This instalment is dedicated to Demi-X <vbeg>
Frozen in Time
r2-tarlan-p7Another fifteen minutes passed before Captain Adams restarted the ignition. The helicar rose slowly to just below the tree line then hovered while they watched the radar display anxiously for any unusual blips. Nothing. Alex pursed his lips, understanding her wariness all too well. They were deeply involved in a game of cat and mouse and there had been plenty of occasions when he had been on the other side of this game, where he had been the cat waiting out the prey, giving it all the time it needed to believe it was safe and then pouncing as soon as it resurfaced. However, this time he was the mouse: this time he was the prey.
A deep male voice, filled with apprehension, floated across from the rear of the helicar.
"If we're to reach the rendezvous in time then we have to go now."
Alex frowned, still rubbing his wrists from where they had been stripped raw by the tight-fitting handcuffs that now lay at his feet. "How important is it that we rendezvous?"
The still heavily disguised leader of the rescue team turned partially towards him. "The helicar doesn't carry enough fuel to reach New York. We have a tanker concealed within the ruins of Winnipeg."
Alex closed his eyes in resignation. Even though every fibre of his being was screaming at him to go after Mulder, he knew that course of action would be foolhardy at best, suicidal at worst. He started to chuckle softly to himself. Over three hundred years had passed and he was still trying to figure out a way to extricate Mulder's ass from whatever disaster the man had brought upon himself. Three hundred years... and nothing had changed at all. He wondered if Mulder was even aware of the number of times he had placed the fate of humanity onto the back-burner just to ensure Mulder lived another day.
He gritted his teeth. If this City of Domes was as heavily fortified as Adams made out then this was one occasion when rushing headlong would gain him nothing but his own incarcaration: a fate worse than death if Wade Du Pres was to be believed. There remained only one course of action open to him; he would seek help from the remnants of the resistance, and the sooner they reached New York, the sooner they could start formulating rescue plans.
"Let's get going... to Winnipeg."
Adams nodded, her agile fingers flicking over the controls, sending the helicar racing into the night. Two blips appeared on the radar almost immediately, heading in their direction.
"We have two jackals on our tail, coming up fast."
Several explosions to either side rocked the helicar as the two Consortium craft raced past. Alex kept a white-knuckled grip on the console in front of him as he watched the attackers circling back around, the faster, more manoeuvrable crafts easily avoiding a strafing from the helicar's weapons.
"They're coming back round."
Red lights were flashing on the console, the whole car juddering as Adams pushed it to the limit. They were buffeted by more explosions and Alex heard the fearful voice shouting from the rear seats.
"We have to surrender."
"No." He gave Adams an implacable look. "If you surrender then we're all dead... or we'll wish we were."
Adams nodded briskly, then shouted back over her shoulder as she wrestled with the controls. "He's right."
Alex licked his lips, eyes narrowed. "Head straight for them."
"What?"
"That's suicidal."
"Do it."
He could see the indecision in the Captain's eyes but then she wrenched the steering column round, sending the helicar on a collision course with the Consortium vessels. As the vehicles rushed towards each other the seconds seem to lengthen and Alex found his thoughts racing back through the years to his misspent youth. He was back in his hometown, daring other boys to play 'chicken', feeling the exhileration as their cars sped towards each other, waiting for that fleeting moment of glory when the other boy 'chickened' and wrenched the wheel hard to avoid the collision, thereby forfeiting the game. His thoughts clarified once more to the here and now. He jabbed back viciously as the panicking man in the back seat tried to grab the controls. The front weapons array spat bullets as the gap closed, metal tearing into metal as the Consortium vehicles banked away sharply, exposing their wings and flanks. Bullets must have hit the fuel tank of one vehicle; a ball of flame lighting the sky before plummetting towards the earth like a shooting star. The other craft was spinning madly and, by the time that pilot regained control, the helicar had reached the safety of the Black Hills.
Adams whooped in excitement, thumping the console in pleasure as they dived and rolled through the small canyons, and Alex captured her golden eyes in a shared moment of triumph before full remembrance came crashing down. They had evaded capture, for now, but they had lost Mulder. With a more subdued atmosphere, Adams set the helicar back on course for the rendezvous at Winnipeg.
-ooOOoo-
Mulder groaned, raising his cuffed hands to the side of his head and hissing as overcurious fingers found the ragged gash from where he had been hit with a rifle butt. He did not need to look at the warm fluid coating his fingers to know it was blood. He tried to stand but found he was wedged into the middle section of a hovercraft between two burly guards. Ahead of him he could make out the hardened features of General Kamarov and the equally cruel profile of the pilot, Morrison. Mulder grimaced in pain as he tried to check over his shoulder, part of him hoping Alex was at the back of the craft while another part prayed that his newfound lover was in far safer hands.
No Alex.
Did that mean Alex was safe? Or was he being transported in another vehicle? Mulder had no memory of events following the rifle butt impacting against his skull but, just prior to then, he was certain Alex had been in danger. There had been a guard dragging Alex to his feet by his hair - and there had been the sound of gunfire.
Please be safe, Alex.
Mulder prayed to a dozen deities, mumbling so softly that neither guard could hear him. His mind drifted back to that last image of Alex, of seeing his lover crawling towards him, crying out his name, before the guard reached down to grab a handful of the mussed, mahogany hair. His thoughts raced back further, his fingertips tingling in remembrance of the soft strands rippling through his fingers. He had fallen back onto the loveseat, with Alex on top, his hands exploring those so familiar features with a lover's caress, tracing the elfin tips of those perfect ears, smoothing along the firm jawline to the narrow chin.
Elfin.
For a man who was a little taller but of a similar lean build, it felt strange to consider Alex elfin - but he was. From the tips of those ears, to the slightly upturned nose, to the full lips with that deep cupid's bow and then down to the narrow chin... he was elfin, delicate... beautiful. The high cheekbones, the dark arching eyebrows and those soft, forest-green eyes enhancing the image of this mythical creature that had captured his soul.
Mulder licked his lower lip, catching a cry of pain in his throat as his tongue slid across swollen, torn flesh. He focused on the memory of Alex's perfect lips; so soft and yet so demanding against his own. The velvet tip of an inquisitive tongue had touched his, exchanging pleasure and taste in equal measure, before curling around, seeming to explore every centimeter of his mouth. Mulder had welcomed the invader, drawing it into him, moaning softly as he surrendered to the sweetness of his lover's kiss.
They had quickly grown tired of the lack of comfort on the loveseat, and Alex had drawn him to his feet, wrapping him in two strong arms, their kiss deepening. Clothes had been discarded hastily as they moved blindly towards the bedroom, parting only long enough to disable the recording equipment.
Mulder closed his eyes, letting his body recall the feel of Alex's silky skin pressed against his, the play of muscle rippling beneath the ivory surface. He bit back a groan as his body reacted to the memory of hardened flesh pushing against his belly, rubbing against the hard evidence of his own desire.
They had fallen to the bed in each other's arms, mouths still locked together. Mulder smiled as he recalled how he had dragged himself away from the luscious, kiss-swollen lips so he could trace a path down the smooth throat, nipping then licking to soothe the satin flesh. He had clamped down hard at the base of the vulnerable throat, raising a welt of possession on this man who had brought such chaos into his life, feeling a reverberation tingling against his lips as Alex purred in contentment.
Strong fingers had caught in his hair when he lowered his head to latch onto the nearest nipple, leaving him teetering on the razor edge of pleasure and pain as those agile fingers tugged sharply at the short strands. Small cries of agony and ecstasy had filled the air as he worried the tight bud with his teeth before sucking hard on the puckered flesh. His hand had smoothed down the strong ribcage, trailing over the sharpness of hip before cupping one firm asscheek.
Mulder bit back another cry; one of loss. He had wanted Alex so badly, had wanted to sink into his heated flesh, had wanted to lose himself in the glory of Alex's body... and Alex had given him everything he desired. With only saliva for lubricant he had been almost crazy with fear that Alex would refuse him, but his saliva-coated fingers had slid into the tight, hot channel with surprising ease. Alex had welcomed him, his body relaxing, displaying a total trust that brought tears of wonder and joy brimming into Mulder's eyes, both then and now.
Sinking into the heat of Alex's firm flesh had given him a sense of homecoming. Here was where he belonged... where, unknowingly, he had always belonged.
A profound sadness overtook him as Mulder considered all of those wasted years searching for the truth. What had Alex once said to him? There is no truth. He tightened his lips to keep the bitter laugh inside. Perhaps the truth he believed he had been seeking had not existed, but what he had found in Alex's arms far surpassed anything he had ever hoped to discover.
Both body and mind returned to that moment of discovered truth, to the body lying open before him, willing, wanting to be filled. He had plunged into the firm ass, feeling muscle yield before his thrusts as he drove himself deeper into the writhing, passion-inflamed body. His hand had wrapped around his lover's hardened flesh, sliding from root to tip in time with his own thrusts. Strong internal muscles bore down on him, a sharp keening cry falling from the kiss-ripened lips as Alex found completion; the scent, sound and feel of his lover overloading his own senses. Mulder remembered sobbing in pleasure, calling out his lover's name as his own annihilation and rebirth swept over him.
Alex.
They had collapsed in a tangle of limbs, sweat-slicked flesh sliding against flesh, unmindful of the stickiness of spent passion laying between their close-pressed bodies. Hard, desperate kisses became softer, more gentle, reaffirming that there was far more than lust between them.
Alex.
What if I never see him again? Never hold him again? What if that was the one and only time I would ever love him?
"There. On the horizon. Your new home."
Mulder raised lifeless eyes to stare through the front screen at the City of Domes, finding no awe in the shimmering city that hugged the flat plain of the Arizona desert like glistening soap bubbles on a sandy beach.
This place would never be his home for he had already found his home in Alex's arms.
-ooOOoo-
The long journey from Winnipeg to New York took the last of his strength away as Alex gleaned as much information about this new world as possible. He listened as Adams explained the role the resistance had played in those final years, how the disappearance of its leader - of Alex Krycek - had crippled the movement at a time when he had been needed most of all. She explained how they were forced, eventually, to seek shelter in the old subways and sewers beneath the great cities, and how the population had slowly dwindled due to disease and sterility. Alex frowned when she told him how the remnants of the resistance in the United States had banded together in New York, having lost contact with the rest of the world almost a century before. It was a bleak picture, filling Alex with images of great hardship and misery.
The long journey, the emotional shock of losing Mulder so soon after they had found each other along with the beating he had sustained during their bid for freedom eventually took its toll. By the time they reached the hidden tunnels beneath the once great city, Alex was barely able to walk and yet he staggered on in the darkness, refusing any assistance from those around him.
Strong arms grabbed at him as he stumbled once more but, this time, his attempt to shake them off was met with a grip of steel. His protests fell on deaf ears as he was swept up into those powerful arms as if he was a mere babe. The rocking motion as they made their way through the dark tunnels lulled him, sending him burrowing against the dark-clad figure. He was not even aware that his body had given in to exhaustion until he awoke some time later to find he had been stripped naked and tucked into a comfortable bed.
Alex sat up and gazed around the dimly lit room, eyes widening in surprise when a dark shadow detached from the wall opposite. Momentary confusion vanished as he recalled the events leading to this place, a sense of calmness flowing over him as he realised he was in safe hands.
"Awake at last. I expect you must be hungry. I'll fetch you something to eat."
"Wait."
The shadow paused on the threshold of the room then stepped back into the small circle of light thrown out by a kerosene lamp. The dark hood was pulled back to reveal white hair crowning a handsome face. The almost translucent, alabaster skin gleamed in the semi-darkness as golden eyes with large black pupils held Alex in a questioning gaze.
"I need to speak to whoever is in charge here."
"The Leader will know you are awake."
"How? No, never mind that. Take me to him."
"No. You should rest a while longer. The Leader will send for you soon, Alexander Krycek."
The large man turned away once more but Alex refused to let this man go so easily.
"How long have I been here?"
"You've slept a full day."
The man walked away but, this time, Alex was too stunned to take notice.
A whole day?
He pushed back the heavy covers and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, dropping unsteadily onto his feet. The sound of fast approaching feet brought him swinging round to face the door, and he snatched up the top coverlet to retain his dignity, wrapping it around his naked body just moments before a familiar figure stepped into his room. Alex found himself smiling back in relief as he recognised the young medic who had tried to help them escape from the Consortium's clutches. He had feared the worst when Wade had been grabbed by the guard but Alex had realised, quickly, that there was nothing he could do to save the boy. His first priority had been to save Mulder... just as it had always been.
Alex felt his heart contract painfully. He had to get Mulder back. A sudden loneliness and despair filled him, reflecting back from the face of the younger man who had come to a halt only a few steps away. Alex gave himself a silent reprimand and then straightened up, holding the coverlet tight about his otherwise naked form, and he forced a welcoming smile onto his face.
Wade du Pres had raced to this room the moment he heard Alex was awake, not needing to question how the others could know as he had already guessed that the people of the Resistance had some telepathic ability. The unrestrained smile on Alex's beautiful face had sent his spirit soaring but it crashed moments later as that smile faltered only to be replaced with a false show of bravado. Wade understood the reason and blurted out the first thought that came into his head.
"I'm sorry about Mulder."
The smile tightened almost to a grimace before fading away altogether.
"I know."
"Here, let me find you some clothes."
Wade stepped over to a bureau and opened several drawers quickly in succession, pulling items from each. He placed the clothing onto the bed near to Alex then stepped away.
"Shall I wait outside while you..."
"No. It's okay."
Wade tried to ignore the heat flooding through his body as Alex dropped the cover and pulled on the dark-coloured clothing, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment as he was caught silently appraising the handsome man. For a moment he envied Fox Mulder, knowing that the other had been granted the joy of touching, and of possessing the beautiful body displayed so casually before him. He forced his thoughts, and his gaze, away from the perfection of ivory flesh and well-defined muscle on the lean, graceful figure.
"My sister is here."
"What?"
Wade bit his lip, realising that he had spoken only to Mulder about the sister who had disappeared almost four years years ago. However, he needed to tell someone, needed to share the joy he felt at finding his sister safe in this strange place.
"My twin sister. She never came home from school one day, but I knew what had happened. You see, they do the female tests on the sixteenth birthday; the tests to assess if a girl is fertile or not. Nicola disappeared a few days later. Everyone had heard rumours of the breeding camps, where fertile women are forced to bear one child after another for as long as they are fertile. I knew they had taken her to one, and I prayed I'd find a way to free her."
"But she's here?"
"The Resistance liberated some of the women last week. Nicola was one of them... and I have a niece. They saved her too."
Despite his own despair at losing Mulder, Alex was unable to resist the joy emanating from Wade, understanding that Wade wanted to share his happiness with someone he knew. Awkwardly, he hugged the younger man who had flown into his arms but then he gently pushed Wade away as he sensed another presence. His shadow had returned bearing a tray laden with a greyish mass that had to be some kind of gruel.
Wade smiled at the man with a familiarity that raised Alex's eyebrows, noticing the covert but equally warm response.
"Jack, I was telling Alex about my sister."
The man grinned openly with pleasure and Alex gave a wry smile at the obvious affection between the two younger men. The tray was placed onto a low table, the golden eyes holding his for a moment.
"Doesn't look very appetising but its highly nutritious... and it's all we have to offer."
Alex nodded and took a mouthful, surprised to find that it actually tasted very good. He glanced back up at Jack, nodding his approval then placed the spoon back onto the tray.
"When can I speak with the Leader?"
"As soon as you've eaten."
Alex tilted his head, eyes narrowing as he recalled the same gentle blackmail he would gain from his mother as a child. He gave a resigned sigh and picked up the spoon once more.
Ten minutes later he and Wade were led into a large antechamber where almost a dozen dark-clad figures with the same white hair, alabaster skin and golden eyes were ranged around a conference table. An elderly man rose to his feet, moving swiftly round the table to greet him.
"I am Commander Samuel Jefferson, leader of what remains of the Resistance. You will never know how much pleasure it brings me to meet you in the flesh, Alexander Krycek."
Alex was momentarily stunned to realise Jefferson was speaking the truth. He could read the pleasure, perhaps even some awe, in the golden eyes and started to feel a little overwhelmed. Jefferson must have sensed his discomfort, his demeanour changing to one far more business-like as he led Alex to a vacant seat before making a round an introductions. Wade was seated beside him but seemed already aware of the identity of every person present. Alex endured the introductions, outwardly stoic but inwardly a mass of raw emotion as he wished he could bypass all these pleasantries and get down to the real issue.
His eyes widened as, no sooner had the thought raced through his head, than Jefferson broached the subject.
"I understand your need to press on with more urgent matters. Namely the liberation of Fox Mulder from the clutches of the Consortium." Jefferson turned aside, picking up a thin stick and using it to point at a map of the United States. The tip rested above an area in far south west of what would have been Arizona. "The City of Domes is located in the flat expanse of the Gila Desert. It is impossible to approach the city by helicar without being seen, and just as suicidal to attempt to walk across the desert."
Alex waited for more, expecting the leader to inform him what would be possible. All eyes had turned to Alex and, as he glanced around the table, he recognised the sorrow held in each set of eyes that met his own.
"No. I won't accept this. There has to be a way to free Mulder." Alex ignored the pitying glances, refusing to believe that he would never hold his lover in his arms again. A coldness swept through him and Alex jumped to his feet, the chair clattering to the floor behind him as an icy rage filled him. "So you're just going to give up on him? You're not going to make even the slightest attempt to rescue him?"
He looked from one person to the next, his anger building as they lowered their eyes to avoid contact.
"Is this what we fought for? To hide like rats in the sewers, living off scraps of obsolete technology and gruel."
"There is no way into the city. It's impenetrable."
"Suicidal to even attempt to reach the city without proper authorisation."
"Authorisation?"
"I'm sorry. I understand how much this man, Fox Mulder, means to you. But it's impossible."
Alex hissed between clenched teeth. "Nothing's impossible. You just haven't found the key yet." He narrowed his eyes. "How did you know where to find me?"
"We have a few outsiders in the City of Domes who are sympathetic to our cause. Some have infiltrated the higher echelons of..." Jaqueline paused as if she could read the thoughts spinning through his mind. She shook her head. "No. They are already at great risk just by sending what little information they can glean from..."
Alex stopped her protest with a single glare, his eyes circling the table, forcing each person to look at him before moving on to the next. Finally his gaze rested on Commander Jefferson.
"It's time to stop hiding in the dark. Time to mobilise our forces before there is no one left to fight."
Over to you Demi-X <g>