Interruption of Family by Surreal Feedback: surreal666@hotmail.com Spoilers: Three of a Kind, somewhere, I'm sure. Archiving: Ephemeral, Gossamer, LGM list. Anywhere else, just ask. Rating: NC/17 for sexual situations Keywords: Gunmen, angst, torture Disclaimer: Not mine, Chris Carter's, simple as that. The characters of "Kate" and "Angie" belong to me; if you want to use them, please ask me first!! Author's note: This story takes place in a universe originated in my previous piece, "Interlude for Family". Please read that one for the backstory on the characters of "Kate" and "Angela". Also, it is after Mulder gets back, just because I say so. :) Summery: The two women in Langly's life return, and he must deal with ensuring their safety at any cost. ------------------------------ Lone Gunmen Headquarters September 8th, 2000 12:45pm I hear the knocking on the door, but I'm too absorbed in cracking this site to look at the surveillance moniter to see who it is. It's okay; Byers is already opening the door. After a few minutes of silence, I hear Byers call back to me. "Um...Langly? It's for you..." he says, sounding uncertain. 'Crap...' Sigh. "All right, I'm coming," I call back, quickly working my way back out of the site and trying not to leave a path to be traced. As I stand up to go to the door, I see my visitors have already found me. "Kate? What...what's going on?" I can barely think of what to say, sounding stupid trying to get out the words. It's my ex-girlfriend, Kate Adams. At her feet with a huge grin on her face is our daughter, Angela. Out of instinct I kneel down and let Angie come to me, picking her up and holding her in my arms for the first time in three months. She's four years old now, and growing fast. We both look expectantly at Kate. "Hi, Ringo. I know, I should have called first..." she says apologetically. "I'm sorry..." She looks like she's on the verge of tears. "Byers, can you take Angie for a while?" I ask my roommate, sensing that Kate needs to talk to me alone. "Oh, sure," he replies, reaching out to take the little girl from me. "We'll be in the back." With that, he carries her down the hall to the workrooms. Taking Kate's arm, I guide her into the chair at my desk. "Kate, what's wrong? Did something happen?" I don't want to vocalize the possibility that something could be wrong with Angie; I just don't want to think about that. She sits down, taking a deep, shaky breath. "Um, I know this is really sudden, but we need your help. I was kicked out of my apartment building this morning. It was really sudden; I'm moving into another place next week, but I thought I had more time in my old place." She looks up at me, her eyes pleading. "We don't have a place to stay until the new place is ready..." I let out the breath I'd been holding in relief. "Kate, is that all? Jesus, you scared the shit out of me!! Of course you can stay here; you guys can use the spare room next to mine." She reaches out, taking my hand and smiling gratefully. "Thank you so much, Ringo. I wasn't sure...you know, if you'd be okay with me around..." I take a step closer, putting my hand gently on her cheek. "It's perfectly fine with me, as long at the guys don't mind, of course. I'm sure they won't. You know I love you guys." "I know...I just worry about how safe you are sometimes, with all that consipiracy stuff you get involved with. I just want Angie to be safe." "So do I," I reply softly. "Don't worry; we'll all be here, and you know this place is secure. Nothing's going to happen to you guys, I promise." 1:15am I'm pulled out of a light sleep by a soft knock at my bedroom door. Stumbling out of bed, I glance down quickly to make sure I'm dressed appropriately, in case it's Kate and Angie. Yup--t-shirt and sweatpants. Good thing. I open the door, squinting to see who it is. Forgot to put on my glasses; oh, well, too late now. Besides, I can still see well enough to tell that it's Kate, alone. "Kate? Is everything okay?" I whisper, not wanting to wake anyone else. "Yeah, we're fine. Um, can I..." she trails off, making a vague wave with her hand to ask permission to come in. "Oh, sure," I say hastily, opening the door wider for her to step through, then closing it behind her as she moves across the room to sit on my bed. I cautiously move to join her, crawling to sit cross-legged in the middle of the bed. I wait for her to say something, since I'm still only half-awake. "Ringo..." she starts, obviously wanting to talk but at a loss for words. She glances down at her hands fidgeting in her lap. "I...I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now. I think...I mean, Angie's four now, and starting to ask about you, asking why you aren't around more. She's really bright, you know that." I nod, not sure what to say. I know what she is saying. "She needs her father, Ringo. I know things between us weren't always good, but I don't want her to suffer because her parents had a few problems before she was even born." "Kate..." I try to cut in, but she stops me with her hand. "Ree, please. I know I said some things that hurt you before, but...I realized I still love you; I want to be with you. Not just for Angie; *I* need you." "Katie, you know I still love you too; you guys are my family." I want to go on, but my throat is suddenly tight. I think she senses my tension, because she moves in front of me, taking both of my hands in hers and squeezing gently. I look up at her, our eyes locked. Christ, she is so beautiful. Just looking at her, her deep brown eyes locked on me, I feel my heart start to pound. The air is suddenly too thick. Before I can react she leans forward and kisses me softly on the lips. A cautious, curious kiss that is still so full of love, I can't think. All I can do is try and return her love in that kiss. She moves closer, putting her arms on my shoulders and lacing her fingers together in my hair. She kisses me again, harder, more needful. Jesus... I pull back, away from her reach. "Kate, I...please, this is...I can't," I stumble around for words. She looks at me searchingly for a moment, then slids off the bed, standing. "Damn...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." I stand too, moving next to her. "No, it's okay. It's just... you just drop this on me so suddenly...I need some time." She nods, her eyes fixed on my chest. "Yeah...yeah, you're right. I'm sorry," she whispers, moving to the door. I follow her, catching her arm. "Listen...get some sleep; we can talk in the morning, okay?" She finally raises her eyes to meet mine and gives me a tiny smile. "Yeah, okay." After closing my door, I crawl back into bed, pulling the covers tight around me. I can still taste her on my lips; looks like I won't be getting much sleep tonight, afterall. September 10th, 2000 12:24am I'm not asleep when I the knock comes on my door this time. I had the feeling she would be coming to my room tonight; well, I was hoping, I guess. The last two days have been amazing. I guess the guys figured out what was going on when I came back from a walk with Kate and Angie and they saw me holding Kate's hand. We never really got around to talking about anything, at least not out loud. But we both knew it was right; we needed each other, even after over four years apart. I can't explain it, but I'm so glad it's finally happening. She doesn't wait for me to open the door this time; she just comes in and closes it behind her. I'm halfway to my feet, but I sit back down as she moves over to me in that silent, graceful motion she has. Her hair, dark brown with only the slightest hint of wave, is down for once, falling over her shoulders and halfway down her back. She is wearing a long t-shirt and, with a not-very-well-hidden glance, I see nothing else. She crawls onto the bed with me, on her knees and wraps her arms around me tight. I can feel the tension in her body, the barely controlled need. I suspect that she hasn't been with anyone else since me, four years ago. I push the covers back, pulling her gently to join me between the sheets. She pulls herself close to me, kissing me hungrily. I can barely breath; she is so powerful like this, always in control. I lay back, let her know I'm here for the taking. "Ringo...," she whispers next to my ear, kissing my throat and sending shivers throughout my entire body. "It's okay," I tell her, turning to lean over her, kissing her deeply. She whimpers so softly, the tiniest little gasp as I release her. She tugs at my shirt, pulling it over my head and tossing it aside. She pushes me down again, kissing my bare skin with her soft lips. I close my eyes, forcing myself to breath normally. She sits up, shedding her own shirt and leaving herself utterly exposed, her body as perfect as I remember. I reach up, running my hands over her body smoothly. I feel almost dizzy, the intensity of my own desire surprising me. Guess it's been a while for me, too. Her hands moving down, exploring. Her fingers under the waistband of my boxers, searching. I gasp as her fingers wrap around me, making me harder with just her light touch. A swift motion and she pulls the boxers off of me, tossing them onto the floor with our shirts. She moves up to kiss me again, her hand still gently moving, teasing, killing brain cells...definately not getting enough oxygen. With a smooth motion she slids her leg over me, shifting to straddle my abdomen. I put my hands on her hips as she leans down to capture my mouth again. She has always been like this; confidently sensual, always in control. Her hand moves under her as she shifts back, taking me into her with uncanny ease. Her eyes closed, a little smile of pleasure on her face as she stays there, impaled on me and it's taking all of my focus not to cry out. I didn't realize I was biting my lower lip until I feel her lean down again, her hand cupping my jaw, her thumb stroking my chin to force my mouth open, demanding I relax. Her mouth joined with mine and I'm sure that pathetic whimper didn't just come from me as she starts to move, rocking gently. It's all I can do to keep from passing out, her warmth enveloping me, covering me. She rocks faster, more intense; bends down to lay flat on me, her hands clutching tightly on my shoulders and her forehead pressing against my breastbone. My hips moving to counter her motion, we lose ourselves in our own little world, the quiet moans and harsh pants barely audible when all either of us can do is feel. I feel her start to move frantically as her climax approaches. I thrust upwards harder into her, making her cry out. She raises her head to capture my mouth, taking a kiss to scream into as her orgasm courses through her. The tension around me is unbearable, and I feel the distantly familiar tug at the base of my spine, demanding release. I wrap my arms around her back, pulling her close as I thrust into her fiercely, my back arching involuntarily as I come with a barely controlled cry of my own. She rests there, with me still inside her. We both have our eyes closed, panting in the humid air. After a few minutes I feel her shift, sliding off me to lay on her side next to me. I turn too, on my side to face her. I reach up to stroke my fingers over her cheek, through her hair gently. I see her open her eyes, smiling at me secretly. I smile back, leaning across to kiss her softly. I watch as she drifts into a sated slumber at my side. I fall asleep sometime later, watching her as if she might fade away like a beautiful dream, until I'm certain that she is really there, solid and warm. ----------------------- End part 1/5 To be continued..... Part 2/5 Disclaimers in part 1 -------------------------- September 11th 8:34am The sound of Angie giggling from down the hall wakes me up. I open my eyes, the vague memory of last night coming back to me. I turn my head and see Kate still curled up next to me, sleeping. It takes me a moment to realize that she had stayed the night in my bed, leaving Angie alone in the guest room. I jump out of bed, hastily pulling on my t-shirt and boxers that were still on the floor, and also a pair of sweatpants from under the bed. Putting my glasses on, I rush out to see what Angie has gotten herself into. I find her sitting in the kitchen with Byers, who is trying to get her to eat some oatmeal without getting it everywhere. Good luck on that, John. Byers sees me grinding to a halt, his glance telling me that he knows very well what went on last night. "Morning, Langly," he says cheerfully, which confuses me even more. Why isn't he mad at me? "Byers...what...?" He smiles at me again, absently wiping the table as Angie loses her grip on the spoon and splatters oatmeal everywhere. "Guess she got lonely; she found her way into my room and crawled into bed with me around 5 this morning." "Oh, man...Byers, I'm sorry, we didn't mean to..." I trail off, too embarrassed to finish the thought. Byers shakes his head, waving me off. "It's okay, really. She fell asleep pretty fast." "Kate said she's been sleeping all right in her own bed; guess waking up alone in a strange room got to her," I say absently, pulling a chair up next to Angie to help her out with her breakfast. "It won't happen again; they can move into their new apartment day after tomorrow, so they'll be outta here soon." Byers stands up to head to the office, but stops when he glances past me. I turn around; Kate is standing in the doorframe, smiling at the three of us. She must have woken up right after me, because I see she went back to her room and got dressed. "Morning, boys," she greets us. Byers moves aside and offers her the chair he had just vacated. She thanks him, and he leaves us to go check his e-mail. She glances across the table at me. "The guys are ready to be rid of us already, huh?" I grin at her, shaking my head. "No, it's not that. Angie went exploring this morning and ended up in Byers' bed. I was just saying that it won't happen again." "Ah, I see," she replies, giving Angie a wary look. "Well, at least she has some sense. She could have ended up with Frohike." "Not *my* daughter," I laugh, horrified at the thought. She smiles at me. It occurs to me just how...well, *normal* this scene is. I mean, I'm sitting here with the woman I love and our daughter, talking about being protective parents. I never would have thought that would be possible, but I'm glad it is. "Speaking of moving out," she says, sobering. "Most of my stuff is still in storage anyway, so I think it will be an easy enough job. I mean, the stuff we had in the old place is in my van, since there really wasn't a lot to begin with. We can just pick up and go, and I'll worry about the stuff in storage some other time since we don't really need it right away." "Sounds like a plan," I reply as I start to clean up Angie's breakfast mess. "Why don't you take Angie and get yourselves a bath." She nods agreeably, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek, then takes our daughter's hand, leading her down the hall. When I hear water start running in the bathroom, I go to the office where Byers is working on his e-mail. I hadn't noticed earlier, but Frohike had joined him at some point. "Hey, guys," I say, getting their attention. "Hey, yourself, family man," Frohike quips with just enough pride to make me blush. "So?" Byers asks, looking at me pointedly. "So...yeah, we're back together," I answer quietly. I don't know what to say, really. Frohike moves to stand next to me, his hand resting on my shoulder. "Langly, you know we're both happy for you," he says, and Byers nods in agreement. I smile at them gratefully. "I know this whole thing has been hard on you guys, too, all these years. But don't go renting my room out just yet," I tell them jokingly. They laugh, understanding. They know I'm still unsure about my relationship with Kate, how she was the one who broke it off the first time. I still remember her saying that she thought I was too immature, too paranoid to have a serious thing with her. How she said I spent too much time worrying about the CIA or the FBI or whatever to come and take me away and how she didn't need that kind of insanity in her life. She never believed all the stuff that we write, all of our conspiracy theories and our research. I don't know if she still thinks those things, but she *did* come back to me. It occurs to me that if I'm going to make this thing work, I might have to make a few changes of my own. I look at my friends, thinking about how we've spent eleven years together working for a common goal. I see their stubborn dedication, the refusal to give up on what they believe is important. I see Byers, who still wears that wedding ring Susanne gave him in Vegas...his entire reason for being here is a hope that someday, he might be able to make a life with her safely. It makes me realize what is really important. I *do* have a family, and I need to make sure they know I'm here to protect them. I don't want to give up my best friends or my place in their lives, or my work on the newsletter. But am I willing to for my family? Frohike squeezes my shoulder, reassuring me as if he were reading my mind. "Just take it slow, Langly. Take your time with this." I nod distractedly, not sure what to say or think. September 19th 6:12pm "Hey, guys! Seriously, let me in!!!" Yeah, they think it's really funny, making me stand out here while they 'confirm my identity'. So, I've been spending most of my time with Kate and Angie in their new place. And yeah, I sleep over there every night. That doesn't mean the boys need to give me a hard time about it *every* time I come back to the lair. "All right, 'Langly', if that is your real name," Frohike jokes as he opens the door for me. "Getting funnier every time, *Melvin*." "Punk." We grin at each other for a moment before he turns and heads back to his darkroom. "How are the girls, Langly?" Byers asks as I sit down at my own computer to work on an article I'd been working on for a few days. "They're good," I respond, enjoying our new found small talk habits. The phone rings before we can fall into a comfortable pattern, and I jump to answer it. "Lone Gunmen," I announce into the reciever as I flip on the recorder. "Ree?" "Kate? Yeah, it's me, honey. What's wrong?" "Um, there's a man here, he says you know him..." Her voice is shaking badly. Oh man..."Kate, who is it? Did you let him in?" "No, he broke the door in...sweetie, he has a gun--" "Kate?!" I yell into the phone as her voice is cut off. A new voice on the phone responds. "You've got a beautiful little girl here, *Ringo*. I'd hate to see her get hurt because of you. Why don't you come over here so we can talk?" Before I can say anything else there is a click, and then nothing. "Langly? What's going on?" Byers is next to me now, his hand on my arm. I look up at him. "I--it's...fuck." I can't say anything coherant. Shaking his hand off my arm I bolt across the office to the back rooms. Looking around frantically, I spot the locked cabinet where we keep a small collection of weapons. I dig the key out of the drawer and open it, taking out two pistols and a box of bullets. "Langly! What the hell is going on? What are you doing?" Byers yells at me from the door. I turn to face him, and I know he sees my fear. "It's Kate...Jesus, he's gonna kill them..." I'm shaking now, trying to load one of the guns in my hand. Byers puts his hand on mine to stop me, to get my attention. "Who? Who's over there?" "The man...I know that voice. It's Krycek; he's at Kate's place and he has a gun...." ---------------------------- End part 2/5 To be continued.... Part 3/5 Disclaimers in Part 1 -------------------------- On route to Kate's apartment 6:32pm I can hear Byers fidgeting nervously with the gun from where I'm sitting on the passenger side of the van. I don't blame him; if I'd had a gun in my hand, I'd be fidgeting with it, too. Frohike stops the van next to the curb about a block from Kate's building, out of view from her place. Byers slides the door open and jumps out, closing it behind him. He moves to the open window next to me, looking pale and shaky. "Stairwell on the west side. I'll use the other one," I tell him, reinterating our hurried, sketchy plan. "Wait outside in the hall unless you're sure I need help, all right? I just want to get the girls out of there first, that's all that matters." Byers nods, swallowing hard as he backs away from the van. We watch him run for about half the block, giving him time to get there and position himself as my backup. Frohike climbs into the back seat so I can drive up to the building. It's a small detail, but hopefully it will give the impression to Krycek that I had come alone. I park the van across the street from Kate's apartment, her window on the second floor in full view of the van. As I make my way across the street, I glance up but see nothing in the window. Forcing myself to at least appear calm and collected, I make my way up the stairs. The knowledge that Byers is waiting in the opposite stairwell for me to show up makes me feel better; having an armed backup is always a confidence builder. I approach apartment twenty-four quietly, but when I reach it I knock loud enough for Byers to hear, his signal to wait fifteen seconds for me to go into the place before he moves to his position just outside the door. From inside I hear a muffled call of "It's open." Turning the knob, I see that it is indeed unlocked. Or rather, the locks are broken where Krycek kicked the door in to gain entrance. I rack this up as a point for us; if the door can't be locked or even completely closed behind me, Byers will be able to get in in case I need him. Once inside I take in the scene. Sitting at the tiny kitchen table is Alex Krycek, the gun in his hand pointed at me. Sitting on the floor about two feet from him are Kate and Angie. "Nice of you to join the party, *Ringo*," Krycek says bitterly. "Another five minutes and you would be down one daughter." Pushing that image aside, I somehow find my voice. "Krycek, whatever it is that you want, it has nothing to do with them. I'm here now, let them leave." "Ah, yes. Been taking hostage negotiation lessons from Mulder, I see?" I shake my head, not letting his sarcasm get to me. "Is that who this is about? Mulder?" "Not this time, buddy. If it were, would I have taken the time to stake out you and your little family here?" With a quick motion he reaches into his leather jacket and produces a thin folder, tossing it onto the table. Cautiously, I move forward to see what is in it. Pictures; black and white, slightly out of focus, but definately pictures of me and the girls, walking on the street. With my trained eye I can tell that they were taken with a telephoto lens. "You may be paranoid, but you are not very observant," Krycek informs me as I set the pictures back down onto the table. "So, you've been following me. Why?" "I need you to do something for me." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a computer disk. "You wrote an article in that little newspaper of yours that needs to be, well, *retracted*. You used my name, which is your first mistake, and you reported on the connection between the *abduction* of several people from Oregon several months back and the testing of chemicals on the public in Houson, Texas." I can feel the tiny hairs on the back of my neck bristle at his implication. "I spent over a month on that article, and everything I wrote can be proven." "I don't care. The fact that anything linking those two events leaked out has gotten *me* in some hot water with some people who you also have a passing familiarity with. What I need you to do is take this disk," he throws it onto the table,"and send the prepared statement of apology to your e-mail list of subscribers and contacts. Now." "You son of a bitch! You *know* that if I tell them that I falsified even *one* fact in that article, it will destroy the credability of the entire paper!! Our readers rely on the fact that we only write the truth; saying that we lied will make them think we're no better than a shitty tabloid!" Krycek jumps to his feet, stealthily moving to stand in front of me and pressing the end of the gun to my chest. "I. Don't. CARE. This is more important than your image. There is a reason why these things are kept out of the public eye; we are doing it to *protect* them, you arrogant little shit!" I'm not sure which keeps me frozen in place; the fact that everything the guys and I have worked for is on the verge of being destroyed, or that Krycek is pressing a gun into my chest. Either way, I just can't move, or speak. I can barely breath. Krycek senses my hesitation and decides that it is the first reason. Before I can react he swings the gun around to point it toward the girls. "I don't have time for this," he hisses. "NO!" Finally, I find my voice and my body follows suit. Without hesitation, I find myself tackling the other man, knocking both of us to the floor. Out of the corner of my eye I see Kate stand and pick up Angie, ready to bolt out the door. Unfortunately, Krycek sees them, too. With lightning speed, he pushes me off of him and swings the gun around, striking my left cheek just below the bone. The metallic taste of blood stings my mouth but I ignore it, my instincts overriding the pain. In the confusion of wrestling with the former federal agent, I don't hear the door being flung open, but the crack of a gunshot gets my focus back. I look up to see Byers aiming his gun at Krycek, who had managed to get to his knees and no further. He still has the gun in his hand, but it is hanging at his side. "Langly, get them out of here," Byers orders me, his voice surprisingly commanding considering how nervous he was the last time I saw him. I know better than to argue, because this was the plan from the start. I jump to my feet, grabbing Kate's arm as we run out the door. Angie is clinging to her tightly, her eyes wide with fear but she is not crying. As we run down the hall I can hear two more gunshots coming from the apartment behind us, then a third a few seconds later. As much as I want to run back to help Byers, my priority now is getting my family to safety. We hit the sidewalk in a dead run, and I see Frohike standing in the street. "Langly--I heard shots," he says, his gaze fixed on the apartment window. "I know," I respond breathlessly. I open the door to the van and Kate climbs in with Angie still held tight in her arms. "Frohike, call an ambulance and stay here with them." I reach into the passenger window and grab the second pistol from the seat. Frohike grabs my arm before I can leave. "Langly--" "Byers is still in there," I say quietly. "Please, just stay with them." When I reach the second floor I listen intently for any sound. I don't hear anything from the hall, so I make my way back to the apartment, the gun in my hand feeling very heavy. The door is still open, and I can see a trail of blood leading to the opposite stairwell. "Byers?" I call from outside, not looking in there yet. I hear a harsh cough, then the metallic thump of a gun hitting the floor. Taking a deep calming breath, I raise the gun and move into the room. Krycek is nowhere to be seen, but Byers is laying on his left side on the floor, one hand reaching to cover the bleeding wound in his right thigh. "Shit," I mutter as I move to kneel next to him. He looks up at me, his face pale as he struggles to breath normally. From outside I can hear the distant siren and I silently thank whatever gods there are on the speedy reaction time. Grabbing a towel from the kitchen, I ball it up and press it firmly against Byers' leg, trying to control the bleeding. Jesus, there is so much blood... He gasps is pain at the hard pressure, but there is nothing else I can do. "Byers? John, listen to me, you're gonna be fine. Help is on the way, just hang on," I tell him, trying to take his attention off the pain. "The girls..." he whispers. "They're okay, they're down in the van, Frohike's with them." He nods slightly, closing his eyes. "Krycek?" "I don't know...I didn't see him, but I think you hit him, there's blood outside in the hall." He actually gives me a little smile at that, knowing that he'd at least done some damage to the rat bastard. I hear the ambulance stop just outside the window. I take Byers' blood-stained hand and squeeze it tightly. "You're gonna be fine," I reassure him as I hear the paramedics running down the hall. I stand back as the two medics take care of Byers. I can see as they secure him on the stretcher that he is barely holding onto consciousness, starting to go into shock from blood loss. I do what I can to help, holding onto my friend's hand as we get him downstairs and into the ambulance. I can't see his eyes above the oxygen mask, but I feel him squeeze my hand weakly as they load him into the vehicle. As the rig pulls away the sirens start up again, and I turn to walk back to the van. I see Frohike standing there, his face tight and pale with concern. Another car, vaguely familiar, pulls up behind the van. Before I can figure out who it is, I suddenly start to feel very dizzy, distantly aware of the gun falling from my hand and concerned voices calling my name as I fall forward, cold blackness washing over my mind. ----------------------------- end part 3/5 To be continued... Part 4/5 Disclaimers in part 1 ------------------------------- Georgetown University Medical Center 8:22pm The next thing I'm aware of is the busy noise of an emergency room. I don't want to open my eyes, knowing that the first thing I'll see is a bright light shining directly over my head. But when I feel the gentle squeeze of a familiar hand holding mine, curiosity wins. Kate smiles at me as I look over at her, sitting in a chair next to me. I see that I'm in a curtained area of the ER, and with a glance I'm relieved to see I'm still in my own clothes. "Ree? Sweetie, look at me," Kate says gently, her hand coming up to brush a few stray hairs away from my forehead. I focus back on her, trying to remember how I got here. A few connections are made, and I struggle to sit up, making myself dizzy again in the process. "Where's Angie?" I ask her, looking around frantically. She pushes me back down with a soothing "Shhh...take it easy. She's okay; your friend, Agent Scully, is watching her upstairs with everyone else." "Upstairs...what?" "They're waiting for word on John; he's in surgery now." "John...oh, shit. How long have I been down here? What happened?" "Right after the ambulance left you passed out in the street; scared the crap out of us. The two agents, Scully and, um...Mulder, I think; they got there just as it happened; Mel called them right after he called for help. We drove you here...that was about an hour ago. You kind of had a delayed reaction to that hit on your face; a mild concussion, nothing too serious." I reach up, feeling a band-aid over the cut on my cheek. Pushing away the light-headed feeling, I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. "Where are they?" She puts her arm around my waist to help me balance as I stand. "Easy, honey. Wait a minute; I'll get a nurse to clear you to leave." As the elevator hits the fourth floor, I realize my hold on Kate's hand is becoming a death grip. Forcing myself to relax, I take a deep breath. Amazingly, my friends are the only ones in this particular waiting room. Frohike is the first to spot me, jumping to his feet and rushing over to me. He wraps his arms around me in a fierce hug. I can't help but smile at his relieved exhuberance. "Easy, man..." "Jesus, Langly; you scared the shit out of me! Are you okay?" he asks, eyeing the bandage on my cheek. "Yeah, I'm fine," I reply absently, seeing that Angie has escaped from Scully's lap and is headed my way. I kneel down and pick her up, holding her close to me. I take a moment to just hold her tight, kissing the top of her head. Peering over her head, I focus back on Frohike. "Any word on John yet?" He shakes his head, sobering. "Not yet; all we know now is what the ER staff told us; the bullet knicked the artery, that's why he was losing so much blood. He was in shock by the time they got him here and it took a while to stabilize him before taking him to surgery. They said there's a good possibility that the bullet broke the femur, too." He moves to sit back down in the chair next to Mulder. Kate sits on the couch and I sit next to her, still holding my daughter. I catch Scully's eye across from us, a little smile on her lips as we sit in silence, waiting. 9:13pm No matter how hard I try, I just can't make this nauseous feeling go away. My head still hurts, but that doesn't bother me as much as the feeling that I'm going to throw up. Taking a shaky breath, I plop the half-asleep Angie onto Kate's lap and stand up. My knees are really weak, which is always a sign that I'm about to be sick. "Ree? What's wrong?" Kate asks. I want to answer her, but I'm afraid to open my mouth. I have to find a bathroom, now. I walk fast down the hall; as soon as I spot a men's room I break into a run. There's no one else in here, for which I'm very grateful. I barely make it into the stall and close the door before I start to get sick. When I feel like I'm about to pass out again, I know I'm done. I rest my head in my hands, forcing myself to take long, deep breaths. "Langly? You okay, man?" They sent Frohike after me. "Yeah," I call back, somehow finding a semi-controlled voice. "Just had to take a leak, you know." "Bullshit, dude. I know you were puking in there." Shit. "I'm fine, just give me a minute." "I'm not leaving without you." Shit shit shit. I climb unsteadily to my feet and open the door, making my way to the sinks. Frohike is standing there, watching me closely. I don't have to look in the mirror to know I look like hell, because Frohike looks like he's about two minutes away from dragging my sorry ass back down to the ER. I take my glasses off, setting them next to the sink. I run my hands under the cold water, then swipe my hands over my face, avoiding the band-aid on my cheek. When I open my eyes again I see Frohike holding a couple of paper towels toward me. I take them, drying my face. Neither of us says anything. When we get back to the waiting room, I sit back down next to Kate on her left side. I catch Scully studying me with a worried eye, and I try to give her a smile. It doesn't work. She walks over to me, looking me over. "Did you get sick?" I nod reluctantly. "Do you still have a headache?" I nod again. Why can't she just leave me alone? "You should lay down. Here, I'll take Angie," she tells Kate, who obediently hands off the sleepy little girl. Normally, I would argue, but I still feel like shit. I let Kate put her arm around me and pull me down, resting my head on her lap. I pull my legs up next to me on the couch. I close my eyes as Kate quietly strokes my hair. Just that little gesture makes me feel so much better. 11:42pm I don't remember falling asleep, but the next thing I know Kate is gently shaking my shoulder, rousing me. I open my eyes, seeing the others moving to stand up. When I sit up I notice that at some point Frohike had draped his jacket over me. I hand it back to him with an appreciative smile and stand up with everyone else to meet the surgeon headed toward us. I feel Kate's hand take mine and I can feel that she is just as tense as the rest of us. "Mr. Byers is doing very well," he tells us, and we all release our collectively held breaths. He continues, "The surgery took longer than expected because the bullet hit the femur at an angle, breaking the bone but also chiping off several fragments. We put a pin on the bone to set the fracture, and he'll need to wear a cast for a while. He's been transferred to the ICU; if one of you would like to stay with him, I'm sure he would appreciate a familiar face when he wakes up." We look at each other, making a silent agreement. "I'll stay with him," Frohike tells the surgeon. "What room?" "He's in 408," the doctor answers, smiling at all of us as he heads back down the hall. Frohike turns to Mulder and Scully first. "Thank you guys for all your help. I'll call you tomorrow when John comes around enough to tell us what happened." "Anytime, Frohike," Mulder replies. "Tell him 'hi' for us." "Will do, G-man," Frohike smiles as the agents leave. He turns to us. "You guys should go get some sleep. It would be a good idea to stay at our place." "Yeah," Kate agrees. She has Angie in her arms again, the little girl awake and curious. "I'm just gonna go look in on John, then we can go," I tell her as I squeeze her hand. She nods, understanding. I follow Frohike down the hall to Byers' room. I go into the dimly lit room alone, not sure what to expect. As I approach his bed I feel my stomach tighten, hating having to see him like this. A maze of IV lines taped to his right arm, the heart moniter announcing a slow, unsteady rhythm. His injured leg is wrapped in a soft cast, propped up on a couple of pillows. I look at his face as I take his right hand in both of mine, gently squeezing it. Despite the pale white of his skin, the ruffled hair, the oxygen line...he still looks peaceful, like always. As much as I want to stay here with him, to hold his hand and make him wake up, tell me he's okay, I know I can't. There are two other people who need me tonight, and who I need to be with more than anything. ----------------------------- end part 4/5 To be continued.... Part 5/5 Disclaimers in part 1 --------------------------- Lone Gunmen Headquarters 12:14am Kate had been quiet since we left the hospital. Well, duh. I mean, she just had her first run-in with Alex Krycek, which is always just *so* much fun. But whenever I glanced at her in the van, or while we were getting Angie settled in the guest room for the night, I got the feeling that there was something else. We leave both Angie's door and the door to my room cracked open so we can hear if she wakes up or if the phone rings. I strip off my clothes, stained with dried blood from both me and Byers; mostly his, I realize with a sting in my throat. Kate strips too, and we both climb into bed. She lays on her back, and I lay next to her on my side, propping my head up on one fist to look down at her. "How are you doing?" I ask for want of something more intelligent to say. She gives me an exasperated little laugh. "Jesus Christ, Ringo! What the hell was that about tonight? Who was that guy, and why was he willing to kill all of us over a newspaper article?" Wow, she doesn't waste any time getting to the point. Never one for small talk, was she? "His name is Alex Krycek. Um, all I really know is that he used to be an FBI agent, but I don't really know what he does now. Kind of a free-lance shadow figure for the government." She looks at me incredilously. "Government? You mean, *he* was the *good* guy?" I shake my head hard. "NO. He is trying to keep secret what the guys and I are trying to uncover and let the public in on." "All that stuff you write in that paper, all those insane conspiracies...it's all true, isn't it? You weren't making it up?" "No way. The point of what we write is to tell the truth." She looks at me, her eyes intense. "So you guys really are in danger sometimes? From people like that guy?" I nod reluctantly. "Yeah, sometimes." Her eyes close, and she sighs. "I can't deal with this, Ree. You know I can't let Angie be in that kind of situation, not after tonight." Damn. I had a bad feeling this was coming. "I know, I don't want her life to be a barganing chip for these people, either. So...um...well, you know it's safe here with us, if--" "Ree, I can't have her this close to all that. *I* can't be this close." She pauses, and my heart speeds up as I anticipate her next words. "I called my mom while you were still unconscious. I--Ithink it would be best if Angie and I went to stay with her for a while, until we can get a chance to calm down, you know?" "Katie...your mother? In Albany? That's--" "I know, it's far," she cuts me off, her voice quieter than before. "I want us to be together, too...but not if it means having to lock all of us up in this bunker of yours for our own safety." Fuck. I can feel my throat tighten, choking off anything I can think to say...which isn't much, anyway. Kate senses my distress, because she leans up and kisses me gently. "I'm sorry, Ree...it's the only choice we have to keep her safe." "I know," I manage to whisper, closing my eyes and laying my head on her shoulder. She wraps her arm around me, her hand rubbing my back soothingly. I raise my head, capturing her mouth in mine. I can't tell her with words how much I want her to stay, how much I need her. I can only tell her with my actions. She senses my need, this desperation in my kiss. I feel her arm tighten around me, pulling me closer and deepening the kiss. Lifting my head with a gasp, my eyes lock with hers, and I know she feels it too. She wraps her other arm under me, pulling me closer still. I comply, shifting to cover her body with my own and I feel her warmth all over, her breath hot on my throat as she kisses my skin. Her lips next to my ear, a tiny, harsh "Please..." and I know she wants me. My whole body is so tense, I force myself to breath. I plant my elbows on either side of her head so I can look down at her face. I feel her hand skim down my side, down to my hip then between us, taking my cock in her fingers and stroking so slow...my hips jerk reflexively and she smiles at my reactions. I shift my body up just a bit, letting her guide me into her. When I feel her warmth surrounding me, my head falls to rest on her shoulder, muffling the tiny whimper that escapes my lips. Her arms wrap around my back again, holding me so tight as I move instincively, thrusting into her. I want so much to make this last, to hold onto her forever but neither of us is in any way in control. Her hips moving to counter my thrusts, urging me to move faster. Harsh pants in my ear, little moans in hers and I'm losing it fast, feeling her in every part of my body. Her fingers digging hard into my shoulder blades, she captures my mouth as she bucks hard, her orgasm ripping a shout of joy from her body and into my mouth. I release her as I feel my own climax appraoching, burying my face in her throat to muffle my own scream. It hits me with blinding intensity, and I don't know how long I stayed there, oblivious to anything but her heat and my own nerves. I feel her hands stroking my back, her fingers gently massaging the base of my neck. I lift my head to look at her and see her beautiful brown eyes, brimming with moisture. My fingers gently brush the sweat-dampened hair from her face, and I lean down to kiss her breathlessly. "I love you so much, Katie-A," I whisper. She laughs a little emotional laugh. "I love you too, Ricky-L," she responds, and I feel my face flush even more at the sound of that nickname. I pull myself off of her and she rolls onto her side, her back to me. I scoot closer, shaping my body to hers and wrapping my arm around her, pressing my hand to her abdomen, just below the ribcage. I feel her heart beating, slowing down as she relaxes, her breathing becoming shallow and even as she falls into a sated sleep. When I know she is asleep, I allow myself the luxury of nuzzling my face into her soft, damp hair and sighing. I don't want her to hear me cry. Georgetown Medical ICU 9:48am I don't know why I feel nervous as I approach Byers' room. Maybe it's not nerves; maybe it's the knowledge that I'm going to have to explain to the guys that Katy and Angie are gone, that I'll have to say it out loud for the first time. When I go in I see Byers is awake, and Frohike turns to look at me also. My first thought is that Byers looks like hell, but it doesn't matter because as soon as he sees me he gives me a weak smile. "Hey, it's about time you showed up," he teases me as I move to stand next to his bed, taking his hand in relief. I nod, not trusting my voice as I try to think of how to begin. Frohike beats me to it so I don't have to. He must sense the distress on my face, the hesitation in my actions. "They're gone, aren't they?" All I can do is nod, and I feel Byers squeeze my hand with what little strength he has. Somehow finding my voice, I explain, "We, uh, we went back to her place this morning and packed her stuff back into her van. They're going to stay with Kate's mother in Albany for a while." "How long?" he asks gently. I shrug. "A few months, maybe longer. I don't know," I have to stop, the words catching in my throat. Byers and Frohike exchange a look, and Frohike stands and picks up his jacket. "Well, boys, I'm gonna go back to headquarters and catch some sleep." Absently, I reach into my pocket and hand him the keys to the van. He accepts them, holding onto my hand just long enough to let me know he understands. Once he is gone, I sit down and look at my friend. "John, what you did...thank you. You saved our lives." "That's what I was there for," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "I owed you for Susanne in Vegas, anyway." "This isn't the same and you know it." "It doesn't matter. We got your family out safely and no one got killed, that's all that counts." Argueing symantics with him is always pointless, because he always finds a way to win. Even half- asleep and heavily-drugged, he *still* finds a way to out-logic me. I sigh, shaking my head in defeat. "Guess this means I gotta stop giving you shit about your hero complex now, huh?" He gives me a half smile and shakes his head. "No way. What else would we argue about?" I can't help but laugh, mostly out of relief that Byers really is going to be all right. We spend the next couple of hours talking, until I see him start to fade. "I should leave, let you get some rest," I tell him, starting to stand. "No," he mumbles, his eyes already closed and mostly alseep. "Stay." I'm more than happy to stay with him, glad to still have someone around who needs me. ******************* Two weeks later Lone Gunmen Headquarters 2:34pm I'm sitting in at my newly assigned post, on phone duty due to my "lack of mobility", as Frohike put it. My head resting on my left hand, I've got my leg propped up on a second chair, per doctor's orders. Langly is sitting cross-legged on the floor next to me, working on another one of his wierd drawings he's taken perverse pleasure in decorating my new cast with. When the phone rings, I jump slightly, making his hand slip and leaving a long line of black marker in it's wake. I hear him mutter "damn," as I reach for the phone. "Lone Gunmen," I answer with practiced ease. "John! Hello, it's Kate." "Oh, hello!" I glance down at Langly, still focusing on turning his mistake into part of the drawing. "It's good to hear your voice," she tells me. "How are you feeling?" "Better, thank you. And you?" "Oh, we're fine, thanks. Um, I never really got to thank you for what you did for us; I'm sorry you got hurt." "All in the line of duty, so to speak. Would you like to talk to Ringo?" Langly's head shoots up at my use of his first name. "Yes, please." "Okay, hang on a second." I put the reciever down on the table, and whisper to Langly, "It's Kate." His eyes widen and he grins, jumping to his feet. With much difficulty, I manuever myself to reach my crutches, using them to pull myself to my...well, foot. I feel Langly's arm wrap around my back to help me get my balance as I slip the short metal crutches onto my wrists and move out of his way. As I drag myself out of the office, I hear him talking softly into the phone. It's a voice he reserves only for the girls, and it's good to hear it again. I can't help but think...I wonder what Susanne is up to these days... ----------------------- That's right, folks....THE END!!!!!! Please....tell me what you think!!! surreal666@hotmail.com