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Heart's Desire - round 3 part 4 by Tarlan

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There was a moment of complete silence as all focussed on the wizened old man but those deep brown eyes kept an unbreakable hold on mine, never wavering to left or right. A look of sorrow crossed his face momentarily before he pulled back, releasing me from his hold. That look sent a chill coursing through to my very soul and the words of some movie trailer came back to haunt me.

'Be afraid. Be very afraid.'

The old indian's voice showed none of the frailty of his body.

"This creature is not a physical being. It does not walk this Earth. It cannot be defeated in this world..."

"We managed to throw it off several times..."

The old man raised his hand to halt the flow of words, turning his ancient frame to face Fox Mulder... my lover.

My lover. Strange what a difference a few days could make. Yes, he *was* mine... and he wanted me for more than an interlude; he wanted me for the rest of our lives. I nearly missed the old man's next words as a warm sensation coiled through my body from deep inside.

"It was weak from centuries trapped within the great tree. Now it has fed, it has become more powerful... too powerful."

"Then how was it defeated before?"

The old man smiled, his frail, brown hand with skin stretched parchment thin patted Mulder's.

"Defeated. Yes. It was snared like an animal in a trap. Made impotent but it could not be destroyed. That can only be done on the spirit plain by a warrior possessing great power."

I saw Skinner's eyebrows raise a little in disbelief and felt something akin to sympathy for him. Had I not seen and felt the presence of this creature...this Osebo...Tamaya...whatever, I would have laughed in the old man's face. The fact that Skinner *didn't* laugh made me feel a lot more at ease with the guy and it occurred to me that he had good reason to hate me and yet, here he was, willing to help fight off some demon-from-Hell to save me.

I looked away from his enquiring glance suddenly feeling ashamed of the way I had treated him in the past. I remembered the way I had sucker-punched him on the stairway at the hospital, taking out all the frustration of a botched assignment on him. At the time it had felt so good hitting him, using him as a punch bag...pretending those punches were connecting with Luis Cardinale instead. That stupid fuck had panicked; killed Scully's sister.

Oh Sweet Jesus. What the fuck was I thinking? There wasn't gonna be any 'rest of our lives'... unless my life ended in this dead-

end town. Sooner or later Mulder was gonna wake up and remember all the things I had done. All the lives I had ruined. It didn't matter the why's and wherefore's. I couldn't turn back time and undo the past.

Suddenly I needed to get away. I needed to think. I gulped down the remainder of the beer that had been placed in front of me and stood.

"I need to go to the bathroom."

Mulder looked up, the disorientation in his oh, so expressive face proof that he had been in deep conversation discussing this entity with the others.

"You can't go alone..."

"I'll go with him."

I barely held a snarl in check as Adam Longfort offered to accompany me. He was the last person on this Earth that I wanted hanging around... the way he kept training those puppy eyes on Mulder; sniffing around him like a randy dog after a bitch in heat. If he so much as laid one finger on Mulder, I swear I was gonna...

It occurred to me then that having *Deputy Longfort* with me was a far better option than leaving him 'alone' with Mulder. I nodded my agreement tersely and strode to the door of the washroom, sensing his presence like a malignancy behind me.

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"How would you fight this creature on the Spirit plain... would you need some sort of incantation, a spell... or mental armour?"

"This creature feeds on negative emotions." Mulder stared at Skinner, reminding him of his remark about the beautiful woman. "It uses sex and power to lure it's victims. Forbidden desire, torture... rape."

The deep brown eyes narrowed as a blush crept up Mulder's face. Skinner wondered the relevance of that embarrassment. Mulder cleared his throat before continuing.

"So it's the antithesis of these. Positive emotions are the weapons we need."

"Love."

Both Mulder and Skinner turned when this one powerful word was uttered by the ancient indian. The old man's expression was open... and deadly serious. Mulder glanced at Skinner, wanting to guage his reaction. The AD's face showed confusion but, even as he watched he saw some undefined emotion flit across the dark eyes before they bore down on him in a strange mixture of anger and disbelief. Mulder turned away, unwilling to face the truth even though it had been staring him in the face. The old man believed; had placed all his faith on this intangible emotion that bonded two people together. No. Not just two people; him and Alex. Fear clouded his eyes. Did he love Alex? They had talked of seduction... of spending a lifetime perfecting that art together but was it love he was after? And was Alex after the same thing too?

The hand had reached out once more to lay atop his own, the voice soft and reassuring.

"He is your strength. He is your reason for being... he is your heart's desire."

"I..."

The sound of breaking glass filtered through the quiet bar and all heads turned towards the washroom.

"Alex."

Mulder leapt to his feet, the chair dropping to the ground behind him, as he pounded towards the men's washroom, shoving open the door. Behind him, Skinner came running, gun levelled. Mulder stared down at the prone body of Adam Longfort.

"Alex?"

He looked at the door to each stall but all were empty. His gaze went to the small window where the freezing night air blew through the broken glass. It was barely big enough for a man to crawl through and yet... He reached up and pulled a blood-stained piece of denim from a shard of glass, hauled himself up to the level of the window and yelled into the storm.

"Alex!"

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Adam Longfort moaned softly. Above him he could hear angry voices and bald accusations aimed at his Grandfather. He tried to focus on the words.

"You knew it was here! You *let* that creature take Alex."

"Yes. It could not deceive me although it thought it had. Allowing it to capture your mate was the only way. Now, we can fight it."

"What-what happened?"

Longfort felt Skinner's strong arms pull him into an upright seated position, supporting his weight against his broad chest.

"I was hoping you could tell me."

He blinked hard until he could focus on hazel eyes that burned with anger and fear.

"Sheriff McCallister... I remember he grabbed me... kissed me... then..." Longfort frowned. "It's all so hazy like walking through a dream. No. Not a dream, a nightmare. Terrible thoughts and images..."

"Deputy Longfort!" A man burst into the bar followed by a flurry of ice and snow. "The Sheriff's dead. Marling just found him down the street aways... frozen stiff like a block of ice."

Mulder turned to the old man, anger warring with need.

"So what do we do now?"

"*You* must go on a vision quest. Seek your mate. Call him to you. The other will follow."

"And then?"

"And then you must destroy the beast."

"No. He can't have gotten far... not in this storm."

"What storm?"

Mulder paused, eyes widening as he listened to the sound of silence. The wind had dropped almost as suddenly as it had begun all those hours before. He gritted his teeth and went to grab his jacket.

"He *can't* have gotten far. If we leave now we could pick up his trail..."

"And do what? Osebo has fed well. He will not give up your mate without a fight. A fight you cannot hope to win in this world. Osebo *wants* you to go after him. He wants to take your soul... and revel in the pleasure of sharing your death with Alex."

"They trapped him before. You said so yourself..."

"My ancestors caught the *body* inhabited by this creature. They tortured the shell for many days until the evil spirit was forced to escape. It had nowhere to go but into the great tree. A binding spell trapped it there."

"Your grandson is still alive... *I'm* still alive. It can be forced out without killing the host."

The old man's voice softened as if he were talking to a small child.

"Osebo was not forced out; it left of it's own accord. The spirit will not give up your Alex just as it refused to give up the body of Osebo."

Mulder sank to the chair behind him, eyes closing in despair. The old man was right. Even if he found Alex he would not be able to free him.

"What must I do? How do I reach this spirit plain? How do I kill it?"

"We must return to the Lodge to prepare you."

Mulder hesitated, caught in the dilemma. If he left now then he ran the chance of losing Alex's trail but, conversely, if he chose to follow Alex then he might lose his lover altogether. He bit hard into his lower lip, not noticing the ferric tang of blood until Skinner grabbed him by the shoulders.

//How long was I lost in thought?//

Mulder noticed Adam Longfort had been helped up onto a seat, his head pillowed on his arms upon the table top. A shake brought his focus back on Skinner.

"Mulder. I don't pretend to understand what the hell is going on here but *I* can start a search for Krycek. Go with the Old Man. Do what you have to do."

Skinner turned away in embarrassment from the undisguised gratitude in the chameleon eyes and headed off. When he reached the door he noticed that even the soft fall of snow had ended. Skinner smiled. Finally, some good luck. He turned back to face the three men who had started to follow him to the door.

"I'll order the helicopter pilot to drop you three off first and then he can return to aid in the search."

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Osebo stretched out in the new body. It was not as powerful as his last, being more slightly built but it was certainly more beautiful. He gazed into the rear-view mirror, looking deep into the forest-green eyes then deeper still until he could almost see the real Alexei Krycek hidden within the depths. He laughed, revelling in the clarity of the voice then dropped it to a huskiness that would be as alluring as the ivory skin, rich mahogany hair and those incredible eyes. This was a body made for sex... and for power. Inside he could feel its owner beating against him, could read the cunning and guile finely honed over a lifetime of learning how to survive. He saw the connections Alex had made, the powerful Consortium he had dealt with and knew that, this time, little Alexei would be no minion to be used and abused.

"Shit!"

Wrestling with the wheel after it hit a patch of ice took all the strength of his single arm but he brought the car back under control. Osebo pulled over to the side of the road leaving the engine running to keep the heat pumping into the car. He was breathing hard, angry at the distraction that might have ended all his plans before they had even been set in motion. He smiled as the answer revealed itself. It would take only a minimal amount of his strength but the return would be a thousand times greater.

"There was one promise I made to you, Alexei, that I *do* intend to keep."

Osebo concentrated hard, pulling all his formidable power to mind. A tingling sensation crept over the scarred flesh of what remained of Krycek's left arm. The tingling grew stronger, deeper, as muscle and bone reacted to the energy flowing through to the butchered ends. The bones began to lengthen, pushing grotesquely through the scarred tissue. Veins and muscle rippled forward in its wake. The tingling became a burning, the intensity of the pain washing over Osebo who absorbed it with pleasure as the being inside him screamed out in agony.

"No gain without pain, Alexei."

Bone and sinew rippled onward, muscle reattaching itself as it followed the directions laid down in the DNA strands, commanded by this evil force of nature. The elbow formed then the wrist. Osebo watched in fascination as smaller bones leapt forward, spanning out in five separate directions. Bands of muscle wrapped around each one and then, slowly, a covering formed over the gory mess. Layer upon layer of skin building until...

Osebo laughed at the sobs welling up from deep inside.

"Look what I have done for us, Alexei."

He wiggled the newly formed fingers and thumb in front of the tear-stained eyes, pleased with his handiwork.

"See? Good as new." Osebo smiled. "A demonstration? Yes, of course...a demonstration."

Osebo unzipped the heavy coat he had taken from the former driver of this vehicle, reaching inside to pinch one nipple between the right thumb and index finger through the thin T-shirt. He squeezed hard bringing a gasp to his own lips as the nipple peaked. A lick of energy flowed downwards, starting a slow burning flame in his groin. He carried on the assault on the single nipple, sighing as pleasure and pain intermingled.

"Aaahhh... so sensitive. Do you like this, Alexei? Of course you do. I feel...I see... Oh yes. Oh Fox, those luscious lips

sucking hard, biting and licking... teasing. Finger nails scratching across...such pain, such pleasure."

Osebo arched upwards, luxuriating in the renewed balance; in the physical perfection. Clever new fingers dipped lower to release the burgeoning erection from its tight prison of denim as those on the right hand continued playing with the sore and stiffened nub. He stroked from base to tip, dipping one finger under the foreskin to tease the sensitive head, smearing the precum across the velvet soft skin. Sensations began to build demanding stronger caresses. Osebo fisted the hard cock pushing slowly upwards to the head then pulling downward, dragging the foreskin back to increase the sensitivity. He angled the fist to bring more friction upon the highly erogenous tip, his head tilting backwards as a warmth radiated out from his groin sending licks of fire along the oversensitised nerve endings. He came with a cry; semen slicked fingers gradually slowing to a gentle caress as he smeared the rapidly cooling fluid over the softening organ.

With a deep sigh of satisfaction he released the now flaccid cock and brought the fingers up to his lips. Osebo smiled into the mirror before suckling on each fingertip in turn, revelling in the horror of the reluctant participant; relishing the taste of the bitter-sweet ejaculate as if it were the sweetest nectar.

"See, my Alexei? As promised...as good as new."

Uncaring of the wet, sticky semen adhering to the thin T-shirt, Osebo quickly zipped up both jeans and jacket; he put the car in gear and moved off at a steady pace.

Half an hour later, as he reached the interstate, Osebo heard the wail of despair and anger from his latest victim.

"Don't worry, Alex. I haven't forgotten our sweet Foxling. He will come to *us*...and then we will taste the delights of both his body and his soul."

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I felt like I was walking through a nightmare. Crazy images assaulted me from all sides; thousands of people, wailing,

gibbering, screaming in horror. Some voices were almost sane, pleading for release, some muted by terror but then there were the others, exuding a strong presence that was almost as malignant as the creature itself. Tamaya, the witch, with her sadistic streak and alluring body, tongue teasing along kiss- ripened lips, dark-nippled breasts cupped in delicate hands as her hips swayed insiduously like a snake mesmerising its prey in a dance of death. Osebo, tall and handsome with eyes and skin the colour of dark molasses, teeth whiter than fresh snow as he beckons me to him, the long, thick cock standing proud against the muscles rippling across the flat stomach... and still others; strong-minded individuals exuding power and bloodlust...and sex.

They circled around me, hands trailing over my imperfect body. Sweet promises were whispered into my ears, teasing fingers whispered against my skin... and then all were gone.

I saw *it* then, felt it slither through my memories, pleased with what it found. It wrapped itself around me, drawing me forward and whispered malignantly.

"Our first kill, Alexei."

The man had taken pity on me.. on *us*, had stopped to offer a lift on this cold night. I-we sank into the passenger seat, my hand reaching out after a moment to lie upon the man's thigh. I could feel the trembling of muscles beneath my fingers, could see the eyes that darted towards mine, the thick pink tongue that licked across suddenly dry lips. My hand began to move, slipping down the inner thigh to stroke across the rapidly growing bulge at his groin. With a sudden wrench of the wheel he pulled over to the side of the road. He was gonna throw us out... I was so sure but, no, he turned in his seat and grabbed my face between his cold hands, ramming his thick slug of a tongue into my mouth,

down my throat. He moaned deeply, one hand plunging down to rub against my crotch as the other entangled itself in my hair, holding me tightly against his slobbering mouth. I-we pulled back momentarily and I could see, suddenly, the confusion in those blue eyes just before a veil of renewed lust fell over them.

Until that moment I had hated him but now I realised that he had no control over what he was doing, was as trapped in this web as I.

My hand had reached into his trousers, had pulled out the hardened flesh; was pumping him in time to the thrusts of his tongue in my mouth. As he came, he cried out, the sound muffled within our clamped lips... and then he died, his soul devoured like the mate of a black widow spider.

We-it-I...No, it wasn't me...or *we*. *It* went round to the driver's side, pulled the dead husk from the car, pushing it over a slight embankment where it would probably remain hidden until the thaw then stepped into the driver's seat.

Oh Christ! What was I to do? I pushed against the thickening presence that smothered me, cried out, shouted, screamed... cajoled and begged. It laughed at me with Osebo's deep rumbling voice then forced me to look through my own eyes, to see the coldness reflected back at me from its inhuman presence. Once more it plunged through my memories, dragging up the dirty secrets, making plans...

Oh Mulder! Where are you? You were right...you were right. This thing controlling me feels only those base emotions. It understands nothing except the pain and despair that feeds it.

The pain of my arm's re-creation was worse than the pain of its loss; the knife slicing through skin, carving through bone nothing in comparison to the searing white heat of this regeneration.

'No pain wthout gain'. It had whispered into my mind.

It's cruelty knew no bounds... it could not feel pain as we do. Could not understand sex as an act of love, feeding instead on guilt, lust, anger and the horror of its tortured and agony-filled victims.

I tried to hide from it, tried to distance myself from my own rape but it, Osebo, followed me down, dragged me back kicking and screaming as he used and abused my body.

I have never felt so degraded in all my life as it sifted through all those beautiful moments we shared, revelling in the strength of my desire for you.

Mulder... if you can hear this... please, please don't follow me. Let me go. Stay away from me... from it. I couldn't bear to see you suffer and die at my own hand.

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Over to you Meg.