Title: Liquid Fire

Pairing: M/K

Rating: NC-17 for m/m sex, language and plot.

Disclaimer: They belong to the great Writer in the Sky. Yeah, that Liquid Sky.

Website: http://www.catthause.com/jami/jami.htm

Cover Art: Check out the picture that inspired this story ;-) http://www.catthause.com/jami/xfiles/liquidfire.htm

Feedback: jamiwilsen@hotmail.com

Spoilers: You better believe it. Hey, the show's over... Is this warning even necessary anymore?!

Beta: Cattnip

Archive: Sure.

Series: Yes. This is Chapter Two of Liquid Sky.

Warning: It has gone AU from canon during Mulder's return in 'This Is Not Happening/DeadAlive'.

Summary: A rejuvenating Mulder explores his abilities by day - and Krycek by night, while Krycek grows suspicious of Mulder's and the aliens' plans.

Note: Many warm thanks to Flutesong, Karen, Carol, Erin and Cattnip for the ideas, suggestions and encouragement! :)

---

Liquid Fire

---

Mulder's eyes opened abruptly, his brain still sluggishly churning with weird dream concoctions and impressions from Krycek's dreamstate. He frowned, wondering how complicated it was becoming, this bond he now shared with him. And still without any idea of how to tell Krycek that it was there.

The slow rising and falling of Krycek's even breathing against him though was a lull. He exhaled, and let himself drift where he lay curled against Krycek's back. Somehow during their nap, they'd both ended up on their left sides, Mulder spooning against Krycek with his arm around him. He had pulled out of him at some point too.

Mulder felt a lazy smile creep over him as he remembered the luxury of sliding into Krycek, feeling his organ surrounded with tight heat as he remained deep in Krycek's body... Just the memory of it was enough to make his cock pulse.

He wondered if he could take Krycek again before he awoke. It was more than just sex - it was comfortable. To create this kind of physical familiarity and intimacy between themselves. Mulder was glad too, because now they had another context to share that wasn't simply based on his mental and emotional connection to Krycek; something real, something they could both hold onto.

His conscience pricked him again however. He couldn't stop it from haunting the back of his mind. He began to mull over the idea he'd had earlier about possibly feigning an awakening of his ability so as to introduce the idea carefully to Krycek, without shocking him. But then, he had no idea just how far it was going to go, either. He suspected they might end up sharing a complete two-way communicative bond with Krycek able to hear HIM as well. The possibility of Krycek responding unfavorably once he discovered Mulder's deception might very well break the fragile truce they had, here.

A pang of doubt and fear hurt Mulder at this, because he knew damn well that he was committed to this now. Even despite the outlandishly bizarre turn this last adventure of his had resulted in, Mulder was very aware that the responsibility of navigating the awakening of his admittedly profound abilities was his, not Krycek's. If anything, he was grateful to Krycek and to the Healers for having saved his ass from being buried in the ground or turned into some mindless, Colonists' supersoldier.

Krycek mumbled something agitatedly in his sleep and Mulder instinctively tightened his embrace. Curious, he let his mind explore the nature of Krycek's at that moment...

Terror, trapped underground in cold, black scary places, held down to receive pain-pain-pain-

FUCK. How did the man sleep?!

He decided Krycek'd had enough, and soothingly sent a whispering suggestion to calm the man's mind, to awaken. That it was just a dream. It wasn't real. And he simultaneously ran his hand over Krycek's chest, over his stomach and his hip, down to his thigh, and back up again.

They were warm beneath the blankets and Krycek's skin felt soft and taut beneath his hand. Mulder pressed closer to feel Krycek's back all up against him, basking in the heat and sensuality of it. Mulder felt Krycek's breathing shift and then he felt the visual stimulus of receiving the impressions Krycek got as he opened his eyes.

Krycek's breathing halted - then resumed.

//Mulder... God, it was... real. It hadn't been a dream. Better than a dream. Mulder...touching me...// Krycek smiled to himself, loving Mulder's hand moving over him.

Mulder was pleased. "You awake, Alex?"

Krycek cleared his throat. "Yeah." //Thank God, I'm awake. // The residue of the nightmare was still clinging to the edges of Krycek's awareness as he tried to brush it away, dark-winged and fluttery like a melancholy moth.

Mulder kissed the back of his neck and murmured, "Still blows my mind that we managed to get this far."

Krycek tensed, unaware he was even doing so. His mind was starting to chew on the reality of his situation. And he was feeling all too self-conscious of Mulder's proximity and seemingly caring tone.

Mulder left his hand on Krycek's thigh but he sighed heavily, relaxing into Krycek, nestling his cheek in against Krycek's neck, his face turned slightly upwards. He wanted to melt into Krycek again, feel that exquisite release together. "I love having you like this." He pressed his stiffening cock against Krycek's ass, feeling the answering thrill that tumbled through Krycek's being at the sensation.

Krycek lifted his head to find the clock in the gathering gloom of the bedroom. "It's after seven."

"So?" Mulder let his body take over with a slow, gentle rhythm, wedging his cock deeper between Krycek's asscheeks.

He felt rather than heard Krycek swallow. Krycek murmured, "We could eat out."

"We could," Mulder agreed, casually positioning his leg over Krycek's, letting his dick press harder against Krycek's ass.

Krycek's breathing was quickening. He didn't say anything but Mulder could feel the interest in him growing, mounting into arousal.

Mulder reached his hand around to play lightly over Krycek's belly, loving the way the muscles there tensed, then he skimmed over Krycek's cock, down to his balls. Mulder slid a finger along the baby-soft skin between Krycek's balls and his thigh, Krycek moving almost automatically to spread his legs apart for Mulder's caress.

It was easy to make love to him, Mulder realized. Nothing else in the world mattered. There was no greater concern for him than to show Krycek that he loved him, that he accepted and forgave him, for the past... for everything that had transpired. To show Krycek that he needed him. The act of sex was merely another gesture, another means of manifesting it.

Mulder closed his eyes and let his dick press harder against Krycek's anus, feeling it give way easily and he slid a good two inches into him. Krycek gasped and gave a little shudder, moving back against him. Mulder reached around more intently now, and grasped Krycek's cock. He began to pull on it, tugging gently but insistently. He felt the precome leaking from the tip and smeared it around to aid his palming motion. The pleasure that swam over Krycek at this was almost obliterating. The comfort, the closeness, the ease of it all, it was overwhelming both of them. Mulder sighed happily, allowing himself to enjoy the purity of the simultaneous sensations. He could let himself fall into the sweetly intimate union of their minds and hearts while doing this, at least one more time...

---

Krycek felt Mulder's cock penetrate him several more inches, Mulder thankfully giving him enough time to acclimatize to his girth and length. Mulder was no midget in terms of penis size. Krycek wondered why it was that he didn't feel any jealousy at all, that Mulder's cock was bigger than his. On the heels of that thought however, he realized it was because Mulder was with him. He could enjoy him without it being a contest. What was it Mulder had said: don't worry about the past or the future? Just enjoy the here and now? Something like that. The way Mulder was making love to him was certainly enough to convince him to go ahead and take his advice.

That now-familiar tenderness constricted his heart within his chest at the realization: Mulder, here in bed with him, making LOVE to him...

He smiled, and moved back again, allowing the excitement to ripple over him, taking him back to that safe place where pleasure existed, with no cares or worries.

An unaccountable surge of comfort, affection and satisfaction nearly swamped him. It almost made him catch his breath. He didn't know why he should so suddenly feel it, but it was welcome, in any case. Hell, maybe he was just - in love.

His eyes snapped open. 'Love-' What-

He remembered Mulder telling him he loved him, a few hours before. What the hell? How had they managed to get to that? No wonder Mulder had said it blew his mind that they'd managed to get this far.

But any thought process he tried to seize at that point was immediately lost in the sudden thrust of Mulder into him, from behind him. Dear GOD, the fucking sweetness of it. The heat, and the racing fire of it. Krycek wanted to whimper but Mulder's hand moved faster on his cock now and he ended up making an aborted grunt as the double sensation of being impaled and Mulder jacking him off rolled over him.

No apprehension, no confusion anymore, just the rising wave of hot ecstasy bubbling up again as Mulder continued to fuck him. Krycek found he'd reached back at some point to grab at Mulder's upper leg, urging him on. He needed it harder though.

Like magic, Mulder suddenly began bucking forward with much stronger thrusts, every stab into him jabbing at his prostate. Krycek found himself making open-mouthed groans with every penetrative snap of Mulder's hips against him. It was so good to be able to let go like this, to not have to worry about anyone hearing them, or having to stifle his cries. Too many times, he'd found his pleasure compromised because of past situations where privacy had been very far away indeed.

Somehow, he'd never really cared much whatever he'd managed to voice before also, when alone, because it hadn't meant anything. But he knew Mulder heard every cry and moan he uttered, and he wondered what it did to Mulder, to hear it. Because when Mulder made noises, it totally caught him up and he was unable to ignore the resonance that thrilled through him at it.

Mulder's teeth nipped at his neck now, and in between bites and licks that made Krycek shiver, Mulder growled hoarsely, "I love it when you come for me. I love hearing you come. Are you going to come for me, Alex?" His hand moved faster, harder, squeezing at Krycek's cock.

Krycek yelped, feeling Mulder shoving into him even harder. "Fuck, yes," he managed. And then a bright burst of excited, dark flowering pleasure overcame him. Mulder was suddenly coming inside him, jerking uncontrollably, some sort of abated scream against his neck loud in his ears and it inundated Krycek as the sensation bowled him over, sending him shuddering and shaking into climax himself, and the intensity of the prelude was enough to make him shove into Mulder's hand and back against the large cock that was hollowing him out.

Then there was just the drifting, a sense of totality and completeness that had its own satisfaction in the wake of coming with Mulder. He almost slipped back into the well of comfort, into sleep, but Mulder kissed his neck again resoundingly, and said, "Excellent. You know, Alex, we've got a good thing going here. I'm afraid you really are stuck with me."

Krycek didn't bother to respond. He smiled a little, but he found himself waking up now, pushing away the lure of sleep. He didn't want to fall asleep again.

Finally, he said, "If we don't move, we'll be stuck together anyway."

Reluctantly, Mulder sighed against him. Krycek loved the feeling of Mulder's breath puffing against his skin. It felt so good; light as it was in comparison to the rest of what had just hit him. Jesus, since when were orgasms supposed to feel like freight trains?

Mulder pulled out of him, slowly, and yawned. He backed away and left Krycek to move away, onto his back. Krycek looked over at Mulder across the pillows. Mulder looked satisfied and happy. It was a good look on him. With a grin, Krycek said, "You and me. Whoever would have thought?"

Mulder said, slowly, "I'm not going to question it. For whatever reason, our lives have been intertwined for a long time; since the beginning, even. Since we met. Besides, I like it."

"Oh, so do I," Krycek reassured him. "I just mean... it's a little strange. That we could actually DO this, you know? Make it work."

Mulder looked thoughtful. "I think it can work because we want it to."

"I'm still surprised that you want it to," Krycek said, wondering if he was tempting fate to say it.

Mulder just smiled at him. And then chuckled as Krycek's belly growled. "Come on," he said, sitting up and stretching. "You said we could go out."

Krycek swiftly sat up. "Are you sure about that? I mean, you've only just recovered. We still don't have any idea just what is involved here, with your regeneration. If you're whole now, we can't predict what the effects might be."

"I feel fine," Mulder said. "I do. In fact, I'm hungry again. Very hungry."

Krycek shrugged. "Okay. Let's get a shower and get ready to go."

Mulder got up from the bed, wincing as the cold air began to bite at their unclothed bodies. Krycek followed him into the bathroom. As Mulder turned on the water, the steam began to rise immediately in the cold. Mulder glanced from the shower to Krycek. "We can both fit, I think."

Krycek grinned at him. "We have time."

"Get in here," Mulder ordered, stepping back to make room.

As Krycek climbed into the shower stall with Mulder, he was unsurprised to find Mulder reaching out for him, pulling him under the spray with him.

He was equally unsurprised as Mulder began to soap him, those beautiful hands deftly smoothing over him, leaving suds. Turning him so he stood with his back to him. And the long fingers as they trailed down his crack... Krycek let out a sigh of pleasure as Mulder's middle finger slid into him, gently, moving in and out of him. A couple of minutes of this lulled him into a heady space of feeling taken care of. Then, he wondered as Mulder's hands were spreading him and he found he had to lean with his hand against the tiles for support as Mulder's nose pressed between his asscheeks.

But he was completely unprepared for the wet flicker of Mulder's tongue against his opening. Krycek let out a whimper of startled bliss as Mulder continued to lave at his ass, tasting him. He found himself whispering muted curses of disjointed exclamations as Mulder continued rimming him with that heavenly tongue of his. It was maddening, as it was almost enough to bring him to the point of wanting to come, and yet it wasn't quite able to take him there all the way.

Mulder stood up then, apparently satisfied for the moment with his quick sampling of Krycek's ass. Licking his lips as the water beat down around his head, Mulder drawled, "You taste good, Alex. I'd like to try that again later, properly."

Krycek turned around, and blinked. "You know, I think it might be my turn next. You've had your fun. I haven't had the chance to enjoy you yet. Your ass is mine," he reminded Mulder.

Mulder shrugged. "Fine. We've got the rest of time to explore the possibilities."

Krycek was a little taken aback at Mulder's blase attitude. Hm. Maybe they did. But Krycek wasn't used to throwing caution to the wind. He didn't share Mulder's reckless predilection for flinging himself in harm's way. He spent a lot of time considering the options and examining the future scenarios that presented themselves. Neither of them could really afford to pretend that the rest of the world didn't exist anymore. If anything, Mulder was in greater danger than he had ever been, considering his newly-discovered status in the Hybrid Program, as well as Krycek himself, for being so closely connected to Mulder. Hell, at this point, Krycek was just as much a liability as Mulder was.

Mulder suddenly pulled him into his arms and kissed him, under the hot water that ran down both their heads. Leaning back to look into Krycek's eyes, Mulder said, searchingly, "It's going to be alright, you know. Don't worry."

Pushing his concern to the back of his mind, Krycek allowed himself to smile back at him. "Okay," he agreed, seeming to relent with an answering kiss. But he couldn't shake the unsettled feeling that clutched at him, now that they were getting ready to go out.

Mulder shampooed his hair while Krycek finished washing himself. By the time they were both ready to get out, the hot water was starting to run cooler.

Krycek stepped out first, and handed a towel to Mulder before wrapping one around himself and walking out of the bathroom to return to his own bedroom.

He heard Mulder moving around back in his room and wondered briefly if they were wise to leave the house at all. The Healers had been specific about ensuring Mulder's safety. But surely there could be no harm in simply driving into the nearest town.

And then the glad, sly little realization popped into his head: he was going to go out... with Mulder. Like a date. A warm flush of happiness stole over him at this, and Krycek found himself grinning. He'd never imagined anything so innocuous and wonderful could happen. Going out to eat. With Mulder. The excitement bubbled inside of him and he wondered why it made him feel so proud. It felt... romantic. He pulled on his clothes, carefully, ensuring the prosthetic was arranged as well as possible so that the straps wouldn't chafe against his skin.

He remembered Mulder's words earlier: why not let the one of the Smiths heal his arm... Swallowing a lingering fear at this, he wondered why it bothered him so much. He put it down to the fact that he just didn't want anyone messing with his arm at all. Not after the trauma he'd sustained. Still, the possibility was alluring. Maybe he was just being stubborn.

Why am I even considering it now, he asked himself. The knowledge that it was because he knew Mulder might prefer it was slightly sobering. He was starting to change; he was beginning to consider what Mulder thought of everything, even of himself. Krycek licked his lips, wondering if he should just accept Mulder's advice and take the plunge into this...headlong relationship with him.

Oh, what the fuck, he thought. I'm already in it. There isn't anything better to do anyway. And the satisfaction at having this much happiness and contentment at last, not to mention the joy of resolving the pain that had always lain between Mulder and himself, was enough to stiffen his back, straighten his spine and help him to leave the room without any more second thoughts.

---

Mulder was laughing softly to himself as he pulled on his boots, loving the way Krycek was eagerly anticipating the romantic flavor of their date. Eating out together, yeah - Mulder supposed it was a date. It was so cute though, the way Krycek was so excited about it. And trying to suppress his glee.

Mulder's attention was abruptly seized by the fact that the carpet appeared to be melting.

What the hell?

He stared down at the patch of carpet in his bedroom, by the bed. It was... swirling. Melting. He shook his head and sat down, staring at it hard. It was unmoving once more. He watched it suspiciously, waiting. Nothing happened.

Hallucination - it had to be a hallucination. With an intake of breath, he resolved to just let nature take its course. It was probably just a hangover from the rapid regeneration he'd undergone.

In the living room, Krycek was agitatedly searching around the room, looking on counters and tabletops, even going into the kitchen.

"What is it?" Mulder asked.

"The damn car keys," Krycek said. "They're gone. I left them right there, on the coffee table. Along with my wallet and the other stuff, which is all there..." he trailed off absently as he continued to search in the living room once more.

Mulder helped him to look but they couldn't find them anywhere.

Krycek was upset. He went and put on his jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"To start the car," Krycek muttered.

Mulder continued to look but he came up empty-handed, and then stood up with a chuckle as he heard the engine roaring outside, and realized Krycek had hotwired the car. He put on his own jacket and went out, locking the door behind him.

In the car, Krycek glowered. "Weird. I definitely left them on the table." Krycek stared over at him.

Mulder shrank back. "I didn't take them," he said, defensively. "Why would I do that?"

"I'm not accusing you," Krycek said. "I'm just wondering what the hell happened to them."

"They probably fell some place and slipped down where we couldn't find them immediately. Like in-between the cushions on the couch or something. We'll find them later. It's okay. Let's just go."

Krycek sighed and backed up, then drove down the driveway. The speed at which he took them down the frozen dirt road was enough to make gravel spit beneath the tires.

"Whoa, there," Mulder said. "We're not in a hurry, are we?"

Krycek flicked an amused glance at him. "I'm driving. You can go at whatever speed you like when you are, but I don't like taking forever."

"It's a rental," Mulder pointed out.

Krycek smiled as he maneuvered across pockets of ice on the gravel. "So?"

Mulder shrugged. "So where are we going?"

As they neared the highway, Krycek brought them to a stop, looked left and then right. "It's up to you. Sturgis or Whitewood?"

"What's the difference?"

Krycek licked his lips. "Not much. Less people in Whitewood, maybe. Less campers. Even at this time of the year."

"Whitewood then, 'cause it's the 'right road'," Mulder said.

As he took them left, Krycek picked up speed. Mulder found himself gripping the car door as patches of the road ahead seemed to swirl indistinctly and melt away. He sucked in a breath.

Krycek shot him a frown. "You okay?"

"Yep. Just been a while since I've been up and about. Don't worry, I'm okay. I think I might be too hungry, actually. So this regeneration phase is still working, whatever it is that it's doing." Mulder could feel the concern radiating from Krycek. But he was acutely aware of the sensation of this odd hallucinatory effect on his composure.

He was afraid that if Krycek or anyone else discovered he was as switched-on as he was, that he'd end up back in confinement or maybe even the operating table. It wasn't rational, for he knew Krycek was actually horrified at the way the Smoking Man had sliced him up during that episode of his, but he couldn't help the fear from rising. He didn't want a repetition of that event. He had to find a way to tell Krycek about what was happening to him without compromising his sense of security. Or freaking Krycek out.

There was very little traffic on the road and by the time they entered the outskirts of Whitewood, Mulder was certain that his abilities were not going to interfere with this 'date' of theirs, in spite of the continuing hallucinations of melting scenery.

They located a restaurant and parked outside it. In the dusk that had fallen, the interior of the car was dark. Krycek drew a breath and looked over at Mulder. "Let's go."

Mulder was about to open his car door when he caught sight of the car keys sitting in the ignition. He glanced back up at Krycek with a frown. "There are the keys."

"What?"

"The keys," Mulder urged. "They're right there."

Krycek took them out of the ignition and stared at them. He swiftly looked back at Mulder. "You saw as well as I did, right? They weren't there when we left."

Mulder grinned. "Yep. I have no idea what this means. Come on, let's get inside."

Krycek sat there for a few moments more, however, puzzling at this strange occurrence. Finally, he followed Mulder, opening the car door and slamming it behind him. "This is too fucking weird," he muttered, locking the car and pocketing the keys.

Mulder shrugged. "Stranger things have happened - and probably will. Come on, I'm starving. All this sex has really done things to my appetite."

Right on cue, he thought, as his offhanded reference to their new physical intimacy caused a swell of excitement and tenderness to lance through Krycek. He darted a look at him but Krycek was hiding it well, covering it with a game expression of nonchalance and alertness now that they were among other people.

The place was deceptively small at first, at the entrance, but then as they advanced within, Mulder realized it was very long. The building extended back quite far. Krycek was preoccupied with noting all the entry points and weaknesses. Mulder was glad, because he let himself relax in accordance with Krycek's security-conscious awareness, enjoying the esthetic properties of the establishment. It was decorated very much in a style representative of the Old West, with dark wooden logs, displayed trout panels, paintings of the local mountains and South Dakota scenery, with a real fireplace off to one side. The smell of coffee and blueberry syrup was predominant.

The tables were separated in booths too, which suited him fine. As they sat down at one of them, Mulder said, "We've got the place pretty much to ourselves." He glanced across at Krycek over the table where Krycek had slid in opposite him.

Krycek was looking at him with a thoughtful expression. //Mine, he's all mine. It's... a miracle. //

Mulder's eyes twinkled at his. He cleared his throat. "Alex?"

Krycek gave a furtive smile. "I've got you all to myself too." A possessive satisfaction was lingering in Krycek's mind.

Mulder found himself strangely moved by this. He let himself look back directly into Krycek's eyes. "I feel very... close... to you." He deliberately let himself stress the word 'close', hoping Krycek would pick up on it.

Krycek did. First, he darted a glance at the waitress nearby, who had noticed them but was not yet coming to take their orders. She was busying herself with clearing a table. Then he looked back at Mulder, various considerations swirling in his thoughts. Then, he asked carefully, "How are you feeling? Now that we're here, I mean?" Krycek was curious.

Mulder shrugged, easily. "I feel good. It's still a bit strange, knowing that I'm back and everything, but it's odd. Something is different. I feel... aware."

Krycek lifted his brows at him. "Aware?"

Mulder nodded. He lowered his voice. "I think... my abilities have been reawakened. The regeneration seems to have restored more than we expected." He waited for the impact of this to hit Krycek, wondering how much of an effect it was going to have.

//Oh-hhhh, shit. // Krycek swallowed and tried not to react. He carefully studied Mulder. "Is it- is it anything like what you experienced before? With the fragments of the ship you and Scully had?"

The knowledge that Krycek himself had all the remaining fragments of that ship, collected personally in the wake of Mulder's strange seizures and episode following his exposure to them, was bright and vivid in Krycek's mind. Krycek was concerned for Mulder, but he was also afraid Mulder might realize he had them.

Mulder wondered why. Then it hit him: Krycek was worried Mulder would blame him and revile him for having collected them, and the men he'd killed in his wake - Dr Sandoz, Kritschgau... He was concerned at anything arising that might cause Mulder to reconsider their relationship, new as it was.

Mulder reflected on this. He realized Krycek wasn't even sorry for what he'd had to do and had in fact blamed Mulder and Scully for what had occurred with it all. He caught the impression from Krycek that he always found himself cleaning up after their X-Files; with them always unaware of the amount of loose ends they left behind them. Mulder grinned.

He was growing very fond of peering into Krycek's mind like this, and even when he found unflattering contents, he couldn't help delighting in the voyeuristic jolt it still gave him. Secrets, secrets. No more secrets Krycek could keep from him. He almost wished that his conscience would stop yammering at him to try to find some way to break the news to Krycek without destroying his trust.

He replied, "It's not the same at all. There's absolutely no pain, no blinding chaos or confusion. But it's creeping up on me. I can handle it, but there's something else."

Krycek's look warned him, and he shut up as the waitress came up to their table with coffee and mugs, as well as two tall glasses of ice and water. Mulder smiled at her. "Thanks."

She left them with the menus and Krycek said in an undertone, "For God's sake, Mulder, why didn't you say something?"

Mulder shrugged. "It wasn't very strong before. And it isn't overwhelming me at all. But something's definitely happening."

Krycek was cold, rigid. "What? What's happening?"

Mulder wanted to sigh. Krycek was all business now. "The floor's melting. At least, that's what it looks like to me. I've never dropped acid but it looks a lot like what people have described. It's way beyond what I was experiencing with that drug in my water supply, before. Remember that?"

Krycek squirmed in his seat. "Mulder, get a grip, okay? Just... don't lose it right here. We don't want to do anything that will call attention to us, or the fact that YOU are here."

Mulder regarded him. "What do you take me for?" He sipped his coffee.

Krycek stared back at him. "What? What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm not as stupid as I look. Of course I won't call attention to our presence here."

Krycek flushed slightly. //Oh, for fuck's sake. Why does he always take offense with me? Doesn't he know I only said it because I CARE? // With a nettled tone, Krycek said defensively, "You don't look stupid. I'm not accusing you of anything. I just- I don't want anything to go wrong, here. I'm responsible for you."

Mulder smiled at him. "I know. It's very touching. Thanks, Alex. I know you only say such things because you care about me."

Krycek blinked at him in confusion. //I can't figure him out. I never will. Is he having an episode? Is he angry? Upset? Playing with me? That's it; he's fucking with me. It has to be. // Licking his lips, Krycek stared at the menu without reading it.

Three men came into the restaurant, obviously locals. Mulder scanned them without realizing he could do it so effortlessly and was overjoyed to find out how easy it was. They didn't even feel it. He put out a wall of ignorance and fuzziness surrounding him and Krycek. They responded by ignoring him completely. Mulder was delighted. This was so easy. And utterly necessary, he suspected.

Krycek regarded the three men and obviously came to the conclusion that they were irrelevant, returning to his menu. Without looking at Mulder, he asked, "Are you sure you're going to be okay with this? Being here?"

"Yeah. It's just a little disconcerting, how the floor keeps melting. The road was doing it too, on the way here."

Krycek sighed. Then he said, "The car keys."

Mulder's eyes narrowed. "What about them?"

Krycek gave him a look from beneath his brows, then dropped back to the menu. "How do we know that wasn't some kind of effect from what's happening with you, now that you're - active? Activated?"

Mulder hadn't considered that possibility. "Maybe. But that would mean that I'm spontaneously and uncontrollably telekinetic, possibly translocative. At least with inanimate objects. That's very different from any kind of ESP or Gibson Praise type of phenomena I've come across. At least, from the point of view of the Hybrid Program."

Krycek closed his eyes and let out a breath. //Fuck. FUCK. Why can't anything be simple? //

"Mulder, are you - " He stopped, not wanting to say it. But the words 'Gibson Praise' were floating in the forefront of his mind. //Is he? Is he becoming like the kid? //

Mulder shrugged. "I've always had a certain amount of intuitive ability. I always put it down to being a lucky guesser. Now I have to wonder. Maybe it was purely because of my latent ability. Maybe my DNA is more active, now. It's a little disconcerting, but nothing I can't handle."

Krycek was unable to concentrate on the menu now. He was so preoccupied with the implications of what Mulder had revealed, in fact, that he was trying to balance both his concern for Mulder's condition with his anxiety at losing the valuable, newly forged relationship they had begun.

Then, a niggling thought arose in Krycek's mind. How had Mulder managed to figure out that they had buried another abductee in his stead? How had Mulder picked up so much, so many details? Was he - ? Krycek shied away from considering this. It was too unnerving. He didn't want to think about it. But it began to eat away at him. He couldn't ignore this. From what he'd understood of the episode Mulder had suffered previously with the exposure to the ship fragments, Mulder had been just as telepathic as Gibson Praise. The thought of a fully-active Mulder effortlessly scanning people's minds... HIS mind... Krycek swallowed and tried to stop thinking about it. He read the menu.

Mulder began to wonder if he shouldn't put Krycek out of his misery and just TELL him. About this bond he had spontaneously formed with him. Considering Krycek's feelings for him, he didn't think Krycek would mind too much. Still, the man might take it as a betrayal, feeling as though Mulder had been playing him the whole time. And he really had, Mulder realized, honestly.

Trying to stem the onrushing problems, Mulder said quietly, "I have no intention of letting this come between us, Alex."

Krycek was unconvinced. His eyes glittered as he met Mulder's. "Letting WHAT come between us, exactly?"

"Whatever changes I'm undergoing."

But Krycek's instincts were sound. He had relied on them far longer than on Mulder's assurances. And Krycek was now suspicious of Mulder's motives.

The waitress came up to them once more and Mulder placed his order. Krycek let Mulder order for them both. Buffalo steaks, fried shrimp, baked potato, spiced apple chutney and even coconut cream pie. At the last moment as the waitress turned, he stopped her, saying, "Could we also get some blueberry pancakes, to go? I've been smelling them and they'd be great for breakfast."

"Sure," she smiled. "Do you want those with the house syrup?"

"Yes, please." Mulder watched her go with satisfaction. He looked back at Krycek. He leaned over and touched him on the wrist. "Hey, I got us breakfast, too."

Krycek stared back him, unmoving.

Mulder pouted. "Alex, what is it? Look, when I said the floor was melting, I didn't mean it literally. It's just an effect of this regeneration, I'm sure. Must be something in my system causing me to see this stuff."

Krycek's mind was very quiet and still. Mulder found it unnerving, especially after being able to read him so easily, before.

"How long have you been reading my mind, Mulder?" Krycek's voice was deceptively calm.

Mulder didn't know what to say. How had he guessed, so soon?

"Since you awoke?" Krycek prodded.

Mulder hesitated. Uncertainty flooded him. "It - it isn't what you think," he started.

"How long?" Krycek repeated forcefully, his face hard.

Mulder let out a breath. "Since I woke up. But it isn't - I'm not - " He chewed on his lower lip, wondering how the hell he was going to explain this. All of it.

He glanced up at Krycek, and was struck with how unaffected he appeared. But in the next moment, his mind caught the full effect of Krycek's emotional state.

Krycek was sad. He was also embarrassed. He was piecing it together rapidly now: the way Mulder had seemed to play him throughout the afternoon. Getting him to trust him. Krycek's cheeks were going red, but it was a combination of anger and humiliation.

No. No, it wasn't supposed to be this way, Mulder thought, with conviction. I won't let this happen. He flushed. "It wasn't a lie, when I said I loved you, Alex. This isn't some kind of conspiracy of mine, to force you to admit your feelings for me and then take revenge on you somehow, by hurting you. I'm as surprised by all this as you are. I had no idea what was happening. I was just going with it, where it seemed to take me."

"Right. Straight into bed." Krycek's voice was dry and accusatory, but he at least wasn't filled with anger to the point of walking out. Yet. He was still waiting for Mulder's explanation.

"Alex." Chastened, Mulder continued, "I wasn't playing a game with you. Not then, and not now. I may be able to scan people's thoughts more readily than before, but it doesn't mean that what we have has changed."

"Doesn't it?"

"No," Mulder said, strongly. "Alex, you - we're not - " He stumbled over the words, not knowing how to let him know just how real it was for him, that it wasn't a game, that he wasn't intending to hurt him. Or how to explain the nature of their connection now. In the wake of the extreme agitation he felt at being unable to communicate it to Krycek, or to explain what had happened to him throughout the past day and a half, or even to help Krycek through the feelings of loss and anxiety he was feeling towards him, Mulder suddenly found the answer.

He opened that link he had with Krycek's mind and feelings, and let him 'see' his own. The love, the assurance, the trust. The concern he felt for him, and the worry. Mulder tried to let him 'feel' what he was feeling, to send him the actual contents of his own self.

It struck home with the force of a tidal wave. Mulder was a little surprised at how easy it was now. And the effect was more than he'd anticipated. Krycek jerked in his seat and stared at him, wide-eyed. He made a little, strangled sound that died in his throat.

//What. The. FUCK! You.. you're... // Krycek's mind was spinning on a slowly tilting axis, quickly growing disoriented. //No... //

Mulder licked his lips. "It isn't as bad as you're fearing."

Krycek was breathing hard. He was at a complete loss for words. He was feeling faint. At the complete humiliation at how compromised he was, at how compromised he'd been all along. Nothing he could hide now, from Mulder, ever. Nothing at all. The anger and the fear was overwhelming. He couldn't hide ANYTHING from him... He could feel Mulder's mind, touching his, connecting with his, feeling him...

Mulder sent him a little tendril of love; warm and curling in his direction.

It was like trying to mentally stroke a bristling, cornered animal. Krycek's mind kept slipping, sliding, darting from side to side, trying to find somewhere to hide. He was completely confused, and didn't know how to find a wall to put up.

Mulder held out his left hand on the table, palm upwards. "Take my hand, Alex." When Krycek didn't move, Mulder urged, "Come on. Take it."

In a very altered state, Krycek let out a breath and took his hand, but he was moving automatically, still totally disoriented at the fluidity and reality of their mental connection and Mulder squeezed his hand, comfortingly. "I'm still me. And you're still you. We're still here. It's okay. It really is."

"But you're- " It died on Krycek's lips, the abhorrence killing what he was about to say in the realization of the total reality of it. There weren't even any words in Krycek's mind now; he was running purely on emotion. Guilt, anger, fear. It wasn't like it had been with the Healers, or even when he'd picked up the boy, Gibson Praise, with the Brit that day, from the Smoker. This was different. Because it was MULDER.

It was too much. It was his worst nightmare come to life, Mulder realized. Because it meant there was nothing he could hide from him. Mulder sighed, aloud. "Alex, listen to me. I'm not judging you. I haven't been, not since I woke up. I've not wanted to do either of us a disservice by revealing this, because I knew you'd probably be upset. But I didn't want to lie to you. I owe you that much. We can handle it. Together. And it's like I showed you. We're... connected." He tried to catch Krycek's eye but Krycek pulled his hand back once more and wouldn't look at him.

Krycek was starting to think very hard now. //Get - get out... away... leave me alone...//

Mulder backed off, obeying, wondering if he dared to reveal to Krycek that he COULDN'T, he could only 'stop sending' long enough to give Krycek a break from the direct connection to his own thoughts. It was like having a modem line to Krycek's brain - he could still see him even if he wasn't sending, and Krycek had no idea how to comprehend it.

Yet.

He was going to catch on very quickly. Mulder could feel what happiness and contentment he'd enjoyed with their bond beginning to dissipate rapidly now. He was left with an aching sense of loss.

//Alex, // he sent.

"Stop it," Krycek breathed. "Just... stop it. Give me a minute, here. This isn't fair. To do this here. Right here. It's- it's not fair." He gave Mulder a bitter glance. "Why couldn't you have waited until we got back?"

Mulder was abashed. "I'm sorry. I am. I didn't realize it was so strong. I didn't know it would be like this. Or I would have. And it's been growing; it's too easy now. It's a lot easier than it was before. I thought maybe it was because we were, you know, intimate, but I think it's just all coming online still, activating."

"How the HELL am I supposed to be able to eat, like this?" Krycek wondered, aloud. It appeared to give him a measure of relief and stability, to speak what he was thinking aloud, to at least have that much control over knowing what he was revealing and when.

Mulder could relate with how that felt. He was feeling ashamed now at having dumped this on Krycek, and Krycek was right too: to have done this in a public place rather than having it out in the solitude of the safehouse... It WAS indiscreet.

Humbled, he said, "I'm sorry."

Krycek let out another breath, an exhalation followed by another intake of breath that seemed more like he was trying to find oxygen than actually expressing any kind of relief. "Unbelievable." He shook his head. And then shot Mulder another accusatory look. "Why did you wait? Why didn't you tell me?"

Mulder shrugged, shamefaced. "I thought you wouldn't sleep with me if I did. I thought you'd be angry."

"Damn right," Krycek agreed, fervently.

"It's too late though, now," Mulder said. //Because we're bonded, // he sent surreptitiously. //And I need you. I can't do this without you. //

He waited for this to sink in for Krycek, before adding aloud, "That's a good thing, isn't it? I mean, far from me wanting to leave, it's had the effect of ensuring I'll stay with you. After all, now you know I'm addicted to you. Isn't that what you wanted? For me to really need you? You have the perfect assurance: to know that whatever happens, I'm bound to you."

Krycek considered this. The hope in him that lifted a tentative head at Mulder's suggestion was immediately welcome to Mulder's own heart, even while Mulder was still struggling with the thought that he shouldn't have told Krycek at all.

But he knew he'd done the right thing. Krycek would have figured it out eventually.

// I would have, too, // Krycek thought.

Mulder looked up at him in surprise.

Krycek smirked a little. "What, is your little 'gift' turning out to be more than you'd thought?"

//Must be inconvenient, to find that now you've got me, I've also got YOU, Fox. //

It was Mulder's turn to squirm. "Don't- "

// Oh, you really don't like that, do you? When I call you 'Fox'. Fox, Fox, Fox, // Krycek thought, gleefully, enjoying the rather childish goading of him by repeating his first name over and over. //What, am I upsetting you? So sorry. Let me 'show' you how sorry I am, 'Fox'. //

And Krycek sent him an explicitly visual image of what he wanted to do to Mulder when they returned home. Shafting him, sinking his cock deep into Mulder's ass... hard.

Mulder's mouth dropped open and he suddenly found he couldn't breathe. That had been rather graphic. And unavoidable. "Okay, okay. You've made your point."

"I haven't even started," Krycek promised him, in a dark, low voice.

Mulder was uncomfortable. "I said I was sorry. I meant it." He didn't like the way this was turning out. He hadn't lied. He truly did care for Krycek. Why was Krycek taking this so hard? It wasn't like he'd intended to hurt him.

Krycek relented, with a sigh, dropping his gaze to the table. "Alright, Mulder. So what is this? What's the plan here?"

"I have no idea."

"Oh, come on," Krycek scoffed. "You can't play the victim now. What do we do, now that we've got this 'bond'?"

"Alex, try to understand that I'm just going with this, as it happens. I have no idea what to do about it. It was completely unexpected. Jeremiah Smith told me it was an unexpected side-effect."

Krycek stared back at him. "Mulder," he said, slowly, "Assume that I haven't yet caught up with all this, which is understating the matter. When did Smith tell you that?"

"When he was here, just before he left. He told me that I was in good hands, that I was safe with you, that I should just remain here and stay out of sight."

Krycek snorted. "I should have known that you'd be doing it for him and not for me."

"Don't be upset. You don't need to. I'm staying with you, aren't I? I'm not sleeping with HIM."

Krycek shot him a look that told him Mulder couldn't fool him. "Let me see, if you had the chance to sleep with an alien, would you do it? I wonder."

Mulder grimaced. "Would you stop?"

Krycek snickered at him. "Like I said, I haven't even started."

"You can stop playing the wounded victim too, anytime," Mulder shot back. "You haven't exactly been without reproach, you know."

Krycek considered him at this, thoughtfully. //I know. // He didn't say anything more, because the waitress was coming to their table laden with plates.

As she served up their order, Mulder took the opportunity to practice his own little wall, a fuzzy kind of dissonance he erected around himself and Krycek. To his edification, the waitress nearly blanked out on him, going quiet. Krycek picked up what he was doing and shot him a horrified look. Quickly, Mulder 'sent' her the suggestion that she was merely tired, as it was so late in the day, and to his relief, she suddenly yawned. "Oh, excuse me. Long day. So, can I get you gentleman anything else?"

"No, thank you," Mulder smiled at her.

After she left, however, Krycek muttered, "Jesus; you're a menace, Mulder. Try to control yourself, can't you?"

"Did you get that?" Mulder asked, wondering if Krycek had been able to tell what he was doing.

"Yeah. Try to stop yourself from practicing too much on unsuspecting people." Krycek was disconcerted at Mulder's seeming lack of ethical consideration.

"It's not a question of morality, Alex, but of security. I'm not using it against people. I'm using it in self-defense. You ought to be pleased. I'm taking precautions, here." He took a bite of the buffalo steak and was momentarily and completely distracted. It was delicious. "You have to try this stuff. It's better than beef," Mulder said.

//Is it better than me? // Krycek sent to him swiftly, with a wicked undertone.

Mulder swallowed, assailed by both of their memories at once of what he'd done to Krycek in the shower before they'd left the house. "Actually, no; it isn't."

To his delight, his response had the opposite effect Krycek had intended with his wisecrack aimed at unseating Mulder. Krycek found himself taken aback at the glow of pride and arousal that covered him at Mulder's answer. Krycek went quiet and started on his own food.

// I can hardly wait until I can do it again, // Mulder sent.

He was rewarded with an answering surge of confusion and more arousal from Krycek, whose cheeks had darkened once more. Krycek gave him an accusatory look, and placed a bite of steak in his mouth, slowly.

// I'm looking forward to swallowing you, myself, // Krycek directed at him.

Mulder just smiled at him.

A couple, male and female, left the restaurant, obviously together. Mulder watched them go. He checked his watch. It was getting late.

// Probably going to go fuck each other's brains out, // Krycek commented, a noticeable smirk creeping over him even as he continued to eat, innocently enough.

Ruefully, Mulder said, "I'm not the only one who's turning out to be a menace."

"Oh, quit whining," Krycek said. "Just because your little voyeuristic plan didn't turn out the way you wanted it to."

Mulder squirmed in place, caught. "Fine. Eat this," he said, and took a forkful of steak in his mouth, whilst sending Krycek the unmistakable image of taking Krycek's cock into his mouth instead, licking him, sucking him down...

To his extreme gratification, Krycek moved uncomfortably in his seat. // You keep THAT up, and I'm gonna go down on you; right here, right now. //

Mulder was slightly scandalized to realize that Krycek was completely serious and did not give a damn if it got them arrested or thrown out.

Krycek was tittering at him.

He took his revenge by simply saying, // I am in love with you, you know. I'm not quite sure how, or when, or even why. But I am. //

Krycek stopped snickering at him but the smile didn't quite leave either. He met Mulder's eye across the table and this time he didn't look away. // And I love you, Fox. // And he meant it as an endearment. Seriously.

To Mulder's slight surprise, he didn't mind it this time, when Krycek called him that.

Mulder decided to go for broke, and let Krycek feel the bond between them again, fully. Point-blank, direct, no hiding. Krycek sucked in a breath and sat back, off-balance.

But to Mulder's relief, Krycek didn't respond unfavorably this time. In fact, he seemed to like it. Blinking at him, Krycek accepted it. And continued eating.

They ate in silence for a while, just letting the link between them solidify.

Mulder was stunned to realize that for the first time in his life, he didn't feel... alone.

Krycek accepted this, accepted HIM. He didn't look down on him as others had, nor did he regard Mulder with fear. Well, he was still unsettled about it, but he seemed to be taking it in his stride. Which was unprecedented, really. The comfortable connection between them seemed to be composed of more than just need and lust, and emotional attachment. It was -

A communion. An enduring, never-ending communion of their hearts and minds. Mulder was rather awed by it. This was a new discovery. And the aliens had this, all the TIME? Good God, how could any of them allow themselves to fall into some kind of negative, unresponsive state when they had this amazing boon?

Krycek swiftly sent him, // No emotion. If they can't 'feel' it, they can't share it. They take it for granted, I think. //

Mulder nodded. This was turning out to have been the right thing to do after all. He colored the link between them, letting Krycek know that he regretted having shocked him so badly, and that he hoped Krycek wasn't going to hold it against him, that he'd deceived him for as long as he had.

Krycek frowned. "This... takes a little getting used to. I'm wondering what your range is, you know? I mean, what if we want a break from each other?"

Mulder shrugged, starting on his slice of coconut cream pie. Helping his first bite to go down with a drink of coffee, he sent, // We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I just want to get back home. I mean, the house. //

But Krycek had noted his slip and smiled at him. "Home, huh?"

"Well, why not?" Mulder asked, a little defensively.

"I love you, too, Fox," Krycek murmured in an undertone.

// Christ, I feel like I'm on a drug or something. // Mulder's perceptions were still slightly whacked by the effects of his regeneration on his system. // Melting reality, telepathic communion and sex. What a day. //

Krycek snorted. "Tell me about it." He started in on his own pie.

Mulder let himself feel Krycek's savoring of his pie and the disorientation that it caused was almost dizzying now, their connection was so strong. Krycek frowned at him. "What are you doing?" he complained. "Why can't you wait until we get back to try this kind of experiment?"

"Right. I will."

"You'd better," warned Krycek. "You don't want to make me crash on our way back. That would be unfortunate."

"I'll be careful," Mulder said, absently. The idea of being fucked by Alex when they returned was suddenly paramount in his mind, as he realized that it was what he was waiting for. Alex. Fucking him.

Krycek choked on his bite of pie. He sent Mulder an angry look.

"Serves you right, for what you did to me earlier," Mulder murmured. Yeah, so good, the thought of it, wondering what it would be like with both of them feeling it at once, Alex entering him, and getting what he'd been wanting all along, what they had BOTH wanted. The anticipation was starting to sing in him.

He never could keep his hands off Alex, he realized. He watched Alex eating, loving the way his lashes swept down, so long and dark... The way Alex's lips wrapped around the fork, and the way his pink tongue licked at the flecks of cream on his lips, licking the cream away...

Krycek cleared his throat. "Mulder, do you mind?"

"Not at all," Mulder grinned. "You about through, there? I want to get back." // So you can fuck me. //

They were both delirious, he knew. They were coasting on that weird high that endorphins and sexual longing create.

Finally Krycek put down his fork, his pie half-eaten. "Okay. Fuck this. Let's get out of here." He was feeling strange, himself, and wasn't at all sure that he liked it, being so off-balance in public. He wanted to get back and reevaluate what was growing between them. There were too many implications to ignore, too much at stake for both of them now.

Mulder frowned. It was true. What if they grew tired of having to be in each other's minds all the time? What if it grew abrasive? He watched Krycek standing up to go pay the check. He watched, wondering if he'd grow tired of knowing Krycek, feeling him. The idea was at odds with the comfort, however. He just knew that he no longer felt alone. And it was good. As shaky as it had been, his initial induction of Krycek into this bond they shared was turning out to be more successful than he'd expected, actually.

// Come on, Fox. Move your ass. // Krycek was taking advantage of the connection they shared, Mulder could feel it resonating along the link.

Mulder went up to the waitress who handed him a package. The blueberry pancakes, he remembered with joy. "Thanks," he grinned at her.

"Enjoy them," she said.

Happily, he followed Alex out of the restaurant into the night, to their car.

---

Krycek felt in his pocket for the keys and was relieved they were still there. It was admittedly creepy that they'd disappeared in the way that they had, only to reappear actually IN the ignition... He had suspected Mulder was responsible for it somehow, only not to the degree that Mulder had turned out to be. He glanced over at Mulder in the car and asked, "Melting? Really?"

Mulder shrugged. "That's the best way I can describe it. Portions seem to swirl and dissipate. It makes everything look fluid, like runny plastic."

Krycek sighed and shook his head. "I want to know what you're seeing, but I'd appreciate it if you don't subject me to it while I'm driving. Can you keep it to yourself until we get back?"

"Sure, Alex." Mulder leaned over and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently for a moment. "Hey, it's okay you know. It's nothing we can't handle. Besides, it's nowhere near as wild and painful as it was when the ship fragments got to me."

Krycek grimaced slightly and started the car, backing out and taking them onto the road, where he promptly picked up speed.

He could still feel Mulder inside his head, like a warm pressure. It felt like being filled with some kind of pool. A warm puddle of something; emotion or maybe even just Mulder's being. Grimly, he wondered if he was melting on the inside because of Mulder, the same way Mulder's external reality appeared to be turning to hot wax.

Then it occurred to him... Mulder's sperm was so strong, his genetic material was enough to kickstart Scully's barren womb back into fertile production, at least enough to harbor a child of his. Jesus, they'd taken no precautions, both times Mulder had fucked him. Morbid thoughts of inner changes tiptoed through his mind.

Mulder began chuckling quietly beside him. A sense of satiated, full and happy contentment was drifting off of Mulder via their link and Krycek glanced at him. "What? What's so funny?"

Mulder was acquiescing to Krycek's desire for less mental contact during the drive back, but he could obviously still read him. "You, Alex. I think we're quite safe. There's no way I've got you pregnant."

Krycek grinned. "Maybe not, but how do we know you haven't, I don't know... DONE something to me?"

Mulder's lips twitched. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Right now, I'm more concerned with what you're going to be doing to me."

Mulder's pointed reminder of what they were intending upon their arrival back at the house was enough to make Krycek draw a breath and try to focus on the road more keenly. The whole relationship thing they had going here was very distracting. It was welcome, but it also made him feel skewed, and probably as drugged as Mulder was feeling. He licked his lips, wondering what it would be like to finally sink himself into Mulder's body...

Mulder cleared his throat. "I've been wondering the same thing."

A quiver of lust ran up and down Krycek at the tone in Mulder's voice. He kept his eyes on the road, but there was something akin to a fever starting to burn inside him.

"Thanks for the date, Alex." Mulder sounded amused. "You keep feeding me like that, I'm yours for good."

"I thought you were mine anyway, now," Krycek pointed out.

"They do say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"In your case, that's certainly turning out to be true," Krycek mused. He glanced at Mulder. "You keep eating along with the change. Maybe you're actually feeding your abilities, somehow."

Mulder moved restlessly. "That's justice, isn't it? I've turned into my own X-File."

"You always WERE," Krycek countered, smiling. "But yeah, it's fitting. So tell me something, Fox; what else can you do? You read minds, move objects, melt reality and put up fuzzy shields. What next?"

Mildly, Mulder replied, "You shouldn't ask me that right now, or I'll be tempted to try to find out. You said you wanted us to have a safe drive back."

"Right. But is it limited only to what you can dream up? Or is there a set range of what you can do?"

"How should I know?"

Krycek shrugged. "You've been doing this longer than I've known about it. I thought maybe you had some idea of what you're capable of."

"I told you, we're in this together," Mulder reminded him.

The little surge of comforting gentleness that emotionally accompanied Mulder's answer was enough to shut him up, because Krycek felt the answering response directly from his heart. Finally, he murmured, "I'm not used to this, being so close to someone. Let alone you. It's a little... strange. Not bad," he hurriedly added. "Just weird. You really did shock me, back there."

"Sorry. It's just as new for me, you know." Mulder's note of sincerity went a little further to soothe Krycek's ruffled feelings concerning that whole revelation in the restaurant.

He relaxed even more, and sniffed. "You have to admit, it's completely bizarre for you to be bonded to me. Addicted, even."

Mulder laughed. "Totally."

The drive wasn't long and soon they had reached the entrance to the driveway up to the safehouse.

As Krycek parked in front of the house, Mulder drew a breath. "Can I... may I connect with you again?" He asked eagerly, as if he'd had to make do without for too long.

Krycek bit his lips. "Okay. Just - don't flood me with it."

Mulder swallowed. "I won't. But I need this; I need you."

Krycek sighed. "I know."

Mulder let a cautious tendril of feeling open in Krycek's mind once more, and Krycek was startled to find that it really wasn't bad at all. If anything, it was even more comfortable than he'd remembered. He felt Mulder's desire for connection to him and the keen edge of loneliness abated at last, soothed away in the satisfaction of merging their minds and hearts once more.

Krycek found himself smiling before he knew he was doing it. "This, Mulder, here with you... I could get used to this." He felt unaccountably shy.

Mulder leaned over and kissed him. "Been wanting to do that all evening," Mulder whispered. And kissed him again, longer this time.

Seizing Mulder's mouth with his own, Krycek let himself indulge in the sheer possession of him. // Never thought I'd have this much, not with you, // he thought.

// Inside... now... come on... // Mulder urged, restlessly, even as he pulled away and opened the door.

As Krycek reached to remove the keys from the ignition, they dissipated and vanished into thin air. He stared at his hand, then at the dashboard, then at Mulder who was already making his way back into the house.

A prickle of fear caught at him. It made him very uneasy to have things disappearing, especially things he needed. Shaking his head, he got out and shut the car door behind him, following Mulder inside.

"The keys are gone again," he stated, dryly.

Mulder pointed to the coffee table. "There they are."

Krycek chewed on his upper lip. "I can't take much more of this."

Mulder stepped close to him. "Hey, it's okay. I think it might be my subconscious acting up. I'll try to control it better, alright?"

Krycek abruptly received the overwhelming impression from Mulder's psyche that it actually helped MULDER to feel better to have Krycek there to reassure. He blinked, a quizzical frown going across his face. He reached out and touched Mulder's arm. "Fox, are you okay with this?"

Mulder nodded, feeling Krycek's understanding of what he was going through. There was a twin sense of relief going through both of them at having achieved a certain amount of comprehension. "Yeah. Just so long as you're here too. That's what I mean, when I keep saying I need you. I don't think I could go through this alone."

Krycek nodded. "Alright. I'm not going to desert you. I'm glad I can help."

Mulder grinned at him, evilly. "You can help me by getting your ass into my bedroom."

Krycek stared him down, an answering smirk rising to his face. "You're insatiable."

"And you're a stud. I always knew you were."

"You're a nympho," Krycek stated.

Mulder tilted his head, regarding him. "And you're cute."

"Cute?" Krycek asked, dangerously.

"Very cute," Mulder nodded. "You're a romantic. I never would have guessed."

"If I'm a romantic, God help you. You have no idea what romance is, Fox."

"Come on," Mulder urged. "You liked taking me out, didn't you? It was really sweet of you, the way you were all nervous and excited about it."

That now-familiar little tenderness shot through Krycek, inside. "Alright, alright," he grumbled, stepping past Mulder and taking off his jacket.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Mulder persisted.

Removing his boots, Krycek threw him a look. "Take off your clothes."

Mulder raised his brows. "So it's gonna be like that, huh?"

Krycek contented himself with just smiling amiably. "Unless you want me to do it for you."

Mulder went silent. Krycek could feel the anticipation building in him though; Mulder was looking forward to Krycek taking charge, taking care of him, taking him.

The heady knowledge of it swam in him and he felt his cock swelling in response.

He felt full, stretched to the brim with Mulder's being, the flavor of Mulder's emotions and the little considerings that zipped over the forefront of Mulder's thoughts... The images that flashed and revealed what Mulder was wanting.

Krycek found himself breathing harder. The heat was threatening to rupture over him like a wildfire. Mulder began backing into the bedroom, removing his shirt and jeans as he went.

Krycek followed, stripping away what he wore almost without thinking about it. The sense of no longer being alone wasn't comforting anymore; it had evolved into a heightened exhilaration fed by both Mulder's desire and his own.

Mulder was naked now, climbing into the bed. Krycek followed, getting in after him as Mulder shifted along to make room for him.

And then the world was still. It was dark, quiet, and peaceful. Quite at odds with the thrumming, pulsing desire between them, suffusing both of them as Krycek felt his erection gaining full strength to match Mulder's.

He wondered at Mulder's complete lack of trepidation at what Krycek intended to do to him, and in the next moment received the answer from Mulder's mental awareness: being able to anticipate what Krycek would do removed the fear and doubt for Mulder.

Krycek was glad. It helped to remove some of his own nervousness at taking Mulder's ass for the first time.

He'd taken off his prosthetic and now he wished he'd left it on, to help him to keep his balance better. Mulder shook his head. // It's okay, I can compensate. I'll move when and where you need me to. // The total acceptance in Mulder at Krycek's missing arm also helped to soothe his doubts about what Mulder thought of it. Even as the thought crossed his mind, Mulder's thoughts swelled with a tinge of regret and guilt.

Krycek froze. This was unexpected, to know that Mulder actually considered himself partly responsible for Krycek's loss. No wonder Mulder had been so concerned that Krycek should ask the Healers to restore his arm. Krycek was touched. He reached out to Mulder and moved in closer to him.

As their bodies came into contact, the safe familiarity and coziness of returning to the bed together was offset by the deepening waves of anticipation shooting through Mulder now.

But Krycek wanted to do this right. And was gratified to feel Mulder giving way, trusting him to know when to do what. As much as he wanted Krycek to just DO it to him, Mulder was grateful for Krycek's consideration and care.

// The lotion, // Krycek thought, and Mulder reached up with a barely-discernable smile in the dark of the room, which Krycek felt strongly anyway through their bond.

It felt like a dance, a carefully orchestrated motion of grace and intent. The euphoria and excitement was finally joined with certainty and sensation. Mulder's leg moved up, slung over Krycek's hip even as they both thought of it. A part of Krycek felt wide-eyed and overblown, like a child in a candy-store, allowed to touch and to have everything he'd been wanting for so long. Another part of him felt wild; feral and liberated like an escapee from a zoo, who'd been biding his time to seize the opportunity when it arose.

Strange that being bound to Mulder so intensely would result in his feeling so free, Krycek thought. Mulder shared this however, and added the sense of wonder into the mix, as well as a rather animal satisfaction at both of them having got the other. Mulder was feeling like he'd found his mate.

This sent a bolt of lust through Krycek, and he bucked his hips against Mulder, wantonly. // Yes, mine, yours, always...//

// Let me, // said Mulder, flipping open the lid of the bottle as Krycek gasped, seeing what Mulder intended. But even the intent and the knowledge of it didn't prepare him for the touch of Mulder's lotion-covered hand on his cock, slippery and wet, coating him easily. Mulder was preparing him for himself. The pleasure and possession with which Mulder continued to handle him was breathtaking.

Krycek whined as Mulder slid a finger attentively across his glans. // Give me your hand... Now it's your turn, to get me ready... // Mulder squirted a generous amount of lotion onto Krycek's hand. Then Mulder was turning, onto his back and scooting over onto his left side.

Krycek found himself trembling with the sense of power that had come over him, at this simple submission of Mulder's, bared and waiting. Krycek touched Mulder's flank, then ran a finger down Mulder's crack, loving the way the light touch sent a thrill through Mulder that reverberated through Krycek himself. The dark, illicit pleasure that Mulder felt at knowing what Krycek was about to do to him.

Krycek was light-headed, feverish. He slid his finger along Mulder's ass, probing deeper until he found Mulder's anus, loving the way Mulder suddenly held his breath. He was rather breathless himself, and let his fingertip slide into that tight hole. The heat and instant clutching was incredible. Krycek was practically bowled over with the simultaneous anticipation he felt at knowing his cock was going in there, as well as Mulder's abruptly hot and uneasy frisson that speared both of them.

The sense of the forbidden for Mulder was an eye-opener, a brand-new discovery of a pleasure he'd never really dared to explore.

He let his finger go into Mulder's body deeper, slowly moving in and out, enjoying him. The pride and the affection he felt was actually relaxing Mulder quicker than the motions, and Krycek smiled as he felt Mulder's ass loosen around his finger at this.

// So beautiful, // he thought. His Fox... HIS.

Mulder's inhalation at this was nice to hear. Krycek slowly kept up the rhythm of his finger, and added a second one, slowly. He felt the burn even as Mulder tightened, unable to help himself at the second entry. But Krycek concentrated on just moving in and out, gently. Smoothly. He felt Mulder relax once more, grateful that Krycek was letting the pace build naturally, not pushing each of them, and not letting the keen desire they both felt to push him either.

The smell of their combined fresh sweat and the tang of their arousal reached his nostrils as it drifted up from beneath the covers... Mulder smelled it too, and it was overwhelming him. Pheromones, Mulder was thinking. Krycek smiled behind him.

// Ohhh yes, gonna love you, Fox. Long and slow and hard. For a long time. //

Mulder was nearly shivering with the waiting now.

// God, just do it, Alex. //

Krycek decided to put both of them out of their misery. He withdrew his fingers, noting how he really didn't want to remove them from the intimate touch of Mulder's body, so sweetly silky and wet...

Mulder was breathing in ragged gasps as Krycek placed the tip of his cock against Mulder's asshole, and settled in closer to him. It was too fucking easy to simply push forward...

The beautiful manner that Mulder's body gave way, his ass responding to Krycek so perfectly, it was enough to send Krycek into orbit. He felt a wash of heat over his body, so fast that it was almost electric. Mulder was tight, so tight and hot, yet Krycek's erection was sinking into him deeper and deeper, inch by precious inch, the slight burn and pain of it hurt but it was too good to stop, felt too incredible to not feel.

Mulder felt claimed, taken, and it was more than he'd imagined. Krycek was completely in awe at how perfect it felt, to actually be able to share both of their senses at the same time. Mulder was open to him, in every way possible. Heart, mind and body... It was humbling, it nearly brought tears to his eyes. But it was also beautiful, warming and soothing the painful, lonely ache that both of them had always felt.

He realized that this moment in time was perfect, this union of theirs had been fated. There was a surprising expansive sensation as Mulder shared this unique perspective with him, and abruptly, they were both in their own bodies and in each other's.

Krycek felt dizzy from it: the ability to see and feel and hear what Mulder was feeling, while he remained in his own body, and to feel Mulder feeling him at the same time... It was almost confusing.

And something was happening. As he let go and began a sure, even thrusting into Mulder's body, he could feel Mulder feeling him do it, while also feeling what it felt like to just... fuck him. The energy continued to rise between them, and Krycek was almost frightened by how strong it became.

The sensation of their shared minds and feelings as they joined together was like a living pool of substance in his head, belonging to him and to Mulder and yet existing outside of both of them... as another living entity.

What the hell?!

Mulder was delirious in the joy of the experience, feeling finally as though he'd arrived at the point he'd always looked for, his whole life - although he'd never really known this was exactly what he'd been searching after.

And at that moment, Mulder's mind began to expand to terrifying proportions. It felt to Krycek almost like having a giant balloon swelling in his head, his awareness riding along with Mulder's as they continued to grow, towering now, filling up the bedroom, feeling the 'space' in the room and surging through the walls themselves to fill the entire house.

The sexual excitement continued to feed it and as they began to build to a peak, the energy gathered and concentrated on them and fed back into the rising, growing bubble of awareness they shared. Mulder was exultant, free at last, his mind finally having the sensations he'd been longing for. Krycek was almost too unnerved to continue. But he didn't want to stop, and wondered if he even could. He trusted that Mulder could handle it for both of them.

Mulder was fine, letting him know that this was perfectly natural. A part of Krycek's consciousness wanted to laugh hysterically at this suggestion, as it was so completely beyond anything 'normal' that it made what Mulder had suggested sound so far removed from reality as to not even be funny.

And still their shared mind bubble continued to expand.

Krycek began to fear what might happen when it popped.

Mulder let him know that there was no way he'd let that happen. A fierce joy was running through Mulder's entire being, keeping Krycek's fear from tainting the experience for both of them. Krycek felt primordial, like a prehistoric beast; this living bubble they had created was composed of both their beings and so far was more than either of them. A dragon of sexual energy, lifting off from them and yet taking them with it.

And still, they were grounded by the fact that they were in the bedroom.

// Now, now, now // Mulder's mind was chanting, seizing the tide as it ripped them away and flew them upwards into the sky.

Krycek shrieked at the orgasm that shook him, emptying himself into Mulder's body, grasping at him desperately, his mind ravaged by the overload of feeling himself, feeling Mulder, and feeling this huge awareness. Mulder was jerking with spasms against him, overcome with lightness, love and ecstasy at how far they'd reached.

Pieces of himself were scattered and swirling over the surface of it and throughout it. The world was too big. They were a mere pimple on the world, a giant egg of consciousness that stared back at them.

And then, thankfully, it began to shrink. Krycek's mind was too far gone to find any words, he just drew panting breaths as the bubble decreased, getting smaller and smaller until // oh thank fucking GOD // they had finally reached more manageable portions of thought.

With a whimper, Krycek leaned into Mulder's body, grasping onto him for dear life.

Mulder was laughing, weakly. "Holy shit. What a rush."

Krycek didn't bother trying to speak.

Mulder shifted, and rolled over to take Krycek into his arms. "Hey, it's okay. We're alright."

"Speak for yourself," Krycek muttered against his neck. "I don't want to repeat that again." He swallowed. "Ever."

Mulder was chuckling, but Krycek felt the disappointment flare briefly in him at Krycek's words. Mulder wanted to know how much farther he could go.

Krycek abruptly resented Mulder's ability, his mental power. He didn't want to hold Mulder back, but he also didn't want to just be an add-on.

He stopped trying to figure it out however, and just concentrated on breathing, in and out, remaining grounded right there with Mulder in that bed they were both in. It was solid, real and quite firm. No far-flung bubbles of terrifyingly vast size that squashed his sense of self-identity.

Mulder held onto him more tightly and murmured, "It's okay."

"You keep saying that, and it really isn't," Krycek rejoined. He felt cheated, robbed of his time with Mulder as the mental bond had been far more impacting that even the sex they had shared. He felt used, like a battery. Mulder's ability had taken their shared connection and used it as an energy source.

---

Mulder held onto Krycek, wondering how he could reassure him. "I'm not using you." He felt desperate to help Krycek to understand this. "We don't have to do that every time; but you have to admit it was pretty amazing. We went there together; I couldn't have done that without you."

Mulder leaned towards him, kissing him. Murmuring against his lips, Mulder said, "Do it again, and this time, I promise it will just be the two of us, no expansion and no melting."

Krycek was ashamed to admit even to himself that this was too much for him to handle, and was even more humiliated that Mulder knew he was afraid through their connection. "I- I think I need a break. Can't we just stay here for a while? Like this?"

"Sure." Mulder snuggled into him, closer, nestling against him in a comforting fashion. "It wasn't all bad, was it?"

Krycek swallowed. "I guess not. But it was more than either of us expected. I think we've both underestimated just what kind of changes you've gone through. I think you're still developing, and that your body is making up for lost time. You've been dormant for so long, your whole life... Who knows just what you're capable of?"

Krycek's words sobered Mulder. It was true: they had no way of defining exactly what was happening to him. The melting phenomenon was troubling enough; now they had this extreme new development to consider. He suspected this was what the ancients and the sages in India and Tibet had been going on about for thousands of years - Tantric sex energy as a 'kundalini' source to enable the rapid evolution of the mind and body. He could even see that wiccans and Satanists across America and Europe had been fantasizing about harnessing this kind of power for centuries. He felt a little humbled at just how expansive his power had turned out to be, how huge his range was, and the enormous responsibility that he carried in owning it.

It wasn't even his 'power'; it was HIM, in the very cells of his body - a byproduct of his being.

Mulder sighed, and enjoyed being close, physically close to Krycek, the same way Krycek was deriving what relief he could from their proximity. Maybe Krycek was right: they shouldn't attempt that again. He wouldn't. His resolve was welcomed by the part of Krycek that was still aware of him, inside.

Krycek murmured, "I don't want to hold you back. But surely there's a better, safer way, more discreet, for you to explore what you can do? You can't afford to jeopardize yourself. And I really don't want to lose you, you know?"

Mulder nodded against him. "Yeah. You're right. I don't think you're restraining me; I think you're my balance, my anchor. You keep me from going off the deep-end."

"I think you're already there. I just don't want you dragging me into it too," Krycek stated, wryly.

Mulder chuckled. Then he quieted. "I'm glad you're here," he said, genuinely.

"I guess our lives have never been simple," Krycek said, slowly. "I just think we need a chance to get used to this, to adapt. It's too weird, the, ah, 'high strangeness' of it, to borrow the phrase from the UFO community."

Mulder gave a derisive little noise of scorn at the mention of them. "They have no idea what the hell's going on."

"Maybe that's a good thing though," Krycek pointed out. "I mean, look at the Black Oil. Who wants to know that we've been invaded by crawling black slime from space?"

Mulder gave a shudder as he sifted through the sudden memory that arose in Krycek at being possessed by the Oilien, previously. "Jesus, Alex," he said, horrified. "I didn't realize it was so bad for you. No wonder you have nightmares." A sudden thought occurred to him. "You know, I could help you with that, with your sleep. Your nightmares. I suffer from insomnia, but it's always better when there's someone else there. Maybe we could help each other to sleep better."

"Maybe," Krycek agreed, not willing to drop his apprehension and instantly believe that what Mulder was suggesting would be a cure-all.

Oh well, Mulder resignedly thought. He couldn't expect to solve every problem for both of them now that he had his mental powers so augmented, so enhanced.

"I really, REALLY need some kind of downtime from this," Krycek said, fervently. "Mulder, please, promise me you aren't going to try anymore mental trips tonight? Can't we just... be here together?"

Mulder kissed Krycek's collarbone where his face was angled up against him. "Sure. I'll behave myself. We both need a break after all that. Believe me, the melting stuff is just weird. I don't know what that's about."

Krycek was silent for a while, his mind musing over the events so far, trying to understand what it meant in terms of what they were going to do, how they could handle it. From the perspective of Mulder's value, it had certainly proven to both of them why the Alien Healers would consider him important. He doubted even the Aliens themselves were capable of what Mulder had just accomplished with their union.

Mulder blinked at this. "It's true," he murmured lazily, "We don't have any information regarding their powers being capable of something like this. I know they're telepathic, can heal the dead, have regenerative capabilities and have bred reproduction out of their race. But I don't think they can reach as far as we just did."

Krycek stirred in his arms. "You realize that if the Colonists find out what you can do, they'll want you brought in immediately? They can't afford to let you go running around loose."

Mulder had to concede the point. "I know. I'll be careful. I'm getting pretty good at putting up a fuzzy wall to hide behind."

"The strength of being able to do it might cause them to notice you DOING it," Krycek pointed out.

"At the moment, there's not a lot I can do about that. But maybe that's another good reason for you to be here. You're my bodyguard, Alex," he smiled.

"Naturally," Krycek responded, dryly. "I always seem to be, anyway."

"I never could figure out why, although I had always suspected you were guarding my body for yourself," Mulder accused with a grin.

"Of course," Krycek agreed. "I had to get something out of it. I don't do charity work. Help others to help themselves, maybe, but that's as far as it goes."

"How charitable of you."

"Ignorance is no excuse. Innocence is worth protecting, but the ignorant really can't complain when the truth comes up and bites them on the ass."

"Yeah, that sounds like the FBI," Mulder agreed. "I gave them the best years of my life and my time, and in return they ran me out of town."

Krycek kissed him on the nose. "You've been under-appreciated, Fox. But that's changing now. Because I appreciate you."

"Nah, you just want to fuck me," Mulder declared.

"That, too," Krycek concurred, with a return of affection and desire coursing through him.

Mulder was glad for the moment just to content himself with kissing him. He leaned up, planted his mouth on Krycek's, and enjoyed the bliss of losing himself in him.

The only thing that marred the interlude for him was the sudden sharp regret that Krycek tried to suppress, that he didn't have his other arm to hold Mulder properly. // We could - // Mulder began.

But Krycek quickly cut him off. Breaking off their kiss, Krycek firmly said, "No. Absolutely not. I've had enough of all this miraculous shit, with you melting the floor and my mind. No more weird stuff. Talk about unnatural, Jesus..." Krycek grumbled.

Mulder sighed, and let himself release it for now. He wouldn't try to push. But it didn't make sense that Krycek would want to remain without his arm if they had the connections and resources to have it restored.

"Let it go," Krycek repeated, kissing him again, this time licking at his lower lip. // I've always loved your lips, Fox - //

Krycek's cock stirred against him, and Mulder decided to take matters in hand. Rising up to lean over Krycek, he stared down at him in the dark and let himself move backwards onto Krycek, finally reaching back down to help Krycek angle himself against him. Krycek's heart was beating louder in both their ears, and Mulder lowered himself onto him, impaling himself on Krycek's dick.

// Love this, love it with you, love having you, // Krycek's mind whispered in a silent, reverent tone.

// Maybe this way I can make it up to you, for before, // Mulder sent him, penetrating himself on him more firmly now.

Krycek reached up for him, scrabbling at him and catching hold, capturing his mouth and kissing him urgently before letting himself fall back to the bed, leaving Mulder to ride him.

Mulder was open-mouthed, letting the sensations of Krycek inside him fall back into Krycek, and the answering surge of pleasure rising from Krycek was circulating back into him over the connection they still shared. This was more like it, Mulder thought. This was what they'd wanted, a proper sharing of it. To enjoy each other's enjoyment, directly. The mental expansion had been a fluke.

// Don't think about it, // Krycek warned, suddenly.

"S'okay," Mulder said, feeling a sense of abandon catching up with him as he continued to slowly ride Krycek under him. "We've got it this time, I think."

Sure enough, it was better now - more controlled and no dissipation of the energy leaking from them, with Mulder concentrating on keeping it between them.

It was so volatile, he began to feel as though it was too much to keep within them both, shimmering energy pulsing and flashing through their veins, beneath the skin. Flowing and sliding, in tandem with the motions he made as he fucked himself upon Krycek's body, giving and taking, feeling and wanting, sharing...

No words anymore, just a trickle of sweat and heat inside and out, as he heard both their heartbeats in his ears and in Krycek's. The sensation of Alex, lodged deep inside of him, trapped in his body, a strange reflection of how he felt with his mind embedded deep inside of Krycek's mind and heart...

And this time it wasn't sparklers and screaming, just a long, extended silent thrust of pleasure bursting out of a chrysalis, kept within them both. It looped back on itself and shuddered between them, a living thing. It felt decadent, almost indecent, and the leering satisfaction he felt was mirrored in Alex's body as they came, one after the other, in a staccato of staggered syncopation.

As the wetly dripping trails of ecstasy trickled through him, Mulder let himself sink down on Alex, loving the beautiful way that Alex's cock was still trembling and leaping inside of him. All too soon, Krycek stilled also.

Mulder smiled against Krycek's chest where he'd slumped down, holding him, and said, "Much better, yeah?"

Krycek just gave a soft moan, drifting. Their release had been held onto and savored, kept for exchange just between them, and Krycek was somewhat mollified after the explosive, surreal experience from before.

Mulder pulled off and away, feeling more exhausted this time. He suspected it had taken more effort than he'd realized during it to keep himself from letting go.

He lay back and stared unseeing up at the dark ceiling. Krycek pulled the covers back up around them and turned on his side towards Mulder.

"Alex," Mulder wondered aloud, "How the hell did we get to THIS? Through everything we've been through? After everything that's happened, all these years?"

"I don't care," Krycek mumbled, frankly.

Mulder swiveled to look over at him. Krycek's eyes were closed.

He turned back to regard the ceiling. "Maybe you're right," he mused. "Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe the future is all that's important now. From right here, this moment onwards."

After all, the recent, fresh impressions of power and speed were still surging through him, that sense of lifting them upwards into a massive storm of unimaginable size, lent credibility to the idea that perhaps his newly-awakened mental powers were for some specific purpose. It bothered him not to know what that might be. Fate, destiny, the usual frothy and somehow now frivolous ideals that his thought-meanderings used to consider... It all seemed to pale in comparison.

To have finally found his sense of purpose and be yet unable to determine exactly what it was for in the bigger picture... It was irritating.

"I don't envy you," Krycek said quietly, beside him.

"Thanks," Mulder replied, dryly.

"No, I just mean - you're right, it's a tremendous responsibility to find yourself carrying."

"Well, they say that when greatness is thrust upon you, it's best to be ready," Mulder quipped. "I kept waiting for it to happen and it never did. Until now." He stirred, restlessly.

"What is it?" Krycek murmured.

"I don't know. I want... something. My body is craving something. I think I'm still regenerating. Even after that meal we just had. I need - " he snapped his fingers. "I need hot chocolate."

"Blood sugar levels," Krycek murmured.

"Yeah," Mulder agreed, heartily. "Do we have any?"

"I never go anywhere without it," Krycek said, in a sleepy voice.

"Do you want some?" Mulder sat up, getting up to put on his t-shirt and sweats.

"I want to sleep."

"Fine. You sleep, I'll drink," Mulder said, firmly.

Krycek was completely overwhelmed and a part of his consciousness was actually craving sleep simply as a healthy alternative to more dealings with Mulder's weird-ass properties.

Mulder took pity on him and left him to doze while he went into the kitchen. He felt not just restless but hungry still. He carefully ignored the swirling linoleum of the kitchen floor, took out crackers and cheese and began to heat up some milk for the hot chocolate powder he found in the cabinet. Bless Krycek, he thought. Krycek's love of chocolate was coming in handy just now. He'd always thought it was an endearing little affectation, Krycek's chocolate addiction.

Mulder licked his lips with satisfaction, grinning to himself. This whole sexual relationship was getting out of hand, and it was wonderful. It wasn't too safe, it wasn't boring, but it also wasn't anything he couldn't handle. It was rather strange that he found himself so accepting of having this inexplicably strong bond with Alex Krycek, of all people. But it also seemed to make a strange kind of sense. They'd always had something, after all. They were just making it expressive and apparent.

Krycek stirred and flared to full alertness. He was waking up, with the unmistakable impression that transmitted itself to Mulder that 'something' was up.

Mulder shrugged inwardly. At this point, it was par for the course.

Soon, Krycek padded into the kitchen, fully-dressed. He scowled under the kitchen light and sat down at the table.

Mulder was chewing on cheese and crackers. He poured Krycek some of the hot chocolate, who mumbled a thank-you and sat looking like a bird who'd been awoken far too early.

"This is really taking its toll on you," Mulder said, stuffing another cracker laden with cheese into his mouth. // I'm getting worried about you. //

Krycek shook his head. "It's not me. It's something else. Something's not right."

Mulder trusted Krycek's instincts. He felt around with his mind, trying to see if he could sense anyone nearby; coming up the road, perhaps. But there was nothing.

He shook his head and said, "I don't feel anyone or anything near us. We're alone out here."

Krycek looked up at him across the kitchen table. "I don't know what it is yet. But I feel like we're sitting ducks."

A note of apprehension stole through Mulder at this. He went still. "I'm not feeling anything," he declared finally. "How do you think it is that you're getting this... sense?"

Krycek sipped from his mug. "I don't know. If I knew that, I'd tell you."

A growing uneasiness coming from Krycek was reverberating through him and Mulder tried to stem his own growing dismay. "Look, whatever it is, we'll deal with it."

"Mulder, you might want to get dressed," Krycek said.

Mulder lifted his brows. "You really think we're in danger, here?"

Krycek sighed through his nose. "I'm not sure. I just - look, I don't know. But something's up. Just trust me on this."

Mulder shrugged. "Alright." He went back to the bedroom and got dressed. In an afterthought, he even pulled on his boots. Going back to the kitchen, he saw Krycek was eating crackers too.

He sat back down. "Happy now?"

"Thrilled. Look, Mulder, I know you don't like not knowing, but I can't explain it. I just know that when I get this feeling, I have to go with it. It's saved my ass before, and yours too, actually."

"I trust you, Alex," Mulder said, with certainty. "It's okay. If you say something's up, then I believe you. I just don't like sitting here waiting for it to arrive."

Krycek grimaced. "It's not that kind of danger. I get the feeling it's something we can't really run from. I've only felt like this before a few times. When a great danger has just missed me, or I've narrowly escaped something by the skin of my teeth. You know? I usually find out afterwards."

Mulder nodded sagely. "Premonition. I wonder if your own innate abilities you have are actually amplified from being around me, Alex."

Krycek shot him a glower. "Don't even start on that. I don't want to know."

Mulder shrugged and sipped at his cooling chocolate. "It's possible."

Krycek let out a dejected sigh. He wasn't happy about losing his time here with Mulder. They were barely here at all, had hardly any time to just be here together, and already stuff was happening; the shit was hitting the fan even before he'd had a chance to enjoy being with Mulder. It wasn't fair.

Mulder reached out a hand, touching Krycek on the wrist. "Hey, it's alright. We're in this together. Remember?"

"Yeah," Krycek nodded in agreement, trying not to let the sense of impending danger deflate his happiness. But it was hard. Krycek sat back with a strange look on his face.

Mulder could feel it too now, a very weird sense of something...not quite right. Comprehension dawned. "They're coming, aren't they?"

Krycek sucked in a breath. He wasn't happy about this at all.

Mulder's eyes narrowed and he considered the possibilities. "Thing is, Alex, is it the Healers, or the Colonists?"

"Perhaps I can answer that question," said Jeremiah Smith from the kitchen doorway.

Krycek let out a breath. // Jesus Christ. //

"Jeremiah," Mulder said, happy to see him.

Jeremiah smiled, calmly, and then said, "I have brought a friend. Please don't be alarmed." He stepped into the kitchen and revealed a tall Gray standing behind him.

Krycek gulped, but Mulder was overjoyed. He stood up, and said, "Welcome."

Krycek stood now, too.

The Gray inclined its head, slightly, its huge black eyes shining wetly in the light. // I am not one of the Healers, although I have accompanied Jeremiah here at his request. You are both in grave danger. The Colonists have been alerted to your presence and are on their way here. You must leave immediately. We will accompany you. //

Grimly, Krycek said, "How much time do we have?"

"Not long," Jeremiah stated. "We came as quickly as we could, but they will be here soon."

"Damn," Krycek muttered.

"How did you know? I mean, how did THEY find out?" Mulder asked.

// We must leave NOW, // responded the Gray, adamantly.

Krycek left the room to gather his things. Mulder did the same. They met both Jeremiah and the Gray back in the living room. "We're ready," Mulder said.

Jeremiah's smile was interesting. "I think you may find our mode of travel rather unusual. I had to enlist the help of my friend here."

"So much for the rental car," Krycek commented.

A strange light was falling on the house from above and Mulder felt the stirrings of memories within him at it. The night... that his sister had been taken... and that forest clearing in Oregon.

He shook himself. "Let's go."

They left the house and stepped into the light. As the tall Gray joined them, they were swiftly drawn up and into the bowels of the ship above.

As Jeremiah and the Gray led them through the interior of the craft, and into what appeared to be the main control room, Mulder saw shorter Grays standing around busying themselves at various consoles.

Jeremiah led them to a viewscreen that revealed they were already very high in the upper atmosphere.

"Where are you taking us?" Mulder asked.

"Out of danger, for now," Jeremiah explained. "They will not be able to track us, but look here." He pointed at the screen. A number of ships were suddenly descending upon South Dakota - right over the area he and Krycek had been not moments before.

Krycek wore a bitter expression. Mulder turned to Jeremiah. "How did they find us?"

Jeremiah Smith regarded Mulder solemnly. "It would be wise to create a dampening field before attempting such experiments. You have no idea how widely the effect of your mental field traveled."

Mulder was rather embarrassed, but he looked back at Jeremiah with a self-deprecating expression. "Why? Was it good for you, too?"

The other Alien looked over at Krycek. Krycek shook his head and offhandedly jerked his thumb in Mulder's direction. "I can't take him anywhere."

// Thanks for your support, Alex, // Mulder sent, caustically. But he turned back to Jeremiah Smith. "How far did it reach?"

Jeremiah gave a little smile. "Far enough. Imagine a psychic neutron bomb detonating in the atmosphere."

Krycek winced and glared at Mulder. "Yeah... why didn't you create a dampening field?"

"You could have warned me," Mulder said to the Aliens.

Jeremiah lifted his brow. "The speed at which you have developed is unprecedented, and the effect of remaining at close range with you has affected Mr Krycek now, also."

"Wait a minute. How?" Krycek demanded.

"Are you familiar with the effects of prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields?"

Mulder nodded. "Geopathic stress. When the human body is subjected to an EM field for too long, the effects are detrimental... Brain cancer in children growing up under high-power lines, and nausea or even terminal illness in proximity to an EM generator."

"Only in a negative field," Jeremiah corrected. "Subjection to a positive EM field will result in the ions balancing the electromagnetic field of the human body, which is generated by the neural energy circulating through the living, organic tissue. In effect, you have activated Mr Krycek's own dormant DNA, whatever unique properties it may possess."

Mulder swallowed, hard. He glanced at Krycek. // Sorry, Alex, // he sent, sincerely.

Krycek closed his eyes and sighed.

Mulder turned back to the Gray and Jeremiah. "I'm sorry we caused you this trouble."

// It is no 'trouble' to safeguard the most successful and valuable adult Hybrid resultant of the efforts on the Human end of the Project, // the tall Gray replied. // The Smith clones have been the most successful outcome so far, from the Zeta mix. But you are the blueprint for the Human mix. //

"Yeah, I've been learning about that. Can you explain to me what that means?"

The Gray looked at Jeremiah. // We have other matters to attend to. I will leave them in your care. //

Jeremiah nodded. "Come, I will take you to the observation deck," he directed at Mulder and Krycek - who was wondering just how much he'd been affected by Mulder's electromagnetic field.

// You're upset. Alex? Are you? // Mulder asked Krycek as they both followed Jeremiah out of the control room. Krycek didn't respond. //You're upset, // Mulder said, regretfully.

// Later, Mulder, for God's sake, // Krycek sent him, impatiently. // In case you haven't noticed, we've got other things to deal with just now. //

Mulder sulked, wondering why Krycek had to take offense... It wasn't like he'd meant to affect Krycek that way. He sighed to himself.

Making their way down a long, tube-like, dimly lit corridor, Jeremiah led them into a room that overlooked a view of the Earth below. Mulder was struck by how dark it was on the night-side.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable," Jeremiah said, going to one of the seats and sitting down by the window.

Krycek was standing with his eyes closed, rubbing his forehead. Mulder sat down near Jeremiah and repeated his earlier question. "So, what does it mean that I'm the 'blueprint'?"

"What you've already guessed," Jeremiah replied. "Your genetics carries the code that enables other humans to evolve to their optimum ability, in terms of evolutionary status. Apparently, it works in proximity to you, as proven by Mr Krycek's state, which is now in flux. It is just like when the ship fragments affected you, Mr Mulder. Only now you have the same affect on other human beings around you. That is why you must remain apart, and be careful not to be near other people too frequently or for extensive periods of time. A small dose will not hurt them, but unless you want to activate their dormant DNA strands, you must be wary."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Mulder said, stiffly. "What, am I supposed to hide myself away like some kind of outcast?"

Jeremiah smiled. "No, not at all. It just means you must limit your contact with the outside world. Interestingly, you won't need to be as careful with us. We are already activated, as you may be aware."

"What about me?" Krycek asked. "Does the same apply to me, now that I've changed?"

"No, I don't think so," Jeremiah answered. "Mr Mulder here is the only one who carries the change frequency that causes a resonant vibrational difference in the ionic field." He turned back to Mulder. "Are you aware that your partner in the FBI, Dana Scully, is now pregnant with your child? From the sperm sample you gave her?"

"Yeah," Mulder agreed. "Is that because the sample affected her, too?" He wondered how it could have, seeing as his genetics were still dormant then. But maybe the baby would carry the same ability.

Jeremiah nodded. "The child will be special, as it carries a direct genetic inheritance of your ability to affect others in the same way. There is no way, of course, to predict exactly what its other abilities will be, but they will reveal themselves over time."

"So," Mulder started, unsure how to ask his next question, "How did you become aware of what we just did, with that expanding bubble of awareness?"

With a slight smile, Jeremiah said, "Anyone with any psychic range would have felt it. You basically announced your presence to the world. It was as if you had picked up a loudspeaker and shouted your own name, only to have it rebound and echo throughout a long valley."

Abashed, Mulder said, "Sorry about that. If I'd KNOWN," he added, a little aggravated.

Jeremiah shrugged. "We are not here to judge. None of us is capable of what you did. It would require tremendous effort and a great deal of emotional energy to achieve such loud intensity on the telepathic level in which you accomplished it."

Mulder glanced at Krycek, who still seemed ill at ease.

"Why can't I stay here with you, and actually do some good? Can't I help out, somehow? Why do I have to go back, just to go into hiding as a exile?"

"You are the archetype for your race and ours, a successful mix. You cannot risk yourself. You are far too valuable. Besides, it is not your task but ours, to Heal."

Mulder nodded. "Fine. Then what about the Black Oil? How does my ability to change others help in the fight against the invasion of the Black Oil and the Colonist hosts?"

"The Colonists are merely serving the interests of the Black Oil faction," Jeremiah clarified. "They would not be, if they had not themselves become enslaved to Its directions. As for your help against the Black Oil... Do you not see that by your very existence, you threaten Its dominance on this world?"

Krycek spoke up. "The magic squares - the fragments of the ship from the Ivory Coast. They affect people the same way, awakening their dormant DNA. So Mulder here represents our greatest weapon."

"Precisely," Jeremiah agreed. "And you, Mr Mulder, are every bit as effective. In large enough numbers, groups of such people could simply eject the Black Oil from infected hosts, heal the sick and wounded much as we do, and eradicate the Black Oil from your planet."

"What's the hold up, then?" Krycek demanded. "Why not get that started now?"

Jeremiah regarded him, then Mulder. "Are you both familiar with the work of a psychologist of your 20th Century, Carl Jung?"

Mulder nodded, frowning. "Yeah. Why?"

Krycek grinned suddenly. "The collective unconscious."

"Yes. The biological drive to survive is still the overruling mechanism at work in the human species. It has resulted in a physical manifestation of the negative polarity in the collective unconscious, so-called."

Mulder was horrified. "The Black Oil," he said. Then he frowned. "But the Black Oil has existed for thousands of years, trapped in oil fields, rocks and even in ice core samples..."

"It is not a new manifestation," Jeremiah agreed. "My people brought it here by accident, when we entered this world's electromagnetic field at large, and accidentally released it as a physical virus into the environment. We are still attempting to pay for that mistake. Consider the emotional lack of the Grays. Our people had for the most part bred emotion out of themselves completely. But nature always adapts, and the purity of the polarity of 'evil' manifested as the service to self only as a viral organism with a singular, near-mindless evolutionary drive to 'survive' in the biological sense. One over others. However, as it does not contain consciousness either of itself or others, it remains entropic and unable to understand the danger of a closed system such as the one it creates or represents. This is the true horror of the manifestation of the Grays' racial prejudice as it became physical here on this world."

"But this is horrific!" Mulder exclaimed. "And how does that explain the human hosts?"

Jeremiah lifted his brows, and sadly said, "There are corresponding selfish and purely biologically-driven motives in conscious beings that vibrate with the correct wavelength the Black Oil virus thrives upon. It would not be attracted to me. And now it would no longer be attracted to you; it would not survive in your electromagnetic field. I suspect soon Mr Krycek here will also be immune, naturally immune."

"But the vaccine," Krycek said, "We were both inoculated."

"Yes, against the virus. But now neither of you can be possessed by any sentience using an Oil-based medium. It cannot remain in you."

"Well, I guess that's a mercy, at least," Krycek muttered.

"They use the oil to travel, as a viscous medium for transport of the viral organism," Jeremiah said. "The Black Oil itself is a medium for the collective nodes of the particular polarity utilizing it. There are others. Mr Krycek, you met one in Hong Kong. They can reflect neutrality, positivity, or the negative polarity - negative being the most consumerist at the expense of other lifeforms. It is mindless. Where there is more concentration of mind, it is more self-aware. It is an unfortunate by-product of the biological organic state of life on this physical plane. Neural energy in the body in the form of an electromagnetic field generated by living tissue and the electric circuits of the nervous system are not only confined to the human form. We are an example. Which is why we ended up bringing the virus here in the ancient past."

Krycek sat down and let out a breath. "That doesn't explain the collective unconscious, or what Mulder and I experienced a while ago."

Jeremiah looked between them. "Are you ready? I would not want to overwhelm you with this information."

Mulder chuckled. "I think it's a bit late for that. Just let us have it between the eyes."

"A gigantic thought-form exists in, around and outside of every living thing on this planet. It is confined to this world. It is generated by the planet itself, but also composed of all the neural energy of the collective lifeforms upon it. The human species is the most conscious and so of course this is reflected in the nature of the Mind Skin."

"The Mind Skin? What, is that like the mind of the Earth? Some kind of Gaia Effect?" Mulder asked.

"Partly," Jeremiah answered. "Conscious evolving beings may choose, in great enough number, to affect and influence the course and growth of this Collective Consciousness. It is a team-effort, a vast pooling of resources, as well as energy. And it belongs to all. But there are great dangers. The various states of organic matter are immaterial... Organisms are transceivers for mind. Much of the Mind Skin is merely an extension of the collective human mind. This is why the Black Oil prefers neither Grays nor Humans as hosts - it is infinitely adaptable."

Krycek was creeped out by this. "What, we live in the psychic skin of a living being? Why does the Black Oil even need hosts then? Why does it physically manifest at all?"

"It is an effect," Jeremiah said. "The Black Oil would not survive in the event of a collectively conscious humanity. The virus is the most efficient carrier method, from the perspective of a survival mechanism. It manifests in response to the vibrations currently circulating through the Mind Skin. The only thing that stands in the way of humanity's collective consciousness is morality, the judgment of right and wrong, good and bad. The separatist view. The predilection to view any collective or group mental state as evil, a hive of non-sentience and mindlessness, loss of individuality and control. When in fact it is the conscious achievement of a collective group ability to harness the collected power and energy and focus that your people are capable of, with love and concentration, that will be your race's salvation."

"I can tell you this for nothing," Mulder said, "That is not going to go down well with humanity."

"I know," Jeremiah said, wryly. "I've encountered much hostility towards extra-terrestrial intelligence in my day."

"But that's only because the Grays tend to be so unemotional and terrifying," Mulder protested.

"The Grays only judge according to what is valuable in terms of efficiency. The more self-aware and conscious of mind a Gray becomes, the more individuality they will manifest from a human perspective. They need humanity as much as humanity needs them. This is what the evolutionary aspects of the various factions of Grays are attempting to achieve with their Hybrid Project. There are many hybrids; some are victims, monsters and test subjects. Then there are the seeded children that have been carefully implanted amongst the female population over the past sixty-five years by those of us who are fully cognizant of the need for a mergence of the two races. Your people will self-destruct if they allow the Colonists to continue."

"Efficient?" Mulder complained. "Good and evil as discernment and a moral compass is useless? A stumbling block for humanity... but judging things according to efficiency is valued? You really aren't going to be very popular," he added.

Jeremiah chuckled. "It is not a question of judgment at all, but of fear. That which is 'bad' is merely something to fear. A gigantic hoax has been perpetrated upon your world to always expect the worst. The Apocalypse belief system, which causes panic and despair to overrule the concepts of love, unity or even simple cohesion of groups. This generates fear and allows the Black Oil to propagate. Any separatist thought is instantly chaotic and randomly generative, a mental contagion. It is like a thought virus. This is what has destroyed much of our race, a Collective bent entirely on the entropic desperation to breed out emotion, which resulted in our near extinction. The faction that hosts the Black Oil is merely a puppet of its continuing agenda. It is not enough to wish love and light for all; one must effectively manifest a transition from black and white polarized thinking to a merged integration of both balanced polarities in one's self for it to work. This is achieved primarily through mergence in the Mind Skin. But only if a sufficient conscious number of you are present will it work, otherwise it will consume and overwhelm you. This is why the Indigos and the other hybrid children among you have been so careful to remain as a separate network."

"Whoa, whoa, there," Krycek said, pacing the floor agitatedly. "Mergence in the Mind Skin? What, we have to LET ourselves go expanding like that, into the Mind Skin?"

"That bubble of awareness," Mulder mused aloud.

"Yes, unfortunately, Mr Krycek. And there are dangers. But it is now aware of you on a conscious level. Both of you."

"Oh God," Mulder said, his head in his hands. "It is?"

Krycek sat down, angrily. "I can't believe this."

Jeremiah was quiet. Then he said, "I am sorry to disturb you with this information. You both wanted the truth; you wanted knowledge. I don't know how to make it any more palatable for you."

"No, you don't have to," Mulder said. "Thank you for this. From what you say though, there are many complex variables, and what we're doing, it's just a drop in the ocean."

Absalom's words to Krycek and Marita came back to haunt Krycek then, echoing through Krycek's mind: 'it is a drop in the ocean, of all the sweat from our efforts.' "It's a race against time, isn't it?" Krycek said, bleakly.

Jeremiah lifted his brows. "Actually, it is not even a matter of time. The situation is far more interesting than that."

Mulder began laughing quietly. "Do tell."

"Time intersects with space here, but it is not merely linear. Time is also cyclical. It depends upon which dimensional view one is observing from."

Krycek scowled. "How?"

"Imagine a sphere, rotating through a sheet of glass which represents 'space', your world. As each probability converges at the intersection point of 'space', it manifests into physical reality, creating what appears to be the passage of time but what is really the intersection of many realities converging as probabilities become reality. Your timeline and ours is converging right now. It takes many years of apparent passage of human time, as there ARE so many complex variables, as Mr Mulder has stated. This is why certain ideas have been seeded into the collective minds of humans for years now, within the entertainment and media outlets. Ideas like Star Trek, the Bible, the idea of gods, polarities, ultimate evil. Evolution and creation, as well as transformation."

"So everything's hurtling towards some kind of resolution of all possible outcomes?" Mulder asked.

"So it would seem," Jeremiah responded.

Krycek was tapping the arm of his seat. "What about the magnetite you gave me? How does that figure in?"

"Ferrous magnetite is a crystalline form of iron, which is found in concentrated amounts on this world. It is an atomic balance, which causes the heavier elemental structures to lose integrity and spontaneously regenerate into a higher atomic and volatile substance by attaching itself to the various ions and flushing them from the system. In contact with the Black Oil virus or the supersoldier virus, the effect is explosive. It is no accident that the core of this planet is composed mainly of iron."

"Jeremiah," Mulder said, "among the Grays and Colonists, you are a social outcast and pariah yourself, working here with the other Healers, attempting to catch up with the harmful deeds they accomplish. You said the Grays only value efficiency... Yet here you are, healing the sick, raising the dead, giving people hope. Aren't those good things you are doing?"

Jeremiah smiled at him. "I expected you to question this. I am aware of the idea of bad as something to fear, and the idea of good as something valuable. I do not do it because it is a good thing to do; I do it because it is the most practically efficient thing to do, to achieve our aims. It is in the best interest of both worlds. Both of you shared a common enemy: the Smoking Man. He confronted me with the notion that I give people hope; teach them to expect miracles. It is the reality of miracles and the existence of hope that brings more probabilities and an end to entropy. The concept of 'fear' and survival is linked, which is why the Black Oil is such an all-consuming manifestation of it."

"But to live without any emotion," Mulder began.

"Will you judge our entire race by the actions of a few?" Jeremiah asked him.

"Just because they're efficient doesn't make them evil, or necessarily share the agenda of the Black Oil," Krycek pointed out.

"Exactly."

Mulder sighed, wounded. "Fine. But if it weren't for our emotional capability, our passion and intensity of feeling, I wouldn't have been able to achieve that connection with the Mind Skin."

"No one is contesting that," Jeremiah said. "But our people view humanity's predictably explosive hostility with a suspicious eye. You are like fireworks, going off at a moment's notice with very little encouragement. It is a waste of energy and resources, not to mention ability. If you were to harness it and focus the energies, the combined mental abilities, you could achieve much."

Mulder nodded. "How can I merge with the Mind Skin and not call attention to myself while I'm doing it? So that I don't get the Colonists descending on me again?"

Jeremiah heaved a breath and smiled at them both. "That is not my concern, unfortunately. I will have to leave you with my friend, the captain of this ship, for that issue. I do not know as yet where they intend to take you."

"So you are primarily concerned with Healing," Mulder said. "I want you to know that I'm grateful to you for saving my life. Not just because I'm this 'blueprint'. I think of you as my friend."

"I am," Jeremiah said. "I was only sorry that I was unable to get to you in time, and that I was unable to stop them from taking you in Oregon. We had to wait to make our move until they dropped you off. Two more of my clones have been taken by the Colonists and although they cannot kill them, I shudder to think at how deeply they may have had to enter a physical hibernation state to withstand their captivity."

"What of Krycek's arm? Won't you heal him?" Mulder nodded in Krycek's direction, ignoring Krycek's swift anger at this.

"I cannot. He does not wish me to, as you well know. However, there is nothing stopping you from healing him yourself, if he would allow it," Jeremiah stated. "And now, my friends, I must leave. I am being told that my services are needed."

Krycek stood, and Mulder did also. Jeremiah shook Mulder's hand, then Krycek's. "I will see you both again, however," Jeremiah added. "I wish you well."

"And you also," Mulder said, feeling bereft at the thought of no longer being able to talk with him further. But he couldn't take up more of Jeremiah's time with questions when there were far greater matters, much more important work for him.

The tall Gray came out on the Observation Deck and exchanged a swift, silent telepathic connection with Jeremiah, who smiled, lifted his hand to them, and turned to leave.

The Gray advanced upon them. // We have conferred with the others and have designated a safe place for you to return to the planet's surface. //

// Where? // Mulder asked.

// Near one of our bases, between Shasta and Redding, California, // the Gray answered. // That way, when you need assistance or we need to call upon you, you will be within range. Is this acceptable to you? //

Mulder shrugged, glancing at Krycek who raised his brows. "Whatever, Mulder."

Mulder turned back to the Gray. // Sure, alright. What about Krycek, here? Can he stay there too? Or is he needed elsewhere? //

// He is not our concern, you are, // pointed out the Gray. // He may remain with you, if he wishes, as he has already begun to activate his strands. As a human, you will undoubtedly wish for one of your own kind to accompany you. We would find it extremely difficult in your place to remain without companionship, as we are used to existence in a shared collective. You have our sympathies. //

Mulder gave a wry smile. // That's okay. Sometimes solitude is preferable to being lonely in a crowd. //

The Gray tilted its head at him. // Interesting concept. We find it could only apply amongst a race that is incapable of collective mental union. //

// That's the point, // Mulder sent.

Krycek sighed. "For God's sake, stop teasing the aliens, Mulder," he said, in an admonishing voice. "They don't get humor the way we do."

// Irony is the closest, // the tall Gray sent back, who had not even taken offense.

Mulder grinned at the Gray. // Okay. Redding it is, then. What, will you just drop us off there? //

// Yes. We are arriving now. //

The observation windows revealed that they were in fact speeding down through the atmosphere at a phenomenal rate. Krycek stared at the windows but Mulder abruptly felt nauseous at the speed at which the ground rushed up to meet them.

// Come, you may leave, // the Gray said.

It accompanied them down a long corridor, and told them to stand in the light beam.

Abruptly, they were standing on a grass-covered embankment, on the edge of a driveway leading up to an abandoned farmhouse. Exchanging a look, they looked upwards and saw the ship's light suddenly turn orange, and a strange hum as it shot directly upwards once more, then moved in the direction of Mount Shasta which was standing sharp and white in the winter night on the horizon.

The farmhouse was surrounded with evergreens; the place was thickly wooded. It seemed deserted enough.

"Must be some kind of known place for dropping off people," Krycek ventured.

Mulder was already getting cold. "Come on, let's go up and see."

They walked up the driveway together, and checked the door of the house. It was open.

As they entered the dark main building and switched on the light, it turned out to be well furnished, comfortable and resembled a guesthouse. It was clean and neat. Running water, working lights, television... and many bedrooms to choose from.

Mulder met back up with Krycek in the hall upstairs. "This place is great."

"Yeah," Krycek agreed. "I'm - uh, in need of a drink. Something strong."

"Let's check the fridge."

As they made their way back down to the kitchen, Krycek dumped his bag in the living room, and Mulder had left his in the one of the bedrooms upstairs.

The fridge revealed it was stocked with ample food to get them by for a day or two. And heaven smiled then because Krycek found beer. He brandished it, happily, and handed a can to Mulder before opening another and swigging from it thirstily.

"Damn, that's good. Much better," Mulder said, over his. He took another long drink of the cold beer. Then he scowled. "The pancakes... Dammit! I was looking forward to those."

Krycek grinned at him. "I'll get you pancakes, in the morning."

"We don't have a car," Mulder pointed out.

Krycek glanced at him, rested the can on the counter, and took out his cellphone. "Hello, modern-day convenience." He stopped. "If it still works. After being onboard that craft..." He checked, and it appeared to function. "I'll get a cab in the morning and find a car, before I go get more food. Hell, you can come with me."

Mulder stepped close to him and kissed him, hard, letting his mouth claim Alex's, relishing the taste of the beer and Alex's swiftly responding desire and delight. "Come on, let's get upstairs."

They climbed the stairs with Mulder carrying Krycek's bag, and the four remaining beers.

In the room Mulder had picked out, Krycek didn't offer to find another for himself. Mulder was glad that Krycek felt at ease with him enough to stay with him. As they wearily stripped down to t-shirts and shorts, Mulder watched Krycek crawl into the bed and retrieve his can of beer from the bedside stand. "I guess the world works in mysterious ways."

Krycek burped and lifted his beer. "To the Mind Skin, who seems to have anticipated this."

Mulder flinched. "I think I may have overdone it."

Krycek shrugged. "At this point, it's a little