 
Letting go of his waist he searched for Krycek's hand he so desperately needed 
to hold. Krycek trust eagerly in to his mouth his erection growing with the feel 
of the warmth that surrounded it. Mulder sucked harder.

"Fox--" he panted. "Fox, wait."

Confused, Mulder stopped looking at him.

"Not yet, not like this."

Stunned he allowed him to roll out from underneath him.

Close to his hear. "I wan to come inside of you," he caressed his cheek. "Lie 
down on your stomach."

Mulder snapped out of his confusement, doing so. He watched him fetch something 
from the nightstand before turning his attention back to him. 

Those curious, expecting eyes followed every move he made, memorizing it just 
like a child, wanting to learn something new.

Mulder felt the coldness of something moist and smooth against his tight ass, 
causing him to stiffen the calming touch on his back helped him relax again. The 
finger pressed against his ass, slipping inside before he could object. The pain 
he had been expecting didn't come; instead a delightful arousal started to grow 
with every move the finger made, stretching him, making him ready. Mulder felt 
his already erect cock strain for attention the need to be touched making him 
almost unable to move. One arm slipped around his slim waist helping him rise to 
his knees and hands. The hand belonging to the arm took its liberty to seek up a 
fully-grown erection stroking it softly but with rough intentions. A moan from 
the depths of his abdomen exposed the effect Krycek's actions had on him.

Feeling the pulling organ grow hard in his hand was wonderful. The quickened 
breaths came as the result of excitement and Krycek noticed that his own 
breathing had become rapid and uneven. He leaned forward nibbling Mulder's ear, 
merely pressing his own erection against his ass. The feeling of his own cock 
running up and down the other man's ass drove him closer to the edge. With his 
free hand he guided his own straining cock to the virgin ass that he'd so 
eagerly waited to claim. Slowly and gently he pushed inside, hearing his lover 
whimper at the sudden pain that shot through his body. It was hard to control 
his feelings when the lovely tightness and warmth surrounded him so perfectly. 
Holding back, he let him ride out the lingering pain before continuing.

The sudden change of emotions appealed to him and when the energetic pain had 
faded he arched back, allowing him to continue. With every trust came a new 
sensation of fulfillment. Krycek was still holding his erection, jerking him in 
pace with his own trusts. The passionate groans and trembling hands was becoming 
too much for him

Carefully trusting forward he moaned his name, tasting every letter of the word. 
"Fox."
					
Suddenly he felt him stiffen and jolt as his lover's semen covered his hand. 
There was no use he tried to fight his own release. With a final trust he lend 
forward, supporting himself against this back.

"Oh God Fox--"

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

Krycek was making imaginary pictures on his back with his fingers. Mulder was 
almost asleep, exhausted from his new discovery.

"Alex?" he heard him mumble. "Do you have to go away for the weekend?"

"Oh, I'm sure our little Dana can find millions of thing to keep you busy with."

Mulder chuckled.

"What time is it?"

"Almost morning."

He moved close, snuggling up to him and Krycek protectively put an arm around 
him, making himself comfortable in the bed before deciding to go to sleep.

*******************
"So, how did you and Alex kick it off last night?" She asked, finally putting 
down the file to lean back in the couch.

"Kick it off?" he grinned at her choice of words.

"Yeah, how did it go?" she smiled. "Alex told me he had a surprise for you."

"And so he had," Mulder nodded. "You talked about that?"

"Mhm," she couldn't keep from smiling. "He mentioned it briefly."

Mulder smiled, shaking his head. He could tell she was curious. 

"Come here," he motioned for her to come and sit against his chest.

She obliged, accepting his hand in hers as he held her tight. Then nothing 
happened. He started nuzzling her hair a little, just to feel the scent of her.

"Is that all I get to know?" she complained, trying to look at him. "C'mon."

"What?" he tried to sound innocent. "Is there something I should be telling 
you?"

"Cute," she commented and decided to turn around and straddle him. "I want to 
know everything," leaning in for a kiss. "In detail."

He kept smiling at her with a mock expression.

"Please," she moved her hands along his chest and gave him another breath taking 
kiss. 

"What do you want to know?" he teased, knowing exactly what she meant.

Offering him an ironic smile she rubbed herself gently against his erection 
hearing him groan. He grabbed hold behind her head and pulled her head against 
his own to meet those swollen lips. She continued to rock against him feeling 
the air around them grow heavy.

"Oh Fox," she moaned in to his mouth.

He smiled at her use of his first name.

"Come here Dana," he told her hoarsely and pulled her closer against him. "I 
want you."

"Mmhm," she moaned a little louder as he squeezed her ass. 

Her endless sounds drove him out of his mind and he fought hard to hold his 
control. She leaned forward, sucking lightly at his ear lobe all the while 
moaning and whimpering as he pleased her body. His hand found their way under 
her blouse and was working on the claps as-- The doorbell rang.

"Oh shit!" Scully heard herself say and in the blink of a second she was on her 
feet. "Shit," she repeated staring at the door. "This is not good."

Mulder rose too holding a hand on her shoulder to relax her.

"Take it easy," he whispered with a smile. "We were only going over some files. 
Now I'll remove the wine and you pull yourself together so you can go and open 
the door."

Looking up at him, she was calmed by the peace in his hazel eyes. 

"OK," she whispered making sure her hair was in place.

She gave him a head start with the wine before walking up to the door to peek 
through the hole. It was her mother and her sister. This could be bad. She 
opened the door slowly.

"Mom, Missy," she smiled, speaking rather loud to make Mulder aware of what he 
was up against. "What a surprise. Come on in."

"It's not a bad time is it?" Mrs. Scully asked hoping they weren't imposing.

"No, not at all."

She stepped aside to let them in noting that Mulder had returned to the couch 
pretending to read a file. Forcing back a smile she coughed to make him turn 
around.

"Fox," Maggie smiled a little surprised.

"Hi Mrs. Scully, Melissa," he smiled back avoiding Scully's look.

"Mulder came over with some files," Scully explained feeling her sister staring 
at her. 

"Yes," Mulder rose from the couch. "But we were just about done anyway so I'll 
be on my way."

"Don't be ridiculous," Maggie shook her head. "We don't mind you being here. How 
are you Fox?"

He glanced quickly at Scully before answering.

"I'm fine, and you?"

"Can't complain," she smiled at him.

Melissa met her sister's eyes and couldn't help but smile. Scully tried to look 
casual but she had a feeling she wasn't buying it.

"Come in and sit down," Scully offered wanting to shake off her sister's 
staring. "Do want some coffee?"

"Yes, that would be nice," Maggie thought and looked over at Missy who seemed to 
agree.

"Mulder?" Scully looked over her mother's shoulder doing the mistake of meeting 
his gaze.

"No thanks," he held her eyes for a while.

Maggie and Melissa took a seat in the two armchairs by the couch, both observing 
Mulder a little closer. He was bothered by it but tried his best not to show it. 

Scully was pouring up water as the phone rang, careful not to throw her self on 
it. It had to be Alex.

"Scully," she smiled as she saw the reaction from Mulder in the corner of her 
eye.

"Hi beautiful," he greeted on the other side of the line. "Miss me?"

"Mhm," she nodded at Mulder as discrete as she could.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything," he said and she could tell he was smiling. 

"Uh, no-- Actually we-- I have company, my mother and my sister are here."

"They came at a bad time?"

"Could say that yes."

He smiled.

"Listen, I would like to talk some more but it's a little risky, Cardinal will 
come back any minute and we don't have to push it."

"You want to talk to Mulder?"

"Yeah, I need his help on something," he explained, feeling guilty.

"OK, hang on," she looked over at Mulder who was having troubles keeping his 
eyes away from her and the phone. "Mulder! It's A-- Krycek."

He tried to look surprised as he rose from the couch and went to get the phone. 
She fought the urge laugh as she went and took his place in the couch.

"Who is A-- Krycek?" Missy wanted to know looking curious over at Mulder.

"A fellow Agent," she answered shortly afraid she would betray herself if she 
carried on the subject.

"Oh," Missy smiled and looked at her mother.

"Mulder worked with him when I was-- gone," she tried, hoping that it would 
intimidate the subject.

The two women were silenced, remembering, and Scully regretted having brought it 
up.

"I'll go and se if the coffee is ready," she excused herself and started for the 
kitchen.

Mulder had just hung up as she came. He looked thoughtful.

"Everything OK?" she asked

"What?" he looked up at her as if he'd just realized she was there. "Yeah, I 
just... Cardinal came he had to hang up, they were going somewhere."

She smiled.

"Mulder, I don't think you have to worry about that."

He looked down.

"Yeah, I know." Looking up at her with the slightest of smiles. "Good old 
paranoid Mulder, huh?"

"Well," she moved over to the coffee machine. "I think we're all getting pretty 
used to it by now."

He watched her with a smile. She knew him too well. And he knew Krycek too well 
to think that he would be unfaithful to either of them.

"I think I'm gonna head back," he told her, motioning briefly towards her mother 
and sister. "It's probably for the best."

Even though she wanted him to stay she had to agree. They were playing with fire 
and neither one felt like getting burned.

"You call me tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he let his gaze linger, dangerously long.

It was all it took for her not to through her self at him.

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

Locking his apartment door, he headed for the elevator. He had promised Scully 
to give her a call if he decided to go over to Krycek's place. As he waited for 
the elevator he took out his cell phone from the inner pocket of his jacket and 
dialed her number. It took a while before she answered and it made him curious.

"Scully what are you doing?" he smiled, letting his imagination run wild.

"I just came out from the shower."

"That means you're wearing--?" he asked lingering.

"You wish Mulder," she chuckled. She couldn't remember having met someone like 
him, always starving for physical satisfaction.

"I was just calling to say I'm going over to Alex."

"OK, so you wanna be alone with him?" she asked with caution.

"No stupid." His voice was warm and she knew he was smiling. "Should I pick you 
up?"

"Yeah, sure."

When he picked her up half an hour later, he felt a sudden need to kiss her. Off 
duty she was so different, it was incredible how much a change of clothes could 
do. A pair of tight fitting jeans and one of Alex's sweatshirts made her a whole 
new woman. Her hair was still damp from the shower and it felt good against his 
fingers as he placed his hand around her neck to kiss her hi. During the drive 
they small talked about work. Occasionally she flashed him a smile, which he 
devoured with a great appetite.

Krycek was doing background profiles for a case when they arrived. He was 
pleased to see them even if it only had been a few hours since they left work 
together. While putting on some tea water, he noticed Mulder reading his profile 
and he couldn't help from smiling as he knew it wouldn't take long before he 
picked up the pen a and added a few things. 

Scully had placed three mugs on the table together with some milk and honey. 
Crawling up into the couch, Krycek joined them.

"What sort of case it that you're working on?" Scully asked, fixing here self a 
cup of tea.

"A serial killer from New York, quite interesting actually," he tossed Mulder a 
glance. "I guess I'm not alone with that opinion."

Scully looked at him and understanding his point. Mulder was gone, totally taken 
by the profile it was amazing if he'd heard anything they'd said.

For about fifteen minutes he didn't say anything to them and when he finally put 
away the profile he looked at Krycek a little confused of time and space.

"Alex, do you have that bag of seeds left that I bought a couple of days ago?"

"Yes, it's in the kitchen."

After fetching his seeds he snuggled up with them in the couch.

"Are you handing in the profile tomorrow?"

"Uhm. I'm putting your name beside mine."

"I didn't add that much," Mulder said not wanting to deprive Krycek a well done 
from the AD. 

After a moment of silence, Mulder said thoughtfully.

"Do you think anyone suspects anything?"

"You mean our relationship?" Scully met his gaze.

"Yeah."

"I don't know. Maybe not the two of us," she pondered.

"Do you think we're weird?"

"Weird?" she looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, look at us. You share your bed with two bisexual men, isn't that kind of 
weird?"

"I have to say--" Krycek started. "During the time I've known you I've come to 
the conclusion that you're not amongst the normal people," chuckling he received 
one of the pillows in his head. "Hey!" he objected laughing as he was hit with 
another." You are a dangerous man Agent Mulder." Krycek joked, noting Mulder 
reach out to grab him. He got up from the couch just in time, escaping him.

"And where do you think that you're going?" he asked, following, chasing him 
around the kitchen and living area until he caught up with him, wrestling him 
down to the floor.

She watched them with great amusement as they chased each other around the 
apartment like two boys. After wrestling him down onto the floor he straddled 
him.

"Now, you were saying," Mulder grinned, enjoying his victory.

They went to bed shortly after, both at each side of her, enjoying her female 
body in protective custody.

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

Next morning he shuffled off in the direction of the bathroom a couple of 
minutes later, Krycek joined him. As a good morning, he nuzzled at his neck and 
embraced him from behind.

"Morning."

Mulder slurred something in response, spitting some toothpaste onto the mirror 
and then the rest into the sink.

"Is she still asleep?"

"Uhm," Krycek replied, busy satisfying Mulder's morning arousal.

He enjoyed the feel of Mulder's hands brushing over his own cock that had begun 
to respond to the treatment.

"Maybe we should let her sleep a while longer." Tilting his head back, he rested 
it against his naked shoulder.

"You're gonna have to wait until tonight," Krycek's voice was firm but Mulder 
could see the large grin on his face.

"You're doing this on purpose aren't you?"

"I like you better when you're so intense and frustrated so I will love you 
crazy tonight. It will be quite a show for her," he said nodding towards the 
bedroom where their sleeping beauty laid.

After a cold shower Mulder woke her up with a kiss. He promised her Krycek would 
fix some breakfast while she showered and she made him promise not to touch 
anything.

"Is she awake?" he asked when Mulder appeared in the kitchen, claiming a cup of 
coffee Krycek had made for him self.

After swallowing the hot brew he answered.

"Yes she is, I hope you didn't mind," he nodded at the cup of coffee, smiling.

"No, you go ahead and do me a favor sweety, stay out of my kitchen while I fix 
Scully some breakfast."

"What? You don't want my help?" Mulder teased putting up a minor struggle when 
Krycek started shoving him out.

"Thanks but no thanks, entertain yourself with something, it won't take long."

Mulder grinned wide before disappearing into the living area to watch some TV.

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

"Hey Mulder, wait up!" he shouted as he saw Mulder ahead of him in the corridor.

The other man stopped at the sound of someone calling his name and had a hard 
time controlling his excitement when he saw who it was.

"Hey," he said as the young agent had approached him, smiling wide.

"Hey you self. Taking the elevator?" it was more of an invitation than a 
question.

"I guess I am now," he replied, following him into the empty elevator, 
impatiently watching the doors close.

They met in a soft kiss then smiled shyly toward each other.

"I thought we could surprise Scully tonight," Krycek suggested, receiving an 
appreciating look from Mulder.

"Sounds nice, tell me more," giving him a deep kiss.

"Well--" Krycek started to enjoy it. "I thought a romantic dinner--"

"Aha--" another kiss.

"Some wine--"

"Yeah--" lingering.

"And if you feel ready, you an make love to me in front of Dana."

"I like what I hear. Your place at eight?"

"Great, I cook and you pick up Scully?"

"Perfect," leaning in for a final kiss.

"See you then."

Scully couldn't help but to notice her partner's smug grin as he entered the 
office. Wondering what he was up to now she watched him come up to her 
maintaining his grin.

"Is the A.D the reason fro your exhilaration?"

He didn't answer, just kept on grinning, as she continued.

"Did he let you have a go on the case?"

"No," the reply was calm to her surprise.

"No. Then what?" thinking for a second <of course> "You didn't happen to meet 
Alex, did you?"

"Yes I did and I hope you don't have any plans for tonight."

"No, I was hoping to spend some time with the two of you but for some reason I 
don't have to worry about that do I?"

"No, you don't just be ready to go at eight. And Scully, wear something sexy."

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

She turned off the shower stepping out onto the towel that lay on the floor. 
Time was on her side so there was no need to hurry with her make up.

She couldn't remember ever having felt so good about her self since she got 
involved with the both of them. She wasn't able to hide a smile at the thought 
of having two wonderful lovers instead of just satisfying her self with one.

"Wear something sexy he said," she smiled innocent, yet devilish.

She took a towel covering her naked body as she went out to her bedroom. Looking 
around in the drawer she found a pair of lace and silk panties in black and a 
matching bra. It was just last week that she had bought a new dress just for an 
occasion like this, they wanted her sexy, she was gonna give them sexy.

While getting ready she opened a bottle of red wine to relax from a days work. 
As she finished with her make up the phone rang. Before answering she drank out 
her glass of wine.

"Scully."

"Dana, it's mom."

"Mom?" she said surprised. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all. I just thought I'd give you a call. Missy is coming over and we 
thought if you had nothing to do, maybe you'd like to join us."

"I was actually on my way out."

"You have a date?"

She could hear her mother hopeful voice, knowing she wished she would stop 
working so much over time and get a social life.

"No, I was on my way over to Mulder to go over a case," ashamed she hoped her 
mother wouldn't detect the lie in her voice.

"You know, the two of you work too much."

"Mom," Scully warned not wanting to get in to that right now.

As the doorbell rang she hurried.

"Mom, I gotta go, Mulder's here."

"B-- But I thought you said you were going over to him."

"I did? Well, I meant he was coming over." <Smooth Dana. >

"Well, have fun you two what ever it was you were going to do."

"Bye."

Mulder's jaw dropped to the floor at the sight of her. With no words he followed 
her curves and not to his surprise, getting aroused by it. His breathings became 
heavy and he was certain that you could hear his heart beat a mile away.

"Say something," she required.

"I-- you're-Uhh-- Beautiful, you're beautiful," tripping over the words and if 
he hadn't been imprisoned by her beauty he could've sworn he'd just experienced 
missing time.

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

The dinner was ready, the table set and the candles lit. Uncorking the wine 
bottle he put it on the table. Every thing was ready when the doorbell rang.

She caught his attention directly and Mulder understood how he must have looked. 
He chuckled making Krycek return to the real world.

"I hope the two of you are hungry."

"Hungry? I'm starved," Mulder grinned, giving him a light kiss.

"So what else is new," was Krycek's respond.

They kept a calm conversation around the table. Krycek noticed Mulder's silence 
and was beginning to think he was having second thoughts. Gently he let his 
finger brews over his hand that had been resting on the table.

"How do you feel?" he wondered slightly concerned.

"Good."

"You're awfully quiet."

Krycek kept his hand over his, caressing it. Scully had noticed that there was 
something going on. They weren't very good in hiding it. Since they got there, 
both Mulder and Krycek had been exchanging looks while smiling and they were now 
at it again.

"OK guys, spit it out. I know you're hiding something," she wetted her red lips.

"Hey, you're talking about us now? Do we ever leave you in the dark?"

"Yes, you do--" lingering response, they knew exactly what she meant.

She got up, walking towards them, keeping eye contact.

"You two are hiding something but if you don't mind, I'm always up for a game of 
hide and seek."

They didn't move. As she stood in front of Mulder she made it impossible for him 
not to see down her dress. He drew a shuddering breath.

"I think I get what I seek," a finger followed his cheekbone and with the other 
hand she caressed his torso before straddling him.

His arousal was visible thought his jeans and she could feel it throbbing 
towards her thighs every time she moved. Changing position he arched up, moaning 
from the depth of his throat until her lips suffocated the sound. Sucking 
lightly she let her tongue enter deep into his mouth. To tease him she rocked 
her hips back and forward letting his erection grow harder under her warm body.

She shuddered when a cold breeze came over her as she let the zipper in her 
dress being pulled down by a pair of gentle hands. Pulling it over her shoulder 
she was forced to retreat her hands form Mulder's hair.

"Rise," he whispered into her ear, dislodging her from the silence in the room.

Reluctantly she left the heat from the other mans body to step out of the dress. 

Krycek watched him strip her from the black dress, letting his own hand go over 
her shoulders, following every curve. He kissed her neck and felt himself 
intoxicated of what he felt underneath his hands. As he continued his journey 
down her waist he stopped as he felt her panties soothe material and gently 
started to pull them down so that he could slip underneath, rewarded with the 
effect he had on her.

A low moan passed over her lips and she tilted her head back, resting it on his 
shoulder, causing his neck to go damp from her hot breath.

Two fingers entered her warmth, forcing her to inhale sharply at the electrified 
meeting. Wanting him  to go deeper she tried to buck down but he realized her 
intention and withdrew his fingers, receiving a disappointed moan.

"Bad girl," Krycek hissed.

Mulder had kneeled down in front of her, getting the other man's permission to 
totally remove her panties. With a smooth motion the small material was on the 
floor. He felt them both staring down at him; Krycek with anticipation and 
Scully at first a little surprised. Leaning forward he replaced Krycek's fingers 
with his own tongue, licking her and teasing her sensitive bud with the tip of 
his tongue until he could feel her shiver. He built some pressure on her. 

"No--" she whined as she came closer. "Not yet--"

Krycek shut her up with a kiss, deep and lecherous and Mulder continued as she 
squirmed in the other man's arms, riding the wave of her orgasm. 

"Maybe we should move in to the bedroom," Mulder said when she seemed OK again, 
looking at Krycek.

"Is that an invitation?" he replied, daring him.

He smiled shyly.

They pulled away from each other. Mulder lifted Scully so she clasped her legs 
around his waist and rubbed herself gently against him. She reached out for 
Krycek getting his hand and pulled him with her as Mulder started fro the 
bedroom where he put her down while touching her body in all the right places.

The room was dark, yet no one turned on the light. It had comfortable warmth, 
just perfect for the atmosphere. She watched them moving closer to each other, 
innocently meting in a kiss. At the thought of Mulder's tongue, her body got 
warm and her legs unsteady. She crawled up on to the bed to sit with her back 
against the headboard, so she would be able to watch every move they made, 
enjoying the picture of them. 

Krycek's hands were fastened around Mulder's neck, holding him in a firm grip, 
afraid to loose the kiss. Slowly, he backed, feeling his rigid cock against is 
own, the special feeling of two erections meeting too overwhelming. Unhooking 
his hands from the other man's neck, he let them go down his shoulder and down 
his sides. Ceasing at his hips, he held him in place, bucked up and let his 
tongue browse over his. 

Mulder's hand had supported his while they were occupied kissing. Now he sat up 
resting his on Krycek, doing nothing else but staring down in to his green eyes. 
Before he asked him he offered her a glance then turned back his attention to 
the man beneath him.

"Would you mind turning over for me?" his voice was hoarse, slightly slurred.

Enchanted by the magic in the air, she was too afraid to even move, afraid to 
break the spell she felt. Her feelings bolted away with her heart at the sound 
of his voice. This was a moment she had been waiting for.

He rose so the man beneath him could change position. Before laying down again 
he whispered something in his ear, something she couldn't hear so instead she 
waited tensed for what was about to happen. Mulder turned to look at her seeing 
the desire and anticipation in her eyes. She met his gaze noting the question. 
Not knowing any other way to answer him she just smiled and offered him a nod. 
She had wanted to tell him how much she had been looking forward to this moment 
but she got the feeling he received that message anyway.

Krycek had turned to lie on his stomach and Mulder leaned over to the night 
stand, rummaging around in the drawer for a short second before returning his 
attention with a tube of lubricant in his hand. She watched him put a great 
amount of it on two fingers slipping his other arm around Krycek's waist to lift 
him up a bit. He moved carefully, afraid to hurt him and tried to remember how 
Krycek had done.

Krycek drew a shuddering breath, feeling a cold finger probing at his entrance 
and slowly being inserted. Choking a groan in to the pillow he was afraid that 
he could interpret it wrong in the belief that her was hurting him but as it 
came all the way in he had to let out another groan, arching up. The finger 
moved gently, stretching him and then as another was inserted his breathings 
started coming more rapidly.

She was so caught up by the whole thing she couldn't move, just sit there 
staring, being aroused all over again. 

Trailing a row of kisses on his back before his fingers retreated he seeked for 
the tube of lubricant on the bed. Making sure he had enough he pulled himself 
closer, once again putting some pressure on his entrance. Pushing inside, Krycek 
had to tell him it was OK that he could go on and not worrying about if he was 
hurting him

"Oh -- Fox--" he managed, feeling his male lover fill him up so well.

Mulder had to bite the moans back beneath him for not screaming out the enormous 
pleasure he was experiencing. He could never have believed it could be so tight 
- He rocked against him once more feeling the pressure build in his already hard 
erection. Increasing the trusts for each one he took a harder grip around 
Krycek's waist to aroused to even think.  His orgasm came much faster than he 
had expected and has he slipped out to him he lay back exhausted.

Krycek, who was on the verge of exploding, pulled Scully beneath him. She moved 
him into a kiss almost violent and spread her legs for him needing to feel him.  
He penetrated her instantly  and she encouraged him to keep it in like it 
started, rough. Grabbing her waist he rocked against her, hard joining her in 
the release.

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

The Hispanic man entered the car just as the man inside lit a new cigarette.  
Waiting for him to speak, the air became mixed with cigarette smoke.

"How are things coming along with Mr. Krycek?"

The Hispanic man thought of something suitable to say.

"Let's just say Alex Krycek sold his soul to the devil by offering me his 
trust."

The smoking man smiled and had another go on his cigarette.

"Is there anything more you want me to do?"

"Yes," he put out the cigarette. "Now you have Krycek's trust it won't be hard 
to earn Mulder's and Scully's. Don't get too friendly with Mulder how ever. Keep 
a low profile and just let him know you're true to Krycek and he'll like you. 
Don't get closer than you have to."

"And Scully?"

"She's not as important. For now," he took up another cigarette. "I'll get back 
to you if I need you for anything further."

Cardinal gave him a quick nod and stepped out of the car. This was way too easy.

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

She woke to darkness, straddled by the feel of warm lips on her cheek. Her first 
reaction was to get her gun from her nightstand. Mulder who sensed this, and 
didn't feel like having a gun pointed at his face when trying to be romantic, 
softly grabbed her arm.

"It's OK," he whispered, close to her ear. "It's me."

Hearing his voice, she relaxed in his grip and let out a deep sight. As she 
turned to look at him she was surprised to find him leaning over her, wearing 
only a pair of boxer shorts.

"Mulder?" her voice still a little sleepy. "What are you doing here in the 
middle of the night? I didn't hear you come in," before he had a chance to 
respond, she had received more air to continue. "And where are you clothes?"

He smiled sweetly at her.

"Can I?" he lifted the sheet. "It's kind of cold out here."

Scully arched a brow and gave him her most doubtful look before gracing him with 
a nod. He crawled in under the sheets, close to her warm body and nuzzled her 
neck. How could she smell so great?

"Really Mulder," she said stroking one hand through his hair. "What are you 
doing here?"

"You mean really?" he teased, moving up to kiss her cheek, his arms tangled 
around her body.

"You mean to tell me you came here for sex?" she confronted, sounding insulted.

He stopped short in his assaulting of his lips on her face, leaning back to look 
at her. She was dead serious and he wondered how he could explain this one. It 
hadn't been like that at all and it sure as hell hadn't sounded like that when 
he came up with this brilliant idea. She was waiting for his answer.

"Scully look, it wasn't like that," he felt him self stumbling over the words 
like a lost school boy. "I mean, I wasn't--" the look on her face made him trail 
out.

"Mulder, I don't really know if I like this," she motioned with her free hand. 
"You coming over just to have sex with me, I don't know, it just makes me feel 
cheep."

Sighing loud he suddenly felt stupid having come. This wasn't at all what he had 
planned.

"I don't want you to feel like that," he whispered and let his hand caress her 
cheek. "I mean, I came over here with the purpose of making love to you but it 
wasn't like that. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable in any way, it was 
just that I had this stupid thought and I--" he closed his eyes and shook his 
head. "Forget it, I'd better shut up."

"*No*," she realized she'd sounded to demanding. "No. I want to know," a little 
softer.

"It was stupid and you'll think I'm crazy."

"You can tell me," she whispered, wondering if she hadn't been to hard on him. 
"Besides, I already think you're crazy so what's the difference?"

Smiling up at her he saw the encouraging look in her eyes and knew she wouldn't 
be offended.

"OK," he stared, careful not to loose eye contact with her as he began. "I 
couldn't sleep I was turning from side to side on my stupid couch not knowing if 
I should stay where I was or go for a run."

"In the middle of the night?" Scully sounded surprised.

"It happens," he coughed and noted her smile. "Anyway, as I lay there, I started 
think of you and our time together."

She smiled again.

"It felt so strange to think of how everything have changed between us and I 
just started to feel so incredible good about the way things are. The more I 
thought about it, the more I missed you and frankly, the more I needed you. Not 
just your body but the entire you-- Everything."

When he was finished he was a little scared over how she had reacted. A tear 
fell from her eye and he was startled by a soft kiss as she pulled him down 
against her. So, she wasn't offended.

"I'm sorry," she whispered against his moth. "I should have know you better than 
that."

He leaned in to kiss her again; deeper and longer until he felt her hands in his 
hair. Slowly he started moving his hands under her shirt.

"You know," he whispered, trailing a row of kisses near her mouth. "The mere 
thought that I'm allowed to do this, to touch you like this," he caressed her 
bare skin, smoothing pass one breast. "It just drove me crazy."

She smiled and enjoyed the feel of his hands on her body. He sure knew how to 
touch her. Meeting his eyes she moved under him.. Their eyes were locked the 
whole time as they made love, their emotions mirrored in the depth of each 
other. She didn't close her eyes until he placed his head on her chest still 
holding her body in a tight grip. They lay like this for a while.

"Scully?"

"Mm?"

"Thanks."

She opened one eye looking down at him.

"For what?"

"For everything."

She smiled and held him tighter.


The End


3's A Charm: Malgre lui
by Ocean Summer's and Sage O'Neil

"Agent Scully, I've heard a lot about you."

As he offered her his hand she made the mistake of looking in to his eyes.
They were cold, even though his voice made an attempt to be friendly. It felt
unnatural.

She made an effort to smile and not look bothered. This was ridiculous, it was
Krycek's partner and he wasn't anyone who would likely  harm her.

"Krycek says you help him a lot, eh?"

"Yes," she said. "We've tried our best."

Looking over at Krycek, she could see how glad he was to introducing them.
She understood that it was important for him that they got along and that
Mulder didn't carry any grudge towards him anymore.

"I heard you were a key player in solving the Palmera case last year. That was
good work," Mulder said.

She listened to them talk about the case for a couple of minutes, fighting with
herself to be reasonable. It wasn't like her to judge someone like this, before
she knew him or her but she had a bad feeling about this guy. The way he
looked at her when he spoke to her, his whole being. It was something she
couldn't put her finger on, something she would have to get over. She was
being silly.

"Well, I need to get up and fix some things at my desk," Cardinal smiled at
the both of them. "You coming Krycek?"

"Yeah, soon," he told him and nodded towards Mulder. "I just need a second
here."

"OK, I'll see you later then."

Krycek made sure he'd left before he turned to his lovers.

"So - what do you think?"

"He seems OK," Mulder said. Krycek made sure that Mulder had quickly gotten over 
any jealousy he might have had towards Cardinal.

"Yeah," Scully agreed, not feeling the need to tell him about her reaction.
"I'm glad this is working out for you."

He looked so happy she could have kicked herself for being paranoid. That
wasn't even her area of expertise. Looking over at Mulder, she knew he really
meant what he said. He didn't seem to hold anything against the guy and if he
could accept him, so could she.

"I'm so relieved you liked him," he said taking Scully's hand. "That means so
much to me."

She looked at him and forced a smile

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

Mulder was well aware of the rumors that were circulating in the Bureau, he
just never thought he'd be affected in the way that he was. After all, they were
just rumors. Still, he wished he hadn't overheard that conversation in the
men's room.

"I wonder how 'Spooky' is taking it," Agent Samuels smiled

He was a smart-ass kid who'd graduated straight into the VCS. Mulder didn't
exactly like him.

"Well, how would you feel if you found out that your [only two] friends were
sleeping together?" Agent Melhorn commented and Mulder sensed that he
wasn't exactly getting any pity from him either.

"It's so obvious, I don't really get why they're still keeping it a secret,"
Samuels mused

"Yeah, now she could actually get a reputation to be proud of, and wipe off
that old 'spooky mark'."

Everybody joined in the laughter.

"Maybe-" Agent Anderson started as someone came in to the bathroom,
catching everybody's attention.

"Agent Krycek," Anderson drawled. And Mulder squirmed inside his
booth.

"What's up?" Krycek wondered, walking up to join in the conversation.

/Come on, I got things to do./ Mulder was growing impatient. /I really need to
get out of here./

"Why don't you tell us what's up," Samuels said and Krycek figured where
this was leading.

"What are you talking about," he tried the innocent version. /Denial./

"About you and Agent Scully," [Samuels] said smiling towards the others.
"Want to tell us about that?"

/Alex, sweety. Just get out of there./

"There's nothing going on between Scully and me. We're just friends."

"C'mon," Anderson said. "Give us some credit here Alex."

/Tell them to mind their own business./ Mulder closed his eyes and tried not
make any noise. This was getting really awkward.

"Please guys," Mulder could hear that he was smiling. "I don't know where
you're getting that from."

/That's good. Keep going like that./

"Well, it could have something to do with all those lunches you two are taking
together," Melhorn pointed out.

"Or all those mornings you arrive together," Samuels filled in.

Mulder fought the urge to sigh.

"As I said. We're friends," Krycek repeated.

"Friends?" came a little doubtful.

"Yeah Friends."

/What, are you slow or something? He says they're friends. What's your
problem?/

"Well, what ever you say Alex."

They still weren't buying it.

"Just for the record. I think you look great together."

He could hear Krycek sigh and knew he was still persistent on the fact that
they were only friends.

"Yeah, Scully's OK," Samuel commented. "She's just been cooking in the
wrong camp so to speak."

There was a turn of the mood in the room. Krycek had stared the guy out
and Mulder could almost feel it from where he was sitting.

"Well, good luck, with-- everything," Anderson said before they walked out of
there, sensing that it wasn't worth going any further.

Mulder stayed in his booth until he was ready, trying to fight back the feeling
of awkwardness. How come he felt as if he was standing in their way.
Maybe because he realized that he actually was. Without him, their
relationship would be so much easier.

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

The next afternoon, the AD.'s secretary showed Krycek and Cardinal into his 
office. Entering they found Skinner talking with another agent.

"You're here," Skinner said. "I want you to meet," he gestured towards the
man in the black Armani suit, who turned to give Krycek the surprise of his
life. "Benjamin Julien,"

The agent offered them his outstretched hand.

"Agent Julien, these are Agents Krycek and Cardinal."

Cardinal shook his hand, making Krycek reluctantly do the same.

"Alex, long time no see," Agent Julien smiled.

"You two know each other?" Cardinal asked.

"We met at Quantico," Krycek stated short.

"We were assigned to each other for a couple of years before the Bureau's
basement rat helped him out on a case," there was a slight note of sarcasm in
his voice.

With clenched jaws, Krycek looked at him with hatred in his eyes.

Skinner didn't bother to object to Agent Julien's remark. Instead he continued.
"Agents Krycek and Cardinal, you are going to assist Agent Julien in a stake
out."

He handed Krycek a file from his desk to flip through. As Krycek skimmed
the text he got a strong feeling he'd heard about this before. Mulder had been
talking about it. A man who had killed five 17-20 year old women over the
course of three months. All the victims found with their eyes cut out. It sure
looked like something down his alley. Of course, the suspicions of satanic
involvement were only brushed over as a very unlikely theory.

"The file contains everything you need to know so I suggest that you read it
carefully. Any questions?"

"Yeah--" Krycek said sounding a little confused. "I think that this case is
already being investigated by some other agents."

Skinner didn't quite follow. "And who would that be?"

"Uh--," he looked through it once more to be sure. "I believe Agent Mulder
mentioned something about this to me earlier this week. He and Agent Scully
was investigating this."

"Agent Mulder?" Skinner mumbled and rubbed his chin. "I'll check that out."

Krycek felt Ben observing him, as Skinner reached for his phone to ask his
secretary to call Agent Mulder. He talked to him for a while, obviously
irritated over the fact that he had started an investigation without getting it
authorized. Not that he was really surprised.

Skinner sighed as he listened to his agent's excuses. This was growing into a
bad habit and he really did not enjoy it.

"I just needed something more concrete to back it up with before I requested
the case," Mulder tried to explain, knowing that Skinner wasn't pleased.

"Well, there's another agent on the case. You'll have to drop it," he paused.
"And then I would like to see you in my office as soon as possible."

Mulder sighed.

"May I ask who that agent is, sir?" Mulder was not very happy with this
news. "I mean, this is a typical X-file, nothing one of your regular agents
would want to deal with."

"Well, obviously someone did want to waste their time on this," Skinner knew
where this was heading. "I'm sure you can find plenty of other cases to keep
you occupied."

Mulder couldn't help but notice the ironic undertone in Skinner's voice.

"Or I could help with the case," he suggested, already sensing that Skinner
would object. "Sir, the only reason I didn't get to you sooner was because I
didn't have enough to back it up with. Obviously there is a case here and since
I have the background in these-- types of cases, I think I could be of some
help."

Skinner sighed again.

"Sir, I've put a lot of work in on this, I think I can solve it." He felt as if 
he
was begging.

There was a pause as Skinner looked over at the little group of three. He had
wondered why Agent Julien had asked for Krycek. Krycek didn't have a
background in these types of cases apart from his work with Mulder. Mulder
would have been more understandable, if it wasn't for the fact that he seemed
to shun the other agents. His expertise could be needed in this particular case.

"OK, Agent Mulder," he said flatly. "I'll sign you and Scully up for the
surveillance."

/Surveillance? Of course, this was what working with the boys meant. Stay
with it, you're on a roll./

"I'll let her know," he felt a smile crack.

Never failed to surprise him. Mulder always thought he could get away that
easy.

"Agent Mulder, I still want you to get up here when you get the chance," he
said, letting his younger agent know that he wasn't being nice for fun. "I can
fill you in when you come."

From Skinner's side of the conversation the other agents understood what was
going on. Krycek had a hard time hiding his positive reaction. He was really
looking forward working with Mulder again; he'd missed it. It certainly
improved the situation with Ben.

Waiting for the elevator, Krycek announced that he had some errands to run
and he'd meet up with them later.

"Where are you heading?" Agent Julien wanted to know.

"Down to Agents Mulder and Scully," he answered, not gracing him with a
look.

"Mind if I come along Alex?"

Krycek shrugged. "What ever pleases you." He tried to keep occupied with the
file. There was an uncomfortable silence and he wished the elevator would
hurry up.

"Alex, this came as a surprise to me too."

"Great," he sneered turning his attention back to the file. Feeling a hand on
his shoulder he fiercely shrugged back, speaking through clenched jaws.
"Don't touch me again!"

"Then stop ignoring me!" Julien tore the file away from him.

"The sooner this is over, the better," Krycek ripped it back.

"Alex-"

"No! The only reason we're standing here is because of this case. I intend to
do my job and after that we're through. Understood?"

"Don't you ever think about me?" Looking deeply into Krycek's eyes, Julien
wetted his lips.

The same way Krycek remembered.

"No, I don't."

"Oh, come on," he put his hand back on Krycek's shoulder. "Don't tell me you've 
forgotten already."

Krycek stared back at him, his gaze stone cold. He wasn't walking in to that 
trap again, ever.

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

Scully sighed as he leaned back in his chair with a smug expression painted on 
his face.

"What are you so happy about, you hate surveillance," she asked, not 
understanding why he'd been so persistent in holding on to this case. "I don't 
understand why this case is so important for you."

"It isn't," he smiled. "I just didn't feel like letting it go after all the work 
we'd put down in it."

She gave him a doubtful look.

"But surveillance?"

He was just about to answer when the office door swung open and Krycek entered 
followed by another agent.

"Krycek," Scully greeted surprised.

"Hi guys."

"What owes us this pleasure?" Mulder joked.

Krycek smiled. Of course he didn't know that they were going to work together on 
this.

"Well, I thought I'd come down and prepare you two for your little meeting with 
Skinner."

Mulder looked at Scully surprised.

"How--How did you know that?" he choked, wondering if Krycek was withholding 
some psychic abilities.

Of course it had a very natural explanation.

"Cause I was standing there when he called you," Krycek smiled, meeting his 
hazel eyes. "I'm assigned to the case, so-- I guess we'll be working together 
again."

"You opened the case?" Mulder didn't follow.

Krycek shook his head and was about to introduce the man standing next to them 
when Ben beat him to the task.

"I did," he stepped forward giving the agents a better view of himself as he 
reached out his hand to properly introduce himself. "Agent Ben Julien."

This man was very handsome. He had dark hair and very similar eyes to Mulder's. 
Every line in his face built in to perfection, his nose, his lips, and even his 
jaw. He looked young, about the same age as Krycek, Mulder mused.

"What about Cardinal?" Mulder wondered. He couldn't have changed partner just 
like that.

"He's on this too," Krycek nodded. "Agent Julien didn't have a partner so 
Skinner put us on the case."

Julien felt Mulder's suspicion as he looked back at him.

"You don't have a partner?"

"Uh-- no. I'm still working on that," he smiled and glanced at Krycek.

Krycek ignored him. An awkward silence filled the room.

"Well, I need to get going now," Ben with another short glance at Krycek. "Nice 
to meet you."

Mulder nodded, looking less [than] exhilarated about the meeting. Something was 
not right with this picture.

"I guess we'll see you later then," Scully said, noting Mulder's turn of mood.

Ben gave her a quick nod, only graced Mulder with a short look and smiled at 
Krycek before he made his exit.

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

Dinner was served rather late as usual and take out was always a first choice. 
Krycek had been trying to find a way to tell them about Ben all damn day and now 
he was pretty sure he knew how to break it to them. He didn't just want to just 
spit it out, knowing how easily Mulder got jealous and hating to see him hurt.

"Dana, Mulder," he said carefully, receiving their attention. "I think there is 
something I should tell you before we start working on this case."

Scully flashed him a warm smile. "What Alex?"

He gave Mulder a quick glance, so far so good. "It's about Agent Julien," he 
took a pause to breathe before continuing. "Before I helped Mulder with a few 
cases Agent Julien and I were partners."

Scully looked at him a bit surprised that he hadn't mentioned that before.

"You had a partner?" Mulder joked, to lighten things up.

Krycek couldn't help but smile at his remark. "Yeah, I had a partner. But that's 
not the main story here." He glanced between his lovers, summoning the courage 
to tell them. "During our time together we --" he waved his hand in the air to 
try and make them understand. It wasn't really working. "We took our partnership 
to another level."

"You became lovers" Scully stated.

"Yeah," he replied, looking at Scully, who, to his relief, kept her calm.

Mulder's facial expression had stiffened.

"So what happened between you?" she asked, not having missed Mulder's reaction.

He met her eyes.

"I loved him, he meant everything to me and I believed I meant everything to him 
until the day I found out he'd been two timing. I was ready to forgive him a 
week later, of course he knew that too, but he hadn't been expecting me that 
day. I walked in on him and a mutual friend of ours. I moved out the same day 
and put in a request for a transfer," he paused, wondering what they were to 
think of this. "I was so taken aback when I entered Skinner's office seeing him 
standing there with that same smug grin he had the last time I saw him."

Mulder, who had been sitting quiet for quite some time, finally spoke.

"Did he request you on this?"

"I don't know." He was glad Mulder finally said something. "He claims he didn't 
but with Ben-- I just don't know what he's up to."

Scully looked at Mulder, knowing he wasn't going to ask Krycek what was on his 
mind. She'd better do it.

"Do you think he came here for you?"

He could see how Mulder was fighting with his jealousy as he waited for the 
answer.

"I don't know, maybe." He didn't want to lie to them, he knew Ben too well. "But 
it doesn't matter," He took Mulder's hand over the table and forced him to look 
meet his eyes. They softened by hisown calm gaze but he could still detect a 
worry that lay underneath

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

Later that evening when Krycek and Scully were in the shower together, Mulder 
had time to muse over Agent Julien. The more he thought of how handsome he was, 
with that well combed black hair and slight tan, the more he could picture him 
and Krycek together. He didn't like this at all, them working together so 
closely. It was always hard when it came to former lovers, especially when they 
had meant something special. This would be a long couple of days.

He had a pretty good idea of what had been going on in the bathroom the last 
fifteen minutes, they'd been hinting for him to come with them. But for the 
first time it didn't occur to him to join them.

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

"Do you think he's angry with me for not telling sooner?" Krycek asked, turning 
off the water.

"No, I just think he needs to get use to the idea of really loving someone," she 
let him help her out of the shower.

"That shouldn't be so hard when you're there to remind him." Krycek smiled 
devilishly as he approached her and with a swift motion lifted her onto the 
sink.

"You're a bad boy," she grinned, tempting him.

"You mean that?" he said hopefully, preventing her answer by nibbling her
lower lip.

"You keep it up-"

He shut her up with a deep kiss as he spread her legs a little wider. Her hands 
were now traveling down his spine, feeling strong muscles against her small 
fingers, her nails leaving red marks all over.

"Oh God, you smell so good," for the second time he felt his desire address her.

Trying to speak he found that he could just groan hearing his sounds of pleasure 
mix with her quickened breaths. Her body, already damp from the shower, exposed 
no moist marks from his kisses as his lips found one of her nipples to tease 
with his tongue and lips. She tilted her head back, feeling his swollen lips 
indulge her hardened nipple, sucking with passion. With strong arms she felt him 
move her closer to the edge of the sink.

"Oh Alex, yes-" she moaned, pushing him closer to her craving body. "I want you 
now-" she leaned forward impatiently, tickling his naked broad shoulder with her 
hair.

"Now?" he teased hoarsely.

"Yes, now!" she gasped.

He moved her smoothly off the sink onto his own aching hardness; seconds felt 
like minutes, before her dark world took him in, embracing him perfectly. She 
crossed her legs around his waist, hard, not wanting the perfect moment to be 
lost. His hips worked her into a frenzy and she came screaming his name. He 
joined her shortly after.

Still clinging to each other, they sensed the stillness that surrounded them 
slowly strengthening their bodies.

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

When they went into the bedroom Mulder had already fallen asleep, lying with his 
back towards them. Krycek crawled up next to him, slipping one arm around his 
slim waist.

"Fox?" he whispered, receiving in reply a strange sound he took as a grunt. "We 
missed you in there." He knew that he wasn't asleep. "I missed you. I missed 
your hands smoothing over my back, your lips against mine, I missed the way only 
you can touch me..." the sentence slowly died out.

Mulder had planned on not answering him but couldn't resist.

"If you keep on talking like that, you won't get any sleep tonight," he said, 
turning over to face his male lover.

"Had you been planning on sleeping?" Scully asked, pushing Mulder on his back 
and straddling him.

They looked at each other and smiled.

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

The sun had gone down hours before they arrived at the surveillance house. It 
was just as dark inside as it was outside. Curtains covered the windows and they 
had to turn on all the lamps in order to see.

"This looks OK," Agent Julien said, looking at Krycek who shrugged in agreement.

"Who takes the first watch?" Cardinal inquired.

"Why don't we?" Krycek cut in, looking at Cardinal, hopeful that he and Ben 
wouldn't end up together.

"Sure," Cardinal replied.

"Since we're uneven I'll join the two of you," Ben said.

Mulder clenched his jaw. Scully noticed and graced him with a calming gaze to 
still his jealousy.

"OK, Krycek, Cardinal and I take the night shift and you, Scully and Mulder, 
take the day shift. A brief report on what needs to be done before the two of 
you turn in, OK?"

They looked around at the on a dreary scene in the harsh light. It held an oak 
table, just in front of a couch that seemed to me made out of wood and hard 
uncomfortable cushions. ... A candle was places near the surveillance cameras by 
the covered windows. On the TV table was an elaborate tape recorder with a set 
of headphones.

Ben made sure everyone was listening as he started filling them in. He could 
sense that Mulder wasn't comfortable having him leading the case. He couldn't 
exactly blame him; Mulder was much more experienced than he was.

"We've got the house wire tapped and we've managed to get a video camera in one 
of the rooms, the living room," he paused to take a look at his papers.

"Who requested a camera in the living room?" Mulder asked, a little confused.

"I did," Ben explained, wondering if he was just asking that to be a pain in the 
ass. "Why?"

"If you're going to put only one camera in the house, in this type of case, it's 
obvious that it should be in the bedroom, since he would keep his victim there," 
Mulder pointed out.

"Of course, we're hoping that he won't be able to actually get that far with 
them-"

"Then how will you make the arrest?" Mulder interrupted. "You can't arrest him 
for taking home a girl. A guy like this needs to be caught in the act otherwise 
he will never be convicted."

Ben looked at him and nodded.

"I see your point Agent Mulder, but the house is also wire tapped so I think we 
will hear when the arrest is appropriate."

"That may be so, but if the camera had been set in the bedroom it would have 
been a much more certain catch."

"True," Ben agreed, hiding his annoyance. "But there is not much we can do about 
that now, is there?"

"No, I guess there isn't."

Sighing deep within, Ben returned to the file to see what more needed to be told 
before they got started.

"We watch him 24 hours a day, report anything out of the ordinary," he looked 
up, meeting Krycek's eyes and almost lost his thread. "Uh- with this guy it 
would be almost anything, so keep your eyes and ears open." He looked at Mulder 
as he added the last comment. "Any other questions?"

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

Finally upstairs, Mulder breathed out his anger, mumbling something Scully 
couldn't hear.

"Take it easy Mulder, it's just for a week." Scully smiled.

"A week with that guy is going to be one big pain in the ass and I don't like 
the way he looks at Alex."

Scully patted his arm soothingly. In return he gave her a kiss before saying. 
"You pick your room first."

"OK."

Morosely he threw his bag onto the bed, sighing heavily. He knew he wasn't going 
to get much sleep in that bed all alone, and especially not when he knew that 
Krycek was spending the night with Ben. He definitely didn't trust that guy.

She knew that sleeping was going to be a difficult because she wouldn't be 
totally alone. The thought of sleeping in the same house as Luis Cardinal 
troubled her and as the darkness swallowed the room she realized that she hadn't 
been this wary in a very long time. She wasn't very easy to scare, not after all 
the things that she and Mulder had experienced together, but she couldn't shake 
off that creepy feeling she had every time she thought of Luis Cardinal. She 
wished more than anything in the world that she could sleep between her two men. 
Something that had to be put on hold for a week.

Krycek had been fixing some take-outs, leaving Ben and Cardinal to get more 
acquainted. It was painful to see him again, knowing how easily he could 
manipulate him. He knew just which buttons to press. Even so, he kept studying 
Ben's figure as he moved to get the plates from a shelf. Still he recognized all 
his little moves, everything that he once loved. And made love to.

When Ben leaned against the sink to read some instructions for the coffee 
machine, Krycek almost felt as if time had been reversed. A couple of years ago 
and he would not have been standing at this distance. They'd often made love in 
the kitchen, Krycek could never resist the urge to take him when he was standing 
like that, not even aware that he was indeed tempting him.

He would have neared him slowly, starting by running his hands over Ben's 
muscular chest, all the way down to unbuckle his pants. Always like that. Then 
Ben would take control of the situation, like every other time they'd made love. 
Always in charge.

Krycek swallowed hard and shook of the image he'd build up. He didn't want to go 
back.

Every time Cardinal was out of sight Ben took his chances.

"How long are you gonna keep ignoring me Alex?"

"Until you go away," he answered truthfully.

"Well, we both know that is not going to happen."

"Do we?"

"Come on, don't tell me our two years didn't mean anything."

"You tell me."

"I never stopped loving you."

"Cut the bullshit," Krycek cut off. "If you had loved me you wouldn't have done 
what you did and I don't want to discuss this any further so why don't you just 
give it a rest."

Ben gave him a serious look, staring long into Krycek's eyes, something he used 
to do before always commenting what lovely eyes he had. This time Krycek broke 
away before he had the chance.

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

Mulder was up with the sun, glad it was morning. He came down to the living 
area, finding Krycek half-asleep on the couch and Ben and Cardinal making small 
talk. Krycek revived hearing the familiar voice of his male lover.

"Hi," he smiled, hoping he wasn't being too obvious.

"Morning," Mulder greeted, finally getting his jealousy under control. When he 
met Krycek's eyes he knew everything was all right.

"Where's Scully?"

"She'll be down in a minute."

"You're up early," Ben remarked, not so ecstatic over seeing him.

"It was not a very comfortable bed," Mulder said calmly, meeting his gaze. 
"How's things been down here?"

"Quiet."

Krycek rose.

"I haven't been upstairs yet, do you mind showing me Mulder?"

"Sure."

Ben watched them disappear up the stairs then turned to Cardinal.

"Are they good friends?"

"Yeah. When I first came to the Bureau I didn't know that Mulder could have a 
social life, I mean everyone knows who Spooky Mulder is."

Ben laughed. "Yeah, they do."

"But I guess I was wrong."

Upstairs Krycek nearly shoved Mulder into the bedroom, closing the door. His 
mouth hungered for Mulder's soft lips and as they met in a fierce kiss, the 
hunger seemed to be satisfied.

"God I wanted to do that all night."

"Me too."

They leaned in for another passionate kiss. Separating from each other Krycek 
said.

"I've missed you, though it's only been a few hours."

"And I know someone who has too."

They cuddled for a while until they though it would be best to part. Krycek 
wanted to say hi to his other love too.

She had just gotten out of bed when he knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Alex."

Hearing that, she smiled. "Come in."

Pleased over seeing him, she was in his arms as soon as the door was closed 
behind him. He felt her hug a big stronger than usual, but appreciated every 
moment of it.

"How's the night been?"

"Calm, and yours?"

"A bit lonely."

He gave her a warm smile. "It won't last forever."

She smiled.

"Now all I have to do is convince myself of that," he joked and kissed her 
lightly.

"Need some motivation?"

He wanted it so badly but they both knew it had to wait.

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

Mulder had to admit that surveillance wasn't his kind of thing. Last time he 
suffered from the surveillance 'sickness' he had sworn to himself not to do it 
voluntarily again.

While waiting for their criminal neighbor to come home they went through some 
files Mulder had brought along with him. The day had been quiet, nothing 
exciting had happened. At one point, Scully hadn't been able to resist the urge 
to snuggle closer to him, just to feel him. He had grinned when he realized how 
nervous she'd been over someone taking a tour downstairs, finding them sitting 
so close. She'd moved away too soon and the little action only made him miss her 
contact even more.

"You know what Mulder? Paper work isn't that bad after all."

He looked up at her where she sat curled up, at the end of the couch, far away 
from him. She looked so soft, it almost felt like old times when he wasn't 
allowed to touch her for a whole different reason. Now he could, but still he 
couldn't.

"It's only because it makes time fly," he responded tossing the file onto 
thetable grabbing a new one, offering the stack of files that they had finished.

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

Day turned into night and soon the other agents started to awake. When Ben 
noticed that Krycek was still asleep he took the liberty to go in to his room. 
The young man was lying on his stomach, sleeping like a baby.

"Alex," he said with a different tone of voice, a tone of voice Krycek 
remembered waking up to so many mornings.

"Alex, come on, it's time to wake up."

Krycek slowly came to his senses.

"Coming," he mumbled.

Ben watched him get up admiring that body he once used to have all to himself. 
It seemed like it had grown more beautiful, since the last time he touched those 
broad shoulders and the slim waist, that could move smoothly in those special 
moments. It was hard to tear him self away from the lovely morning image.

As Cardinal came down Scully could feel his gaze rest upon her, following every 
little move she made. It didn't exactly make her feel better about him. She 
glanced at Mulder, who didn't seem to notice her, and rose from the couch.

"I'm going to bed Mulder."

"OK, I'm gonna stay up for a while. I'm not really tired."

She got up quickly, moving towards the stair to escape her feelings of 
discomfort. On the stairs she met Ben who was on his way down.

"Sleep well Agent Scully," he said friendly.

"I'll try," she smiled.

As he came down he gave Mulder a surprised look, asking. "Aren't you going to 
bed Agent Mulder?"

"I'm not feeling very tired so no, I'm not."

"Suit yourself," Ben mumbled, making himself comfortable in one of the 
armchairs.

As the night continued Mulder kept an eye on Ben, making sure he kept his 
distance. Krycek was awfully quiet, mostly caught up in a book he'd brought 
along. Around midnight, food became their small conversation and Mulder and 
Cardinal decided to go and fix some take-outs.

When they were alone an awkward silence embarrassed the room. Krycek tried to 
ignore it. Instead he concentrated on his book, the silence somehow making it 
impossible to read.

"Want something to drink?" he heard Ben ask as he got up.

"Yeah, something cold would be nice."

He watched him go in to the kitchen moving gracefully as always, very aware of 
how to use those hips of his. Coming back he joined Krycek on the couch, handing 
him a can of diet coke.

"You and Agent Mulder seem to get along fine. Been friends long?"

"You could say that."

"Is he as weird as everyone says he is?"

"No he isn't."

Krycek's answers were short, not wanting to let him know what Mulder really 
meant to him. He took a sip of his coke, swallowing, then bravely asked.

"How about you? How's your life getting by?"

"Fine."

"Fucked anyone I know?"

Ben was startled by the sudden change of voice.

"You haven't forgiven me yet, have you?"

"It has nothing to do with that, I just asked you a question."

Ben studied him for a while tempted to say something more about it. It would be 
pointless.

"No. I haven't," he said instead, still looking at him.

He reached out his hand, placing it under Krycek's chin. Krycek didn't move, 
didn't tell him to stop. Ben allowed one of his fingers to brush over his cheek, 
feeling the two day old bristles against the soft skin of his finger.

"You have such beautiful eyes," he told him softly. "But of course, you know 
that already."

Krycek still couldn't move, it was like he was paralyzed by his touch. As he 
felt him invade his space even more, he could hear himself whisper.

"Don't"

"Why? I can feel that you want it." His voice was low, seductive and demanding.

The door suddenly opened and the two agents jolted away from each other in 
mutual reaction. When Krycek looked up he saw Cardinal and Mulder in the 
doorway; Cardinal, obviously totally unaware of anything except the food he was 
carrying. Mulder on the other hand looked a little more suspicious. Krycek 
smiled at him and saw how his face relaxed.

"Italian," Cardinal told them and held up the bags.

"Great," Ben smiled and glanced at Krycek.

Krycek woke up on the couch lunch time the next day. To his surprise Mulder and 
Ben were discussing the next move in the case. The night had been calm and 
obviously this guy was still preparing the details before he
struck his next victim. Krycek was surprised to notice that they were actually 
quite friendly while talking to each other. Sleepily he sat up, rubbing his 
eyes, causing their attention to fall on him.

"Good Morning," Mulder said, giving him an affectionate gaze, discrete of 
course.

"I fell asleep?" Krycek asked, surprised.

"Yeah, you slept like a baby all night," Ben stated.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Nah, we managed."

"How's the night been?"

"Well, we had some excitement around five when Mr. Megape went out to get his 
newspaper," Mulder said, with a slight smile. He glanced at his watch. "Can you 
wake up Scully? The two of you are up for the night shift."

"Sure."

Krycek rose from the couch shuffling away to the stairs. Scully and him, now 
there was something he was going to enjoy to the fullest. He walked in to her 
room to find her already dressed.

"Good, you're ready," he smiled standing by the door.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep anyway."

Mulder came in to the room shortly after, wearing a goofy smile.

"Think you two can behave all alone?" he teased and gave Krycek a friendly pat 
on the arm.

"What?" Scully asked confused.

Krycek smiled at Mulder, wondering if he could keep from thinking of sex for a 
whole day.

"You and I are up for the next shift," he told Scully still looking at Mulder.

"Why?"

"Because Mulder stayed up all night with Ben and Luis."

Scully gave Krycek an inviting smile, just to tease Mulder. Krycek played along, 
making sure no one was around to see them, before he gave her a quick kiss.

"I'm taking a shower," he announced about to walk out.

"Really?" Mulder stopped him.

"Yes," he grinned and placed his hand on Mulder's shoulder. "And you stay here."

Alone in the room, Scully turned to face him.

"Did Ben behave?" she wanted to know.

"What are you talking about?"

"About this stupid jealousy you have towards Ben."

"Of Ben? You're kidding me," he crossed his arms in denial.

"Come on Mulder, you've been watching every step he's made since we got here. 
You're making the poor guy nervous."

"Nervous? He could stop hanging over Krycek or I'll give him something to be 
nervous about."

Scully coughed and shook her head. He was unbelievable.

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

A few hours later, Krycek and Scully sat in the couch downstairs, trying to put 
the evidence, they had managed to collect, together. They didn't talk much about 
Ben, in fact nothing had been said about him at all. Krycek was glad that she 
trusted him, even though he felt some guilt over what had happened the night 
before.

"Let's see," Krycek looked through the pile of papers he'd just reorganized. 
"He's made phone calls to three different persons over the last few days, one to 
his mother, one to a friend and the third to some guy we can't make a connection 
to. Think he could be an accomplice?"

"No," she leaned over to look at his notes. "This guy definitely works alone, I 
totally agree with Mulder's profile there-" she stopped as she saw him smile.

"That's a new one," he said with another smile.

She looked at him and arched a brow in amusement.

"Anyway," she led the subject back to the case. "He told every one of them that 
he was going away for this weekend. Now it's obvious that he plans to take 
action and make sure that they stay away."

"Figures," he nodded and moved to the next paper. "Then there is this," pointing 
at a note. "He calls up his mother again but this times he just hangs up on 
her."

"Yes, that's odd," she agreed. "Maybe he's having second thoughts about doing 
it, I don't know-"

He looked at her as she tried to find a better answer to why the guy was acting 
as he was. She was so beautiful to just sit and watch he sometimes found himself 
doing that and not even knowing it.

"Alex," she nudged him lightly to gain his attention. He was looking at her, but 
it didn't feel as if he was with her.

"Sorry," he said, looking a little out of it.

She knew where he had his mind.

"How are you, really?"

He knew what she was referring to.

"I'm fine," he nodded and placed his hand over her for a couple of seconds. 
"Just trying to- sort things out."

Nodding she understood that this had to be hard for him. Obviously, Ben had left 
scars that wouldn't heal. She could imagine what kind of relationship they'd 
had, Ben seemed very authoritative. Alex was too good for a guy like him.

"So-" he looked back in to his paper. "Where were we?"

She gathered her thoughts and helped him remember where they'd stopped.

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

The day went on without any big changes, and slowly turned into night. Krycek 
had entertained himself with a book while waiting for the other agents to come 
down. Cardinal and Ben took the next shift, which left Mulder and Krycek to stay 
up for the next day shift. Both of them were relieved with this.

Mulder moved closer to him on the couch, scanning the room before he dared to 
put his hand on Krycek's thigh.

"What are you doing?" Krycek smiled, looking around.

Without a word, Mulder leaned in to nibble his earlobe, his hand moving closer 
to Krycek's groin.

"Mulder!" Krycek warned but showed no intentions of moving away. "Anyone could 
come down and see us."

"I know," Mulder whispered, softly into his ear, his lip moving lightly over 
Krycek's skin. "So I thought we could keep it down," he smoothed over the hard 
bulge, hearing the other man gasp.

"You're not making that very easy for me," he commented with a low moan.

Mulder chuckled and pulled Krycek's face to his, offering his lips. They tasted 
each other for a while, the familiar scent arousing them further. The hand on 
Krycek's groin added a little pressure and Mulder heard Krycek's appreciation in 
form of a moan.

"Tell me you want me," Mulder dared, unbuttoning the first button on Alex's 
pants.

"You know I do," Krycek whispered, leaning in for a sensual kiss.

"I guess you do."

Mulder unbuttoned the rest and pressed against the bulge in Alex's boxers. 
Krycek's hips arched, pleading quietly. With a contented smile, Mulder moved to 
kneel in front of him, slowly removing Krycek's jeans. Before touching again, he 
wanted to admire the sight he beheld. Krycek didn't feel the same need to be 
admired and moved restlessly toward the other man. Mulder took the hint and put 
one hand on each side of Alex's hips. Krycek looked down at him, a painful 
expression behind his green eyes.

"Tell me," Mulder dared once more, getting a kick from the power.

"Mulder, for God's sake, just touch me," Krycek whined.

Taking pity on him, Mulder pulled down his boxers, caressing the hard erection 
smoothly as he did. It screamed for attention and Mulder knew he had been 
torturing him for too long. With a swift move he bend forward and pulled the 
hard cock into his mouth, feeling Krycek meet him with a trust. He let Alex 
decide the pace, relaxing his throat for him.

After a while, Krycek tangled his hand in Mulder's hair, having a hard time 
keeping quiet. He felt Mulder caressing his balls with one hand, using the other 
to tease his ass, unexpectedly letting one finger enter the tight hole. Bucking 
up hard as his arousal grew he could feel how Mulder trust his finger in and out 
of him, lightly massaging his balls as he did. He was so hard now he could feel 
his veins throb in the softness of Mulder's mouth. Another heavenly trust and 
the mouth surrounding his cock sucked a little more fiercely, another finger 
entered his ass, working violently inside him. Krycek lost control of his 
trusts, rocking back and forward with an uneven pace that send tears to Mulder's 
eyes. As his semen filled Mulder's mouth he continued to trust until he lost the 
ability to move at all, loosening the grip of the other man's hair.

Mulder smiled and moved up to him so he could give him a tight hug. Krycek 
smiled and cuddled in to his neck giving him a little squeeze.

"Good?" Mulder asked, running his hands through Krycek's hair.

Krycek chuckled and leaned back to look at him. The hazel eyes looking straight 
into his had the slightest bit of worry in their expression. Krycek knew what he 
was thinking.

"You're wonderful," he told and gave him a soft kiss. "Always wonderful."

Mulder smiled and leaned in for another hug.

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

Next shift was Cardinal and Scully. Ben decided to wait until the next one and 
Scully felt silly about complaining, not having told either of them about her 
feelings towards Cardinal. She could feel him eyeballing her from his side of 
the couch, trying to ignore the feelings he provoked in her. It was nothing; he 
didn't mean anything by it.

Krycek was sitting on his bed, organizing some files before he went to bed. He 
was thinking of how the day had proceeded, the thought of Mulder's blow job 
making him weak. It was frustrating to be so close to both of them and not being 
able to touch them whenever he felt the need.

"Alex?"

He didn't even turn at the sound of Ben's voice.

"What do you want?"

Ben sighed and walked into the room, coming to sit beside him on the bed. Krycek 
tried his best to ignore him, looking carefully at his papers.

"Alex, you've got to talk to me - I feel miserable going around here knowing 
that you're mad with me."

"Good," Krycek said shortly, about to get up from the bed when Ben grabbed his 
arm.

"Alex - I - don't do this. Don't push me away from you."

Knowing he had his gaze under total control, Ben gave him that look he knew he 
could to get anywhere with. Something happened in Krycek's eyes and the hope 
grew inside of him.

"Alex -" he breathed heavily, seeing Krycek open his mouth to say something. 
Nothing came out. "Alex, I love you."

Despite himself, the memories started coming back as Alex looked in to the eyes 
of his former lover. He recognized the feel of his breath so close to his face, 
the look in his eyes, that very same look he got every time he wanted to make 
love to him.

Ben was leaning closer and he knew he had to do something. He didn't want this, 
he didn't love him, he loved Mulder and Scully and he would never jeopardize 
their relationship.

"Alex," Ben pleaded, knowing that it wouldn't take much now.

"Ben I-"

The door opened and both men were startled by Mulder's appearance in the room. 
He just stood there for a while, the pain in his eyes telling Ben exactly what 
was going on. Krycek met his eyes knowing that he looked guilty even though they 
hadn't done anything. Mulder swallowed hard, he didn't want to give them an out 
that easy.

"I was gonna check something about the case, I'll just come back later if you're 
busy," he said turning around before having met Krycek's gaze one last time.

Ben smiled to himself. Did he have to be that obvious? When he turned around to 
Krycek he tried to look hurt.

"I'm sorry Alex, I didn't know."

Krycek flinched. He didn't want Ben knowing that Mulder was gay. That was 
probably the last thing he needed, and it was clear that he had been trying to 
avoid just that by leaving like he did.

"What?" he tried to sound surprised.

"C'mon Alex. You and Mulder."

"No, no," Krycek shook his head. "We're just friends. Mulder's straight."

Ben smiled distrusting. He was so cute when he tried to lie.

"Alex, it's OK. I won't tell anyone. I promise."

Looking at him for a while, not trusting him for one second, Alex knew that the 
only feelings he had left for this man was that of distrust and hatred. He 
wasn't letting him get between him and Mulder.

"Well, you can think what you want, but we're not," he snapped. "Now if you'd 
excuse me I'm just gonna go and see what Mulder wanted."

Ben met his eyes. There wasn't a chance in hell he was buying what he had just 
told him. Krycek wasn't a very good liar.

"Sure, you go," he smiled. "I'll just go and see what's going on downstairs 
then."

Krycek left without another word, his heart beating hard as he walked to 
Mulder's room. This could all go to hell just like that and he'd be damned if 
he'd let Ben destroy his life one more time. He tapped on the door.

"It's me Mulder."

No one said anything so he walked in anyway. Mulder was sitting on the bed, file 
in his hands, ignoring him totally. This would not be easy.

"Mulder, it's not what you think," he walked up to the bed, not daring to sit 
down.

Still not talking to him, Mulder flipped a page. Krycek could see his jaws 
clenching.

"Mulder, I don't want him, I want you. You know that."

Finally Mulder looked at him, holding his gaze.

"Don't let him do this to us," Krycek whispered, taking courage as he sat down 
and removed the file from Mulder's hands. "Just don't let him win, this is 
exactly what he wants."

Mulder was still sitting silently, but his gaze was not quite as sad. Krycek 
leaned forward, glad that he accepted him getting closer, he even moved a little 
closer himself. Lifting one hand, Krycek cupped his face leaning his
forehead against Mulder's.

"How could I not want you?" he smiled, brushing his lips against Mulder's.
"You and Scully."

Mulder closed his eyes, his heart beating fast. Anyone could come in on them.

"Don't ever make me feel like that again," he whispered hoarsely, the tears 
stuck in his throat. "Ever."

Relieved, Krycek inhaled sharply, seeking Mulder's lips with a craving desire to 
show him how much he loved him. Mulder kissed him back for a while then let the 
kiss die as he dropped his head to Krycek's shoulder, rubbing lightly against 
the soft skin. Krycek held him close to his heart, in one piece again.

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

Krycek glared as Ben unnecessarily brushed close to Mulder for the third time. 
Ben had been trying to get Mulder's attention ever since he understood how 
things were, and Krycek knew where his intentions lay. Mulder didn't seem to 
notice though; he was too involved in his own little world, and didn't see Ben 
as a threat anymore.

"Mulder, are you up for the next shift?" Ben asked, knowing that it was 
inevitable that they'd end up together.

"Yeah, sure," he nodded, still not paying him much attention.

Krycek clenched his jaw, not wanting to give Ben the pleasure of knowing that he 
was worried, keeping quiet even though he wanted to stay up with them.

When they'd been sitting in the couch for about an hour, Mulder noticed how Ben 
kept looking at him. Discrete but still not. He wondered what Krycek had told 
him after he'd walked in on them. It was obvious that he suspected something, 
but Mulder wasn't gonna be the one to bring it up.

"Would you mind passing me a coke?" Ben asked, meeting Mulder's eyes 
intentionally.

Mulder was confused by the expression he saw, the way Ben kept eye contact, for 
much longer than he had to, as he passed him the coke. He tried to ignore it, 
looking down in some papers for a while.

"It's gonna be great when all this is over," Ben smiled and opened his coke, 
startled as it splashed all over his T-shirt. "Darn," he moaned, getting Mulder 
attention again.

Before Mulder had the time to react, Ben was starting to take off his T-shirt, 
exposing a really well trained body. Mulder swallowed hard surprised over his 
own reaction.

"Don't you just hate it when that happens?" Ben smiled, wiping some coke off his 
face with his T-shirt.

Mulder forced a smile, trying not to stare at Ben's incredible body. He had to 
force his gaze away in order not to be too obvious. One image kept coming up 
before his eyes, Ben and Krycek making love, their bodies close together, Krycek 
moving rhythmically inside of Ben. He had to fight back his erection, along with 
his jealousy, hoping that Ben didn't notice anything. Of course he did.

"Well, I was getting hot anyway," he joked, telling Mulder with his eyes that he 
wasn't gonna cover his body again.

They sat quiet for some time. Mulder was fighting with his own thoughts. He 
didn't like the thoughts that kept popping up in his own head, he didn't want 
them there. He didn't want to look at Ben's body. This was ridiculous. He was 
just sexually frustrated, that was all. It didn't mean anything; it was just a 
perfectly normal physical reaction. Besides, you always felt tempted to look at 
something when you knew you really shouldn't.

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

Krycek was turning from side to side in his bed. He knew Ben's intentions and he 
knew just how powerful he could be. Of course, this wasn't just some guy he was 
trying to win over; it was Mulder, one of FBI's most intelligent agents. He 
should be able to relax and sleep. So why couldn't he do just that?

"Damn," he mumbled under his breath and swept away the cover. He had to go see 
what was going on.

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

Ben heard footsteps slowly nearing the stairs, his senses telling him it was 
Krycek. It had to be. He thought quickly. Leaning forward to get his coke, he 
made a fake pained moan.

"Great," he said, slowly leaning back in the couch again.

"What happened?" Mulder gave him some attention, half-glad to have reason to 
look at him without having it misinterpreted as staring.

"I stretched a muscle in my shoulder," he told, trying to rub out the pain with
one hand.

Mulder watched him trying to make the muscle ease under his hand, for a few 
seconds, before he turned to Mulder, his eyes totally innocent.

"Would you mind?" he motioned for Mulder to help.

"Uh," Mulder didn't know what to say as Ben moved closer, not turning his back 
against him but moving closer face to face.

"Just see if you can rub out the worst tension," he smiled, his eyes calm. 
"Here," he put Mulder's hand on his shoulder, hearing the footsteps getting 
closer.

It felt as if his brain was blocked out by what was happening. Ben's calm eyes 
were very relaxing to him and he couldn't explain how he was doing that. Every 
sound around them was lost on him and he didn't hear Krycek enter the room 
behind him.

Krycek suddenly felt sick. There on the couch was Mulder, holding his hand on 
Ben's shoulder, on Ben's naked shoulder, their bodies closer than he was able to 
admit to himself. The tension was high in the small room and when Ben looked up 
at him, Krycek saw something there he didn't like.

"Alex," he pretending to sound surprised and quickly moving away from Mulder.

Mulder turned to look at him, his expression confused.

"What are you doing down here?" Ben wanted to know, glancing at Mulder to make 
it look more obvious.

Krycek stared at him with tears in his eyes. He didn't want to show him how much 
this was affecting him, but he couldn't hide his feelings as they came in such a 
storm.

Mulder rose, finally feeling himself again, giving Krycek a reassuring gaze. He 
could read the worry in his lover's eyes and he knew that Alex didn't understand 
what was going on. How could he understand, he didn't understand it himself. It 
was as if he hadn't been in control of what was happening to his body. One 
minute he had been sitting there reading his papers, and the next minute he had 
been--not doing anything at all and he refused to feel guilty.

Reading his calm, Krycek knew Mulder wanted to tell him that nothing had 
happened. Of course it hadn't but he needed to know what had been going on. 
Looking over Mulder's shoulder at Ben, he saw the event from a different 
perspective, one he didn't like at all. Still, Mulder's eyes held the promise he 
needed to be told.

"Did you want something special?" Ben asked him, thinking he had him caught now.

Krycek looked at him once more and then over to Mulder again. Mulder offered him 
a smile and his heart grew with love. That son of a bitch, how could he even 
suspect Mulder of anything. Ben was the bad guy here, not Mulder.

"No, I was just going to get something to eat," he said, fighting against the 
jealousy which still hung over him like a dark cloud. "I was just gonna see how 
things were going here first."

"Everything's fine," Mulder assured him, the undertone very obvious.

Krycek nodded, not even looking at Ben. He wasn't worth the attention.

"OK then," he said, feeling his [breathing] getting back to normal. "I'll just 
go see what I can find."

Mulder wanted so much to follow him out in to the kitchen and tell him all about 
what really happened. He knew he didn't have to, but still he wanted to make 
sure there weren't any misunderstandings. Resisting the idea he returned to the 
couch, keeping a distance from Ben the rest of the time.

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

They made the bust the very next day, everything going smoothly. Mr. Megape had 
gone out, Cardinal had followed him into a nightclub where he'd found a young 
girl to take home. They'd burst in just as he was preparing the murder and 
caught him in the act. The whole thing had been over in a couple of hours and 
they were now glad to be heading home.

Mulder and Krycek hadn't said a word about what had happened and Ben had kept a 
low profile. He knew when it was time to step back, for a while anyway. It 
wasn't in him to loose and he nearly never did, he was too smart to loose. This, 
however, would be quite a challenge.

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

Back in Krycek's apartment, Scully felt like herself again. She had noted that 
there was some tension between Alex and Mulder but didn't want to deal with that 
just yet. All she wanted to do was to cuddle up in front of the TV with the men 
she loved and just be happy.

"Come here Mulder," she smiled and pulled him down on the couch with her.

He smiled and held her tight as she buried her face against him. This was nice, 
actually it was beyond nice. He just wished that he could forget some parts of 
the surveillance. They just seemed to stick to his brain like glue. What would 
have happened if he hadn't walked in on them when he did? He glanced at Krycek 
who was sitting in an armchair, deep in thought.

"Let's never leave this couch," Scully mused, taking in the scent of him.

"That's fine with me," Mulder agreed pulling her closer to him.

Krycek didn't react to a word they'd said. He just sat there, his mind far off 
and Mulder had a pretty good idea where it was.

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

Before going to bed, Scully decided to take a shower. She needed to get the feel 
of the surveillance house of her body.

In the meantime, Krycek and Mulder had occupied the bed, taking a game of 
kissing a little further. Remembering that night in the surveillance house 
Krycek decided to return the favor. Mulder was in heaven, his mind far away from 
Ben and all that had happened.

Krycek took in the taste of pre cum, letting the tip of his tongue dance over 
Mulder's most sensitive area. He felt Mulder move against him, knowing what he 
wanted, what he needed.

"I want you to do me," Alex whispered, kissing up his body until he rested his 
lips on his lover's full lips. "If that's OK with you."

Mulder moaned and devoured his lips in need of that special contact. He couldn't 
promise he could take it easy with him, but he sensed that Krycek wanted it 
rough just as much as he did.

"Flip over," surprised that he managed to speak.

Moving swiftly to rest on his stomach he heard Mulder open a drawer to get the 
tube of lubricant. He let out a soft moan as Mulder pressed a greased finger 
against him, probing at his tight entrance. After the first finger came another, 
stretching him for a while, his other hand seeking the semi erect cock.

"Take me," Krycek grunted and raised his ass against Mulder's fingers. "Now."

Relieved over his plea, Mulder removed his fingers, putting some more lubricant 
in the entrance of Krycek's tight ass. He pushed in with a hard trust and found 
himself all the way inside in an instant. Krycek moaned and bucked against him, 
encouraging him to continue in the same way.

"Tell me if I'm being too rough," Mulder whispered, as he started a hard rocking 
motion against the other man.

"No problems," Krycek smiled and placed his hand on top of the one that were 
holding his own cock.

Mulder rocked forcefully, slamming his body against Krycek's ass, not knowing 
why he was reacting like this. He just needed to do this, and Krycek wanted it 
just as bad. It turned him on beyond description. When he felt
Krycek's orgasm building he put some more power to it, the sweat on his body 
breaking out by the effort. Then he heard it, quiet like a muffled sound in to 
the pillow, but still clear enough for him to react to it.

"Oh Ben."

Mulder froze.

"Oh what?"

/Oh shit!/

"Oh God." Scully had just come in to the bedroom in time to hear Krycek's 
mistake.

Mulder pulled out of him, gathered his clothes and dashed out of there, Krycek 
hurried after.

"Mul-Fox, wait!" he shouted, stopping long enough in the doorway to put on his 
boxers.

The living room was dark but he could still see Mulder getting dressed, almost 
violently. Krycek turned on the lights, finding him standing there in his jeans 
and bare upper body.

"Fox, I didn't mean that, I don't know what happened but I didn't mean that," he 
walked up to him, stopping as he caught sight of Mulder's mad expression. "I'm 
sorry," he reached out his hand to touch his arm.

"Don't touch me," Mulder warned moving away. "Don't ever touch me again."

He heard the words but he refused to believe them, as the thought of not ever 
touching Mulder again was too unbearable.

"Mulder let's talk about this," he pleaded.

Scully was standing in the doorway, looking at them with sad eyes. She couldn't 
stand to see them arguing like this, but she didn't feel right jumping in and 
taking sides. So she kept quiet, hoping they'd be able to work things through.

"I don't have anything more to say to you," Mulder said, about to walk out of 
there.

Krycek grabbed his arm a little too rough.

"What? Are you leaving?"

Their eyes met. Mulder's filled with pain, Krycek's no less so.

"Let go of me," Mulder kept staring at him.

"No!" he felt his tears beginning to flow as he felt what was about to come. 
"You can't do this. You can't just walk away like this, it just doesn't work 
that way."

"Oh shut up Alex!" Mulder snapped. "You are the last person who should be 
lecturing me on how this works!"

"I said I was sorry. What more can I do?" he didn't care that Mulder could see 
his tears, finding no good arguments in keeping them inside. "Just don't walk 
away."

Mulder looked at him, his heart aching. He didn't want things to be like this, 
but he was hurting too much. Everything was getting too complicated, he was 
getting too involved and it scared the hell out of him. He didn't want to feel 
the way he was feeling; the same way he'd felt when he'd walked in on them.

"This was a stupid idea from the beginning," he said shaking his head. "I don't 
know what we were thinking when we came up with this," he motioned with his 
hands in the air. "It's obviously not working."

"So you're giving up," Krycek tried his best to control himself. "Just like 
that? Just because I made a mistake, one single mistake. I'm sorry, I'm not 
perfect."

"Oh, cut the crap Alex. This isn't about that and you know it."

"Then what is it about?"

They shared a calm gaze for a moment and Krycek almost believed he'd take it 
back, that he would come back.

"This is about me not trusting you Alex," he spoke very calm, very matter of 
factly. "I can't live with someone I don't trust and that is exactly what's 
happening here."

"What have I done to make you not trust me?" Krycek felt like his heart had 
fallen to the floor, and been stamped on. "I haven't done anything."

"Yeah, right," Mulder shook his head. "I saw that very clearly."

Alex knew that he was referring to having thought it was all over. Obviously 
not.

"You know that nothing happened."

"You said that yes, but I don't know that. Why should I trust you after what 
just happened? Even if you didn't do anything, it's obvious you wanted to."

Krycek couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Can someone please explain to me what this is about?" Scully spoke from the 
door, not being able to follow their conversation.

Mulder looked at her, only now realizing that she was standing there too.

"I walked in on them," he told her and swallowed.

"What?" she didn't understand. Why hadn't they told her?

"Nothing happened," Krycek tried again, now a little frustrated.

"Well of course it didn't cause I walked in just in time to stop that. Lord only 
knows what would have happened if I hadn't," he had really raised his voice this 
time.

"Damned it Mulder. I didn't say a word when I walked in on the two of you," he 
wiped his tears. "You know, maybe I should have. Maybe it's you who can't be 
trusted and you're laying it off on me since you can't deal with it," he 
continued, knowing he was going too far.

Now she was really confused. Krycek had walked in on Mulder and Ben? Why hadn't 
anybody told her about all this?

"Now this is just great," Mulder clenched his jaws. "I don't trust you and you 
don't trust me. I don't see any reason to continue this any further," he turned 
to leave.

"Mulder!" Scully spoke softly.

He turned around, meeting her tear filled eyes. The last thing he wanted to do 
was to hurt her; she couldn't help any of this.

"Please don't go," she whispered, her lower lip quivering slightly. "Don't do 
this."

This was going to be hard, harder than he had thought but he had to do it. He 
couldn't live with them both and he couldn't live with either of them alone. 
Either way it got too complicated, too difficult.

"Scully," he walked up to her, lightly touching her hand. "I'm sorry but I have 
to do this, I can't-"

She could feel the tears fall down her cheeks as she met his eyes. Things were 
happening too fast, she couldn't keep up.

"Please don't cry," he felt his own tears closing in, at the sight of her in 
such pain. "You'll be all right. I want you to go on with this, I know it can 
make you happy."

"No-" her tears were blinding her. "Mulder I love you."

He placed his hands on each side of her face, smoothing his thumbs over her 
cheeks.

"I'll be in the way. You're better off without me."

His eyes were so honest, she knew he believed that it was true. She knew that 
Krycek stared off into the distance, hearing Scully's sobs breaking the silence. 
What had happened? He couldn't grasp it, let alone understand why.
Mulder was gone, that much he knew. It was his fault, completely. He looked at 
her, surprised to find her gaze on him.

"Oh Alex," she cried reaching out her hand towards him. "Come."

He stared at her for a while. She wasn't blaming him? Of course she wasn't. This 
was Scully, his beautiful reasonable Scully. Their Scully. He accepted her 
embrace, knowing how silly it had to look, with her small body, comforting him 
in the silent dark room. He didn't care.

"It'll be OK," she whispered, her tears still falling. "We'll work this out."

Holding her as tight as he could without hurting her, he felt his desperation 
taking the better of him. He couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Don't leave me," he whispered in to her neck. "I need you."

"Sweety," she kissed his temple. "I'm here. I won't go anywhere, I promise."

Her words eased him to a certain point but the greatest pain still remained 
inside of him. How could things ever be all right after this? How could they 
ever?

Continued...............

Title: 3's A Charm: De Profundis
Authors: Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil
Ratings: NC-17
Keyword: Mulder/Scully/Krycek Romance
Summary: After the break up, Ben comes back in to their lives and messes things 
up even more.

Author's note: I know you've all waited a *long* time for this, I hope it was 
worth it. You'll just have to read for yourselves and find out <g> 

Thanx to The Emu and Elisabeth my two wonderful Beta Readers. This story would 
not be what it is, if it wasn't for them <g>

Disclaimers: I do not own these characters they belong to Chris Carter and FOX 
Network, you know the drill.

I'd love to get some feedback, tell me what you think and write it down to: 
sageo@hotmail.com

And visit the MSKRA (Mulder Scully Krycek Romance Association) at:
http://members.xoom.com/MSKRA



3's A Charm: De Profundis
By Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil


The memory of the scene in Krycek's living room remained vivid in his
memory as he arrived at his own empty apartment. One part of him wanted to
go back and make it all right again, as the other part told him strongly to
let it be. That was the part that kept reminding him of how much grief it
would bring him, how hurt he could end up being if he didn't let it go.

For the first time in weeks, he curled up on his couch, trying to shut
everything out. The utter silence and the absence of soft, even breathing
mingling in the night drove him to a point he hadn't let himself go to yet.

He started to cry. He started to sob into his pillow as he realized what
he'd done and what he would have to do.

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

Mulder had been away for almost a week before he returned to the office.
Scully looked surprised; clearly, she wasn't really prepared to see him
standing there in the doorway, as though nothing had happened. She tried to
read his eyes as he smiled, said 'good morning' and promptly went over to
the file cabinet.

"So," she started with caution. "Have you thought things through?"

He turned to look at her, a pensive expression in his face. He should have
known she would wonder. But he'd thought she'd wait a little longer before
asking him. The answer was not going to please her.

"Scully, I don't really feel like talking about it."

She got up and walked over to him. Sensing that she would be impossible to
deal with until they got this out of their systems, Mulder sighed, showing
her just how little he wanted to discuss this. She didn't care.

"You know Mulder, keeping quiet doesn't solve anything. We need to talk."

All he did was to stare at her, a part of his mind knowing all too well how
right she was. The problem was that he didn't want to admit it. So he
ignored her. Or at least he tried.

"Mulder, I'm talking to you."

Looking up to meet her eyes, he sensed that she would be persistent. That
was the last thing he needed. With a sigh, he threw the file on top of his
desk and headed out for the door.

"Mulder, where are you going?" she grabbed his arm, now a little angry.

"Scully," he began, looking down at the floor. "I need to get out of here.
It was a mistake to return this early."

Nevertheless, she held his arm for a while, hoping he'd turn around and
change his mind or at least tell her something that would ease the pain she
was going through. But he didn't even look at her. She let go.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled and hurried out of there.

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

Leaning against the brick wall, he lit up a cigarette. He should have been
here 10 minutes ago and Ben was growing restless. This was not acceptable,
not even for them.

Glancing at his watch again, he sighed inwardly, promising himself that
this would be the last job he did for them. You could only misplace
information for so long and his fellow agents were going to be suspicious.

A man was closing up to him and he could tell from the way he walked that
it was him. He followed him into the alley.

"Ben," the man stated.

Ben gave him a nod and threw away his cigarette.

"You're late."

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" the man asked with a grin.

Ben sighed and glared at him. He wasn't in the mood for chitchat.

"So did you bring me anything?" he asked instead, rushing the conversation.

The man dug inside his coat and pulled out a brown envelope.

"Here you go, pal," he said, seemingly amused.

"Thanks." Ben accepted the gift.

Opening the envelope, he was irritated that his informer didn't go away. He
looked up at him.

"Was there something else?"

"Don't do anything foolish, Ben, you know what will happen."

"And what is that?"

"Don't be stupid, you know what I'm talking about. I wouldn't lose sight of
my purpose if I were you."

Ben grew even more irritated. "Why don't you just mind your own business?
Maybe you should look out for yourself before you pass any judgment."

"And what the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"I've seen the way you look at her. They don't like that, do they? I mean,
that wasn't your assignment, was it?"

"You just focus on yours and I'll focus on mine."

"Works fine with me." Ben arched a brow. "So, see you Monday then."

Cardinal nodded and turned to leave, walking slowly down the alley.

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

She found him on the couch, deep in thought. He probably hadn't even heard
her enter the apartment.

"Hi, honey," she said with a smile, and she kissed him softly.

"Hi." He sounded a little drowsy as he sat up to make room for her. "I
didn't hear you come in."

"I noticed." She sat down beside him.

A little more at ease, he circled his arm around her. She rested her head
against his chest and closed her eyes.

"How was work today?" he asked, and she knew what he was referring to.

"Can't we just go to bed, I'm really tired," she said softly and started
moving away from him.

"He came back today, didn't he?" he cut her off, forcing her to look at him.

"Alex --"

"What did he say?"

She saw the hope in his eyes mixed with the fear of what he was denying to
himself and wished for nothing else than to tell him that everything was
all right, that Mulder was coming over any minute to apologize for his
confused behavior and return to them. But that would have been a lie.

"Let's not talk about that now," she said, smiling, and she took his hand.
"Let's just go to bed."

"No." He held her hand tighter as she tried to get off the couch. "I want
to know what he said. I need to know."

Swallowing hard, she adjusted herself to face him. His gaze was a mixture
of hope and fear as she caressed his cheek. With a swift motion, she leaned
forward and gave him a kiss.

"We can't give up yet," she said and forced a smile. "He'll just need some
more time to think things through, and when he has, he will realize what he
wants."

He looked at her and nodded. They just had to give it some time, that was
all it needed. Some time and then it would be all right again.

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

Skinner looked at him over the desk as he had finished reading the file. He
didn't really get the picture here. Last time Agent Julien had been in his
office, he had gotten the impression that he wasn't too fond of Agent
Mulder. Now he was requesting to work with him.

"Sir?" Ben felt suspicion in the air and he knew about the special
relationship the assistant director had with Mulder and Scully.

Of course, a case like this could use someone like Mulder's background.

"Yes, Agent Julien, this looks in order," Skinner said and handed him the
file again. "I will inform Agent Mulder."

"Thank you, sir."

The two men eyed each other for a second, one curious and the other totally
calm in his place.

"That will be all," Skinner broke first. "You're excused."

Ben gave Skinner a quick nod before he got up and left.

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

He had been ignoring her all day. If it hadn't been by reading a file, it
had been by talking on the phone or by typing. When ever he could, he would
send her out, and by the time the third autopsy request landed on her desk
that day, she knew she had to do something about it.

"Mulder, we need to talk about this," she told him bluntly.

"I'm busy."

"Yeah, well, I don't really care," she said, rising from her seat. "This is
important."

He looked up at her and sighed out loud. Why couldn't she just let go of it?

"You know, this is not going to work out if you keep ignoring me." She
stood to face him.

He sighed again, louder this time, and avoided her gaze.

"If you're that interested, maybe I should request for a transfer," she
stated, finally seeing him flinch.

So it still meant something to him.

"Scully." He looked up but didn't meet her eyes. "I don't want to stop
working with you. I just need some space, okay?"

He rose, ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" She couldn't believe this.

"I'm just going out for a while."

"Why are you running away?" she stepped in his way. "This is not you, Mulder."

"Scully, please. Just let me go."

She looked at him, meeting his familiar eyes, knowing that he could see the
tears threatening to break out in hers.

"Mulder, why can't you just talk to him?" she asked, her voice breaking.
"He's-- he's--"

"I don't care how he is," he cut her off. "I don't care how he feels, now
will you just let me go by?"

One tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away in pure frustration.

"Do you still love me?"

"Scully --"

"Do you?"

He gave her one look and she knew -- she'd known all along.

"Do you love Alex?" she had a pretty good idea that she was pushing it.

"For chrissake, Scully," he said, trying to move past her, but as she
didn't move, and he didn't want to hurt her.

"Mulder, he --" she looked at him, not sure of how to put this for him not
to hit the roof. "He loves you so much. This is destroying him. You have to
talk to him."

For a moment, she thought she saw something there, something to give her
hope. He closed his eyes as if denying himself what he wanted to feel. Then
he moved past her and left her there, standing alone in the small basement
office with nothing left to hope for.

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

Roaming through the corridor in the section he usually tried to keep away
from, he bumped into Assistant Director Skinner coming back from lunch.

"Agent Mulder," the older man spoke aloud.

/Got to trust that instinct to avoid this area. / Mulder smiled despite
himself.

"Sir?"

"I would like to talk to you."

Mulder nodded slowly, not really knowing what he had done now. Usually, he
knew when he was going to get a lecture from his supervisor, but as things
were, he had kept a rather low profile of late. Maybe too low.

Inside Skinner's office, he took a seat, trying to figure out what was
coming next. Skinner sat down quietly and looked across the desk at him.

"I've assigned you to work with another agent on a case that could need
your expertise," he announced, taking out a file from his drawer.

"Yes, sir," Mulder reached out to take the file that had been handed to
him. "Is it an X-file?"

"No." Skinner looked at him over the desk. He was surprised that his
younger agent hadn't been more unwilling to work with another agent aside
from Agent Scully. Most of the time when that occurred, they both put up a
fuss. "Actually you're just to work on the profile and then the VCS will
take over."

Mulder opened the file and went through it briefly. It looked in order

"I trust you'll go and see Agent Julien as soon as you are available."

That got his attention. His head came up sharply. "Ben Julien?"

"Yes." Skinner looked serious. "Why? Is that a problem?"

"Uh, no," Mulder mumbled again and looked at the file in his lap. "I guess
not."

"Then I expect you to report to Agent Julien as soon as you see fit."
Skinner tried to read the younger man's reaction. "Report to me when you're
done."

Mulder nodded, not giving Skinner much to go on but a very unsettling hunch.

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

Krycek gathered enough courage to knock on Mulder's door, half-hoping he
wouldn't be home. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have to take the fall just yet.
But he had to do something about this; he couldn't just sit around.

Mulder wasn't prepared to see him standing there. He fought hard to make
the mistake of inviting him in. That would be a sure way to ensure them
ending up in bed. Truth was, he wouldn't be able to resist him. So he
slammed the door shut in his face, shutting out the image of Krycek's hurt
expression.

Okay, so it wasn't going exactly according to plan, Krycek had to admit to
himself, but he wouldn't give in this easily. Feeling hurt and a little
stupid, he knocked once more.

"What do you want?" Mulder asked through the door determined not to open it
again.

"I just want to talk to you." Krycek felt foolish, standing there talking
to a door. "Can you please open the door?"

Silence. Krycek made the mistake of taking it as a good sign.

"We have nothing to talk about."

Krycek swallowed and forced back the tears. How was he going to be able to
win him back if he wouldn't even talk to him?

"Mulder, please." He didn't care that he sounded needy. "Just open the door."

Inside, leaning against the door, Mulder heard his former lover's voice
break as he spoke. It made his heart ache but he couldn't -- he wouldn't
make himself open the door. If he did, he would have to answer to him, and
he wasn't ready for that. He didn't have the right answers for him.

"Mulder?"

He was going to be impossible, Mulder figured as much. Grabbing his jacket
and car keys, he knew that this was a cheap move, but his only thought was
on how to get rid of him.

Krycek's heart swelled with hope as Mulder opened the door. His eyes told
him nothing.

"Thanks," Krycek smiled, wanting so much to take him in his arms and hold
him tight.

Mulder said nothing, stepping out of his apartment with determination.

Krycek was confused, his gaze flickering between the jacket to the keys in
Mulder's hands. Did he want to go for a walk? Yeah, maybe that was better,
that could give them a chance to clear their minds.

"Where are we going?" he asked, walking beside him down the corridor.

"I'm going out," Mulder said shortly, speeding up.

"But --" Krycek reached out to touch Mulder's arm.

Mulder stopped, shaking him off, his eyes deadly serious.

"I told you not to touch me again." He still couldn't look at him. "Now can
you just leave me alone?"

Krycek watched him as he walked towards the elevator. The hope that had
grown had been dashed in a second and he couldn't remember the last time
he'd felt this disappointed. He could hardly breathe.

Mulder disappeared in to the elevator, glad that Krycek couldn't see his face.

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

"Coming!" Ben wiped off his hair with a towel, hanging it around his
shoulders as he went to open the door.

Mulder was staring back at him, his gaze evidently observing Ben's body.
His cheeks turned red and he met Ben's smiling eyes, still angry over what
he had done because of this man.

"Come in," Ben said with a slight smile, pretending not to having noticed
his gaze. "Make yourself at home. I'm just going to get dressed."

Mulder didn't say much, just nodded and made his way into the large
apartment. At first he had been surprised over how tony Ben's neighborhood
was, but now, he was suspicious. The place was huge and obviously very
expensively decorated. He didn't feel comfortable sitting down.

After a few minutes, Ben came back wearing a pair of jeans and a white
T-shirt, his hair still damp. He really did look great. Mulder reminded
himself that he was a jerk, a two-timing jerk who had managed to break up a
relationship in less than a week. But of course, he didn't know that.

"Have a seat," he offered and sat down.

Mulder sat down in an armchair. He still hadn't said anything; he felt
guilty being there, even though he had a legitimate reason. This was in the
line of duty, so to speak.

"Look," Ben said, leaning forward. "I know we didn't exactly start off on
the right foot, but when I work, I keep it professional."

Mulder looked at him, keeping his gaze steady and calm, letting Ben read
how little he believed what he was being told.

Ben smiled, knowing he wasn't buying it.

"You know, the reason I'm saying this to you is because of all the
misunderstandings lately," he continued and tried to find a softer point in
Mulder's gaze. "So if it makes you uncomfortable or if there is something
you need to know, I suggest you take it up with me before we start because
I don't like working with people who don't trust me."

Their eyes met Mulder's filled with distrust. Krycek had told him all there
was to know about this guy and he wasn't about to give him his trust just
like that. Still, he didn't really know how much Krycek's words were worth.
He had to respect Ben's honesty.

"I take your silence as there is nothing to say, then," Ben said, smiled
and leaned forward to fetch the file. "So let's get started then."

Mulder eyed him for a while then decided to give this a shot, reaching out
for a notepad. Ben smiled to himself.

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

She rose from the couch as she heard him enter the apartment. Seconds
later, he appeared in the doorway, looking absolutely devastated.

"Alex," she whispered, walking up to him to take him in her arms.

He leaned into her embrace and hugged her tight. What would he have done if
it hadn't been for her? He owed her so much.

"He didn't even want to talk to me," he said softly. "He just shut the door
in my face."

Scully closed her eyes, cursing Mulder to herself. He was being a jerk.
When would he understand? Not everybody was involved in this conspiracy he
so desperately needed to uncover, and he'd better realize that before he
didn't have anyone left to trust.

"I'll make some tea and we'll talk about it."

He forced a smile as she met his eyes, caressing her hair in a gesture of
gratitude. How she could be that calm was beyond him. If something didn't
happen soon, he didn't know what he would do. A part of him took her calm
as a good sign. She knew Mulder better than he did and maybe she felt that
they would get back together, that everything would be all right.

"It will be okay," she said with a smile, and placed the palm of her hand
against his cheek.

"Dana," he eyed her shyly. "I want you to know that I appreciate that
you're still here with me."

"I know," She leaned her forehead against his chest. "I know, Alex."

/Because I feel the same way. /

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

"Krycek, can I talk to you about something personal?"

Krycek looked at his partner over the pictures they were studying. He
looked serious, and Krycek could feel himself squirm inside. He didn't feel
like talking about anything personal. It just reminded him of what was
really going on.

Of course, Cardinal had heard the rumors that were circulating within the
Bureau. Just about everyone had noticed the change of relationship between
him and Mulder, and of course, they had their own versions about the
matter. According to them, Mulder was pissed because he had found out that
Krycek and Scully were sleeping together.

Not that he cared one bit about the rumors one way or the other.

"Sure." He forced a smile.

Cardinal rubbed his chin, obviously not very comfortable with the subject
himself.

"I take it you know what they're saying about you around the office," he
started carefully.

Krycek nodded.

"It's hard to avoid," he said.

"Well." Cardinal was still tiptoeing over the subject. "As your partner,
you know that I don't really care what they say about you and this whole
situation. What I'm trying to say is that I don't really believe in what
people say, but if you need to talk, I'm here."

Krycek was a little surprised over the offer at first. Not that they didn't
have a good relationship, but usually that only involved work and not
personal lives. He appreciated it though, and even if he wouldn't dream of
telling Cardinal anything of what was really going on, he felt trust
growing between them.

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

Mulder was standing by the window, his thoughts somewhere else. Everything
had taken such a strange turn. He had worked on the case with Ben for a
couple of days now and he really enjoyed what they were doing together. He
even enjoyed being around Ben, although he didn't really want to admit it
to himself. Maybe he should just face those facts and stop denying himself
a pleasure that obviously was trying to break free. It was just that he
couldn't shake off that other image of him. The image created by Krycek.

Glancing at the phone, he swallowed hard, forcing himself not to pick it up
and call them. Sometimes he let himself think of them, what they were
doing. He could picture them making love, Krycek's muscular body moving
with Scully's. That photographic memory was torturing him to no end.
Sometimes he wanted so much to call them.

But he couldn't. He wouldn't. Not after what had happened between them.
Which brought him back to another subject, Ben. Even if Krycek and Ben had
been fooling around, Mulder had come to think of a very important fact. Ben
didn't know that they had been together. Of course, according to Krycek,
that wouldn't have stopped him, but if they had indeed done anything, what
were Krycek's words worth? Maybe Ben wasn't the person Krycek portrayed him
to be.

He had thought a lot about this lately.

At times as they were working together, he could feel Ben looking at him.
He tried to pretend that he didn't notice, or that he didn't care, but when
it came down to it, he did. He did notice and a part of him cared. A part
of him allowed himself to like it.

He was startled in his thoughts by a loud knock on the door. A little
confused, he drew his hand through his hair and went up to answer it.

"Ben?"

"I hope I'm not coming too late," Ben said. "I just thought I'd drop by
some, uh -- files." He gestured to the brown file in his hand.

Mulder stared at the file and came back to his senses.

"Come on in," he said, stepping aside. "You found something?"

Ben followed him into the couch and watched him sit down.

"I just needed to go through it with you before I made some changes," he
explained, wondering if he should sit down beside him -- there didn't seem
to be anywhere else to sit but next to Mulder. Now that was tempting.

"Yeah, sure." Mulder tried not to look him in the eye. "Have a seat."

With a little hesitation, Ben sat down closer than was really necessary.

"I made some notes on page three and five -- if you could just --" he
caught Mulder's gaze. "See that it's all right."

Mulder nodded and wondered why he was reacting like he did. He had a very
strange feeling in his stomach that was closing up to the area between his
legs. Trying to shake it off, he flipped open the file and went through the
pages. It looked good. Actually, it looked really good. Ben surprised him a
lot; he was smart.

"This is a good point -- I hadn't thought of that." Mulder pointed at a
part he'd filled in. "We can work from this."

"You think?"

He sounded very enthusiastic, and Mulder looked at him with a smile,
congratulating him on the good work. Their eyes locked for a moment, both
all too aware of the thoughts behind them. Mulder shook off first. He
wouldn't go there, no matter how tempted he was. It was simply wrong.

"I think I can get some more sides to the profile with this new angle,"
Muldersaid, abruptly changing the subject. "I'll see if I can finish this
today or tomorrow."

Ben looked down in his lap, suddenly melancholy. He realized that that
would mean the end to them working together. Making sure that Mulder had
noted his reaction, he moved on to the next step.

"I've really enjoyed working with you," he lifted his gaze again, making
sure Mulder was looking straight at him. "I mean really."

"Yeah," Mulder agreed, surprised how much he actually meant that. "It's
been nice."

Taking a deep sigh, Ben was glad that things were going smoothly. Mulder
was a lot easier to manipulate than he thought he would be. Of course, he
was very vulnerable, easy to get to, and Ben was not afraid to use it.

"You know, if you're interested, I have another case coming up that seems
really interesting," he said very carefully, not risking the chance to push
him. "I mean, if you have the time."

Mulder didn't know what to say. He wanted to say yes. When he had walked
into the case they were currently working on, he had been skeptical. Very
skeptical, actually. His opinion of Ben Julien hadn't been exactly high.
But the guy had grown on him; he had started to like him -- there was just
something about him.

"Ben interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, I understand if you want to work with
Scully now that she's back. I won't be upset, it was just a thought."

Scully. That was right. He had almost forgotten that he would have to go
back to her after this. Now this other case was sounding like a really good
idea.

"Actually," he started, and bit his lower lip. "I'd love to."

"You would?" Ben tried his best to sound surprised.

"Yeah, just let me know when you get the files."

/You're in, man, you're fucking in./ Ben tried to prevent a smug grin from
breaking out.

"I'll let you know as soon as I know anything more. You just drop that file
off on my desk when you're ready and we can go through the conclusions
together."

Mulder smiled and gave him a quick nod. He hated to admit it, but he was
looking forward to it. Really looking forward to it.

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

Krycek felt a chill as he entered the apartment, wondering if they'd left a
window open when they'd left that morning. They were both so out of it and
it seemed as if they were constantly forgetting things, whether it was
eating or turning off the coffee machine.

"Dana!" he shouted, hoping she had already come home. He hated to be alone
with his thoughts.

Following the direction of the draft, he was surprised to see her out on
the balcony, leaning over the railing. She turned to smile at him. He noted
the cigarette in her hand as she took another puff, waving for him to join
her.

"I didn't know you were a smoker," he said as he approached her.

She put out the cigarette in an ashtray and walked up to his embrace.

"I'm not," she whispered and buried her face in his chest.

With her body so close to his, he could feel how cold she was and held her
tighter.

"Dana, you're freezing." He nuzzled her hair. "You don't have to stand out
here smoking. I don't mind."

Nodding slowly, she just wanted to enjoy the feel of his body, the smell of
him and the knowledge that he was there.

"Come on, let's go inside." He reached out to take the ashtray and led her
inside the apartment. "You were turning in to a popsicle out there," he
joked, hearing how Mulderish that sounded.

Closing the door, he turned to look at her. She looked so sad and for the
first time, it really hit him how much she was hurting, too. It wasn't that
he hadn't known, he just hadn't had time to think about that, about her
side of it. Now when he looked at her, he saw how tired she looked. All the
tension was wearing her down.

"Hey, why don't we do it like this," he said as he caressed her hair. "You
draw yourself a bath and I'll make us some dinner."

"Don't you want some help?" she offered, not comfortable letting him do all
the work while she just luxuriated in the tub.

"No." He smiled and held her closer. "I'll take care of it, you just relax
and I'll go open a bottle of wine."

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

Later she lay in the hot wonderful tub, a glass of wine in her right hand
and the lovely Beethoven filling the room. It was as if every muscle in her
body eased in the warmth of the water, her troubled mind dissipating up to
the ceiling with the rest of the steam.

Almost ready with dinner, he went to the bathroom, finding her as he had
expected: Eyes closed, face free from worries and her body totally covered
with foam. He kneeled behind her, placing his lips softly at the soft curve
of her neck. She smiled and leaned against him.

"How do you feel?" he asked and took the glass of wine from her hand.

"Wonderful," she replied and met his eyes.

He placed the glass beside him on the floor and started rubbing her
shoulders gently. She moaned and tilted her head against his chest. Now
this was heaven.

After a while, he stopped, much to her disappointment, and went to the
closet to get a big towel. She balked a little at getting out of the tub
but knew she would have to sooner or later anyway. He offered her the towel
as she rose.

"Dinner's almost ready," he told her. "Take your time getting dressed and
I'll set the table."

She took out a pair of sweatpants and one of Krycek's big sweaters to wear,
feeling the soft material warm against her skin. It was just perfect.

They had a nice quiet little dinner and everything seemed to be complete.
Beneath the idyllic appearance, something was not quite right. Mulder was
still on their minds.

"You are incredible," she told him and leaned into his embrace after she
was finished.

"You're not so bad yourself," he said, pulling her in for a hug.

She pressed her face against his chest, letting out a content sigh. It felt
good to have him, to be near him. The thought of being able to fall asleep
in his arms every night gave her so much comfort when she was feeling down.

"You smell great." He nibbled her ear softly. "Sexy," he added.

She turned to meet his lips, feeling them teasing hers. She moved to
straddle him on the couch, roaming her hands across his chest. He had such
a beautiful body.

His hands moved under her sweater. He could feel goosebumps break out on
her as his fingers swept over the sensitive skin. She could feel the bulge
in his pants and smiled against his lips. It had been such a long time
since they'd made love. She missed it.

Feeling her smile against his lips, he buried his face in her neck and held
her closer, his lips working softly at her gentle curve. She moaned and
rubbed herself against him. He had a way of being gentle and rough at the
same time that just turned her on. Forcing him to look at her, she felt him
seeking her lips almost violently.

"Alex," she breathed and cupped his face. "Alex, I want you to make love to
me."

He kissed her softly.

"I was planning to."

She grinned and kissed him back.

"Yes, I realize," she said as she ran a hand through his very short hair.
"But I want you to make love to me in the bedroom. Slowly," she kissed him
again. "And sweet," another kiss. "Very sweet."

"Well," and he kissed her lingeringly. "Be careful what you wish for."

The softness of the sheets surrounded her body. He had worked his way from
her toes and up, ignoring her center, moving up to her full breasts. His
hot lips were working at her hardened nipples. She moaned softly, feeling
his erection jerk against her leg. He moved down again, rolling his tongue
around her navel for a while, letting his hand move down and caress her
where she wanted him too.

After a while, he moved down further, spreading her legs apart. First he
lifted her leg and started kissing the inside of her thigh, very slowly,
very carefully. She whimpered and raised her aching part against him.

"Alex," she whispered, her voice almost too quiet.

He let go of her leg. He spread her lips apart and made room for his
careful tongue to tease the hardened bud until she squeezed the sheets and
let out a low moan.

Looking up at her, he could see her with her head pressed against the
pillow, the red hair spread over the white fabric. His erection grew even
harder at the sight. She was teasing him and she didn't even know it.

When he figured that this could end embarrassingly, he moved up to face
her. Her face was flush, her lips parted and swollen. He kissed her
hungrily.

She spread her legs wider apart and tried to let him know what he wanted.
He got the picture. With all the gentleness he could muster, he entered her
body. It was wonderful. He had almost forgotten how good she felt. Savoring
the moment, he moved out of her slowly, thrusting back in even slower. She
pressed her head back to the pillow and let out another moan that drove him
crazy.

"Sweet?" he asked her, his voice almost not carrying him through.

She moaned and tried to smile.

He repeated the movement and knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up like that.

She wrapped her legs around his body and he was lost. His thrust got
quicker and her body responded with an equal passion. She whispered his
name in his ear and he could feel the muscles tighten around him. Already,
he was surprised. He gave her all that he could, sliding one arm around her
waist. She came with an intense orgasm, bucking against him, disturbing his
pace. Seconds later, his hot semen filled her inside and he shivered.

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

They were definitely the talk of the office. It was painful, but Mulder was
dealing with it the best as he could. He had always been observed and
talked about by the other agents, but this was different.

"Look who just entered the cafeteria," an agent whispered to his partner,
Mulder nearby.

Mulder looked up, seeing Krycek and Scully coming in together. He was
surprised. With all the rumors that were circulating around them, he'd
thought they'd keep a low profile and stay out of the public eye.

Mulder looked over at Ben sitting opposite from him. Neither Scully nor
Krycek knew he had been working with Ben; he had tried to keep it quiet and
as far as he was concerned, he had managed to do so. This day, there had
been no time to take lunch anywhere else than in the building.

Krycek knew that everybody was observing them but tried to seem as if he
didn't. The best thing would be to just ignore them -- pretend like there
was nothing to see.

Ben had started to wonder what everybody was whispering about, turning to
find the couple of the week walking past their table. He glanced worriedly
at Mulder, who looked as if someone had stabbed a knife through his heart.

People were paying attention.

Scully looked up from the notes in her hand, surprised to see Mulder
sitting ahead.

He turned his gaze away from them as she noticed him and turned to the man
who was sitting opposite him.

From where she was sitting, she could only see his back, but she had the
feeling she knew who it was. Probably the new agent he was working on that
case with. She hadn't learned who he was yet; she honestly didn't want to
know. It was just a part-time thing.

"Alex, don't look." She leaned over the table, trying to look as if she
were saying something less personal. "But Mulder is sitting a few rows
behind you."

He flinched but she had expected that. It was better if he were prepared
before he saw him. They knew that they were being watched too carefully.

"Is he alone?" he asked, very surprised over the fact that Mulder was
eating in the cafeteria. He had to be there with someone.

"No, there's someone with him," she told, trying to look but being
discreet. "I can't see who it is, he's got his back turned this way --"

She noted from the corner of her eye that they were getting up to leave and
tried to be discreet again as she looked to see who his friend was. The
answer took her off guard.

"Do you see who it is?" he wanted to know, resisting the urge to turn
around and see for himself.

"Uhm," she didn't know what to tell him. They were getting closer.

Mulder could see her watching him as he neared their table. He knew that if
he ignored them, that would only be more fodder for the gossips. The
question was more if he cared. He didn't know.

"Mulder," she said, giving him no choice but to stop.

"Hi, Scully," hesaid, making an effort to smile but ignore Krycek.

Krycek looked at him, offered him a smile but saw the tense look on his
face and turned away.

"Scully, Alex. Nice to meet you again."

/That couldn't be, could it? /

"Agent Julien," Scully said, her voice cold. "You're still here in Washington?"

Krycek tried to hide his emotions as he looked up to meet Ben staring at
him. He could see what was behind them and he felt a stab in his chest.
What the hell was Mulder doing there with Ben?

"Mulder and I are working on a case together," Ben explained and looked
back at Scully.

"Oh." She looked at Mulder, knowing she had to keep her cool. "So that was
you," turning her gaze back at Ben.

"Yeah," he smiled and then looked at Mulder. "That's me."

Mulder met his eyes and knew the question there. He had to be wondering why
Mulder hadn't told Scully who he was working with.

"Weren't you finished with that case?" Scully asked, forcing Mulder to face
her.

"Well, yeah, but --" he looked briefly at Ben before looking back at her.
"We decided to take a look at another case too."

Krycek felt nauseated. This was more than he was ready to deal with. Ben
and Mulder. He didn't even want to think of what that really meant.

"We should get going, Mulder," Ben reminded him. "We got to follow that lead."

"Yeah," Mulder agreed.

He looked at Scully, seeing the hurt in her eyes, but didn't bother to look
at Krycek.

"See you around," Ben said with a smile, placing his hand on the small of
Mulder's back to get him going.

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

"Hey, Mulder, do you want a beer or something?" Ben shouted from the
kitchen as he opened the fridge.

"Yeah, sure." Mulder was engrossed in the file he was reading.

Ben emerged from the kitchen with the beers and glasses, admiring the man
sitting on his couch. He really had to control his feelings around him. It
was hard to act after a 'script' that was easy to follow, but he figured it
would pay off in the end.

"So what do you think?" he poured Mulder's glass and handed it to him.
"Think it could be something there?"

"Maybe -- uh, thanks." He put the file back on the table to take the glass
to take a sip. "It's interesting."

"It sure is," Ben agreed and took a sip of his own.

The two men grew silent for a moment. It was comfortable sitting in Ben's
apartment like this, drinking beer, talking about the case. They worked
well together and Mulder was enjoying his company. Strangely enough, being
with Ben made him think less about Scully and Krycek.

"Ben, I need to ask you something," Mulder started cautiously.

When he'd been over at Ben's place for the first time, he had grown a
little suspicious to how he could have such an expensive apartment on an
FBI salary. Naturally, he'd done a little background check on him to see if
there was something to worry about. What he'd found out was that his
parents had died when he was rather young, leaving him with a great deal of
money. A couple of days afterward, Ben himself had told Mulder about this,
obviously used to people wondering about it. This had given Mulder a reason
to trust Ben to a certain point.

Lately, he'd found out about some other things that had awakened his
suspicion again. Some of the agents had been talking about how Ben had
misplaced information in a case that they'd worked on a year ago. He had
tried to find out more about it but failed. It troubled him that he didn't
know the entire story and he knew that it would affect their working
relationship on this case if he didn't find out.

"Shoot." Ben smiled, looking charming.

"Well," Mulder said, smiling back, feeling a little foolish to be snooping
around. "I heard something about that Metcalf case you were working on last
year here in Washington. Something about you misplacing evidence. I just
wondered what that was about. "

Ben looked down in his beer. Of course he would find out. He'd prepared
this one.

"Yeah, well, whatever they say, right?"

Mulder didn't really follow.

"I take it it's not true."

"No, it's not." Ben shook his head with a more serious expression. "They
just wanted to get rid of me, so --"

"Get rid of you?" Mulder was surprised. "Why would they want that?"

Ben rubbed his forehead. Here it came.

"Well, I guess there is no need to be beating around the bush with this. I
figure Alex already told you," he said, noting Mulder's reaction as he
referred to Krycek. "I wasn't really hiding the fact that I was gay and
they weren't exactly accepting it. So they did what they could to transfer
me."

Mulder didn't know what to say. They'd never brought any of that up.
Neither the fact that they were gay or their relationship toward Krycek.
Not that he'd said that, but they both knew how it was; it would be
ridiculous to ignore that they didn't.

"I was actually a little negative about coming back -- you know how things
like that sticks to you," he continued, knowing that Mulder could adjust
just fine to that. "Not that I care. I'm not ashamed of what I am."

Mulder was surprised over how alike they were. It wasn't something he'd
expected. There was something about Ben that made it easy to trust him. He
never seemed as if he was hiding anything, always had a direct answer to
everything. When he thought about it, there wasn't anything he suspected
about the guy and if there was, he wasn't afraid to ask about it.

"How about you?" Ben asked.

"Well, 'Spooky' is getting a little old," he said with a grin. "But I guess
I'm getting used to it."

Ben nodded and looked down in his glass. Either Mulder was avoiding the
real question or he didn't understand what he was getting at.

"It doesn't bother me," he told him truthfully. "I think it's unimportant
what people think about you when it comes to the things we believe in. I
know what it means coming forward with something they don't accept and I
know that you lose a lot of support and a lot of friends. But the friends
who stay and the people who do accept you are worth more."

Their eyes met, understanding.

"Now there is a truth." Mulder smiled.

"Well, it's my truth," Ben smiled back. "It's just too bad it isn't
everybody's truth."

They were silent for a while. Mulder let it all sink in. Ben was not at all
the person Krycek had made him up to be.

"Mulder, I need to tell you something," Ben said after a while. "There is
something I don't feel comfortable about here."

Mulder looked at him, confused.

"Alex told me that you two were seeing each other," Ben said and looked
guilty. "I just thought you should know -- that I know and --" he rubbed
his forehead. "This is a hard one."

He met Mulder's eyes for what seemed to be the hundredth time that evening
and saw the hurt in there. It wasn't very hard to see that he knew what was
coming.

"I'm sorry, Mulder, I just didn't know at the time." He shook his head. "I
wouldn't have if I knew. I mean, I shouldn't have anyway. I knew where I
would end up."

Mulder kept looking at him, not saying anything.

"I understand if you can't forgive me." Ben looked away before he decided
to meet his eyes again. "And if you want to stop working on this case now,
I'll understand. I'll just tell Skinner that --" he looked at the files at
the table. "That I'll do it alone."

Mulder took a deep breath. Some part of him felt a relief to have it out in
the open. Not that he felt good about it; it still hurt, but Ben was at
least being honest.

"I don't know what else to say." Ben was getting a little at unease as
Mulder didn't speak. "I should have known."

/He should have known? / Mulder looked at him.

"Known what?"

Ben looked uncomfortable.

"I take it Alex told you about us," Ben said, seeing Mulder nod. "Well, it
didn't end in a pretty sight."

"He told me."

"He did?" Ben sounded surprised.

"Yeah, he did."

Ben smiled and shook his head.

"What?" Mulder didn't see anything amusing in the subject.

"I bet our stories are somewhat different," he explained. "What did Alex say?"

"That you were fooling around."

"I figured he would have said something like that."

"So what is your story?" Mulder didn't see any reason to pull this out any
further.

Ben sighed again. He wanted to make it obvious that he was still in some
kind of pain.

"Alex is the sweetest, nicest guy you'd ever know. He knows just what to
say, or what to do to make you think that he's that innocent." Ben looked
at Mulder with a pained smile. "But I don't have to tell you that, do I?"

Mulder swallowed. He didn't know if he was ready for this.

"I'm sure you're also aware of the fact that things aren't always as they
seem." Ben was playing by Mulder's rules and he knew it. "He had me fooled.
Big time."

Mulder waited.

"You see, Alex has a problem sticking to the truth." Ben managed to sound
uncomfortable. "And he also has some trouble staying faithful. So I should
have known."

Mulder didn't know what to reply what to think of this or even if to
believe in it.

"I don't expect you to take this in all at once and believe everything I've
told you know. I can only tell you what I know and what I've learned. The
rest you have to find out for yourself."

For a while, he just looked at the other man. There wasn't much he could
say. At least there was a connection to the story Ben was telling. The
pieces fell in to place in this perspective and he didn't see any reason to
why he should believe Krycek's words over Ben's. Ben had been truthful to
him all along as far as he was concerned. Krycek hadn't. The choice wasn't
very hard.

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

She shivered as his hands were touching her body. Their kiss was hot and
she felt her own desire rise.

"Maybe we should wait until we get home," she whispered between the kisses
when she got the chance to breathe.

"Mhm," he mumbled with a smile and continued to kiss her with the same passion.

Mulder doubted all the way up to the door. This was his office, but he was
no longer comfortable going inside. He hadn't been here much lately, and
certainly not when he knew she was in there. But he owed her this, to warn
her from what could happen to her. He had to tell her about the real Alex
Krycek.

He swung the door open, not prepared for what he saw in there. He hadn't
thought of the fact that Krycek could be there with her and he was not
ready to see them together like that yet. A stab went through his chest as
he watched them jolt apart, their faces flushed.

"Mulder," Scully choked, managing to look first at Mulder and then at
Krycek. "You scared us."

"Well, I'm sorry then," he said coldly. "I just needed to get something
down here."

There was an awkward silence in the room. Scully noticed how Krycek tried
to gain just the least bit of attention from Mulder, trying to make him
look at him. Mulder didn't budge an inch.

She reached for Krycek's hand and moved closer to him. Mulder noticed,
pretending that he hadn't. It hurt.

"How's the case getting along?" Scully asked, just to break the silence.

"Fine," Mulder said and opened a drawer to his desk.

Krycek was afraid to say anything, as he was afraid not to. He had a strong
feeling he would be ignored.

"What kind of case is it that you're working on?" he asked friendly.

Mulder pretended not to have heard him, pulled out a file from a drawer and
then looked at Scully.

"Do you have a minute, Scully?"

She stared at him. Krycek felt the tension grow; he figured Mulder wanted
him out of there. He didn't exactly feel like he was welcomed.

"I need to get back to work," he said, turning to Scully. "I see you later."

"Yeah," she said, tiptoeing to give him a reassuring kiss. "I'll try and
hurry."

He held her hand until he had to let it go and made a last attempt to make
eye contact with Mulder. As soon as he was out of the room, Mulder looked
up.

"Mulder, can I ask you what the hell you're doing?" Scully snapped as soon
as the door closed behind Krycek. "What is with you?"

"Oh, I'm fine," he said, sarcastic. "I don't think that you should worry
about me."

"And what is that suppose to mean?"

He held her gaze for a while.

"I just think you should watch out where you have him Scully. He's not who
you think he is."

"Says who?" She was getting really upset. "Ben?"

His jaws clenched.

"If you trust him over Alex, I think you need to think things through."

"How can you say that? You don't even know Ben."

"No, but I know Alex." Her eyes grew softer. "And you should too."

Mulder shook his head and smiled out of irony. Of course, Krycek had
managed to fool her too. Just as he had with Ben and himself.

"I came down here to tell you this, as a friend, because I owe you this,"
he said as he continued to look at her. "I shouldn't have bothered."

She felt that he really believed what he was saying and it scared her. Not
because she doubted Krycek but because she was afraid what Mulder really
thought of him. What Ben had made him believe. She watched him leave.

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

"Agent Mulder, have a seat," the assistant director nodded toward the chair
in front of him.

Mulder looked over the desk at his supervisor, sensing why he had been
called in. It wasn't like him to be away from his X-files voluntarily,
especially not this long.

"I take it you know why I asked you to come," Skinner started, seeing the
younger man nod slowly. "You've done an excellent job with Agent Julien,
but I am reassigning you back to work with the X-files and agent Scully."

He squirmed in his seat. He wasn't ready for this yet.

Skinner looked through his papers, pondering if to ask his next question or
not. He didn't like interfering in his agents' personal lives, but when he
felt that it had an effect on their work, it felt more like an obligation.

"Agent Mulder, I want to ask you something off the record," he said, eyeing
the younger man. "Is everything okay?"

Always discreet. Of course, Skinner had to wonder like everybody else.

"Yes," Mulder said, acting as if it really was. "Everything is just fine."

Skinner looked doubtful. Not that he had thought that Mulder would confide
in him, but he could tell when he wasn't being honest.

"I trust you'll finish up with Agent Julien and then return to your regular
position," he said, quickly going back to the subject.

"I'll be back in the basement on Monday, sir."

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

Mulder had sworn to himself that their relationship wasn't going to
interfere with the X-files. In the beginning it hadn't, but he couldn't
help feeling uncomfortable sitting there with her the way things were.

The mere thought of leaving Scully alone felt too unsettling. He knew he
wouldn't be able to keep away from her, and he needed to keep his distance.
Neither did he want her to appeal to him, a fact that was almost too
ridiculous to ignore.

Seeing out of the corner of his eyes how she was gathering herself to talk
to him, he thanked his lucky stars that his phone rang just in time.

"Mulder."

"Hi, it's me." Ben sounded cheerful. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, not at all. What's on your mind?"

"I'm alone on an interesting case and I thought, hey, this is just up
Mulder's alley. Would you mind taking a look at it?"

"Sure, Scully and I just closed a case, so I don't have anything right now.
Do you want me to come up?"

"I was thinking more of --" Ben paused before continuing. "I mean, maybe we
could discuss it over dinner?"

"Dinner?" Mulder asked, surprised.

"Yeah, if you're interested."

After a short silence, Mulder answered.

"Yes, I'm interested."

"Great -- by the way, do you need a lift?"

Mulder looked at Scully briefly, considering Ben's offer.

"Yeah, I could use a lift. Around six?"

"Meet me at the parking lot."

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

After a short tour to the lab, Scully lunched with Krycek in the Bureau
cafeteria. Krycek was in a good mood since he and Cardinal had just closed
a case that two other agents from the VCS had failed to solve.

"When do you get off tonight?" she asked, swallowing a bite of her sandwich.

"I don't know -- it depends on how much paperwork there is."

"I was hoping we could spend some time together. It haven't been that much
this week."

"I know, but I can promise you my full attention this weekend," he said,
giving her an affectionate smile. "Can't you spend the night anyway?" he
continued, then lowering his voice. "I'd love to have you next to me
tonight."

Scully replied in the same low tone of voice.

"You might just have that."

Krycek raised his coffee mug, noting a couple of agents two tables away
paying them some attention. He cleared his throat, returning his gaze to
her.

"How's Mulder?"

Scully shifted in her seat. She didn't want to tell him what she'd
overheard while Mulder had been on the phone with Ben.

"He seems to be doing fine."

Krycek nodded, knowing she was holding back. He didn't want to pressure
her; he just needed to know if he was okay.

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

The cab driver, a man in his late forties, tossed his passenger a quick
glance in the rearview mirror before shifting his attention back to the
road.

"Some weather we got, huh?" he muttered, referring to the pouring rain.

"Yeah," replied Mulder, his eyes on the dark night, thinking about his
earlier indecision about what to wear.

After the shower, he hadn't been able to find anything proper to wear. A
pair of old jeans seemed so dull. But he didn't want to overdo it either.
It took him quite some time to sort through the amazingly deep pile of
laundry he'd been stacking on his couch, just to find a pair of fairly new
jeans to go with a not-so-wrinkled black T-shirt.

As the cab driver took a left turn, Mulder recognized the neighborhood of
expensive brownstones and townhouses.

"It's a fancy neighborhood you live in, mister," the cab driver spoke,
pulling over.

"I don't live here." Mulder paid the man. "Keep the change."

He hurried inside to avoid getting too wet. Once inside, he shook off the
raindrops that had managed to land on him and headed for the elevator. The
butterflies in his stomach came to his attention as he waited for the
elevator to arrive. Ever since the invitation earlier that day, Mulder had
argued with himself whether to call it a date. It wasn't the first time
he'd been at Ben's place, but it was their first dinner together there. He
sighed impatiently and pushed the elevator button once more.

Ben had just finished setting the table and took a step back to scrutinize
his work. With an approving smile, he felt satisfied and tossed off the
towel he'd been using as an apron. He had decided that as soon as he got a
chance, he would make his first move. He felt that he'd been waiting far
too long.

When the doorbell rang, the watch on his arm got a moment of his attention
before he went to open the door.

"Mulder, c'mon in."

"Thanks." He wriggled out of his leather jacket. "I hope I'm not too late?"

"You're not late at all. Here, let me take that for you." He took the
jacket and hung it up.

Mulder followed him into the kitchen. The room was dimly lit by two small
wall lamps, but he found it comfortable.

"Would you like to take a look at the case before we eat?" Ben asked.

"It can wait."

"Well, I gotta uncork the wine bottle anyway, so go ahead and glance
through it."

Ben handed Mulder the file that had been lying on the counter. He watched
him flip through the pages for a little while, then attended to the bottle
of wine. It amazed him how the guy could by just flipping through the pages
to absorb all the information.

Hearing Ben win the fight with the bottle, Mulder closed the map and put it
back onto the counter.

"Did it appeal to you?" Ben asked, pouring the liquid into two glasses.

"Yes, it did, but I think you could have handled it by yourself."

"Well, I just thought it would be wise to let someone with a little more
expertise in the area take a look at it."

He gestured for him to sit down and then seated himself opposite. They
began eating under a quiet conversation about the case, discussing ways to
go about it.

Rinsing down some of the pasta with the wine, Mulder commended Ben for his
cooking skills.

"You're a better cook than I'd hoped for."

Ben's eyes widened and he tried to sound a bit hurt; "You actually doubted
my skills in the kitchen?"

Laughing at his choice of expression, Mulder continued, "Thinking about my
own skills in my 'hell hole' of a kitchen, I kind of assumed the same of
you."

"I guess with Alex in the kitchen, you get spoiled easily."

"Yeah, you do." Mulder swallowed some more of the red wine.

After dinner, they cleared the table and doing the dishes. Ben could feel
Mulder's curious eyes watching him every time he turned his back. He
enjoyed it. That meant he would have a fairly good chance of getting
somewhere that evening. Resting comfortably on the couch together with
their wineglasses, Ben brought the case up again.

"I found the murders a little peculiar -- why does the guy change his act
every time he kills? Every serial killer has his or her special style.
Could it be a copycat." He continued, "I know the answer is right there in
front of me -- I just have to open my eyes and look for it."

He was resting his head in his hand, and with his head tilted he could
capture Mulder's gaze without a problem. Recklessly, he could stare for
however long he needed and there was no chance for Mulder to pull away.
Having such power over him, knowing he could imprison him whenever it
pleased him, aroused him just as much as it did to stare back into those
eyes that for some reason always seemed to be so sad.

Mulder wanted so badly to leave at this point. He felt himself paralyzed
beyond control and it scared him. He was such an easy target when he was
out of control. He knew that by experience. But Ben's eyes kept luring him
into the same trap over and over, and he never seemed to learn from his
mistakes. Ben's eyes had something special about them that he couldn't
argue about. He was relieved when he was released from his prison, and
after another sip of wine, he exhaled quietly.

"How're things at the office?" Ben asked calmly.

"It's, uhm -- it's fine."

Ben nodded, putting his glass away. "You know, Mulder --" inhaling, he
moved a little closer. "Would you take offense if I told you I find you
really interesting in a lot of ways?"

Mulder swallowed hard, noting the change in Ben's voice. Just as dangerous
as his eyes.

"No, I wouldn't take offense."

"Good." He let a short embarrassed laugh escape him.

"I should tell you that I used the case as a pretext to get you here tonight. 
I'm telling you this because I know how much trust means to you, and I wouldn't
want to betray your trust."

Mulder felt his gaze being drawn into that same paralyzing state once more.
Everything around him started to fade. He wasn't aware of Ben's hand moving
in his direction until he felt it resting gently on his own arm.

"I find you to be a very attractive man, but what I haven't figured out yet
is if it's your dedication and total devotion to your job or if it is your
confidence in trust. Because it can't be just your appearance,  even though
as I said before, you're very attractive."

Ben's words traveled like poison in Mulder's veins, cluttering his mind,
leaving him totally exposed. Ben had moved closer again and he could feel
his hot breath against his skin. It was a familiar feeling, a feeling he
had missed. Another man's body heat, something he'd been feeling empty
without.

/I wish he could touch me again, just once, please God, I need a man's
touch. What am I thinking? I don't know what I want more or less what I
need. /

Mulder tried to sort out his thoughts, but Ben's moving hand made it
difficult. His hand had passed his shoulder and he could feel it brush past
his neck, causing the hair back there to rise. It stopped next to his
cheek, and the touch was gentle yet powerful, sending a warm sensation
through him. Mulder wet his lips. His heart pounded and his breathing
quickened when Ben leaned in closer, capturing his gaze once more. He
couldn't budge, just sat there, feeling Ben's hand on his cheek.

Their lips came together slowly. Mulder felt himself being drawn into the
kiss, and he parted his lips slightly, waiting for Ben to make the next
move.

Ben had waited for a resistance that didn't come. Instead, he took it as an
affirmative to go further. Letting his tongue carefully slip through the
parted lips, he deepened the kiss, exploring new grounds. Ben lingered his
tongue against Mulder's, tasting him, then drew away, surprised, as Mulder
clung to him, sucking on his lips with greed before allowing Ben to pull
away.

Mulder gaze dropped to his lap, interpreting the silence as a comfortable
one. In a way, the kiss had done him good; he was feeling more secure about
himself, even though he still didn't know what he wanted.

They both cleared their throats.

"Yeah --" Mulder said, a little embarrassed.

"What about that case, huh?" Ben reached out for the file.

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

After sitting 20 minutes in the car, Krycek had finally decided to go in.
Most of that time had been used to ponder about whether to go in. Now, when
he stood outside Mulder's door, he realized he had nothing to say to him.

Knocking on the door, his confidence faltered, remembering all the doors
that Mulder had slammed in his face. They were starting to feel like bad
reruns on TV.

He knocked on the door once more, wondering why Mulder didn't open. There
was no way he could know it was him; he'd blocked the peephole. Krycek took
a step closer to the door, listening for any noise from the other side that
would let him know Mulder was in there.

/Where could he be?/ Krycek asked himself, glancing at his watch that
showed 9:30.

The thought of using his key and going inside was a tempting one. He knew
he had no right doing so but managed to convince himself.

"Maybe he's hurt," he said, even realizing just how ridiculous that sounded.

He took out his keys and started to fumble with the lock. There was no
turning back now. He swung the door open.

The apartment was dark, but he could see that Mulder wasn't in there.
Stepping aside, he let his gaze wander around the living area, noting how
everything was how it used to be. His eyes caught sight of a shirt tossed
on the couch. Grabbing it, he felt the scent of Mulder lingering around
him. He brought it closer to his face to feel it stronger.

For a few long seconds, he stood there, inhaling Mulder's scent as if it
were a drug, a habit he couldn't kick. The mere thought of parting from it
didn't make it to his conscience. It was just a shirt, nothing Mulder would
miss. Placing it under his jacket, he felt a little ridiculous as he
realized that this was probably the first time he'd ever stolen anything in
his life.

/This is more like a loan, / he assured himself.

Under his jacket, the scent of Mulder could be preserved without being
threatened by the rain.

It wasn't until he was sitting in his car that he picked up the shirt again
and placed it on the passenger seat. Just as he was about to start the car,
he noticed that a car was parked on the other side of the street. Thanks to
the street light, he could see the shadow of two men inside. The one by the
driver seat leaned in to kiss the other, not letting him leave the car at
once. When he did let him go and the man opened the door, the lights inside
the car lit up.

Krycek swallowed his tears and once again brought the shirt to his face.

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

Mulder let Ben into the mess that was his apartment and smiled in excuse to
that he wasn't completely ready yet.

"Just wait here. I'll be ready in two seconds," he promised, rushing back
into the apartment for his jacket.

Ben smiled and let his eyes wander over as much as he could take in before
Mulder disappeared again. The man sure looked great in a tuxedo.

"I see you found a tux after all," Ben shouted into the apartment.

"Yeah." Mulder nodded inside the bathroom, still not really sure where he'd
put his jacket. "I guess I had a stroke of luck."

He looked around the small area and then headed out to search for the
jacket around the couch. It had to be there somewhere, he was sure of it.
Going through the piles, he found it tossed over his desk chair.

"Ready?" Ben asked as Mulder came back, pulling on the jacket in the process.

Mulder nodded and straightened his sleeves.

"Do I pass?" Mulder gave him a charming smile.

Ben reached out to grab the collar of Mulder's jacket, pulling him closer.
He leaned in for a kiss, amazed at what soft lips Mulder always seemed to
have.

"You look wonderful," he told him and gave him another kiss.

Mulder looked into Ben's eyes and it stoked him like thunder. He found
himself wishing that it were Krycek standing there instead of Ben. The
hands against his chest would have felt so much better if they'd belonged
to him; the lips would have felt so much sweeter. But no. He felt guilty
for wishing this after all that had happened. How could he possibly long
for Krycek?

"Are you all right?" Ben sounded worried.

"Yeah." Mulder felt as if he was lying, which he was.

"If you don't want to go, I'll understand," Ben said, forcing him to meet
his gaze again. "I know that there will be a lot of talk. Especially now
since they've gone public with the fact that they are seeing each other."

Mulder sighed; hoping that Ben couldn't read the thoughts behind his eyes.

"It's okay," Mulder assured him. "I'll be fine."

He wasn't buying it.

"Besides, I wouldn't miss celebrate Johnson's retirement any day of the
year," he added.

Ben swallowed, not sure if he should ask.

"Aren't you afraid they'll start talking if we show up together?"

Mulder looked at him and smiled amused. He leaned in for a kiss and shook
his head.

"Come on." He moved away to get his trench coat. "If we're late, they'll
notice fore sure."

Ben smiled and turned to open the door. This should be quite interesting.

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

Krycek helped her with her coat, trying to make it less obvious that he was
scanning the room for Mulder. The fact that they had gone out with this as
a public announcement kept their thoughts off Mulder's appearance.

"Let's go in, Alex." Scully put her hand on his shoulder.

He offered her his arm. They were definitely going to be the center of
attention -- Scully, at least, in that tight black evening gown. He had a
hard time keeping his eyes off her himself.

They entered the dining room, seeing out of the corner of their eyes at how
people turned to look at them as they looked for their table. It felt as if
they were back in high school again. Of course, they'd expected it.

"We don't have to stay too late, do we?" Scully leaned into whisper, trying
to ignore the fact that people actually were staring.

Krycek smiled at her and gave her arm a little squeeze. He didn't want to
make it too obvious, but he was still looking around for Mulder.

"Alex," a friendly voice said.

They turned around to see Cardinal smiling at them. He didn't look too
comfortable in a tuxedo. Scully failed to see anything appealing about the
man even dressed up.

"Luis." Krycek smiled. "Are you here alone?"

"Yes." He looked at Scully. "But you're not."

Scully forced a smile. /Be polite, Dana/

"I guess I should have told you, huh?" Krycek felt a little guilty for not
having said anything to his partner.

"It's okay," Cardinal assured him. "It's no problem."

Scully looked around the room as Krycek and Cardinal were talking. She
didn't want to be a part of the conversation, but she didn't want Krycek to
understand that she was avoiding talking to his partner. As she scanned the
room, she noted that Mulder had just passed through the front door. Her
breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of him.

He turned to wait for whoever he was arriving with and she was careful not
to stare; she tried to make it look as if she was looking at something
else, following his movements out of the corner of her eye.

/Please tell me he's not waiting for anyone. He could've come alone./

In the flick of a second, she saw Ben coming up from behind, smiling at
Mulder and then very discreetly smoothing his hand over Mulder's. She
blinked and forced herself to look away.

She didn't know why she was so surprised. Krycek had told her what he had
seen that night in the car, but somehow, she didn't want to believe it. It
was too unreal, too unlike Mulder.

"Alex." She pulled a little at his arm. "Maybe we should find our table."

When they started walking, he noticed how tense she'd become. Probably
because of all the attention they were getting. It would ease once they'd
been there a while.

"Here it is." He nodded at the table in front of them.

Once seated, she fought with how to break it to him. She knew she had to;
it would be much worse if he found out otherwise.

"Alex." She leaned in close.

He looked at her.

"Mulder's here," she told him, noting at once the change in his expression.

"Where?" he wanted to know, feeling his heart beat faster.

"I don't know." She swallowed hard. "I saw him as he came."

He looked at her, hopeful.

"I'm going to talk to him tonight," he told her with excitement. "I want to
sort this out."

"Alex --"

"No, I know what you're going to say, but I need to give it another try, I --"

"Alex, he's not here alone." She could hardly look at him. "He came with Ben."

He went silent, staring at her in shock.


"Scully and Alex are here," Ben leaned in to inform Mulder.

Mulder nodded. He had picked that up himself but appreciated that Ben tried
to give him a little warning. This would be one long night.

"At least we didn't have to sit at the same table," Mulder commented,
trying to sound as if it didn't bother him that much.

Actually, it was almost the first thing he'd seen as he'd entered the room.
They'd been talking to Cardinal, and Scully had been standing quietly by
Krycek's side, her arm tucked under his. She was so beautiful tonight. That
dress she was wearing emphasized her soft body, those feminine curves he
knew so well. As if he needed to be reminded. Just looking at her aroused
him.

Then Krycek, in that tux. His heart jolted as he'd seen him. /You need to
stay as long away from him as possible tonight. From both of them. /


The night proceeded like that. They ignored each other, still secretly
keeping an eye on what was going on. Mulder tried to talk to Ben as much as
he could, knowing that he needed something to keep him from staring.

"Still staring, huh?"

Krycek nodded and held her closer as they moved slowly over the dance
floor. People tried to be discreet but weren't doing such a good job with
it. Probably the only excitement they had all night.

"I was thinking," he whispered against her hair and made an effort to keep
his voice low. "I think I should talk to him anyway. When Ben isn't around."

She tilted her head to look at him. "Don't," she breathed. He'd only end up
hurt again.

"I'll see how the night turns out," he decided, placing a soft kiss on her
forehead. "If the time is right, I'll might give it a try."

Searching for his hand, she gave it a squeeze. She wanted him to know that
he had her support. It just broke her in two to see him hurt again.

"I'll go ask him to dance later," she told him and placed her head back
against his chest. "Maybe I can get something through."

He hugged her gently and nuzzled her hair. It gave him some hope.


"Scully's coming this way," Ben leaned in to whisper, spotting the
red-headed woman head toward them.

Mulder felt the panic rise within. He didn't want to talk to her.

He'd seen them out on the dance floor together earlier. They'd looked
beautiful together. They always looked beautiful together.

"Mulder."

Turning to face her, he had to fight hard not to show her how stunned he
was. She was wearing just a little bit more makeup than usual, and with her
hair up, she really did look amazing.

"Scully."

"Would you like to dance?" she went right to the subject, not even gracing
Ben with a hello.

He looked at her, surprised. He hadn't expected this. This was dangerous.
But he couldn't turn her down in front of all these people. After all, he
did still love her.

Her heart started racing as his eyes met hers. He held her gaze for a while
then stood.

Holding her that close against him gave him a painful memory of how good
her body felt. The fabric of her dress didn't cover her back and he could
feel goosebumps break out on her skin at his touch. All of a sudden, he was
very aware of her familiar scent and wondered if she realized what she did
to him.

She tightened her hold on him and buried her face against his chest. He had
to feel something. Anything. He was holding his breath, she could tell.

When her body tried to get closer to him, he felt himself reacting to it.
The feel of her soft curves in his arms, together with the scent of her
perfume, was a dangerous match. If he hadn't loved her as much as he did,
he would have left her there on the floor. Now he tried his best not to
have her notice his growing arousal.

As soon as she shifted, she could feel his erection against her. She took a
sharp breath and felt her knees buckle. This was too much.

She looked up to meet his gaze, the desire in them too evident.

"Mulder," she heard herself whisper, her voice thick.

"No," he knew what she was getting at. "Just go, Scully. Leave me standing."

"What do you mean?"

He scanned the room. People were paying attention.

"I don't want to make it look as if I'm leaving you standing here, Scully."
He saw the pain in her eyes. "Just push me away and go."

"And make it look as if I'm leaving you standing here?"

Their eyes locked and they grew silent.

"I don't want to do that," Scully whispered with the tears in her throat.
"I don't want to leave you."

"Scully --"

"No, Mulder." She tried her best to hold it together. "I love you so much,
I can't even --" she tried to swallow the tears in the back of her throat.
"Even if he did do anything -- this is not right."

"Well, it's how it is," he told her, not able to meet her gaze again. "And
I can't change it."

"Yes, you can." She sensed a hope. "You can change all of it."

He shook his head.

"I can't."

Placing his hand on her right cheek, he leaned in to kiss her forehead,
giving her hair a last caress before he left her on the dance floor.

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

Next Morning


"Would you mind getting that?" Ben shouted as his eggs were about to burn
in the frying pan.

"Sure." Mulder grinned and smoothed Ben's arm as he walked past.

He unchained the door, not even taking the time to look at who was standing
outside as he opened it.

They stared at each other, surprised. Krycek had lost the ability to speak.

Mulder was wearing a pair of sweatpants, no shirt, and his hair still damp
from the shower.

"Who is it?" Ben shouted from the kitchen, trying to save the last of the
eggs that survived.

Krycek met Mulder's eyes, feeling his heart stuck in his throat. He felt
the tears brim under his eyelashes as he turned to walk out of there.


Continued... 


Title: 3's A Charm: Missing Scenes
Authors: Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil
Ratings: PG-13
Summary: Why is Ben acting the way he is and what was really going on in the 
scenery when he arrive? 

Thanx to The Emu, Elisabeth and Beth whose managed to turn this piece in to what 
it is today <g> You are great guys!

Disclaimers: I do not own these characters they belong to Chris Carter and FOX 
Network, you know the drill.

I'd love to get some feedback, tell me what you think and write it down to: 
sageo@hotmail.com

And visit the MSKRA (Mulder Scully Krycek Romance Association) at:
http://members.xoom.com/MSKRA
 


3's A Charm: Missing Scenes
by Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil


A couple of months earlier


"Damn." Mulder pressed the stop button before the computer linked him to
the wrong site. "Come on, I don't have time for this."

The mouse button, however, gave no response. He pressed it a few more
tries, then shook the laptop in the air for a couple of seconds in sheer
exasperation.

"And you ask why your computer doesn't work." Krycek walked up from behind
him. "What are you doing anyway?" he leaned forward to nuzzle Mulder's
neck. "Hacking into the Department of Defense?"

"Very funny, Alex. " He tried to blow out any dust from the mouse that
could have been the source of the problem. No response.

"Are you coming to bed soon?" Krycek kissed his cheek, placed his hands on
his shoulders and gave a little squeeze. "Dana and I are getting ready."
                            
"Yeah, soon," Mulder answered him distractedly. "I just have to finish up
here first."

"We'll be waiting for you." Alex smiled, kissed him again, then pulled away
reluctantly. "Don't take too long."

Mulder nodded and placed the mouse back on the pad.

"Where the hell am I now?" he muttered to himself and tried to find some
kind of logotype or guide to where he was going. "Let's try this." He
clicked on a link.

Something happened and the computer started downloading a site. Mulder
sighed and stretched his neck, not feeling up for a slow Website at this
hour.

"You still out here?" Scully's voice floated from behind him from the
bedroom.

"Mhm."

The screen flickered and he was just about to give the monitor a little tap
-- useless, but satisfying -- when it adjusted itself.

"Aren't you coming to bed soon?"

"Yeah, soon."

Some kind of a code was requested and he pressed "enter" violently.

"What are you doing?" she walked up and put her arms around him, resting
her chin on his shoulder.

"Surfing."

She looked at the screen.

"What are you downloading?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know as in you don't know or as in X-rated sites," she dared him
and nudged his earlobe with a little breath.

A laugh escaped him and he turned his head to look at her.

"You've got a dirty mind, Agent Scully."

She nibbled his earlobe and ran her hands down his chest.

"Well, Alex and I are waiting for you with very 'dirty' intentions, so
please hurry."

"I will." He stole another kiss and smiled at her before she went back to
the bedroom.

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

"Sir, someone's gotten into our database. They're downloading information,"
the younger man said to one of the men gathered in the room.

The elder rose and stubbed out his cigarette on his way over. He leaned
over the computer and noted the error.

"Sever the connection immediately," he ordered, a hint of panic in his
voice.

"I can't do that, sir, not from here, but I can slow down the downloading."

"Do that. And put a trace on the source."

"Yes, sir."

The older man took a deep breath, wiped his expression of any concern and
turned back to the rest of the group. He went for his pack of Morleys.

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

"Mulder, we're ready." Krycek was once again standing behind him.

"You have no patience, Alex." Mulder kept staring into the screen.

"Well... I..." Krycek started.

Hearing Alex stutter, Mulder couldn't help but smile. With a sigh, he
turned off the computer and closed the laptop. It wasn't as if he were
getting anywhere. They were more important.

"Coming to bed now?" Krycek sounded hopeful.

"Yes, Alex." Mulder rose from the couch and walked over to his lover.

Krycek smiled and pulled him into a kiss.

"Of course, if you have more important things to..."

Mulder shut him up with another kiss. "Now, what was it that you wanted
me to do?"

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

"Sir, whoever it was seems to have stopped."

Taking a quick puff on his cigarette, "What do you mean?"

"Well, either he's logged out or what he was going for didn't open for him.
The downloading stopped."

"Good." He walked up to take a look for himself. "Did you manage to get
the trace?"

"Yes, it's coming in." The man turned to the phone, turning on the speaker.
"Did you get a hold of the user?"

"The computer ID is for a Fox Mulder," the operator answered.
                     
With instant recognition, the man looked back at the group, the worry he so much 
tried to hide bleeding through.

Should be "the worry he tried to hide so much, bleeding through."

"I guess we should look into this matter and evaluate it as soon as
possible." He took a drag on his cigarette, willed his hand not to shake.

"We must assume that he saw what wasn't for him to see," the British man
spoke calmly yet determinedly.

A long string of smoke slowly rose to the ceiling as the half-smoked
cigarette was ground out.

"I'll arrange for some distraction and tell my man to step back for a
while," the smoker decided as he reached for his jacket. "In the meantime, it 
will be taken care of."

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

A dark, handsome man was waving for a cab on the Lower East Side. He was
holding a brown map file in one hand and a sodden cigarette in the other.

It was raining, the pavement slick from the pouring water, and the
streetlights mirrored in the street before him. This wasn't exactly the
best part of the city to be in if you wanted to get a cab, not in this kind
of weather.

He started walking, observing the people around him. Finally, a cab pulled over 
and he threw away the useless cigarette before scanning the
area and stepping inside the car.

"Eighty-second and Park," he said, positioning himself in the middle of the
back seat to have the best possible view past the driver.

The driver obligingly hit the gas and headed in the direction he'd been
told.

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

He pulled the map file from his jacket and sat down on his couch with an
uncomfortable feeling inside of him. This assignment had been dropped in
his lap without as much as a warning. Still, it was a chance he couldn't
let go.

With a loud sigh, Ben looked at the file for a few seconds before he had
the courage to open it. He flipped through some papers, looking for the
photo section. First there was a woman, Special Agent Dana Scully. He
looked at her for quite some time in hoping to find what prompted Alex to become 
involved with a woman. She was pretty, but that
didn't really matter. He was surprised it had mattered to Alex.

Putting down the picture, he found another, one of a man. Staring at the
picture, he was mesmerized by the face he saw. The man had such a strong
face.

"Well, Alex, you sure got taste," he said to himself, smiling, before he
flipped over to the last picture.

As soon as he laid eyes on the picture of his old lover, Ben felt a lump in
the back of his throat. He smoothed the face with a single finger and
smiled.

"Oh, Alex," came as a whisper when he recognized every line in that
familiar face. "My sweet Alex."

He stared into the picture for a while, remembering every detail of what
they'd once shared.




// The sun lit up the bedroom as it rose over New York. Ben snuggled closer
to the warm body beside him, letting his arms encircle the familiar waist
of his lover. He sighed as he noted a reaction from the man in his arms and
leaned forward to place a soft kiss behind his ear.

"Morning, sleepyhead." He grinned and continued to kiss the spot behind his
ear.

"I'm not awake yet," Alex mumbled, not ready to open his eyes.

Ben laughed softly and hugged him tighter. It was so like him to answer
with a contradiction.

"You smell good," Ben told him, burying his nose in Alex's neck and
inhaling deeply.

"Mhm..." Alex felt Ben's erection against his body and couldn't help but
move against him.


Running his hand over the flat stomach of his lover, Ben finally reached
the part of Alex's anatomy that seemed to be most in need of his attention.

He heard a soft moan and felt the firm flesh in his hand growing stiff.

"Are you sure you aren't awake?" he teased, gently nudging at Alex's
earlobe.

"Oh, I think I'm quite awake," Alex smiled and placed his hand over Ben's.
"Or what do you say?"

Ben muffled a laugh and nodded into his neck. He released his grip around
Alex's erection and shifted for him to lie on his back so he could look
into the eyes of the man who had captured his soul. Such beautiful eyes.

"Did you have fun last night?" Ben smoothed his hand over the side of
Alex's face, staring adoringly into his eyes.

"Yeah, I had fun." Alex smiled. "How about you?"

"Oh, it was okay." He arched a brow and leaned in for a kiss. "Ethan knows
how to throw a decent party."

Tilting in for another kiss, he felt Alex's hand against his neck, the
fingers entwining in his hair as he was urged down to the mouth claiming
him. When their tongues met, Ben felt a chill right down his spine,
affecting his body in a way he was getting dangerously used to.

"Slow down, Alex," he whispered against his lips. "Slow down."

Alex looked into the eyes of the man he loved. He didn't understand the
request, didn't know if he could go any slower when it came to this, to
them together like this.

"Don't look so worried." Ben grinned as he noted his expression. "I will
make love to you, but I just thought we could take it slow."

"Why?"

Alex didn't grasp what Ben was getting at. They always made love in a
frenzy, driven by a mutual lust and compassion, but never slow. He didn't
know if he could handle slow.

"Alex." Ben couldn't keep from laughing at him, he looked so innocent. "You
are so..." he tried to find the right words; he noted how confused Alex
looked all of a sudden. "Hey, come on," he kissed him gently. "Sweety," he
said another kiss. "I didn't mean to make fun of you."

Alex lowered his gaze.

"Alex." Ben felt his heart starting to beat harder at the thought of what
he was going to say. "Look at me, Alex."

A little resistant, Alex did as he was told and met a pair of very serious
eyes.

Ben hoped Alex couldn't sense how nervous this was making him as he started
to speak.

"Alex, I just want you to know something that you should ... know."
He ran a hand through his hair and tried to find a way for this not to
sound sappy. "You mean ... a lot to me, I mean you ..." He was waiting for some 
kind of reaction to cross Alex's face. "Do you understand what I'm
trying to say?"

"Uh ... not really," Alex admitted, looking a little lost.

Well, he couldn't blame him, could he? It wasn't as if he were being
crystal clear. Maybe a direct approach would work a little better.

"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "What I mean to say is that I ... I
love you," he broke out in a grin. "I love you, Alex."

"You do?"

He sounded so surprised.

"Of course I do, you idiot."

Alex smiled.

"I love you too, Ben."

"No, you don't get it," Ben answered. "I mean that I ... that I love you."

"Mhm." Alex didn't understand what he'd missed. "And I love you too."

Ben sighed out loud, wondering if it was him or Alex who was being slow.

"Alex, Alex," he said plainly and decided to explain it to him at another
occasion. "You sure know how to mess up my head."

"I do?" Alex grinned, looking absolutely proud.

Ben laughed and rubbed his nose against Alex's.

"Come here and let me make love to you already." He smiled and pulled Alex
with him .//

Ben put aside the pictures of Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, but brought the
one of Alex Krycek with him to his bedroom to place it on his nightstand.
The next day he had to meet an Assistant Director Skinner at the FBI
headquarters in Washington, but more important, he was going to see Alex again.

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

A last-minute meeting had gotten everyone of importance gathered. And now,
as they sat around the oval table, the members of the consortium eyed each other 
with great suspicion.

A corpulent man sitting at the end of the table had, during a short
silence, surveyed the crowd of men in an attempt to see if anyone
understood the seriousness of the matter.

"Mulder has become a much bigger problem than we thought," he finally said.

A streak of cigarette smoke spread through the room. The responsible for it 
leaned back in his chair.

"Is it possible that we overestimated our friend at the FBI?"

His question and smug grin were ignored.

"It is in our best interest to pursue this and make sure that our 'friend'
stays anonymous so we can proceed as planned."

"We need to act fast. If any of this were to get out...!"

The sudden remark made by the older gentleman a little further down the
table didn't exactly come as a surprise. His fears of exposure were much
greater than the other men's.

"A man is flying in today, and he will be awaiting further instructions."

"Can he be trusted?"

"He's been loyal to us in the past."

An uncomfortable silence went through the room.

"Well, everything is set, then," the cigarette smoking man announced.
"We'll adjourn for a meeting when we know more."


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

As soon as Ben saw Alex in AD Skinner's office, his heart had begun to beat
faster, his hands had started to sweat and that feeling of desire that had been 
dormant for so long came to life inside him. He'd taken one quick
look at those green eyes, those long eyelashes that seemed to grow every
time they met, and realized more than ever why he wanted this man.

It was of course, painful to know that he belonged to Mulder. He had
noticed those glances, the innocent smiles between them that they naively 
thought no one else paid attention to, and felt time after time how
he fought the urge to step between them.

/ My Alex. / Screamed the voice inside his head. / Mine. /

He sat down on the bed in the small room he'd been offered in the
surveillance house. It had become very obvious to him that Mulder had found
out about his and Alex's past, and that it didn't appeal to him. Ben
wondered how much Alex had actually told them, if they knew everything.

Of course they did. Alex was the worst liar he'd ever met. He'd probably
told them the whole story.

Then again, Alex wasn't the kind who would break a promise either ... a
promise shared when times were different. Every time he met Alex, he was
different. This time it was a different he didn't like, didn't want to
accept. Not after all that they'd been through.

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

Sitting alone down in the living room, Krycek tried to collect his
feelings, make clear of where his mind was and come to terms with
he'd handled this right. 

The most natural thought was that he hadn't.
He shouldn't have lied to them.

It was true that Ben and he had been lovers when they started working as
partners, but that wasn't how they'd met at all. He and Ben went way back.
Farther back than he allowed himself to remember.

He had been around 16 years old, living on the streets of New York, when
he'd run into Kyle, a friend of Ben's. Kyle let him live with him for a
while and introduced him to the group of friends, a group of very liberated
gay men.

Within a short time, he was accepted by the group and included in their
company. As the youngest member, he became something of a mascot to the
others, who were in their 20s, and they did everything they could to look
after him.

Ben and a man named Ethan had been considered the leaders of the group, the
ones everyone looked up to. The story went that they'd known each other
forever and had a relationship closer to brotherhood than friendship. This
was something Krycek soon understood better when he moved in with Ethan
after an incident at Kyle's place. Ethan had really gotten to like the
small skinny kid.


"Kyle is a nice guy, but he wants to get into your pants and that we can't
have," Ethan had said as he came over to help Krycek pack one day.

"Where should I go?" Krycek had watched Ethan with terrified eyes.

"You're staying at my place," Ethan proclaimed and realized that the
tornout shopping bag he held had Krycek's only possessions.

Krycek had given him a skeptical look that said, "How do I know you're not
after the same thing?"

"Relax, Alex." Ethan grinned and walked up to him. "I'm not going to molest
you. I like you, kid. You're like my ... kid brother."

And he was from that day forward, and Ethan never laid a hand on him.

Smiling at the memory, Krycek couldn't help but think how innocent he'd
been back then. It had been a dangerous world for him to live in if it
hadn't been for Ethan, and eventually Ben.

After a year of living with Ethan, Krycek moved in with Ben. They became
lovers and lived in total adoration of each other, Krycek looking up to him
as a role model and Ben always feeling the need to protect his younger
lover. They were an idyllic couple, and if anyone had dared to mess with
Krycek before, they wouldn't think twice about it now.

When he looked back at that time of his life, he sometimes missed it, all
that time spent hanging out with Ben and very often, Ben and Ethan.

Ethan and Krycek kept their special bond. Ben had nothing against their
relationship and Ethan was the only one except for Ben he trusted completely 
with Krycek. If anyone else as much as looked at him funny,
Ben's jealousy got the better of him.

Ultimately, it was Ben who betrayed Krycek. They had been living together
for a couple of years when Krycek found him in bed with Ethan's bed
partner, Rick.

The apartment was so silent when he came home that day that he doubted
anyone was home. After having skipped his last two classes to surprise Ben,
he was a little disappointed not to find him there.

He was heading into the kitchen for something to eat when he heard a sound
from the bedroom. A wicked smile came over him as he forgot why he was
going in his current direction and turned to the bedroom. He slowly slid up
the door.

"I hope you're ready for..." the words got stuck in his throat as his eyes
flickered over the scene in the bed before him.

There was Ben, naked under the sheets, with no less than Rick. Ethan's
Rick, also shamelessly naked with his arms around Ben. Krycek felt the
tears burn under his eyelashes.

"Alex." Ben pushed his way out of Rick's embrace and took a quilt with him
as he got out of the bed.

Krycek turned to leave, feeling the tears run down his cheeks, the pain in
his chest too hard to handle.

"Alex." He heard Ben hurry after him. "Alex, wait."

"Leave me alone, Ben." He tried not to show he was crying. "I don't want to
talk to you. I don't want to see you again."

"Alex, please." Ben's voice was growing desperate. "I'm sorry... I love
you. Don't walk away."


"I'll ask Ethan to come over and pick up my stuff. Don't bother coming
after me." He slammed the door shut and left standing the man he still
loved so tremendously.


After that, he'd left everything behind. Ben tried to convince him to come
back, but Krycek wouldn't even talk to him; he pushed him away. What he had
done was too much; it had hurt too damned much.

He went to college and cut off all bonds with his years in New York. He was
known around his dorm as "the quiet one," but the students left him alone
rather than bug him.

Years later, when he started at Quantico, he ran into Ben again. As it
turned out, Ben was choosing the same line of profession as himself. Later,
he came to understand this was not at all coincidental.

Keeping his distance, of course, Krycek tried once again to make sure he
didn't have anything to do with Ben. But it was difficult and Ben was
persistent.

"Can't we at least be friends, Alex?"

Krycek looked at him. Those eyes of Ben's were pleading like a beaten puppy and 
he didn't know which was growing faster, his heart or his arousal.

"Alex, I really miss you."

No matter how much he tried, he couldn't deny the fact that he did too. Not
that he wanted Ben to know that.

"So? Friends?" Ben tried again.

Friends would be dangerous.

"Friends." Krycek nodded and walked away.

They managed to stay friends through Quantico, but Krycek never let down
his guard around Ben. He never stayed with him long enough to risk getting
too friendly and always made sure they were among others.

The turn in their relationship came, though. Ben pulled a few strings and made 
sure they ended up working their first years in the field. Long hours alone
working on cases was all it took for Krycek to fall right back. He didn't
even see what hit him.

"God, Alex I thought I'd never get to feel you like that again," Ben
breathed onto his neck after an amazing session of lovemaking. "I've missed
you so much."

Krycek felt the familiar touch of Ben's arms around him and closed his
eyes. It had been wonderful, always wonderful with Ben. Familiar. Safe.

"I never meant to hurt you, Alex." Ben's voice grew serious as he turned to
look into his eyes.

"You did," Krycek answered. He had a hard time meeting Ben's eyes. "You
hurt me really badly."

"I know." He stroked a hand through Krycek's hair. "If I could undo it, I
would, but I can't." He searched for his hand. "All I can say right now,
Alex, is that I still love you. I never stopped loving you."

Krycek decided to forget about the past and move on. After all, he hadn't
stopped loving Ben all this time either.

Being together this time was harder than before. They had to sneak around,
hide their affection, and try to keep apart in public. It was hard and they
risked getting caught so many times they almost had a record of it by the end of 
the first year.

They made a promise to each other to never mention they had known each
other before Quantico, a promise that served them both well. While Ben
didn't want people to know about some business he'd been having back then,
Krycek didn't like the idea of letting them know he was gay. It was hard
enough being a new recruit.

After about two years together, Ben screwed up again and that time, Krycek
promised himself he would never forgive him. He would never let Ben Julien
hurt him again.//

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

The dark room was hazy with smoke, and when the men were all seated around
the big table, their eyes gravitated toward the man holding the cigarette.

"Naturally, things are going according to plan." He spoke with that
self-confident tone of voice he'd been using lately. "Mulder will have too
much on his mind to start an investigation of any kind. It is most unlikely
he will look further into this."

"How can you be so sure?" the overweight man asked.

Insulted by the doubt of his colleague, the cigarette smoking man rose from
the table and stubbed out his cigarette with determination.

"I'm keeping Agent Julien around to further distract Mulder," he stated.
"My man is handing him the information he needs as we speak."

As he started to walk out of there, no one could see the uncomfortable look
on his face.

"I'll let you know if there will be any change of plans," he announced and
left the group of men.

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

Ben had read through his new instructions carefully as he came home from
that late meeting with Cardinal. It amused him too much.

"Keep Agent Mulder distracted." He smiled to himself and picked up the
picture of the man in question. "Don't worry, Agent Mulder," he grinned.
"I'll keep you distracted. If that's what it takes to get what I want."

His gaze wandered over to the picture of Krycek on top of the table and he
smiled.

"Soon, Alex," he whispered dreamily. "Soon."


Continued... 

Title: 3's A Charm: As the Odium Fades
Authors: Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil
Ratings: NC-17
Keyword: Scully/Krycek Mulder/other Romance
Summary: Ben continues to follow out his plan while Scully and Krycek 
relationship takes a new turn.

WARNING: Contains m/m sex. Don't go any further if this bothers you.

Author's Note: Have nothing really important to say, except for... Finally <g> 
Feels like forever before we got this part ready but I hope it was worth the 
wait. Oh yes, and Ethan can be found on our Character's page. We choose Antonio 
Sabato Jr for his part. <g>

Thanx to The Emu and Elisabeth who as usual made wonders with their editing. Any 
mistakes written here are my own doing.

Disclaimers: I do not own these characters (Except for Ben, Ethan, Oliver, Kyle, 
Tisha, Paris, Daniel and Rick, they're *mine*)  they belong to Chris Carter and
FOX Network, you know the drill...

Please feel free to send feedback to sageo@hotmail.com

And visit the MSKRA (Mulder Scully Krycek Romance Association) at:

http://members.xoom.com/MSKRA


As the Odium Fades
By Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil



As Scully brought in the last stack of dessert bowls, she looked over at her 
mother, who was preparing the coffee machine. "So what do you think?" she asked.

Maggie turned to her daughter. "He's very sweet, Dana." She smiled. "I like
him."

Scully smiled back, knowing her mother wouldn't say that if she didn't mean
it.

"How do you feel about him?" Maggie asked, standing to better face her 
daughter.

This was the first time in ages, if not ever, Dana had brought any man she
was dating to meet her mother. She never had been into dating that much,
especially not the last few years. Her mother had to sense how serious this
was.

Dana smiled, not knowing how to tell her mother this; it was awkward,
but still, it was right. "I love him."

Maggie looked a little surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She couldn't keep from smiling. "I really do."

Reaching out to embrace her daughter, Maggie stroked her hair softly.
"Then I'm happy," she whispered, her voice still showing different
feelings.

"You don't seem happy." Dana leaned back to look at her mother.

Maggie's eyes had betrayed her thoughts, and Scully had an idea of what
was going through her mind.

"I was just wondering." She gestured. "About Fox."

"What about him?" Scully tried to sound as she didn't know what her
mother was getting at.

"No, it was just ... that time Melissa and I came over to see you, when Fox
was there, I got the idea -- that there was something between you."

Scully swallowed. She didn't think it had been that obvious; they'd
been so careful.

"But I see that you're happy with Alex, so I probably got the wrong
impression." Maggie forced a smile, even as there was a sudden change in 
Scully's
eyes.

Dana offered her mother a weak smile. "Yeah." 

"Mom, Dana." Melissa walked into the kitchen, much to Scully's relief.
"Need any help out here?"

"No, honey, that's okay." Maggie smiled at her older daughter and turned back
to the coffeemaker again.

Melissa went up to her sister with a wide grin on her face. "Alex is
great. Just let me know if you find any more
like him, 'cause I wouldn't mind having one of those in my bed."

Maggie lifted her gaze to gawk at her daughter.

"Decoratively speaking, Mom," Missy defined quickly, and nudged her sister's 
side.
"Seriously, though. I think you've hit the jackpot this time."

"What a terrible way to put it, Melissa," Maggie objected to her
daughter's choice of words.

Melissa rolled her eyes towards her sister and sighed. "Mom, did you know 
that he was raised Catholic?" She looked over Dana's shoulder at her mother.

"*I* didn't know that." Scully gave her sister an odd eye. "What
exactly have you been asking him out there?"

"Nothing. But Bill is giving him the third degree, as we speak."

"He's *what*?" Scully tried to get a glimpse of the living room to see what
was going on.

"Don't worry, sis, Alex seems to be doing quite well. Believe it or not,
even Bill seems to like him."

Scully gave her sister a doubtful look. This
family dinner was proceeding a little too well to be true. Not that she
hadn't expected them to like Krycek; he was everything they wanted her to
have. She just wished she could enjoy it more.

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

Mulder wriggled out of his jacket with the FBI logo on the back and started
removing the bulletproof vest. The job had gone fairly smoothly, though
hospitalizing another agent with minor injuries, but the suspect had been
brought into custody and was now being interrogated.

He reached for his suit jacket and tie inside the locker, replacing them
with the bulletproof vest and jacket. Since his shift had ended hours ago,
he didn't bother putting on the jacket and tie. Tired and hungry, he left
the locker room.

Ben, who had been exchanging pleasantries with other agents
outside the locker room, noted Mulder coming out. Excusing himself from the
crowd, he hurried after him.

"Hey, Mulder, wait up!"

Mulder stopped, turning to see Ben coming toward him.

"You're going home?" asked Ben, catching up.

"Yeah, I'm pretty beat." Mulder made an effort to smile.

"I couldn't interest you in coming home with me, could I?"

Ben's offer was tempting, very tempting.

"Would you say yes if I promised to take care of those stiff shoulders for
you?" Ben continued, seeing victory ahead.

"You promise?"

"Scout's honor." 

"But I have to get some papers first." Mulder stole a glance at his watch

"No problem. I have to pay a visit to the A.D. before we leave anyway. Can
we meet in 20 minutes by my car?"

"Sounds okay."

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

Ben opened the door to his apartment and, the gentleman he was, let
Mulder enter first. Slipping out of his coat quickly, Ben went into
the kitchen to get the phone.

"Will Chinese do?" he called out.

"Yeah." Mulder took of his coat as well. "Do you mind if I borrow your
shower?"

"No, help yourself."

Finding his way into the bedroom, Mulder started stripping his clothes,
tossing them on the bed. Ben's bedroom was quite impersonal. At first, it
had surprised him how few belongings the man had; hardly any old
mementos filled the bookshelves, nor any books, for that
matter. Ben had only shrugged when Mulder had commented on it, saying he 
wasn't to fond of hanging onto stuff that often had a sob story to tell. 
Mulder could relate to that just fine.

As Mulder was about to reveal himself.

"Wanna borrow something to wear after the shower?" 

Ben had been standing in the doorway, watching Mulder undress with a
smug grin.

About to rid himself of the final clothing, Mulder jolted back at the
sound of Ben's voice. Looking at him, he saw the glimmer in his eyes,
telling him Ben would have preferred him naked.

"Would be nice."

Ben tore himself from his place in the doorway, turning his back to
Mulder to search in his closet.

"Just put it on the bed where I can find it," Mulder said before closing the
bathroom door.

"Still a little shy, are we Agent Mulder?" Ben mumbled, looking at the closed 
door.

Mulder shivered as the icy water cascaded down over his tired body.
The slight arousal caused by Ben's intense gaze washed down the drain, but 
not as easily as he'd hoped. The yearning for another man's touch nearly 
drove him to the edge of insanity, and he couldn't begin to understand why 
every time the opportunity came, he pulled away. The reasons were crazy, 
stupid even; it was obvious how much he needed it. The frustration kept 
mounting and mounting inside him, taking over his mind in a way that was new 
to him.


Ben heard him coming out shortly after the food arrived. He thought he'd 
give Mulder about five minutes to dress before announcing. Strolling calmly 
down the hallway, he reached the bedroom just in time to get a glimpse of 
Mulder's well-shaped ass before it was covered by a pair of black boxers. Ben 
cleared his
throat, making Mulder turn.

"Ben." He smiled, a little surprised. "I didn't know you were there."

Ben slipped his hands into his pockets. "Food's ready."

"Great," Mulder replied as he towel-dried his hair.

"You missed a spot."

Mulder stopped what he was doing, allowing Ben to approach him. Slowly, Ben
took the towel from his hands.

"Let me help you with that."

He brought the towel to a damp area on Mulder's back, stroking gently with the
towel.

"Thanks," Mulder managed.

"No problem." Ben stepped back, throwing the towel onto the bed. "Food's
waiting."

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

After dinner, Ben took a shower and changed into something more
comfortable. He had left Mulder in bed, clinking on his laptop, quite unaware 
of his surroundings.  After a while, though, Mulder closed the laptop and put it 
on
the nightstand to make room for Ben. Ben lay down, resting his head in the
palm of his hand.

"What did Skinner want earlier?" Mulder asked.

"He wanted my report on his desk before the end of the day tomorrow."

"Want some help?"

"You?" Ben exclaimed with a chuckle.

"What's so funny about that?"

"Nothing, it's just that ... " He paused to give Mulder an amused look. "You
see, Skinner wanted the report tomorrow, not next week."

Mulder tried to look insulted, but couldn't keep from smiling. He turned to 
lie on his back, stretching a little.

"You tired?" he heard Ben ask.

"A little."

Ben moved closer.  "Want me to kill the light so we can go to sleep?"

Mulder looked at him, his eyes turning serious. "You turn the lights off
if you want to." His voice slightly unsure.

Smoothly, Ben turned to his left, hitting the switch. Even though darkness
had filled the room, he could see Mulder's unsure gaze clearly. Carefully,
he allowed his hand to roam over the other man's waist and chest, feeling the
soft material of the T-shirt against the palm of his hand. Moving closer,
he encouraged a kiss, at first barely touching the slightly parted lips, then 
claiming more, savoring the moment.

Mulder allowed the kiss to intensify. He really didn't want to cause Ben more 
pain by pulling away at the last minute, as he had already done several times 
before. When a soft moan worked its way to his lips, he felt Ben moving 
slowly on top of him, pressing him down against the mattress. He was more 
demanding now, kissing him with greed and a touch of reckless lust.

The pounding in his hard erection grew as Ben's pleasure was revealed to him. 
It pressed against his thigh, demanding his attention. Clumsily, Mulder's 
hands tugged at Ben's shirt in a desperate attempt to remove it. Ben gave him 
some help by pulling away shortly. The shirt came off, landing on Mulder's. 
Pulling his head down again, Mulder felt Ben slowly, with a slight rhythm, 
rock his hips toward his. The movement felt wonderful against his now aching 
groin. A moan came across his lips as a result of Ben's movement and it 
mingled with the sound of their kisses.

Meanwhile, Ben had untangled his hands from Mulder's hair, now running
them down his chest, feeling him shiver. Accidentally, he brushed over
a hard nipple and felt Mulder squirmed beneath him.

Arching his chest toward Ben, he wanted more. Soon, the warmth of Ben's
mouth had closed around one of his nipples and his tongue started to tease
it. There was something familiar about the way he did it.

Mulder grabbed a hold of his waist, carefully moving his hands to his front
where he felt Ben's throbbing erection.

"Harder," Ben moaned against Mulder's chest.

"What?"

"Harder, touch me harder," he encouraged, smiling, pleased, when Mulder
took him up on the demand.

Rubbing his hand a little harder over the bulge in Ben's pants, he was
rewarded with another lick to his now unbelievably sensitive nipple. Mulder's 
pleasure faded as the face of his old, but obviously not forgotten, 
boyfriend, took place in his mind with a hurt expression. He pushed the image 
away and tried to concentrate on the situation at hand.

Ben had found his way to Mulder's boxers and met him with a dangerous
grin. He knew Mulder would burn up inside if he didn't get touched in the
right way soon.

Mulder bucked up, meeting Ben's hand through the thin material of his
underwear. He inhaled sharply, feeling a kiss being placed right above the
hem of his pants. It burned delightfully every time Ben's hot lips met his
skin, and as Ben started pulling down the clothing, Mulder closed his eyes,
fighting a strong regret.

Ben was just about to slip his hand under the hem when he felt Mulder
stiffen beneath him.

"Ben, stop." His voice came out a little uneven.

Ben didn't listen at first, hoping he would change his mind.

"No, Ben! Please," he added. " I can't do this. Not yet."

Ben inhaled, feeling a sudden need to cool off quickly.

"I'm sorry."

He met Mulder's eyes. "It's okay. Just lie close to me."

"Sure."

Ben moved away to lie on his side with his arm around Mulder. He was
getting impatient. If this kept up, cold showers were not going to
help.

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

Ben woke up at the phone's insistent ringing. He mumbled, half-asleep, and 
reached over the empty bed, fetching the phone from the nightstand.

"Yeah." He kept his eyes closed, hoping it was Mulder.

"Did I wake you?"

"No," he lied, recognizing the voice, but he wasn't in a state of mind to 
place
it.  "I was just thinking about getting up when you called."

"Right." Ben could hear the man, whoever it was, grin. "You wouldn't be
awake this early on a Saturday. Not the Ben I used to know."

Ben propped himself up to sit. "Now, which Ben would that be?" He reached out
to look at the alarm clock.

There was a moment of silence on the other side. Ben didn't make any
attempt to break it either.

"It's been a while."

Oh, the name finally surfaced. "Yes, it has," Ben agreed. "What have you been 
up to, Ethan?"

"Not much, really. Still work in the same dump. I hear it you've come far
in the Bureau, though."

"Is that so?" Ben picked up the phone to get out of bed and walk up to the
mirror. "Now, where do you hear such bullshit?"

Ethan chuckled. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Ben studied his image in the mirror and smiled at the sight.  "So what did
you want?"

"Well, my birthday's closing in, but I'm sure you remember that"

"Of course, Ethan. How could I forget," Ben coughed, actually feeling a
little ashamed that he really *had* forgotten.

"Anyway, I was thinking of throwing a little party, get the guys together
and talk about some of the old days."

"That sounds great. I'd really like to meet the guys again."

"Yeah, I thought you would."

Silence again, as Ben kept thinking about Alex, but didn't know if he
should ask. He didn't have to.

"Do you still see Alex?" Ethan asked, a little cautious.

"Well, I see him around the Bureau. Why?"

" I haven't been able to reach him; I thought if you could invite him
for me ..."

"Actually, I'd rather not." Ben let the hint linger on his voice.

"Is he still mad at you?"

"Something like that." He didn't feel the need to let him know any
more about it. "Maybe you should try him at his girlfriend's place; I hear he
spends a lot of time there."

"His girlfriend?"

"Yes, little Alex's gone straight, if you could believe it."

"No way!"

"Yeah, it's kind of surprising, to say the least." Ben nodded into the
phone, wondering what their mutual friend would say if he found out how
things really were.  "I'll give you her number and you can try and reach
him there."

"Yes, that would be great."

"It will be nice meeting him with the guys again," Ben mused.

"So you're saying that you're still in love with him?"

"It's not like that," Ben mumbled, looking down on the floor. "I'd
just like to meet him on a more neutral ground, so to speak."

"Well, whatever you say."

Ben sensed that Ethan didn't believe him. "Is it okay if I bring someone
with me?"

"Sure, bring as many as you want." He could Ethan grin.

"Funny," Ben muttered. "I was thinking of taking someone special."

"Interesting."

"Well, all good things come to those who wait."

Ethan laughed softly. "Okay, so I can count you in?"

"Absolutely, I'll be looking forward to it."

Ben hung up feeling good. This couldn't have come in a better time.

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

Hearing Scully turn on the shower, Alex sat down on the bed and stared
at the card in his hand. It had come as quite a surprise when Ethan called
him and asked him to come over for his birthday. Hearing his voice, he had
realized how much he'd missed him. He had always been there for him, no
matter what.

// "Alex, what's wrong?"

 Ethan had stepped out from his living room as someone entered his
apartment; usually, people made themselves known when they came.  He seemed
surprised to see Alex there alone, looking as if the wind had been knocked 
right out of him.


"Where's Ben?" he asked, but Alex didn't answer.

Starting to cry all over again, Alex walked up to Ethan, leaned into his
comforting embrace and held on tight. Ethan wrapped his arms around the
younger man and spoke soothingly. "It's okay, Alex, I'm here." he said, 
caressing his back. "It's okay."

They stood like that for a while, Alex holding onto Ethan without telling
him what was wrong and Ethan trying to calm him as much as he could.

"Maybe we should sit down and talk about this," Ethan suggested as 
Alex's grip loosened. "What did he do?" He placed his hand on Alex's back and 
leaned in closer on the couch. "Alex?"

"I found him..." Alex sobbed and buried his face in his hands. "I found him
in bed..." He wiped his eyes with the back of his palm.

Ethan shook his head and closed his eyes.  "I'm sorry, Alex." He pulled him
closer and leaned in to kiss his temple. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

"That's not all, Ethan." Alex shifted uncomfortably in his embrace. "He was
with Rick. Your Rick."

"Rick?" Ethan sounded very surprised.

"Yes, Rick." 

Both men grew silent. Alex was well aware of the fact that most of the guys 
didn't really care if they fooled around within the group of friends, as long 
as it was solo
about sex. Ethan and Rick were just meeting up when they wanted to, and they 
didn't have a monogamous relationship.  Kyle and Tisha were an
idyllic couple, but it didn't stop Ethan from having sex with both or either 
of
them without anyone objecting. It was just the way it was.

Ben and Alex were different. They didn't touch anyone else, due to Ben's
jealousy when it came to his boyfriend; he had put up those rules for the
both of them and put an end to his promiscuous life when he became involved
with Alex.

"Did you know about this?" Alex asked.

Ethan's gaze grew sad at the question and Alex was already regretting
having asked. He had trusted Ethan.

"No, Alex. You mustn't think that. I wouldn't let him hurt you."

Alex kept eye contact with him before bursting into tears again. "I
thought that he loved me." Suddenly, he didn't care that he was sounding
pathetic.

"He does," Ethan assured him. "Ben loves you, you know that."

"Then why did he do that?"

It was almost painfully obvious the way Ethan fought with the answer. He
usually had something soothing to say to him, something that would make the
situation right or at least understandable. But not this time.

"Alex, I don't know. I don't have the right answers for you." He ran his
hand through Alex's hair. "You'll have to ask Ben."

"I don't want to talk to him. I don't even want to see him again." He spoke
with the determination of someone who has made up his mind.

"Shouldn't you at least see him, give him a chance to explain?"

He shook his head. "I don't want to. If he comes here, I want you to tell
him that."

Ethan sighed and shifted in his seat. "Alex, we both know he won't accept
that. He won't let you go that easy."

Alex looked up at Ethan, his expression surprisingly calm.

"That's a decision I've already made." //



Scully had turned off the water when Krycek walked into the bathroom. 

"Scully, we don't have to go if you don't want to." Krycek leaned
against the sink as she stepped out of the shower. "There will be a lot of
weird people."

"Weird?" she smiled and wrapped a towel around her body. "What do you
mean, 'weird'?"

"Well, maybe 'weird' is the wrong choice of words." 

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him. He was obviously worried about this.

"I don't mind," she said softly. "But it feels like you do."

"No, it's just ..." Trying hard to find the words, he played with a strand
of wet hair that had fallen in her face. "Old ghosts."

Although she understood and didn't really blame
him if he didn't want to go, she felt that he needed to face his old demons
and let go of the past.

 "But you said you really wanted to meet Ethan again." She caressed his hand 
lightly. "Just ignore Ben, he's not worth it."

"And Mulder?"

"You don't think he'll bring Mulder do you? He knows you'll be there, and
this guy Rick he fooled around with."

"Oh, Ben will bring Mulder; that's exactly what I expect
from him." He looked a little sad. "I don't know if I'm up for that, seeing
them together there."

She looked at him, letting him know that it was entirely his decision.

"Still, I want to meet Ethan and the others; they've been like family to
me, especially Ethan."

"Then I think we should go," she prompted, "if it means that much to you."

Leaning down to kiss her lightly, he ran a hand through her wet hair. She 
flashed him a smile and took his hand.

As he felt her hand in his, he lifted it to his lips, kissing it softly with
a devilish smile. She watched him kiss her palm for a while with an amused
look on her face. He stopped kissing her hand to study it, focusing on the
ring on her finger.

"Do you want me to take it off for tonight?" she asked, a little cautious.
"If you don't want them to know that--"

"That I love you?" he smiled at her. "I want..." Pulling her closer. "I
want the world to know that I can't live without you and I don't ever want you
to take that ring of your finger."

"Are you sure?"

She didn't want him to do this just so that she would be pleased. They'd
only been engaged for a day now, and this would be their first time going
out in public with it. She would understand if he wanted to take it slow.

"Dana." He took her hands between his and held her gaze steady. "I hadn't
asked you to marry me if I didn't really want to."

He kissed her a last time and reached out to grab a towel.

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

Ben looked at the watch again and sighed out loud. Mulder was late.

"Why am I even surprised?" he asked himself out loud and glanced out the
window.

Standing there, ready to face his old friends, his old life, he came to
think of a night so long ago, that night he'd lost the only thing that had
only mattered to him.



// Knocking louder on the door that led to Ethan's apartment, he was
growing desperate when no one answered. It wasn't hard to figure
out where Alex had gone; he ran to Ethan whenever he had a problem that
he couldn't discuss with Ben.

"Ethan, open the door, I know he's in there!"

The last thing Ethan needed right now was someone making a scene outside
his apartment. Ben couldn't believe he wasn't opening the door; he was
supposed to be his best friend.

"Ethan!"

Shortly, he heard the door being unlocked. Ethan slid outside in the hallway,
only to close the door behind him. Ben looked at his friend, seeing the
grave look in his eyes.

"Why the hell aren't you letting me in? I know he's in there?" Ben's
eyes were raging.

"Ben, calm down." Ethan prevented Ben from moving past him. "Let's just
calm down."

"Where's Alex?"

Ethan's words had been totally lost on his friend, who still tried to move
past him in order to get into the apartment.

"Ben, you're only making this worse." His voice was surprisingly calm.

"Making it worse?" He didn't know what to do with his hands, the powerless
situation not suiting him. "I just need to talk to him. Now will you let me
in?"

"I don't think Alex is ready to talk to you right now."

Ben's expression was uncharacteristically uncertain, the tears
not far from breaking out and he couldn't stand still.

"Ethan, just let me in, I need to talk to him, I need to make it all right
again." He didn't hear his own voice break. "Alex!" he continued, trying to
get past Ethan once more.

Placing a steady hand on Ben's chest, Ethan shook his head,
his gaze calm and stable.

"Why the hell aren't you letting me in?" With his voice raised, he was
fighting back the tears so hard it made his face twitch. "I need to talk ...
I need to make it all good again, I need ..."

"Ben," Ethan whispered as he grabbed his shoulders. "Ben, listen to me."
He tried to gain some kind of eye contact. "Listen to me, Ben."

"Let me talk to him, Ethan." The tears were falling free now.
"Just one minute, I want to see him."

"Ben, he doesn't want to talk to you," Ethan explained softly. "He doesn't
want you to come in."

"But I need to --"

"Ben. No."

"What do you mean 'no'?" Ben raised his voice even more, shaking off Ethan's
hands and forcefully trying to move past him. "Let me in, Goddamn it!"

Ethan grabbed Ben harder and shoved him up against the wall to calm him
down.

"Let go of me!" Ben roared, fighting hard against his grip.

"Ben, calm down." Ethan shook him hard. "You're not improving your
situation by doing this."

Ben grew still in his arms, the enraged look in his face softening.

"I love him," he whispered and felt a new set of tears closing in. "I
didn't want to hurt him, you know that, don't you?"

"I know, Ben."

"Then let me talk to him," he said, almost in a whisper.

"Ben, I think it's too late..." //



Suddenly, the key was turned in the lock and a very innocent-looking Mulder
entered the apartment. He smiled at the man already dressed in informal 
evening wear, looking sexy in black tight pants.

"We're going to be late," Ben complained before Mulder had the chance to
say anything. "Where have you been?"

"I followed a lead. It took a little longer than I expected, but I'm ready
to go now."

Ben eyed him strangely.

"Where are your clothes?"

Mulder looked down at his suit and smiled in an attempt to have Ben go
along with it.

Ben sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Mulder, you can't go like that," he
said, irritated. "You can't go to Ethan's place wearing a suit. I
thought I explained it to you. They're not that kind of people."

"I can't go back to Washington just to get a different set of clothes. Why
can't I just go like this?"

"Come on, Mulder." Ben grabbed his hand. "We'll improvise."

Mulder let Ben drag him with him toward his bedroom.

"What are we doing?" Suspicion rose in his voice.

"Finding something more suitable."

"Where?"

Ben smiled at him and walked up to his closet, searching the piles of
clothes. He found a pair of leather pants and threw them on the bed.

"Put those on," he ordered and dug in to find a tight short-sleeved
sweater. "And that."

Mulder took a quick glance at the clothes on the bed and shook his head.

"No way I'm wearing that."

"Yes, you are." Ben picked up the clothes and walked over to give it to him.
"Take a quick shower and get dressed, we'll figure out what to do with
your ... hair."

"But --"

"And do hurry, honey."

Mulder sighed and accepted the clothes, muttering under his
breath.

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

A note had been pinned to the door with "Come in" scrawled on it, and knowing
Ethan's style, they just stepped right in, to be greeted with a loud bang of 
music mixed with a few male voices.

"Alex!" A very handsome man walked toward them, grinning wide.

"Ethan, hi." Krycek leaned in to give him a hug.

Ethan leaned back to look at his old friend. "Where happened to my sweet
little Alex?"

"I grew up," Alex said, smiling, and noted how Ethan didn't let go of his 
hand.

Observant of the cocky sound in his voice, Ethan laughed and grabbed hold
of Krycek's cheeks, giving him a quick kiss. "Well, you still got your
chubby cheeks and you're still my kiddo," he decided, giving the younger
man another hug.

"Thank you for embarrassing me, Ethan," Krycek said with a cough. He looked at
Scully.

Ethan's attention turned to the small red-haired woman at Krycek's side. He
looked pleasantly surprised at the sight before him as he reached out
to take her hand, placing a soft kiss on the top of her hand, his eyes
seductive.

"You must be ... Alex's little lady." He arched his brows and
looked at Krycek. "I can see why you turned straight."

Krycek chuckled and slid his arm around his fiancée's waist. "This is Dana;
Dana, Ethan."

"Stud," he joked, blinked at Krycek, and reached out his hand to grab
Scully's hand from him. "Come on, Dana, I'll introduce you to the rest of the 
guys."

Krycek followed them in to the larger room, meeting Scully's bemused eyes as 
she
looked back at him, obviously not used to this kind of treatment. He
grinned, letting her know that this was pretty much what he had been
expecting.

They walked up to the men, who were gathered in a circle,
small-talking. Krycek followed behind, a little insecure, eyeing the group
from a distance. He recognized most of the guys standing there, and he
was growing a little nervous about meeting them again.

"Guys, can I have your attention for just a minute?" Ethan shouted to
the group, who were having a wild conversation about absolutely nothing.

"Oh, you're back already?" one of them commented.

Krycek smiled to himself, recognizing Kyle. Next to him was Tisha, his
truthful husband, and Krycek were glad to see that they still seemed to be
happily married. Scanning the group, he saw Daniel leaning against another
guy. Daniel's old boyfriend, Paris, was standing a couple of feet away from
him, and Rick, the guy Ben had fooled around with, was eyeing Krycek,
clearly uncomfortable. They never had gone along very well together, thanks 
to the
constant competition for Ethan's attention.

"This is Dana, the woman who managed to turn Alex straight," Ethan
presented Scully and led her through the group, introducing her to each of 
Krycek's old friends and their new boyfriends.

"Where is Alex?" Paris wondered, looking behind Ethan to find him standing
not far from them. "There you are." The man walked up to give him a hug.
"What the hell happened to that skinny kid I used to know?"

Krycek offered him an ironic smile. "Hi, Paris, nice to see you again."

"Come on." He put his arm around Krycek. "You've got to say hi to
everybody."

They stood and small-talked for a while, everyone happy to reunite. It felt a 
little strange to see the people who he had been so close to during a time in 
his life when friends had been all he had to hang onto.

"Here's someone I want you to meet, Alex." Ethan brought Krycek with
him to a man who was standing a little off to the side. "Alex, this is my 
boyfriend,
Oliver. Oliver, this is Alex I've been telling you so much about."

Krycek smiled at Ethan and then looked at Oliver. He was very handsome,
definitely Ethan's type.

"Nice to finally meet you," Oliver said with a smile, and offered Krycek his 
hand.

"Nice to meet you, too." Krycek couldn't keep that grin of his face; Ethan
had never been the kind to call his lovers boyfriends; this had to be quite
serious and very unlike Ethan.

"Where the hell is Ben?" Tisha suddenly asked.

Everybody turned to Krycek for the answer.

"Why would I know that?" He couldn't keep the feelings from mirroring in
his voice.

A silence spread among them, as the tension grew thick.

"Hey guys! Do you call this a party? It looks like someone died in here."
Someone had just stepped into the room, facing the deadly silence.

Alex recognized that voice well enough not to turn to see who it was.

"Ben." Ethan noticed Krycek's reaction.

"Ethan!" Ben walked up to hug his host, smiling wickedly at his very
similar outfit. "Great minds think alike," he commented.

"Watch it." Ethan grinned. "I'm your superior."

"Yeah, my ass you are," Ben muffled and smiled at his friend.

They looked at each other for a while, both studying each other's
appearance; not much seemed to have changed.

"I've missed you, you idiot," Ethan said, smiling, and gave him another 
brotherly
hug.

"Yeah, likewise, moron." Ben grinned and lifted his hand to mess up Ethan's
hair.

"Are you gonna flirt with him all night or say hi to the rest of us?"
Daniel interrupted.

Ben took his time going through the crowd, well-aware of the fact that
Krycek was standing there. He also knew that their old friends were very
anxious for them to meet again and that Krycek was not.

"You look the same, you old prick." Paris thumped Ben's back in the
friendly hug they shared. "Unbelievable."

"Yeah, you do too, still look like hell," Ben joked back, thumping back a 
little harder.

"And still full of shit," Daniel commented, pulling Ben in for a hug.

Ben grinned and leaned back to study his friend, shaking his head.

"You disappoint me, Daniel." He studied his clothing closely. "Latex?"

Daniel faked a blow to Ben's head, giving him enough space to move away.

"God, it's great seeing everybody again." Ben looked around the crowd with 
that typical smile that was Ben.

He could see as he eyed the group of men that they were still carrying that
adoration for him; it seemed that he had made quite an impression. Well,
of course he had; he and Alex had been the couple everybody talked about, the 
inseparable lovers. Speaking of which ... his gaze landed on the
face of his old boyfriend, noting the uncomfortable look.

"Alex," he nodded, the silence around them almost obvious.

"Ben." Krycek tried to hide his emotions.

Ben took a few steps up to him, eyeing him closely. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks." There were no mistaken of the feelings in his voice.

Ethan felt the tension in the air and stepped in to prevent any further
discussion.

"Ben, have you met Dana?" He motioned to the woman at Krycek's side.

"Yes, we've met before." He smiled at the little redhead by Krycek's side.
"You look great, Dana."

Scully nodded, not really knowing how to act toward him, not here. "Nice
to meet you again, Ben." She let him lean in to kiss her cheek.

When he moved back, he met Krycek's eyes, cold as ice. He smiled back at
him.

"Weren't you supposed to bring someone with you?" Ethan cut in again,
looking at Ben.

Ben nodded and stepped away from the men, finding Mulder standing at the
same place he'd left him, looking a little out of place but sexy.

Krycek gasped for air as he caught sight of him. Following the tight
leather pants up Mulder's slim waist, he noted how tightly they fit him
around his ass and groin, letting everybody know just what he had to
offer. The shirt was just as tight-fitting as the pants, and you could see
every muscle move underneath. His hair was styled with something that gave 
him that wet look that Krycek remembered so well from those mornings together 
in the shower. He could feel the arousal rush through him like running fire.

"Close your mouth, honey," Scully whispered to him, noting his reaction,
equal to her own.

"Ethan, this is Mulder." Ben had placed his hand at the small of Mulder's
back to guide him up to the group. "Mulder, Ethan."

Ethan glanced at Ben, a little impressed before he offered Mulder his hand.

Krycek watched from his distance how the attention rose around Ben and his
new catch, wishing that the ground would open and swallow him whole.

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

"You've been awfully quiet, Alex." Ethan had come to stand next to his old
friend, noticing how he had been watching Ben with his new boyfriend since
they got there. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." He forced a smile but avoided Ethan's eyes. "I'm just ... tired,
that's all."

Ethan studied him for a while, knowing that wasn't the real problem.
Krycek's eyes were like an open book; he recognized the pain. He
also knew when to question it and when to leave it be. This was not the
time or the place.

"Dana's great," he said instead, taking a sip from his drink. "I like her."

"Yeah, she's great." He let his gaze drift over to where she was standing,
talking to Kyle.

"She seems to know this Mulder guy; I heard them talking some before."

"They work together," he answered shortly, making Ethan understand
he didn't want to talk about it.

Looking closer at Krycek, Ethan realized just how painful this was for him.
He hadn't meant to stir up the wounds and realized that him talking about
it just added to that pain.

"I really appreciate that you could make it, despite of ... you know." He
tilted his head discreetly toward Ben and Mulder.  "It feels good to see
you again."

Krycek looked up at him and smiled warmly. "It's really good to see
you, too, Ethan."

Ethan grinned, put his arm around Krycek's shoulder and gave him a long wet
kiss on his cheek. "I love you, kiddo, you know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I kind of love you too, Ethan," Krycek smiled back, suddenly
remembering just how much he really did.

"Come here you little..." Ethan pulled him into a hug.


"What's with Alex and this Ethan guy?" Mulder wanted to know, glancing over
at their host and Krycek looking awfully close.

Ben cast a glance over at the direction Mulder was looking and smiled to
himself as he saw Ethan kissing the younger man on his cheek.

"Oh, they're just fooling around." He arched a brow. "They have a special
relationship, I don't try to understand it."

"They've been lovers?"

"No, no." Ben couldn't help but laugh. "They're just friends."

Mulder watched Ethan cuddle Krycek's neck, saying something that made the
younger man laugh out loud, and he started feeling uncomfortable.


Later that evening, after dinner and lots of alcohol, the party participants 
seemed to loosen up, and a couple of guys had ended up sitting by the table 
discussing old memories.

"Alex was always such a whiny ass," Tisha remembered, looking at Scully
across the table.

"I was not," Krycek objected, noticing how Scully was enjoying this.

"Of course you were, Alex," Kyle disagreed, seeing how embarrassed this
was making him. "And you always got you what you wanted."

"C'mon, guys, I never ... whined."

The men around the table shared a smile.

"I didn't." He turned to Scully. "Really, Dana, I didn't."

"Yes, you did," Kyle argued. "It was always Ben this and Ben that..."

"Or Ethan this and Ethan that..." Tisha added.

Scully couldn't keep from laughing.

"That's not true," Krycek kept protesting. "Ethan, please explain to Dana
that it wasn't so at all."

Ethan looked up from his drink, giving the others a quick glance. "Alex,
it's time you face it. You were a whiny pain in the ass," he chuckled. "A
very cute whiny pain in the ass, though."

"You're making this up. I don't remember this."

Ethan looked around the room for Ben who was standing a few feet away,
discussing something with his drop-dead boyfriend.

"Hey, Ben!"

Ben turned around and looked at him. He had stayed away from Alex most of the 
night, only made a few remarks to keep the others satisfied and the mood on 
an equal ground.

"Ben, come over here and help us out." Ethan waved his hand, prompting for
Ben to join them.

A little resistant, he walked up to stand behind Ethan, Mulder following
behind, and put his hands on Ethan's shoulders. "What seems to be the
problem?"

"Alex." Ethan pointed across the table at the younger man. "Our Alex claims 
to have
no memory -- whatsoever -- of having been a whiner."

Meeting Krycek's gaze over the table, he came to realize what power they
held over him and why he was doing what he was doing. It was hard to stay
focused when he felt his arousal grow from only a look of the other man.

"Of course he was." He said it softly, still holding his gaze.

"See," Ethan said proudly and turned to Scully. "And Ben should know. He 
lived with the guy."

Not knowing why, Krycek didn't let go of Ben's intense stare. He could see
something beneath the tough exterior, the one Ben so desperately tried to
keep up, and he wondered if he should go so far to call it love. If anyone
knew Ben's soft sides, it was him.

"You see," Ethan kept going on the subject, leaning closer to Scully.
"Every time Ben didn't go along with Alex's wishes or ideas, he turned to
me."

"And whined," Ben filled in with a smile.

Krycek sighed and wished himself somewhere else. These guys knew too
much about his past life. He noticed how Mulder was listening in the 
background,
pretending that he was busy looking at pictures.

"He knew you had a soft spot for him; that's why he so easily manipulated
you," Ben said with a grin, letting his gaze pass over Krycek once more.

"Like you're one to talk." Kyle muffled a laugh. "He had you wrapped around
his little finger."

Ethan laughed, sarcastic, and looked up at his friend with clear
remembrance.

"Well." Ben ruffled Ethan's hair. "I had my tools to use against him." His
smile grew wicked.

"Guys, really," Krycek cut in as he realized where this was heading.
"Haven't you embarrassed me enough in front of my girlfriend?"

"Embarrass you?" Ethan chuckled. "If you want me to embarrass you, I'll
show her the tape of you doing the YMCA choreography. In your underwear and
covered with lube."

"You have that on tape?" Kyle burst out laughing. "Man, you got to send me
a copy."

"You guys don't want to know what I have on tape." Ethan grinned and
glanced up at Ben. "Some of those things aren't even legal."

"Hey, Ethan!" Tisha objected. "Need I remind you, we have four Feds in the
building, one traitor standing right behind you."

Ethan gave Ben his most innocent smile. "What was it you said again
about tools, sweetie?" He patted Ben's hand, which was still on his shoulder.

"Tools?" Ben had lost the thread. "Yeah, tools." He smiled as he remembered.
"Boy, did I have the best kind of tool."

"Ben, really," Krycek laughed, a little nervous. "This doesn't really
interest anyone." He shook his head and looked at Scully.

She flashed him a smile and then turned expectantly toward Ben to hear
what was so horrible about this tool.

"Sesame Street," Ben said shortly, the amusement on his face too great to 
hide.

Ethan started to chuckle, remembering what Ben was getting at.

"Sesame Street?" Scully arched a brow.

"Yes, Sesame Street." Ben nodded, trying hard to hide that grin. "Alex
was ... obsessed with Sesame Street."

"I was 16 years old," he tried to defend himself.

"And then 17, 18, 19, 20 --"

"It didn't last for that long, Ben, and you know it."

"Oh, but it did," he grinned and crouched down to get level with
Ethan. "You remember this, don't you, darling?"

"Very much so." Ethan nodded and once again turned to Scully. "He had
T-shirts with Sesame Street, mugs with Sesame Street, soaps, posters, you
name it."

"He even made me buy him toothbrushes with characters from Sesame
Street," Ben remembered dreamily.

"He wanted to be Ernie," Ethan joked.

"Anyway," Ben continued. "That was always a useful threat. I just held over
on his collection and he freaked."

"I can't believe you did that." Krycek rested his face in his palms.
"Bringing that up again."

"I still have nightmares about Sesame Street, Alex, you're very much
responsible for that." Ben sent laughter through the group of men sitting
by the table, and even Scully found herself smiling widely at his comment.

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

"You seem to be getting along well with Ben." Ethan had taken the
opportunity to talk when Krycek and he were left alone.

"Yeah, well, just because I'm not at his throat doesn't mean I've forgiven
him," Krycek answered bitterly.

Ethan rose with a loud sigh and walked around the table to sit next to
Krycek. He leaned in closer, keeping his voice low. "Alex, you need to let
that go now." He placed his hand over Krycek's on the table. "We all make
mistakes and that was a long time ago."

Krycek shifted in his seat.

"It breaks my heart to see you two acting this way with each other. Like
you don't care." Ethan drew a hand through his hair, wondering if he was
getting through at all. "Just because Ben slept with Rick, you can't erase
what you two shared once."

"It's not just about that," Krycek tried, not wanting to tell Ethan what
was going on. "People change. I ... I can't remember why Ben and I ... I
mean, I wouldn't today. I've changed too much."

The older man let his head drop forward, scratching his neck a little,
distracted, before lifting his gaze with a half-cracked smile as he met
Krycek's eyes. "C'mon, Alex," he whispered "I've seen how you've been
watching him all evening."

Sighing, Krycek realized that Ethan must have taken it that way.

"It's not what you think, Ethan," was all he could think of to say.

Ethan placed his arm around Krycek's shoulders and gave him a little
squeeze. "It's okay for you to admit that you're still in love with him, Alex.
You just have to stop fighting it so hard."

"I'm not in love with him, Ethan," Krycek sighed. "I'm really not."

"Alex --"

"No, Ethan, I'm not." He shook his head. "You might not believe me, but I am
not in love with him."

"You're absolutely right, I don't believe you."

Krycek met his gaze, feeling how Ethan was closing in even more.

"I know you, Alex. I know you well enough to see that you are not feeling
well, that you miss him."

/Not Ben. Mulder. I miss Mulder. /

"Look, Ethan." He couldn't look at him while talking. "I really appreciate
your concern, but right now I would prefer if you didn't. I'm not in love
with him."

"God, I'd forgotten how stubborn you are." Ethan rubbed his forehead
against Krycek's. "I'll make you see it. I will, kiddo."

Knowing just how persistent Ethan could be when he had his heart set on
something, Krycek feared that this could really get out of hand if he
didn't do something about it. Spotting Scully talking to Tisha a couple of
feet behind them, he called for her to come over and join them.

Ethan moved away from Krycek so that his lady could take a seat in his lap,
giving Krycek a worried look.

"Dana and I are getting married," Krycek said calmly. "We're engaged."

Scully gave him an odd eye, wondering why he was bringing it up like this
and why Ethan looked as if he were waiting for a bad joke to be finished.

"Married?" he managed to say.

"Yes, married." Krycek took Scully's hand and let Ethan look at her ring.
"See."

"Oh, Lord." Ethan tried to focus on the ring.

"You see, I'm not in love with Ben," Krycek explained once more. "I'm very
much in love with Dana and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

Ethan kept staring at his friend with a sad look.

Scully didn't want to butt in but just sat quietly, letting Krycek deal with
this part by himself. He knew he had her support in all this; she didn't
need to back him up.

Something changed in Ethan's eyes. "My Alex is getting married ..." he
grinned. "For real?"

Krycek nodded and smiled.

"And that makes you happy?" Ethan required.

"Yes, very."

Ethan nodded slowly. "Then I couldn't be happier for you." He reached out
to squeeze Krycek's hand, feeling a little overwhelmed. He had thought that
this relationship with a woman  was only temporary or Krycek trying to
piss Ben off.

"Are you okay, Ethan?" Krycek joked as he saw the puzzled expression on
Ethan's face.

"Yeah," he nodded, still looking confused. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little
surprised, that's all." He tried to collect his feelings. "Congratulations, 
guys."

"Thanks, Ethan." Krycek smiled. "It means a lot that you're happy for
me."

"Of course I am, kiddo." Ethan leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Whatever
makes you happy."

"Good." Krycek nodded and glanced at Scully. "Because I wanted to ask
you if you would be my best man."

Ethan broke out grinning.

"I'd be honored." He felt the tears close at hand, and turned quickly
around to wipe his eyes. "Hey guys, come over here, Alex has an announcement 
to make!" he shouted out to the group.

The couple behind him looked worriedly at each other. They hadn't
planned on letting the cat out of the bag yet, and even if he'd been acting 
like a jerk, Mulder deserved to find out in private.

"Guys, listen to this," Ethan carried on as the crowd had gathered around
him, watching him with expectations. "Alex and Dana are getting married."
He motioned to the couple sitting behind him.

The others, for some reason, didn't seem half as enthusiastic about it as 
Ethan was.

"Yeah, right," Kyle said with a grin, and wrapped his arms around Tisha. 
"That's a
good one, Ethan."

"I'm not joking," Ethan said and moved to stand behind the couple. "You're
just looking at soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Alex Krycek." He placed his hand
on Krycek's shoulder. "Isn't that sweet?"

Mulder tried to act unaffected. He stood behind the others,
listening to Ethan announcing his "good news" and hoped that no one had
seen the look on his face.

Ben was less obvious as he stared down Krycek with his dark eyes. What the
hell did he think he was doing?

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

A couple of minutes later, Mulder went out to the balcony. Krycek
decided to join him and maybe get a chance to explain himself. He knew
Mulder wasn't going to make it easy for him, but regardless of what he said
or would try to make him believe, Krycek had seen his reaction when
Ethan made their announcement.

He had expected it, apparently. "What do you want, Alex?" Mulder hadn't even 
turned around to see who it was.

"I just thought we could talk."

Mulder sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like that," Krycek started, glad that Mulder
wasn't at least running away. "We never meant to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" Mulder turned around to face the younger man, his expression 
changing
from amused to angry. "Yeah, it hurts me to see Scully walking into this 
after all your lies."

/ How the hell could you get engaged without me? / Screamed inside of him.

"Because she must know she's marrying a liar," he carried on. "I mean, she's
here, isn't she, she knows the truth about how you met Ben."

"I'm sorry I lied to you, Mulder, I didn't want to, I ..." Alex swallowed,
wondering if they were getting anywhere. "It doesn't even
matter anymore, does it?"

Mulder studied him for a while and asked himself why he was still standing
out there with him. This was dangerous. He was still lusting after him, he
still wanted to touch him every time he saw him and it took all the
strength he had in him not to take those few steps forward and feel that
familiar set of lips against his. What he would give to feel his body come
to life under his touch, those deep green eyes watching him with the same
need that he gave back. He didn't want to feel that way, he didn't want
to want him -- but he did.

"No, it doesn't," Mulder answered despite his feelings. "It doesn't matter
at all."

"Mulder, I love you," Krycek whispered, barely finding the courage to look
into his eyes. "I know you don't believe me, but I do."

Mulder let out a short laugh, more from the lack of credibility than
anything else. "If you had loved me as much as you say," he stepped a
little bit closer, his teeth clenched, "you wouldn't have lied to me."

/And you wouldn't have asked her to marry you all by yourself. /

He moved past him and swung the balcony door wide open to get out of there,
almost bumping into Ethan on his way out. Ethan eyed him strangely, noting
the pain in his eyes and then saw Krycek out on the balcony, looking as if
the wind had been knocked out of him.

"Is everything okay?" Ethan asked Mulder, failing once more to see the whole 
picture.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Mulder answered, his tone of voice telling Ethan
that it was far from it.

Ethan watched him walk over to Ben, saw them standing there talking rather
intensely for a while, and then Mulder left. Ben didn't look too happy.

"Ben, what's going on?" Ethan stepped into Ben's path as he was heading
for the balcony.

"Nothing." Ben sounded a little irritated. "Alex is trying to ruin things
for me, that's all."

Ethan looked from Ben to Alex, who was still standing out on the balcony.

"What do you mean? With this Mulder character?"

 "Yeah." Ben sighed and looked down at the floor. "Look, Ethan, I'm just
going to talk to him, ask him to stop doing this."

Ethan shook his head. "I don't believe that Alex wants to ruin it
for you. He's getting married, why would he want that?"

Ben couldn't meet his eyes.

"I think that's what's bothering you. That he is getting married."

"That's ridiculous. To think that I care about that," Ben snorted and
looked at Krycek over Ethan's shoulder.

Even if it hadn't come as the best kind of surprise to him that Krycek was
indeed getting married, it didn't bother Ben as much as people might have 
thought. He knew Krycek well enough to know that it wouldn't work out.  A woman
was no threat to him at all; he didn't even take their relationship seriously,
even if they were engaged. What bothered him was that despite all the
things he'd put them through, Krycek was still trying to get Mulder back
and if anyone was a threat to them, Mulder was.

"So, you want to tell me that you have absolutely no feelings at all for
him anymore?" Ethan confronted.

Before he had a chance to answer, Krycek came out from the balcony,
meeting Ben's eyes as he looked up at the two men. He decided to ignore him 
and was about to walk on by when Ben grabbed his arm.

"Alex, we're going to have a little talk," he said, disregarding Ethan's 
disapproval.

Krycek wriggled out of his grip and eyed him with disgust. "I have nothing
to say to you."

Ben stepped closer.

"Ben," Ethan warned and stepped in between. "Don't."

"Ethan, get out of the way." Ben was growing irritated. "This is between
Alex and me."

"Ben, let it go." Ethan didn't move. "You know you have to let him go."

Looking up at his friend, he felt an emotional storm wash over him,
realizing that it was too dangerous to stay there. He couldn't fool Ethan,
no matter how much he tried to.

With a last glance at Krycek, Ben turned around and walked out of there.

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

"Scully, " said Mulder when he saw her entering the office. "I'm glad you
could come so fast."

She took her time placing her briefcase on top of his desk. He had called
her just as she was about to meet Alex for lunch. Hungry and irritated, she
had had to cancel, and she hoped for Mulder's sake that this was
important.

"What was so important that it couldn't wait?"

She watched him pick up the thick file next to her briefcase.

/I don't believe this. /

Unwillingly, she took the file and started flipping through the pages,
not really stopping to look at its content.

"Mulder, don't you think this could have waited until after lunch?"

"No, the sooner, the better."

"I don't think an hour would have made much difference." 

"Well, since we're going to be on a six o'clock flight for Oregon, it
does."

"Six o'clock? In the evening?"

He nodded.

"You're joking." Waiting for the slightest sign of a confirmation. "You're
not?"

/This is just great. /

She sighed out loud. "Don't you think you could have at least told me about
this sooner?"

"There's plenty of time for you to pack and get acquainted with the case."

Meeting his eyes, she saw how much he actually believed that himself.
"Oregon, huh?"

"Yeah."

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

She opened the case file for the second time on the plane to Oregon, this
time putting in some more effort in reading it.

"David Koan," she said out loud, turning to Mulder. "I saw him on the news
last week."

Mulder removed his headphones. "What?"

"I said, I saw this man on the news last week."

"I'm not surprised. He escaped from the Bellview sanitarium up in Oregon
where he's spent the last eight years. One of the attending
male nurses went missing only a day after Koan's escape."

"Could he have been an accomplice in Koan's escape?" Scully suggested.

"I don't think so, " Mulder mused. "The nurse, Jason Wolker, only moved to
Oregon from Quebec two days before Koan's disappearance. He had no
contact whatsoever with Koan. He didn't even work on the same floor."

Scully had only been half-listening to her partner, finding something
interesting in the file. "Mulder, this man was never convicted for
anything."

"I know."

"Why has he spent the last eight years of his life locked up?"

"One day Koan walked into the local police station and claimed to have
abducted five people. He told the police in detail the description of the 
missing victims so accurate that he could describe one of the women down to 
the tiniest scar on the inside of her thigh, something only her husband had 
knowledge of."

"Did they rule out the possibilities that they were having an affair?" She
arched an eyebrow, wondering if Mulder wasn't going around it a little too 
much.

"With thirty women?" He smiled and eyed her dangerously. "However, no
bodies where found, not even a single piece of evidence that could pin Koan
to the crime. During several interrogations, the interrogating officers saw
what they would describe as clear signs of schizophrenia, which later was
proven to be the case. That also had its effects on his credibility."

"But you believe him?" Scully prompted.

"Well, let's just say he's a strong suspect."

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

Scully placed the overnight bag on the bed and surveyed the motel room. She
had to admit she hadn't been ecstatic about this last-minute trip to
Oregon, especially when there weren't any strong facts or hard evidence to
back up her partner's theory or even make "his" suspect a suspect.

Glancing at her watch, Scully wondered what kept Mulder for so long. He
had stayed behind at the local police station to talk to the sheriff, and had
asked her to get two motel rooms nearby.

"I might as well give Alex a call," she told herself and started searching
her bed for her cellphone.

Not able to find it, she took a moment to try to recall where she could
have placed it, only to remember that she had left it next to the note
she had written to Alex in which she had promised to call later on.

Drat.

A knock on the door brought her back to focus.

"C'mon in!"

As the door opened she saw Mulder step inside. "I see you got the rooms,"
he said with an appreciative smile.

Scully nodded. "How did it go with the sheriff?"

"Fairly smooth." Mulder grimaced.

"That good, huh?"

"Let's just say that the two of you share the same theory on this case." He
leaned against the wall. "Plus, he's interrupted the deliveries of those
information packs I requested yesterday, making it impossible for us to
start an investigation until the day after tomorrow."

"What the hell are we supposed to do until Wednesday?"

"Well, I saw this restaurant on my way back here. And I don't know about
you, but I'm starving."

She sighed and glared at him, asking herself once more why she had agreed
to come with him.

It was a cozy restaurant, what you could call a typical small-town joint,
with homey decorations and nice relaxing love songs filling the room.

They discussed the case throughout dinner, and by the time dessert
was served together with a bottle of wine, Scully had forgiven him -- mostly for 
all the inconvenience this case had taken them through. 

"So the killer leaves a wax candle by every victim he takes, usually a
couple of feet away from the actual spot of the crime," Scully mused and
took a sip of her wine. "Do you have any thoughts about that?"

"I'd go with the profile." Mulder leaned in closer, pouring some more wine 
into her glass. "He thinks he's taking these people because he has to, but 
still knows that it isn't right. So he lights a candle for the life he's 
about to take."

"A killer with a conscience?" Arching a brow in disbelief. "Either way,
that isn't much help to the investigation."

They drank the bottle and ordered a new one, for the first time in months
feeling absolutely relaxed around each other. After having argued over all 
the possible ideas on the case, their conversation took a more friendly turn 
and they
slipped further and further away from work.

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

They stumbled inside still lost in a fierce kiss, tearing at each other's
coats. Mulder swiftly closed the door with his foot, following her as she
walked backward further into the room.

Her coat came off along with her suit jacket and he let his hands travel
up her chest, cupping her breast. As he gently teased her
nipples through the cotton material of her blouse, he could hear a moan
escape her. Rubbing herself against him, she tried to still the aching
desire that burned between her legs.

When they suddenly hit the wall in their passionate embrace, she could feel
her blouse suddenly ripped apart. The cold air hardened her nipples even
more, and soon, Mulder's mouth replaced his hands. With her fingers raking
through his hair, he pressed against her thigh, his arousal evident. 

Abandoning her nipple, he moved up to claim her swollen lips again, running
his tongue along her lower lip. 

Her hands coursed their way down to the hard bulge in his pants and with
her fingers lingering on the zipper, he whimpered quietly, moving his hips
in slow rhythm. Undoing the zipper as slowly as she possibly could, she felt 
him stop moving. As he leaned back she saw his face mirroring her own, 
swollen lips, flushed cheeks and expecting eyes.

He had to brace himself against the wall to avoid falling into a heap
on the floor.

Just as her fingers were about to slip under the hem of his boxers, the
sharp sound of a cell phone cut through the silence. Mulder's head fell 
forward in disappointment, as did hers.

Pulling away, Mulder staggered over to where the coats had been thrown. She
saw his hands tremble when he grabbed his coat and pulled
out the cellphone. Answering, he zipped up and she followed his example,
straightening her clothes.

"Scully?" She heard him say and looked up from underneath a string of hair.
"It's for you, it's Al ... It's Krycek."

Clearing her throat, she briskly walked over to take the phone.

"Alex?" she said, seeing how Mulder's face had lost that softness it had had
only minutes ago.

She found it hard to concentrate on what Krycek was saying on the other end.
Especially when her partner slipped into his coat as if to leave.

Excusing herself to Krycek. "Mulder?"

He turned. "You can return the phone in the morning Scully." Ignoring the
obvious question. "Your fiance is waiting." He nodded at the phone in her
hand, then left her standing there.

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

She hadn't told Krycek. What could she tell him? Nothing had happened,
because nothing had changed. Maybe some extra tension had been added, but
that was all. Mulder didn't say a word to her about it the next morning
when she returned the phone, painfully noticing that he was not able to look 
her in the eyes.

He did his best to concentrate on the case and spend less time alone with
her. It upset her to see how their relationship, both professional and
private, had changed. She wished that he at least could be honest about the
way he felt. If he could look her straight in the eyes and say that
everything that had happened between them had been a mistake and that he no
longer felt the same way for her, she would accept it. As long as he 
couldn't, she refused to believe it.

They flew back a couple of days later with enough evidence to keep the case
open for further investigation.

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

Ben wasn't at all pleased at being dragged out of bed in the middle of the
night for a meeting. The fact that it was raining didn't help to improve
his mood any further, and he glanced at his watch impatiently for the tenth
time, realizing he'd been waiting in his car outside the abandoned
warehouse for over half an hour. Except for the pack of Marlboros that
he'd nearly gone through, the only company he had was the irritating noise
from the vent system.

Just when he was about to give up on his informer, the door to the
passenger seat opened. The man entering the car didn't bother to shake the 
raindrops of his coat before stepping inside.

"You're late," Ben pointed out and lit another cigarette.

"Those are bad for your health," the Hispanic man said with a slight grin.

"Since when did you start to care?"

"You're right, Ben," Cardinal agreed and pulled a brown envelope from his
inner pocket.

Ben took the envelope and browsed though its contents.

"It contains everything you need. They want it done smoothly, make sure no
one suspects anything."

Ben nodded.

"See you at the office tomorrow." He opened the car to step out.

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

Mulder was going through the many shelves of books at the Bureau's library
labeled "History of Crimes." He had been at it for over twenty minutes
without any luck finding the book he wanted that contained old crime
methods. He remembered having thumbed through it at one point, but hadn't 
read it, and he suspected that there was something in there that would help 
him in his current investigation. He had even made the librarian go through 
the old archives two stores below. Since she hadn't returned, he figured she 
was still down there looking. As he was about to give up, a conversation 
between two agents on the other side of the shelf caught his attention.

"Did you hear that Agent Julien is getting another bump up the ladder?" one
of the agents spoke, unaware that someone was listening.

"You're kidding," the other agent replied.

"No, it's true. I wonder what he had to do this time. It's
amazing how he pulls it off with a clear conscience."

"What do you mean?"

"Listen, the guy misplaced an important piece of evidence ... take the
Rivera case, for an example. I worked at the New York field office then --"

"I heard about that case, the event of the year," the other agent
interjected.

"Something like that. Anyway, Julien misplaced an important piece
of evidence; I think it was a part of a protocol pinning Rivera to at least
two of the murders. Julien was brought up in front of a board, who found no 
substantial evidence that could hold him personally responsible for the 
sudden change in the case and the release of Rivera. Rumor has it that Julien 
knows people in high -- and maybe low -- places."

"Who knows, maybe it pays off."

"Yeah, who knows?"

Mulder leaned against the shelf, trying to sort out his thoughts. Even if
he wasn't much for rumors, he couldn't help to think that maybe there could
be some veracity to the story. Maybe he should ... his thought was
interrupted by the voice of the librarian.

"Agent Mulder."

Mulder turned to her.

"The book, Agent Mulder, I found it."

"Oh, great, thanks."

He accepted the book more or less absent-mindedly. For a few seconds, he
remained standing, trying to figure out what to believe, and when he left
the library, he knew he needed to read the Rivera file himself.

Before going home that day, he called in a favor to get hold of the file.
It took him most of the night to go through it. The file confirmed everything 
the two agents had been discussing, except for the part of Ben being on a 
payroll other than the Bureau's. Not that he'd expected it to be in there.

The file didn't provide enough strong evidence for Mulder to not give Ben
the benefit of a doubt. Everyone was entitled to make a mistake, so before he
jumped to any hasty conclusions, he needed more proof that could confirm the
two agents' accusations.

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

Stepping out of the shower, Krycek grabbed a towel from the rack on the
wall and wrapped it around his waist. Warm steams covered the
bathroom mirror above the sink, and with a swift motion, he
wiped it clean with his hand, seeing his nervous reflection.

There was less than an hour before Ethan and Oliver showed up. He hadn't
seen his friend since the party, but had exchanged pleasantries over the
phone a few times. Even if Ethan hadn't said anything about his
behavior with Mulder at his party, Krycek knew the question was bound to
come sooner or later, and tonight was too great an opportunity for Ethan
to let it pass.

Since they were running a little late, Krycek and Scully took turns getting
dressed so one of them could keep an eye on dinner, which was still cooking. 
When the doorbell rang, Krycek had just managed to squeeze himself into a 
pair of tight-fitting jeans and a black body-shaped shirt.

As he passed Scully on his way out to open the door, he asked, "Is
everything all right in the kitchen?"

"Five more minutes," she answered, distracted, while trying to wipe some
flour from her black vest. "Great," she mumbled not getting it off. "Now I
have to change again."

"What was that, sweetie?" he called from the hallway.

"Nothing!" she exclaimed, hurrying into the bedroom to change.

In the meantime, Krycek was about to open the door when the bell rang again.

"Patience is a virtue, Ethan," he said to himself, swinging the door open.

"Alex!" Ethan exclaimed joyful pulling his old friend into a warm, friendly
embrace.

"I'm glad you could make it." Krycek held him tight.

"How could I not?" 

"You look great, Ethan," Krycek pointed out, brushing his hand over his
friend's arm.

"I know," Ethan grinned, receiving an appreciative gaze from his lover.

Turning to Oliver, Krycek accepted the outstretched hand. "Nice to see you
again, Oliver."

Meeting Oliver's sexy gaze, he had no problem understanding what it was that
had gotten Ethan interested. His eyes had that special bedroom look, much
like Ben's.

"Come on, let me show you the rest of the apartment."

On their way through the combined kitchen and living area, they ran into
Scully.

"Hey, beautiful," Ethan said, giving her what could easily have been
misinterpreted as a little too friendly embrace. "For the hostess," he
said with a smile as he held out an expensive bottle of wine.

"Oh, you shouldn't have," Scully protested.

"Nonsense, consider it a delayed engagement present."


Through dinner, it occurred to Scully that she had probably never met
anyone quite like Ethan before. The fact that she was a woman seemed to
bother him, even if he left it unsaid. After what she had learned at the 
party, the fact that Krycek was straight had shocked them a lot, so she 
didn't blame Ethan for "quietly" commenting about her being a woman. Born 
with a curious mind, she took every opportunity she could to ask about "the 
old Krycek" and Ethan was very helpful, providing her with information even 
though Krycek was squirming in his seat.

"For Christ's sake, Alex, you need to change hairdressers!" Ethan proclaimed
after minutes of studying his hair.

"Why?" Krycek wanted to know, carefully touching his recently cut hair.

"Because there is nothing left. Nothing for me to ruffle."

"Think about that for a while." Krycek grinned.

"I think it's sexy," Oliver said, looking over at his lover with a touch
of danger in his eyes.

"Don't get any ideas, Oliver, I'm not cutting my hair more than necessary."

The memory of the time when Ethan had allowed Ben to cut his hair, for
some weird reason Alex never quite figured out, brought a smile to his
lips. The poor guy hadn't left the house for a month.

When Scully insisted on doing the dishes, Oliver and Ethan offered to help,
and Krycek went out to get some fresh air on the balcony. While lighting a
cigarette, his thoughts wandered to Mulder. He couldn't help but  
wonder whether he was at Ben's or at home. Even if the thought of Mulder at
Ben's place hurt, it hurt him even more knowing he was alone in that
depressing apartment of his. That place wasn't good for anyone's mental
health.

"What are you doing out here?" Ethan's friendly voice startled him at
first.

"I needed some fresh air."

Ethan walked up to stand next to him.

"You came out here to get some fresh air, and you're smoking," he said. "Gee, 
that is so you, Alex."

Krycek looked at the cigarette in his hand.

"I forgot about that," he said making Ethan smile.

"Forget that part where I told you that something had changed."

Krycek laughed shortly. Taking a final blow on the cigarette, put it out in the 
ash trey and turned to stand with his back against 
it.

Ethan tried, carefully. "Have you talked to Ben lately?" 

"No." His answer was short and it was obvious that he didn't want to talk
about it.

"Alex, how serious are you and Dana?"

He knew where Ethan was heading. "We're engaged."

"That wasn't really the question."

Krycek sighed. "I love her."

"I don't doubt that you do and it's not my place to give any moral lectures,
but I lived with you for a long time, and I, of all people, should know that
you cannot stay 'straight' forever. No matter how much you love her."
Ethan paused, and Krycek's expression gave away the effect his words had on 
him.
"I saw how you came on to that Mulder or whatever his name is, and if you
did it to piss Ben off, you succeeded. He is still in love with you."

"Don't go there," Alex mumbled. "There's a lot you don't know.
Things I should have told you earlier that might explain why I did what I
did."

Raising his gaze he met Ethan's friendly eyes and told him every
single detail, starting from the very beginning. He had to say that Ethan
took it rather well, and it felt great telling someone about it other then
Scully. Even though they where both in the same boat, so to speak, he had
never once heard her say -- if he hadn't brought it up first -- that she
missed him too. So he had started to follow her example and dealt with it the
silent way that had slowly started to eat him up from the inside.

Ethan crossed his arms over his chest and took his time to reply to what
Alex had told him. 

"I'm speechless, Alex; this is ... uhm ..." he said, trying to find the right
words.

"Unusual, maybe," Krycek filled in, letting a faint smile curve his lips.

"This certainly puts Dana in a whole new perspective." Ethan chuckled. "I had
a feeling she had more to offer behind that innocent smile of hers."

"Just do me a favor, don't tell her that I told you."

"Sure, if you don't want me to." 

Krycek nodded relieved, lighting another cigarette. "Enough with my
problems, tell me all about Oliver."

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

Ben was reading through his files, finishing a bottle of vodka as he was
trying to get it all together. Things weren't working according to plan -- 
at least not his.

The doorbell rang and he looked up from the piles of papers in his hands.
He emptied his glass, then hid the papers and rose to open the door.

"Ethan." He closed his eyes and tried to feel less drunk.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure. Come on in." He stepped aside to let him enter.

Ethan looked at his friend, realizing he was not sober; the breath alone
was a given sign. He looked like hell, unshaven and tired.

"Hey, what's this?" Ben complained and closed the door with his back. "I
don't get a hug?"

With a smile, Ethan went up and wrapped his arms around his friend. Ben
nuzzled his neck and held on tight as if he was afraid he'd go again.

"Are you okay, Ben?"

"Yeah." He nodded and buried his face in the curve of his neck. "I'm fine."

Ethan kissed his cheek and pulled away.

"Ben, we need to talk."

Sighing, Ben winced and gave Ethan a look of disagreement. "Talk."
He shook his head. "That is so overrated."

"Come on." Ethan put his arm around him. "Let's sit down."

Having made sure Ben was sitting up straight in the couch, Ethan spotted the
bottle of vodka. This wasn't exactly the best condition to be talking to
Ben, but he had to confront him sooner or later. He picked up the bottle and
pulled on the cork.

"Pour me a glass, Ethan," Ben nodded at the bottle. "You know what, take
the glass, I can drink from the bottle."

"Ben." He pulled away the bottle as Ben reached for it. "I think you've had
enough." Patting Ben's lap, Ethan got up. "I'm making you some coffee."

"No," Ben objected, grabbing a hold of Ethan's arm. "Screw the coffee, just
sit down ... sit down."

Obeying, Ethan placed the bottle as far away from Ben as he could,
realizing that he'd lost interest in it.

"Ethan, you're good." Ben patted his thigh. "You're good."

Ethan smiled and raised his hand to caress Ben's hair. Even if he had acted
like a pig toward Krycek lately, he was still Ben.

"What's going on, Ben?" he asked softly, cupping his face with one hand.
"Why all this?"

"Why do you think?" Ben looked as if someone had placed a blow in his gut.
"Why don't you just take a wild guess."

It wasn't exactly a hard quiz

"Ben," Ethan sighed and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Don't do this to
yourself."

Removing Ethan's hand from his face, Ben moved his own hand to his
forehead, rubbing frustratedly.

"You'll only end up hurt, Ben," Ethan tried, his voice calm and friendly.

"Hurt?" Ben looked up at him. "What the hell do you think I'm feeling right
now? Huh? Don't you think that it hurts?" He raised his voice without
being aware of it. "This hurts!"

"Ben --"

"No, Ethan. No! I'm not letting it go. I'm not giving up on him!"

Ethan nodded at his friend. There was no use in arguing about it, not when
he was like this.

"Ben, I've talked to Alex," he said. "I know that he and Mulder
were seeing each other before you came along."

Ben looked down in his lap, drew a hand through his hair and sighed. "Yeah,
well, shit happens."

"No, Ben." Ethan dropped his friendly act, seeing how it made Ben squirm.
"I don't think that shit just happened. I think it had a little help. As a
matter a fact, I think it had more help than it should have had."

"Oh, c'mon, Ethan," Ben objected, loudly. "You don't even know what
happened. Aside from what Alex might have told you, you don't have any idea,
do you?"

"Jesus, Ben, could you give me some credit?" Ethan was getting really
upset. "Don't you think I know you well enough to see what you're up to?"

Finding himself pushed up against the wall, Ben found no way of defending
himself against Ethan's accusations. After all, he was right. Instead of
objecting to him, Ben reached for the bottle of vodka.

"Ben, come on," Ethan tried to take it from him but was pushed away by
Ben's strong arm. "Ben ..."

Ignoring Ethan's request, Ben removed the cork and took a swig,
swallowing hard.

"I can't believe you're doing this, Ethan," He shook his head and looked
down the bottle. "I thought you would understand."

Ethan watched him take another mouthful without even trying to stop him.

"I don't understand why, that's all," he said, studying his hands. "Where
do you want to go with this?"

"I know what I'm doing." He took another sip.

"I don't think you do." Ethan shook his head. "What makes you think that
Alex wants you back after stealing Mulder from him? It only adds to his
hatred toward you. Listen to yourself. You've taken the man he loves and
you expect --"

"No! He doesn't love Mulder. He just thinks that he does. When he realizes
what he's been doing, when he's been away from him some more, he'll forget
what he ever saw in him."

"And he'll come back to you? Is that the plan? Is that what you think will 
happen?"

Ben sighed, frustrated, and had another go at the bottle.

"You might not want to hear this, Ben, but you'd better. Alex is in
love with Mulder ... and even if he weren't, he still wouldn't come back to
you after all that happened. He did that once; he's not doing it again."
Speaking a little softer now, he leaned in and took the bottle away. "No 
matter
how much you want him to, that's not going to happen."

Aware of the truth in Ethan's words, Ben leaned against his friend
and closed his eyes. Ethan placed the bottle on the table and put his arm
around his friend.

"Please help me, Ethan," he whispered. "Please help me get him back."

"I can't do that, Ben." Ethan kissed his temple. "It's not fair to Alex.
That has to be his own choice."

"Then at least promise me that you'll make sure I'll get a moment to
explain to him, explain how much I love him, make him understand that."

Ethan held him tighter, smoothing his hand over Ben's arm. He
doubted it would do much good but couldn't deny Ben the chance to make it
all right; he'd already deprived him of that once.

"I promise, Ben, I'll try."

He could feel the relieved sigh from the man in his arms, feeling guilty as
he thought it wouldn't help.

"So, are you going to let me make you some coffee already?" he 
nuzzled Ben's neck. "Or are you just going to sit here and feel sorry for
yourself?"

Ben laughed softly and pulled away.

"Could you spend the night?" he pleaded. "I really don't feel like being
alone."

"Of course," Ethan leaned in and gave him a friendly kiss. "I'll stay with
you."

Getting up from the couch, Ethan squeezed Ben's hand lightly before going
out to the kitchen.

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

Scully brought out her pack of cigarettes as she walked down the street, the
frustration building inside her. She placed a cigarette between her lips
and stopped to light it, and then continued to walk, not knowing where she
was going, really.

They'd gotten into a fight, and she hadn't been able to
deal with it. As much as she still loved Mulder and wanted nothing anything
more than to get him back, she had started to realize that it wasn't going
to happen and she'd adjusted herself to that. Krycek's endless whining
about how much he missed him was driving her out of her mind. She didn't
like being reminded of how things were.

So she'd decided to go for a walk, clear her mind. She already regretted the 
things she'd said to him when her mind had snapped and her patience had run 
out. It was just wearing her down and she had been suppressing her own 
feelings for too long, something had to cave.

// Alex when will you realize that you only have yourself to blame for
this? If you hadn't lied to Mulder, if you just had told him the truth from 
the beginning, he wouldn't have left us!  //



Remembering the look on his face, she cursed herself for hurting him. It 
wasn't fair to lay the blame solely on him; she hadn't done much to stop it.

After a couple of minutes' walk, she realized that she had returned to the
apartment building, but she didn't feel like facing him yet. She decided
to drive over to Mulder's first and give him those files she had left in the
car after work. Maybe that would calm her down some, and then when she
returned, they could sit down and be rational about what was happening with
their lives.

She pulled up at the parking lot outside Mulder's apartment and parked her 
car close to the front door. Making sure she looked all right, she stepped 
out of the car and leaned in to grab the files. She hadn't even noticed 
someone walking up from behind her, and when she turned around, she didn't 
have time to react before the man standing in front of her lifted his 
baseball bat and then darkness surrounded her.

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

It was the only place he could think of that she would go to after the
argument they'd had. After five hours, he couldn't find the patience to
just sit down and wait for her to come back, and he really felt
that they should work things through.

Her car was parked outside the building, and his relief was mixed with worry
as he made his way in. They hadn't been together on neutral ground, just the 
three of them, since the breakup, and he didn't know how he would feel or how 
Mulder would act toward him. They hadn't spoken at all since Ethan's party, 
and if his memory served, that hadn't gone well at all.

"Who is it?"

/Good old paranoid Mulder. / Krycek thought and sighed.

"It's me."

Silence.

"Could I just talk to Dana? I promise not to bother you, just let me talk
to her."

"Scully's not here."

Krycek could hear him walk away from the door and felt utterly confused.
Why would he lie about that? He'd seen her car outside. Mulder wouldn't lie
about something like that; he would have no reason to. Unless she'd
told him to.

"Mulder!" He knocked on the door again. "Open the damn door, I want to
speak to her."

"I told you, she's not here." Mulder sounded really irritated. "Now would
you please leave before you disturb my neighbors?"

Not giving in, Krycek knocked again, this time with force. "Dana!"

He wasn't prepared for the door to open and almost fell inside as Mulder
swung it open.

"I need to talk to her." He tried to peek in to the dark apartment, swiftly
looking at the man before him.

"What's wrong?" Mulder met his eyes. "Did you lie to her?"

The words hit home and Krycek swallowed hard to keep control over his
emotions. He didn't want to go there.

"Well, I assume she's told you already. Stop pretending you don't know."

Mulder sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"You know Alex, I don't know what is going on, but if you're having trouble
working on your relationship, I would appreciate it if you kept me out of
it. It doesn't interest me."

"Fine." Alex tried to pretend that hadn't hurt. "I just want to talk to her."

"Then I'd suggest you go and do that." Mulder said flatly and prepared to
close the door.

"Wait." He prevented him from closing the door. "How the hell am I going to 
be able to
talk to her if you close the door again?"

"Alex, she's not here." Mulder sighed once more. "Go home."

"But her car is parked ..." Krycek trailed off as horrible ideas flooded
through her mind. "I saw her car right outside."

Suddenly, he had Mulder's attention and as their eyes met, the same idea
went through their minds. In less than two seconds, Mulder was out in the
hall with him, heading for the elevator. Krycek followed close behind him.

They went down to the parking lot and spotted the car immediately. Mulder
was the first to reach it, finding blood on the ground and the car door
unlocked. He looked around the place for a while, the darkness preventing
him from seeing much.

Krycek leaned beside him, terrified as he saw the stains of blood on the
ground and car. "Oh, God, no," he breathed and felt his emotions flooding
him. "This is all my fault."

Mulder looked at him and saw the guilt. He knew it couldn't be his
fault; he didn't think it would be right for him to feel that way. He
stroked his arm.

"It's not your fault, Alex," he whispered. "We don't know what happened
yet."

Mulder stood up, scanning the area, but it wasn't until he turned that he
noticed it. A couple of feet from the car, under a tree, stood a single wax
candle, burning bright. He felt as if someone had punched him in the
stomach.

"Oh my God, it's Koan."

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

Skinner had told them both to stay away from the case when they woke him
up in the middle of the night, but as usual, Mulder didn't listen. He had
studied Koan's case too closely not to have some kind of idea where he
would take her.

He argued with Krycek about cooperating, but soon learned that the
younger man wouldn't give in, and unwillingly accepted him. He could
understand that Alex wanted to help, but he wasn't really up for dealing with
Krycek in the middle of this mess. It was bad enough as it was.

They took the flight up to Quebec, rented a car at the airport and headed
for the location Mulder suspected Koan had taken her. He didn't even stop
driving as the snowstorm hit them. Krycek didn't object,
just as eager to get there to her rescue as Mulder was.

In the middle of nowhere, the car shuddered to a halt, and they were stuck in 
the car, seeing only snow in both directions. Mulder tried to call out with 
his
cell phone but the connection would not hold. He didn't know how much
they'd heard, hoping for both their sakes that they'd been able to get
their location.

"What did they say?" Krycek wanted to know as Mulder hung up the phone
from the rescue team.

Mulder sighedand rubbed his forehead. "I gave them the
location ... then the connection broke." Looking out the window. "Hopefully
they heard me and will be coming out here as soon as they can."

"Hopefully?" Krycek realized that was raising his voice. "And what if they
didn't hear you? We could freeze to death out here."

With another deep sigh, Mulder leaned back in his seat and covered his face
with his hands. This wasn't happening, was it? He was trapped in a car with
Krycek in the middle of a snow-covered nowhere.

"We'll have to stay in the car, otherwise they won't find us at all," he
informed the younger man. "I'd suggest we move back to the back seat where
the space is more confined. We'll be able to keep warm more easily there."

Krycek looked at him, a little surprised.  "You first," he offered after a
while and motioned to the back seat.

Mulder pressed himself into the back of the car, sitting on the right. When 
he had made himself as comfortable as one could get under the circumstances, 
he couldn't help but to catch a glimpse, almost in closeup, of Krycek's 
well-shaped ass as he made his way back to sit next to him.

/Oh God, just help me through this and I might start believing in You. /

They sat silently for a while. A thought went through their minds on how they 
easily could keep warm, but neither one of them took it into action of words. 

"Mulder."

Raising his gaze, he met those beautiful green eyes and felt his heart ache
at the look of pain in them. "Yeah?"

"Do you think we will die?"

He saw the sincere worry in his old lover's eyes and wished that he would
be able to tell him that they would be all right, that nothing could possibly
happen to have it go that far. But he couldn't sit there and lie to him. "I
don't know, Alex," he said softly. "Let's hope not."

Krycek turned to look out the window. Even in all this misery, it
was soothing to hear him talk like that to him, like he didn't hate him,
and as if everything were back to normal.

After a couple of hours, Krycek was so cold that his body was shaking.
Mulder had noticed how he tried to hide it, understanding that he didn't
want to seem weak.

"Alex." Mulder sounded a little worried.

"Mhm." 

"How's it going? Are you cold?"

"I ... I ... I'm fine."

It worried Mulder that Krycek was shaking as much as he did, and although
his feelings would be strongly affected by the choice he had to make, he 
couldn't watch him any longer.

"Alex." He looked at him again.

Krycek met his eyes.

"Maybe we should get a little closer," Mulder suggested, turning his eyes
away from Krycek's. "We need to stay warm."

"Yeah," Krycek answered a little too quickly, the thought of getting close
to Mulder very appealing.

They moved closer to each other, both feeling their hearts starting to beat
faster. Mulder reached out his arms and pulled Krycek into his embrace. He
felt the other man's cold face brush pass his neck, frozen lips
brushing by so lightly it made him lightheaded.

Making themselves comfortable, they ended up gently pressed
against each other. Krycek buried his face in Mulder's neck.  He was
breathing rather rapidly because of the cold. Mulder moved his hands
over his body, trying to build up some warmth between them.

"I'm tired." Krycek spoke into Mulder's neck, causing the small hairs to
rise in pleasure.

"You need to stay awake, Alex." Mulder rubbed his body more rapidly.
"Don't fall asleep on me now."

Krycek's head dropped to lie on Mulder's shoulder and Mulder shook his
body a little to keep him awake.

"C'mon, Alex, talk to me. Tell me about those statistics again," he tried to
joke.

Krycek chuckled. "I thought you hated my statistics." 

"I did, I mean, I still do," Mulder confessed. "But there must be something
more interesting you can tell me."

"Like what?"

"I don't know."

He was glad to keep the conversation in motion, knowing how important it
was that they stayed awake.

"Tell me about Russia."

Krycek chuckled again, thinking that Mulder must be losing it.

"You don't want to know about Russia, Mulder, trust me. Besides, I only
lived there as a kid; I don't know if there would be much I could tell you."

Okay, so that had been a little lame, he had to agree. He thought about
something they could talk about, something safe. Automatically, he came to
think of the one person in both their lives that they couldn't get
uncomfortable about, the one person they could both agree that they loved.

"You know that thing Scully does when she wakes up in the morning." Mulder 
smiled at the memory. "You know, that routine she had going on."

"Yeah," Krycek joined in, smiling. "She still does it. I don't think that she 
is aware of it."

Mulder laughed. "Still denying it, is she?"

Krycek grinned. "I've stopped commenting on it; she's got quite a morning 
temper, you know."

Mulder smiled. "She's so beautiful," he said quietly, not knowing why he had 
brought that up.

Krycek's arms tightened around Mulder and he brought his face closer to his
neck, feeling the fragile thread that held his feelings together snap. The 
tears that he had withheld for so long started to seep out like a stream. His 
body started to shake for a completely different reason and he tried to hold 
the other man closer to his body, in need of comfort.

Mulder had no idea how to react. 

"I miss you so much," Krycek whispered into his neck. "And I don't want to
lose her too."

Those words found their place in Mulder's heart and it hurt like hell. It was
hard for him to react in any sane way when he didn't know what to think of
their relationship; he didn't have all the pieces yet. He felt as if he was
standing at some kind of a crossroad, not knowing which way to choose, the
lies crumbling him from inside. There was no chance he could make that
choice, and even if he found out that it was Alex who had been true after 
all, he
didn't feel worthy. He couldn't go back to them after all that had happened.

"We'll find her" was all he could say, trying to sound emotionless.

/He still hates me, / Krycek thought.

It had always been hard for him to forget about people who had been
important to him, people who had slipped away from him. Usually, though, he
had learned to live with the idea of it, the absence.

With Mulder it was different.

He pressed his face closer to Mulder's neck, wishing the tears would dry
off, but finding no end to their source.

"Alex," Mulder tried, running his hands soothingly against his back.

Krycek heard the softness in his voice and felt the familiar sensation of his
hands touching his back. Probably without even being aware of it, Mulder
moved his hands all the way down to Krycek's spine, sending small electric
jolts up to his midsection. He felt his arousal grow.

It had never been Mulder's intentions to arouse such feelings when he
tried to comfort Krycek. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he could feel Krycek's
lips, now a little warmer, against his neck, trailing a row of featherlike
kisses up his jaw.

"Alex," he whispered, and swallowed hard.

This was not good. He had to stop.

Their scents mixed and the air around them got warmer as Mulder too
felt his body come alive under the lips of his former lover.

/God, this feels so great. /

Krycek let his tongue swirl into Mulder's ear, then sucked gently on the
lobe as he heard him groan. It drove him further.

Slowly, almost not notably, Krycek started to rock against Mulder, making
him feel the hard bulge in his pants. He became aware of the same condition
with the other man, meeting his own hardness against Mulder's.

The air was growing more and more heavy between them and the cold seemed to
be miles away.

"Alex." That came out as a moan.

He had to make this stop before it got out of hand.

With the boldness of a man who had nothing to lose, Krycek moved his lips
on top of Mulder's and started nudging gently. The warm breath hit his face
and when the taste reached his senses, he felt a new set of tears behind
his eyelashes.

Mulder couldn't move.

Tasting the sweet taste that was Mulder, he deepened the kiss and probed
his tongue into the warmth that made his head spin. Sucking gently on the
lower lip, he felt the slightest response from the other man. He dared to
press his lips fully against the other's and take in all he could.

Mulder's tongue darted into Krycek's mouth and met its match. Without
thinking of his actions, the moment totally lost on him, Mulder thrust his
erection against Krycek's body. Krycek rewarded the action by slipping
his hand down between them and undoing the first button in Mulder's jeans.
He didn't dare to speak as he undid the others, feeling how the man in
his arms only answered by kissing him more deeply.


Their bodies became warm again, the passion of their action heating the
air between them. It was wonderful, warm, and the excitement started to
rise inside Krycek.

"I've missed you, Fox," he breathed into his mouth, caressing the hard
bulge in his pants. "God, I've missed feeling you like this."

Mulder moaned and pressed himself against the hand that was now working its
way inside his boxers, taking his hardness in its grip. It felt wonderful,
the touch, the taste he knew so well, and couldn't deny that he loved.

"I want you," Krycek managed and rolled his thumb over the sensitive tip,
feeling the pre-cum wetting his finger.

Unable to speak, Mulder thrust into the fist that held him and heard
Krycek working his own pants with his one free hand.

/I shouldn't be doing this. /

Krycek leaned forward to taste the head of his cock, lapping at the fluid
leaking from the slit.

/But he feels so good. /

"Alex," he panted, trying to grab his hair to pull him up. "Alex, we
shouldn't ..."

Moving up to face the man he loved, Krycek smiled sadly and placed his hand
on the side of his face. "I don't care if you're just taking advantage of
me, if you just need the sex. I just want to feel you."

He couldn't respond to that as he heard the sad tone in Alex's voice. What
if he told him how much he still loved him, that it wasn't just sex to him
either? What if he let him know all that he tried so hard to keep from him?

"Alex, I --"

The sound of a car getting closer, lights shining up the back seat and
hearing an engine being shut off, made them jerk away from each other. They
rapidly buttoned up their pants. Mulder studied Krycek's flustered face as
he looked at him, seeing how disappointed he was.

"I guess the rescue team heard me," Mulder commented, trying to loosen up
his mood.

"Mulder --"

"Alex, don't." Shaking his head. "Forget about this. It never happened."

"But --"

"Are you okay in there?" a man shouted into the car.

"Yeah, we're okay," Mulder answered and opened the door. "We're okay."

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

To their surprise, A.D. Skinner met them at the Quebec hospital they were
taken to. He didn't look too happy as he approached them, and Mulder
could hear the lecture coming on.

"Agents, you've gone against my direct orders," he began, seeing Mulder
squirm. "I hope there's a good explanation."

"I had a idea where Koan might be taking her," Mulder replied, trying to
keep calm. "I was just doing my best to find her."

"And Agent Krycek?" He turned to the younger man.

Krycek turned momentarily paralyzed, not used to being put on the spot for
disobedience.

"Agent Krycek was just helping me," Mulder answered for him.

Skinner eyed them oddly. He couldn't quite figure out where they stood in
each other's lives, and this last event had only confused him further.

"Have you heard anything else about Agent Scully's whereabouts?" Mulder
dared, not feeling the need to stand around and waste time.

"Agent Scully got away from Koan a couple of hours ago," Skinner said
flatly. "She knew his profile well enough to know what he was planning and 
was able
to get away from him with some minor injuries but nothing really serious. She 
seems to be fine" 

"Where is she?" Krycek inquired, relieved she was safe.

"She's on her way here," Skinner answered, letting them know that it wasn't
appreciated. "She insisted as soon as she heard you two were lost."

Mulder and Krycek shared a glance.

"I want a report from the two of you on my desk Monday morning, is that
clear?"

"Yes sir." Krycek nodded.

After watching Skinner leave, they both looked at each other, thinking of
the one thing they wouldn't put into the report.

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

Krycek and Scully had been invited to New York for a night out with
Krycek's old friends and were walking up to the nightclub when Scully
spotted the name across the top of the building.

"Studio Alexander?" she grinned. "Ethan named his nightclub after you?"

"Yeah," Krycek smiled proudly. "But it's mostly known as 'Studio A' since the
'lexander' is so tiny."

Scully leaned over and kissed his cheek, squeezing his hand, hoping that a
night out with the guys would do some good for both of them.

"Alex, baby, you're looking fine." Ethan met them in the doorway, pulling
Alex into a hug. "And it's about time you dropped by the club, I might
add."

Krycek smiled shyly and reached for Scully's hand. "Yeah, I'll try and make
an appearance a little more often."

"Yeah, right." Ethan smiled doubtfully and turned to Scully. "Dana." He
leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Thank you for getting him here."

"Didn't take much convincing." She smiled and glanced at her fiance.

Ethan led them into a table in the back of the bar, where the other guys had
already arrived. They both noticed that Ben was among them, eyeing them
as they approached.

"Alex," Tisha said with a smile and pulled him into his arms. "Two times in 
so short a
time; I hope you keep it up." He gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"Pretty good for a little brat like you," Paris commented and ruffled his
hair.

Krycek smiled, embarrassed, and continued to go through the group,
deliberately ignoring Ben. To be honest, he was a little upset
with Ethan for inviting him there.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Ethan asked and took a seat beside Ben,
putting his arm around him. "Just call on a waiter and order anything you
want; it's on the house." He looked around for a nearby waiter. "Hey,
Mickey!"

He took their order and hurried away, leaving silence among the group of
men. The fact that Ben was sitting there left the tension thick.

"Where's Oliver?" Krycek wondered, not pleased about the fact that he had
to look in Ben's direction while speaking to Ethan.

"He had to work," Ethan said. "So lucky for me, Ben was kind enough to step
in and pose as my boyfriend, didn't you, baby?" He leaned in for a quick kiss.

"You wish," Ben grinned but didn't object to the kiss he was given.

Krycek shifted in his seat. The way they acted made him think
too much of how it was back then and about the feelings he'd had.

The hours went by and after a couple of drinks, Krycek thought less of
Ben's presence and more of having a good time with the rest of the guys.
Scully was getting along really well with the group of men and it felt as if
they were accepting her more as his girlfriend this time. Even if Krycek 
wouldn't say it, it was obvious that it was important to him that they 
approved of their relationship.

"So, have you set a date yet?" Kyle wanted to know, casting a glance on the
engagement rings. "I'm assuming we're invited."

"Of course." Scully smiled. "I thought Alex had told you that already."

Ben squirmed in his seat. It was obvious he wasn't included.

"Yeah, he did." Tisha blinked at Krycek. "We just wanted to hear it from
the bride as well."

"That's a relief to hear." Scully turned to Krycek. "Because if it was up to
Alex, we'd elope and let everyone know it once it was over."

Laughter spread through the group.

Daniel arched a brow and looked at Scully. "Don't worry, Dana, we'll make
sure he won't get away that easy." 

Krycek noticed how quiet Ethan had been next to Ben. His arm was still
wrapped around Ben's shoulder and Krycek could read Ethan's lips as he
leaned in to ask Ben how he was feeling. Ben nodded and forced a smile and
Ethan smiled weakly back, pressing his lips briefly against Ben's temple.

"I'll be right back, Dana, I'm just going to the men's room." Krycek leaned
over to kiss his fiancee before heading for the bathrooms, uncomfortable by
the small action he'd just witnessed.

When he was done, he was just about to get back to the
party when he caught sight of a mark on the wall. He took a few steps
toward the wall and the memories once again washed over him as he saw
the scratched-in symbol of love still clear on the repainted wall. He smiled
and let himself go back in time for a short moment as he touched the names.

"Do you remember that day?"

He closed his eyes at the sound of that voice.

"You were so scared we would get caught, I thought you were about to pass
out," Ben remembered as he walked up to him.

"Well, the former owner wasn't as nice as Ethan," Krycek commented. "I'm a 
little surprised it's still there; the rest of the place seems to be 
repaired."

"I asked Ethan to keep it there."

Krycek nodded and remembered that Ben was half-owner of
the club. He'd helped Ethan buy the place but it was written on Ethan solo,
since Ben had no actual interest in owning it; he had just been helping out
his best friend.

"I figured that way we'd be even with the club and all," Ben continued.
"Not that Ethan would accept that. You know how he is."

Krycek nodded. "Yeah. Ethan's good."

"So are you, Alex," Ben mumbled. "I guess that makes me the bad guy."

Krycek turned to face him, noting the sad look in his eyes. "Ben --"

"No, Alex, don't say that I'm not, 'cause I know that you think that I am. I
can't really blame you, can I?"

Dropping his gaze to the ground, Krycek didn't know how to respond. Deep
down, he knew that Ben's soul wasn't evil or bad, he just did what he
thought was right and it had consequences.

"I'd better go back out," he said, afraid to face Ben like this.

"Wait." Ben took hold of his arm. "I want to talk to you."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"I'm not going to do anything, I just want to talk to you," Ben pleaded. "I
need to talk to you."

Krycek took a deep sigh and recognized the desperate tone in Ben's voice.

"Please."

Meeting those eyes, he didn't know what took over him. "Okay." Leaning
against the sink. "Talk."

A man walked in to the room and went into a cubicle. Ben looked from the
man to Krycek, having hoped for a little more privacy than this.

"Can we go up to Ethan's office?" he suggested, seeing Krycek grow
suspicious. "Just for a while."

Sighing heavily, Krycek nodded and kept a stiff posture as they made
their way to the room in the back. Ben closed the door behind them and
Krycek kept his distance as Ben turned around to face him.

"You look uncomfortable," Ben said, wanting to loosen up the atmosphere.

Krycek kept his distance. "Can't say that I'm not."

Taking his time, Ben walked closer to Krycek, feeling the tension thicken
at every step he took.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Krycek confronted,
moving away from Ben's closeness. "I'm not really up for playing games."

"God, do you have to be so tense around me? What are you afraid I'll do?"

"I don't trust you."

Ben's gaze dropped to his hands and he could hear his own heart breaking
within.

"What did you expect?" Krycek wondered when he noted Ben's reaction.
"You come back into my life and started screwing things up. You steal my
boyfriend, the man I love ... and you're surprised that I don't trust you?"

"Alex, I --"

"Why? Why do you do these things to me? Why do you mess up my life and
then keep hanging around to pour salt in the wounds? Do you get some kind of
kick out of it? Is that it?"

Watching Krycek speak, Ben couldn't find the words to defend himself as the
pain built up inside him. What the hell had he been expecting? A warm
welcome back?

"Answer my question, damnit, you're the one who wanted to talk! Now I'm
asking you a question! Why do you do this to me?"

"Because I love you!" Ben snapped. "Because every day I wake up and think
of you, wish that you were lying next to me, holding me. And the thought
that you aren't ... the thought of you doing that with someone else ..." He
couldn't finish the sentence.

Surprised over the little outburst, Krycek didn't know what to say. He
could see the tears threatening to break free behind those beautiful brown
eyes as the thread of Ben's temper was about to snap.

"I made a mistake sleeping with Rick, but it meant nothing." He breathed 
heavily to keep the tears from falling. "I would undo it if I could, but I can't."
He leaned against the desk, rubbing his hands in his face. "I can't."

Krycek took a few steps up to him.

"I can't," Ben repeated and hid his face in his hands as he started crying.

"Ben," Krycek whispered and reached out to him.

"I'm sorry," Ben managed, clinging to Krycek with his face buried in
his neck. "I'm so sorry Alex."

"I know." Krycek nodded and stroked Ben's hair. "I know you are."

"I love you," Ben whispered as the tears settled. "Can't we just go back to
how it was before? Before I started screwing things up?"

"No." Krycek shook his head. "We can't do that."

Ben buried his face closer to Krycek's neck. "But just for a while, assume
you'll say yes. We could sneak out and go back to my apartment, the
way we used to. I'd make love to you, just like before, anywhere you'd
want me to. Then when you woke up the next morning, I'd love you all over
again."

There was a moment of silence.

"But you won't say yes, will you?"

"No," Krycek spoke softly. "I won't." He loosened his grip, ready to let
Ben go.

"Don't," Ben managed and held on tighter. "Don't let go yet." He took in
the breath of the man he so loved. "I just want to feel you for a while
longer. "

"Ben --"

"Shh ... Don't talk." He placed a kiss on the base of his neck. "Just stay
here."

"I have to go, Ben ..."

Ben felt the panic rise within. He wasn't ready to give him up this easily
and desperation was starting to show its ugly face.

"Wait, Alex," he pleaded as Krycek tried to break free from his
embrace once more. "Just hear me out here."

"Ben, I don't think this is such a good idea." Despite all that had
happened these last couple of months, he didn't like hurting Ben.

"I can't." Ben took a deep breath, collecting his feelings. "I can't give
you up without knowing that I've tried every possible way."

"Ben ... we --"

"No, Alex, I need to give this a try, even if you think you've made up your
mind." He took Krycek's hands between his own. "Please just listen to what
I have to say."

It was hard to tell what would hurt Ben the most, denying him this or
turning him down once more.

"Thank you," Ben nodded, as Krycek didn't object. "I just need to know," he
swallowed hard making sure he had his attention. "I need to know if there
is anything I could do, anything at all ... that would make you want me
again --"

"Ben --"

"Don't say anything." His voice trembled. "I don't want you to answer
that without thinking about it, it's too important to me."

Krycek lowered his gaze, sighing aloud.

"Don't you think that if you search deep within yourself, that there is
some love left for me, some part that I didn't manage to kill?" Ben tried.
"I mean, there's got to be."

"Of course there is." Krycek met his eyes again. "I can't deny that, but --"

"No, no buts." Ben smiled and shook his head. "If there is something there,
we could work from that, we could --"

"Ben, you will always be a part of me," Krycek interrupted. "You were my
first love, I know what we had was very special and that I loved you
more than anything back then --"

"And I still love you like that." Ben broke in, the tears fresh in his
voice. "I still want you as much as I did back then."

"Then give me what I want," Krycek tried, seeing his chance. "Tell Mulder
how it really is because if you really love me as much as you say, you
would want for me to be happy."

"I can't do that, Alex," Ben was growing frustrated. "I'm sorry, but I'm too
damned egoistical to do that."

Feeling Ben's hands on each side of his head, Krycek didn't dare to break
away, afraid of how Ben would react. He lifted his gaze, seeing the tears 
wallowing in Ben's eyes.

"How can you expect me to give you away like that?" he spoke softly.

"Because." Krycek lingered on the word. "Because I'm in love with Mulder,
Ben."

Ben looked at him and then closed his eyes. He didn't know what to do next.
The power was completely in his hands but he couldn't use it to get what he
wanted, and conscience had never been one of his better qualities. It wasn't
in him to do the right thing, and he didn't think that he would be able to 
when it hurt this much.

"I need some time to think about this, Alex," he said, still not sure of his
plans. "If you promise you will, too."

That was the best deal he could make.

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

There was another harsh knock on the door, but Mulder sat on the
couch, concentrating his gaze on the flickering lights coming from the TV. He 
had been sitting like that for several hours now and had no intentions of
turning it off. It made him feel less alone.

When the banging on the door suddenly stopped, Mulder turned his head,
mostly out of curiosity, to see if whoever it was was still out there. The
shadow underneath the door confirmed his suspicion. Sighing heavily, he
rose to open it, though he didn't put much effort into rushing. The fact that 
it was the middle of the night hadn't occurred to him. His "friends" always
chose to visit him at peculiar hours.

About to place his hand on the handle, an unexpected knock made him wince.
Irritated by the involuntary move, he swung the door open, adding a touch
of anger. The hostile words that had formed on his lips died at the
sight of the uninvited guest and Mulder froze with a dumbstruck
expression.

"Are you letting me in, or are you going to wait until your neighbors start
complaining?"

The calm but harsh voice belonged to Alex Krycek.

Mulder didn't budge, still surprised to see Krycek standing there.

Krycek spoke again, this time less patient. "Are you letting me in or do
you want me to make a scene? I'm sure your neighbors would love that."

Mulder stepped aside, not wanting to add another demerit to the eviction
list his landlord probably kept on him.

Krycek walked past him. "You've been busy, I see." He looked around the
dark apartment, not surprised to find himself standing in a mess.

"I doubt you came here to give me cleaning advice," Mulder snorted, making
Krycek turn toward him.

/Big mistake. /

The sight of Mulder's nonchalant posture against the still-open door turned
his knees into Jell-O and he had to brace himself against the nearest wall
to keep from falling.

Gathering himself, he managed to speak. "I thought you wanted to
spare your neighbors a scene?" He nodded toward the door.

Mulder gave the door a light push and it closed. "What do you want?"
Walking past Alex, he went back into the apartment.

"We need to talk." Krycek followed him.

"About?"

"Us," Krycek answered, not seeing any point in beating around the bush.

"That should make this conversation very short, then."

Even if Mulder's reply was harsh, there was something in his voice, an
uncertainty that made it pretty clear he didn't believe that.

"You selfish bastard!" Krycek burst, taking a step closer. "Don't tell me
what happened between us in the car didn't mean anything to you!"

Krycek searched for eye contact but failed as Mulder persisted in staring
at the floor. Instead, he waited for him to reply. At first, Mulder didn't 
move, and for a while, Krycek started to believe the man had fallen asleep
standing.

Mulder rubbed his tired face, feeling the two-days'-old stubble tickle his
palms. He couldn't believe how Krycek could even insinuate that what
happened between them in the car didn't matter to him, because it did. More
than he wanted to admit. He had been the one tossing all these accusations
around and lecturing Krycek about trust, how everything came down to
honesty while he was the biggest hypocrite of them all. It wasn't easy
swallowing your pride, not after all this time.

/Damn you, Mulder why can't you say anything? / Krycek's mind screamed,
agonized by his silence. / Throw me out, say it's over, just don't make me
feel this unimportant ... just say you love me... /

Krycek closed his eyes, not wanting to give up hope but he was afraid hope
had given up on him. He had lost Ben and then he had lost Mulder too, just
because of one stupid little lie, and he was afraid that if Mulder asked
him to leave, he would lose Scully as well.

Mulder raised his head to meet Krycek's eyes but found them closed.
He stared intensely at the face of the man he had loved and adored and
still did. Gradually, Mulder came closer, frightened of what would happen if
Krycek opened his eyes. Would he have to see his eyes mirroring the pain
and hurt he felt and had caused?

As the space between them narrowed, Mulder felt his heart beat faster by
the minute and the blood in his veins rush through him with such acceleration
it made him light-headed. Close enough to cup his face in his hands, he
kissed him.

Krycek could only squeeze his eyes more shut when he suddenly felt Mulder's
lips enclose his own so carefully, it almost went unnoticed. If Mulder
hadn't put more strength into it, the kiss could have easily been taken for a
"Good-bye, we're still friends, I never want to see you again" kiss. For a
moment Krycek stood, completely and utterly incapable of returning the
motion. It felt as though Mulder was sucking the life straight out of him,
and all he could do was stand there and let it happen.

Mulder's tongue was making its way around his mouth, brushing over his
teeth and tongue, devouring every inch of him. God, he had wanted to do
this since they had parted at the rescue station in Quebec.

Swallowing Krycek's small whimpers he deepened the kiss, sucking
mercilessly on his lips, enjoying the taste. Their kiss became an act of
desperation, the taste of each other a need and a reminder of what had been
and could be once again.

Pulling back, Mulder let his hands wander past Krycek shoulders and down
his spine, feeling his muscles flex beneath his touch. He stopped right above
his ass and dared Krycek to move.

With a defiant look in his eyes, Krycek did what was expected of him,
working his hips toward Mulder, hearing him swallow a moan. As he did it
again, Mulder's hands grabbed his ass in one swift motion, keeping him
right in the place he wanted him.

Krycek inhaled sharply at the jolt going through his body when their groins
met. Slowly and rhythmically, he started to move against him again, teasing
him, enjoying shamelessly the sound of Mulder's quickening breath and the
feel of his desire. Then, with his hands stroking Mulder's sternum, he
managed to wriggle himself out of his grasp and sink down to his knees.

Full of expectation, Mulder watched, and felt, how with feathery light
touches Krycek fumbled with the buttons to his jeans, unbuttoning one at a 
time, and in between, he stroked Mulder's painfully hard cock through the fabric
of his pants. Mulder emitted one trembling groan after another and tossed
his head back, feeling the frustration he had been storing inside threaten
an early release.

The final button gave way and Krycek was just about to squeeze his hand
under the hem of the boxers when he felt a pair of strong arms grab him by
the shoulders and pull him up, only to toss him down on the couch.
Krycek was surprised and aroused by the sudden move. He was glad to
know that Mulder hadn't stopped wanting him. Before he had a chance to collect
himself, Mulder was on top of him, pushing him further down the couch,
trying desperately to get his pants out of the way while he sucked and
nibbled Krycek's throat and neck. He gave Mulder a helping hand and it
didn't take long before his pants and boxers were down at his knees.

"Lube," Krycek whispered, his voice barely carrying his thought. "In my
coat pocket."

Mulder dug into Krycek's coat pocket and found the tube and opened it so
that he could smear the content over his fingers.

With one hand around Krycek's straining cock, Mulder let his other hand
concentrate on his tight ass. Krycek sank his teeth into his lip,
trying to prevent a groan from escaping him as he felt two of Mulder's
fingers penetrate and prepare him.

"Do it!" he said through clenched teeth, his voice barely audible from
arousal.

The grip around his cock eased and he felt Mulder's fingers leave him, only
to return with a rich amount of new lube. Shortly after, Mulder pushed
inside, burrowing his entire length inside him. Mulder paused to give Krycek 
a minute to adjust, but Krycek wanted things differently. He pushed back, 
ignoring his own arousal to give Mulder what he wanted and what he needed himself.
Mulder more or less slammed his body into him, hoping the impending
orgasm would exorcise all his demons that had anything to do with Krycek's
past.

Meeting Krycek halfway, one thrust was enough to bring him over the edge
and he came, screaming his name. As his orgasm started to abate, he sank his
head, leaning it on Krycek's shoulder, sobbing quietly into his T-shirt.

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

Sweaty and sticky, they hadn't moved from their place on the floor next to
the couch, except for a change of position. Krycek sat with his back
against the couch and Mulder's back leaned against his chest. Not a word
had been spoken, only some friendly cuddling had taken place. When Krycek 
hadn't felt Mulder move in a long time, he spoke with a slight worry.

"Hey, you're not falling asleep on me, are you?"

Mulder smiled, knowing that as long as he sat with his back against him,
there was no way he could tell whether he was asleep or not, so he kept quiet.

"Hey, come on!" Krycek urged, shaking him with care, unprepared to see
Mulder turn with one of his typical grins. "That wasn't funny. You are a
heavy man, Mulder, and I wouldn't want to carry you down to the car."

"I'd like to see you try!" Mulder challenged, hurting Krycek's pride in the
process. "By the way, are we going somewhere? I can't recall making any
plans except for a few hours of sleep before I have to go to work."

"We're going home ... you are coming home with me, aren't you?" Krycek's
voice had turned insecure and his eyes followed the same path when Mulder 
stayed serious, until he couldn't keep a straight face anymore.

Krycek didn't look amused.

"Relax, Alex," Mulder assured, stroking his cheek.

"We should probably hurry, then," he stammered. "Dana is most likely
wondering where I went, since I didn't bring my cell phone and yours is
probably turned off."

"You didn't tell her where you were going?"

"If you haven't noticed, Mulder, it's in the middle of the night and normal
people are asleep."

"You didn't consider that I might have been asleep?"

"I said 'normal' people, Mulder."

Mulder turned to him with a smile and leaned in for a kiss that sent chills
down Krycek's spine. "C'mon, let's get going." He rose from the floor,
giving Krycek a helping hand.


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

I watch them sit over by the couch. Mulder is resting comfortably against
Krycek's chest, his head cuddled into his neck. I smile. They look
adorable.

Krycek takes his hand just to hold it and takes him closer. Mulder nuzzles
his neck, placing a row of kisses along his jawline. They end up in an
innocent kiss. It makes me feel so good to see them like this, happy.
Together.

They whisper something to each other and smile. Krycek smoothes a lock
of hair out of Mulder's face, telling him something serious. Mulder gives
him another kiss, lingering on his lower lip.

I walk up to them, still smiling. When they see me, they move apart to make
room for me between them. Mulder takes my body against his and moves
closer to Krycek again so he can put his arm around him. I lean in to kiss
Krycek, smiling at him. He places a hand under my jaw and deepens the
kiss.

"Happy?" I ask him.

He looks at Mulder, then back at me, his smile shining from every part of
his face.

"Extremely," he says.

I lean back against Mulder, feeling him nuzzle my hair. My entire body
shivers from delight and I move to look up at him. In his eyes, I see what
he's thinking. I always do.

"Welcome back." I smile and lean in for a kiss.

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

Alex and Scully are making themselves ready for bed and I can hear their
small talk in the bathroom. It's soothing to hear, comforting to know that
they're close.

"Are you done in the bathroom, Mulder?" Alex asks me as he and Scully
come to the bedroom.

"Yeah." I nod and put the file on the nightstand.

He closes the door and starts unbuttoning his shirt. Scully crawls up next
to me in bed and makes her way under the sheets. I can feel her naked leg
brushing against my own and it feels wonderful.

"God, I'm tired," she says with a smile, and cuddles closer to me.

Folding my arm around her, I nuzzle her hair and take her closer. She lets
out a sigh and I can see her smile, content.

Having stripped to his boxer shorts, Alex makes his way to the bed, too,
and I can't help but watch him close up to me. He's still just a little bit
nervous around me, even though I've told him I won't leave him again.

"Come, Alex." I smile and reach out a hand toward him. "Lie next to me."

He smiles shyly and crawls up beside me. His body feels good against mine,
and I fold my free arm around him to take him closer.

I am living again

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

It's not until that he moves that I realize that my eyes are open. I'm
watching him, afraid that when I wake up it will all have been a dream. The
middle of the bed is usually Dana's place, but tonight it's Mulder's.

I have been listening to the softness of his breathing and I can't begin to
describe how it makes me feel, the special way it rocks me to sleep. He
moves again, this time stealing a part of my pillow and as he doesn't get
all of it, he grunts from disappointment in his sleep.  But I'm not giving
it up. To get my pillow, he has to put up a fight.

I feel the heat his body is emitting. The soft tunes of a lullaby in his 
breathing have almost managed to get me halfway to dreamland by now. I cling 
to him, making sure my arm is locked safely around him, so I can assure 
myself of his presence in the morning. This time, I'm not letting go; he 
stays. The satisfied expression of our sleeping Dana next to him tells me she is 
dreaming the same.

Before I let the tiredness take over, I lean my head closer to his, kissing
the mass of hair, mumbling into it the words that for so long have been
drifting. "I love you, Fox..."

Now my eyelids feel like lead, and I slowly fall asleep, letting go of what
has seemed to be an era of despair.

The End