Frozen in Time
Round Five, Part 1Jack Scully turned to his amber gaze on Mulder. "That wouldn't be wise." He said quietly.
"Extremely unwise." Concurred Wade.
The younger man stood beside Jack, and it was obvious to Mulder, that Wade had found his life partner. And though Mulder was happy for Wade on a personal level, professionally he had to wonder what the medic was doing sitting in on a strategy meeting. As far as Fox knew, only the top six people of the resistance were supposed to be at the round table. Mulder's showing up was merely to 'crash' the already four hour long pow-wow. He was hoping that his interruption would signal to Alex that it was time for the meeting to end. He and Alex would have only a very short time together as it was, and Fox planned on spending their last hours of peace together, alone.
The former FBI agent quickly quashed the jealousy that he felt for Wade being allowed to attend the classified meeting. In this room, all would know it if he let the emotion escape him.
~oOo~
When Mulder entered, Alex smiled at his lover and gestured for Fox to come and stand beside him.
As Mulder approached, Alex stared into Fox's eyes, and Mulder returned the inquiring gaze. The agent came to a stand still beside the slightly shorter man.
The two men's eyes were still focused in on each other, then Alex nodded and whispered softly to Mulder. "I understand, Fox."
He turned to all of those in the room and stated firmly. "Fox and I will stay together... we survive the battle together or we die together. Either way, we won't be parting company from one an other again." Alex looked hard all those gathered, daring them to challenge his decree. His hand went out blindly and sought Fox's.
Palm to palm, the two men waited.
And in the end, it was Wade who was the voice of reason.
"It would mean disaster for all if Lermontov were to get his hands on Fox again. And I don't need to tell you Alex what Spender would do to you if you were to be captured again. He has tasted your blood...."
Mulder cringed, and knew that the young medic was speaking literally and not figuratively.
"...he will not hesitate to draw it again. And if he had Mulder to hold over your head... well god only knows what he would do to you. The resistance and it's plans would be at risk."
Lieutenant Morrison stood up, he could see that Alex was not swaying, he did not know the Russian as well as he did his American lover, so it was to Mulder that he plead his case.
"Listen Fox, go to battle together, but separate into different companies once we breach the dome. That way, you will be in the same campaign together, but not as vulnerable to the powers that would want to harm you."
At that Mulder nodded. Alex was willing to do anything to save Mulder's skin back when they first had been revived. Chaz had told him all about it. Fox did not want that kind of sacrifice from Alex on his conscience again. "Maybe your right." He said hesitantly.
"What?" Demanded Alex of his lover.
"Chaz is right Alex. You can't risk capture, your too important to the cause, but if that should happen, at least you won't have to sacrifice your self to save me... or vice versa." He finished lamely, Mulder knew that his lover wasn't buying his words.
The Russian turned to those seated and said a little more sternly than he had intended, "What are you all still doing here? You have your orders, dismissed."
Relieved to be released from the impending argument, everyone left the room except for Mulder, Morrison, Wade and Jack.
Alex ignored those three and turned to Fox. "Fine, have it your way. You can join Lieutenant Morrison's squad, he will fill you in on the details." Alex spun around and stalked out of the room.
Fox heard the hurt in his lover's voice; all the men in the room had.
He turned back to the others. "It's not right. Whatever happens to Alex, happens to me, the consequences of capture be damned." He turned and gave chase after his angry partner.
~oOo~
When Fox got back to the small room he and Alex had been sharing, the fuming Russian was hurriedly jamming his only set of spare clothes into a khaki green canvass knap sack. Mulder couldn't help but smile, Alex had such a hot temper when he let it go.
"Alex." Called Mulder from the doorway.
Hearing Fox, and ignoring him, Alex stalked over to the small dresser and started in on shoving his toiletries into the bag.
Sighing heavily, Mulder stepped over the threshold and quietly shut the door behind himself. He went over to Alex and interrupted him from his task.
"Alex... stop... please. We need to talk."
"Fine." Glared Alex, he tossed the bag onto the small bed crossing his arms in front of his chest he said icily, "So talk." His eyes were wide with hurt and anger. Remarkably the colour in them had deepened beyond their norm.
Fox never realized that his lover's eyes changed so dramatically with his emotions. He wondered briefly if it was the nanites that were transforming them. Mulder put that intriguing thought aside for the moment and got on with the business at hand.
"Look Alex, I'm sorry I agreed at first to be separated from you during the fighting. You're right. We go together and face what comes together."
At that Alex relaxed a bit, but that wasn't the only issue on his mind. "Alright," he said only a little less angry than he had been seconds before. "We'll go together."
Mulder studied Alex, it was clear that there was more on his lover's mind than the two of them separating for battle. Mulder swallowed and asked, "Is there something else bothering you?"
"Yeah, actually there is Fox." The glare was back in his eyes, but he said no more.
"I'm not like the rest of the people here Alex, you have to actually tell me what's on your mind for me to know it." Joked Mulder lightly, trying to lighten the mood of his lover.
Predictably Alex failed to find the humour. He furrowed his now unlined brow and let loose. "Alright, you want to know what's bugging me?" Mulder nodded and Alex half shouted, "Since when did you and Lieutenant Morrison become so god-dammed cozy with each other? Eh? What? Like you two are best friends now?"
Mulder stepped up to Alex and pulled him into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Are you jealous of Lieutenant Morrison? Because if you are Alex don't be... please, you know it's only you I love." Fox thought that his declaration of love would ease his lover's mind.
Somewhat mollified, Alex pulled him self out of Fox's embrace and stepped back a few paces. His icy glare softened along with his jealously, but still he wasn't placated. "I guess I am jealous Fox." He admitted. "But not only that, I'm hurt. You don't know what he put me through back at the installation. He was our enemy then, and now, suddenly, he's your friend. I feel like you've betrayed me Fox... and that hurts more than anything." Alex crossed his arms and rubbed up and down his bare biceps, it was cold in the room.
"Alex...." Started Fox, "I'm so sorry. I guess there's a lot we never got around to talking about." Mulder reached out and took his lover's hand and led him to their small bed. He sat down and pulled Alex with him, and together they rested their backs against the cement wall. "You're hands are freezing." Mulder said softly, gently stroking Alex's smooth palm.
"I'm cold." Alex said.
Fox grabbed the small blanket that was neatly folded at the foot of the bed and wrapped it around them; he put his arm around Alex and pulled his lover in close.
"I guess I'd better start at the beginning."
~oOo~
"The last thing I saw when I was captured was you getting knocked in the head and going down. An installation soldier grabbed you by the hair and dragged you away. After that, I took a hit to the back of my skull and when I came too, I was on a transport ship. No one would tell me what happened to you, they wouldn't talk to me at all. When I got to the dome, Lermontov had a collar put on me and from there on in, I was his." Mulder swallowed hard. He thought that he had put his experiences with Lermontov behind him, but evidently, he hadn't.
Alex heard the despair in his lover's voice and wrapped his arm around Fox's waist; pulling the blanket tighter over them.
"Part of my punishment was not knowing what happened to you. Personally, at first, I don't think they truly knew either. It was chaos. General Alderton was most displeased, with Lieutenant Morrison's performance in the ordeal. Apparently, he was responsible for you and me reaching the dome safely. The general put a collar on Chaz and was just as cruel to him as Lermontov was to me. He was even worse than Lermontov. The lieutenant was always covered in fresh belt and whip marks. The General beat his slave regularly. Chaz and I... we... we were in the same boat, and somehow, a weak friendship formed."
Fox turned to Alex and with sorrow in his eyes he admitted, "The two old men made us have sex together in front of them. It was afterwards that Chaz told me that he tried to force you to sleep with him by threatening me." Fox wanted to cry, but he did not; his eyes were dry. "I can't bear to think that you would sacrifice your self for me like that Alex. It's not fair, and the reason I agreed in the conference room to be separated from you was that I was worried you would do that again." Mulder bowed his head, asking silently for forgiveness, and Alex gave it to him.
"I'm sorry Fox, I shouldn't have blown up like that." Alex sat up and crawled into his lover's lap so that he was straddling Fox; face to face with him.
"Spender hurt me too, in more ways than I can ever admit to you right now Fox. But it doesn't matter anymore. All that counts is that were together. We work things out after, when we have time. The next time we are separated, it will be by death and no other means, agreed?"
Mulder nodded. "100%." And then the two of them sealed the pact with a passionate kiss. After a few seconds, Fox's mouth parted and Alex's tongue gently slipped inside and greeted Mulder's tongue.
Fox pulled Alex tighter to his chest and arranged him in his lap in just such a way that his lover could make no mistake as to what Fox's intentions were. He pulled out of the kiss and joked, "Can guess what's on my mind now." Mulder put his lips to Alex's finely muscled neck and gently sucked.
"Mmmmm... I think I can figure it out."
~oOo~
Go for it Aqualegia... you're next!