TITLE: Waltz for Four in Three Quarter Time 

NAME: frogdoggie

E-MAIL: frogdoggie@hotmail.com

CATEGORY: SRA

RATING: NC-17, and I mean it. This story contains SEXUAL SITUATIONS AND
LANGUAGE. Romantic and erotic but nevertheless graphic. So, if you don�t
like graphic stuff - STOP NOW! Forewarned is forearmed.

SUMMARY: The last in the music series, this story picks up a year after
the events in "Nocturne in Black and Gold". Walter and Kim are happily
married and decide to start a family. Problems occur. But never fear,
there is a another happy ending. FEEDBACK - YES PLEASE, AND THANK YOU
SIR, CAN I HAVE ANOTHER? Comments, suggestions and healthy debate are
always welcome. Flames? I use them to roast weenies with a marshmallow
chaser.

TIMESPAN/SPOILER WARNING: This is the fifth and last story in the
Skinner "music" series. Obviously it's a self contained alternate
universe at this point. Frogdoggie's Skinner world I guess. At any rate,
all of the stories in the series can be found on my web site at:
http://www.squidge.org/3wstop under the index listing for Walter S. Skinner.

KEYWORDS: story romance Skinner Kimberly Kim Mulder Scully NC-17

DISCLAIMER: Walter Skinner, Kimberly Cook, Fox Mulder, Dana Scully as
well as all other incidental X-Files characters mentioned belong to
Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and 20th Century FOX
Broadcasting. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is
being made from their use. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story has developed a life of its own. So, rather
than keep readers waiting in suspense any longer - I'm posting this
large section of it out here as Part 1. I'm still writing. Please try
not to e-mail me and ask when the rest will be up if you can possibly
avoid it. I'm typing as fast as I can - but I have some real life issues
that have made it harder for me to write at this point. I don't want to
burden you all with those problems however, so if you can be patient,
I'll get this done as soon as I can. Thanks, frogdoggie

Waltz for Four in Three Quarter Time - Part 1

by frogdoggie

November 5. A Saturday morning in Arlington...

Walter Skinner woke from sleep to the delicate touch of someone's hand
on his naked ass.

"Hmmmph," he rumbled as the hand moved, stroking over his butt cheek.

"Don't you like my wake-up call Mr. Skinner?" Kimberly, his wife of a
year laughed gently as she trailed her hand down between his legs and
caressed his balls.

"Hell of a lot better than the friggin' alarm, Mrs. Skinner. But have
mercy - this is Saturday."

"Well, I did let you sleep until 8, Walter. But you said you wanted to
get an early start," she purred.

"With what?" he chuckled.

"Don't play coy, big boy. You know you said you'd go shopping with me.
Now come on, get a move on." Kim pulled the covers back.

Walter laughed and shifted to roll over onto his back. His morning piss
hard on jutted out between them.

Kimberly laughed, "Ooh, someone had better take care of *that*, Walter."

 

"Nature calls woman. But that's a come on if I ever heard one," he
growled playfully at her.

She smiled wide, "Very perceptive of you Mr. AD. Nature first, nookie
after."

"Jesus," Walter barked a laugh shaking his head in amusement. Kim had
become such a slut. God, he loved it. And she was so beautiful. Waking
up next to her was a privilege that Walter was grateful for every day
since their wedding night. In the last year they had fallen deeper in
love and yeah, in lust, if that was at all possible. She was one hell of
a lover and also a hell of a funny woman. Just an incredible tease. He
loved that about her so much. Her sense of humor coupled with her keen
mind. She was all woman, all wonderful, and all his. He reached over and
smacked her gently on the butt.

"Oh baby, do that again," she crooned.

"Hold that thought," he chuckled as he climbed out of the King sized bed
and headed for the adjoining master bathroom.

"Oh my. Yes, now that is a view," she giggled as she took in his naked ass.

He looked back over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at her.

"I want some of that too, Mr. AD," she guffawed.

He barked another loud laugh as he walked into the bathroom.

Walter stood over the can waiting for his erection to subside so he
could take a piss. As he waited, he mused over his good luck. He could
hardly believe it. Here they were, ensconced in their new townhouse in
Arlington, married a year and a week, and sublimely happy. Sure, the
house was still only partly furnished, even with the combined
furnishings they had decided to keep from his and her apartments. Hence
the shopping expedition. But what the hell. Picking out new junk with
Kimberly was great fun and he enjoyed every minute of it.

They'd been lucky to get the house. Mulder had seen the *For Sale* sign
on his way to work, and when he informed Walter, the AD made the offer
on the townhouse the same morning. They had gotten this one. It made up
for the other two that they had lost to quicker and higher bidders.

Everything between them was indeed perfect Walter thought. He looked in
the medicine cabinet mirror over the toilet and studied his reflection.
Yup, everything, even this morning. Even if deep down he was just a
little nervous. A little? God damn...his nuts were knocking.

He and Kimberly had decided to start a family. Kim had gone off the pill
on Monday. With the absolute hell at the Bureau for the last week and
Kim studying frantically for an exam, they hadn't had sex since the
night of their anniversary, the Saturday before. So this morning, with
the prospect of morning lovemaking inevitable, Walter realized this was
it. They were going to be trying to make a baby. He was caught between
feelings of utter joy and abject terror. His guts started to do the
mambo. Oh Christ.

But what was the big worry for God's sake? It had been a joint decision
after all. Kim had wanted a family, pursuit of her law degree
notwithstanding, and Walter knew that now, at 47, he wasn't getting any
younger. They had waited a year and both of them figured they'd better
go ahead and give it a shot.

But he was still...afraid? Petrified was more like it. The prospect of
fatherhood had him quaking in his boots. Hell, he liked kids. Wanting
them wasn't a problem or question. And wanting them with Kim was a
foregone conclusion. It was just that he wasn't sure with the demands of
his job whether he would ever be a good parent. He didn't want Kimberly
to have to shoulder the bulk of the burden or have the bulk of the fun
and rewards either. Neither was fair to either of them. He wanted to be
an equal and full participant in raising their kids. He hated the
feeling of inadequacy and fought to smash it down. He'd just have to try
to do his best he thought. Those thoughts were pretty much what half the
parents in the world think every day anyway. Why should we be any
different, he mused. Yeah. All he could do was go with it and do his
best. The rest would take care of itself. I gotta stop sweating the
details, he told himself. He didn't do it on the job. Why should he do
it here. He set his shoulders and smiled. Besides. The making babies
part was a hell of a pleasure. No fucking problem there. No sir.

He finally took his piss and then shook off. Reaching for a wash cloth,
he ran some warm water in the sink and cleaned off between his legs. He
washed his hands next, dried everything with one of their large fluffy
blue towels, and exited the bathroom. He walked back to the King sized
bed. Kimberly had shifted over to the other side and was propped up on
an elbow waiting for him. He climbed in and lay down facing her. Walter
touched her arm and stroked along it. His hand came to rest on her shoulder.

Kimberly picked up on the remnants of his worried expression the minute
he came out of the bathroom. "Oh oh," she thought, "Bless his heart."
She smiled to reassure him. She knew just what was going on. She more
than knew her man now. God, she loved him so much, she thought. When
they had discussed starting a family he had told her that one of his
fondest wishes was to have children with her. But he had doubts he'd be
a good father. She could understand his reasoning. But she knew Walter
was capable of rising to the occasion in so many things. He was so
considerate, kind and loving despite the gruff bluster that she knew
he'd make a marvelous father. She knew she'd do fine as a mother. At
least she trusted herself to know she would do all right, the best she
could do. But she had such confidence in Walter. Even if he lacked it in
himself. But he was nervous, it was obvious. So she moved to make him
more comfortable.

"Honey, are you all right with this, I mean really?" she whispered
stroking his hand with her cheek.

Walter sighed, "Yeah. I'm ok. Just chalk my constipated look up to first
time father fright or something. Hell, I feel like an idiot," he
answered patting her shoulder. He removed his hand and toyed with her
nipples.

"Don't feel that way, honey. This is a big step. We...if you'd be more
comfortable, we can wait," she sighed, bending to kiss his forehead.

When she straightened back up he pinned her eyes

"Shit, no. Look, Kim I can deal with all this. Don't give it another
minutes thought. I...I just had some last minute nerves here. I'm a big
boy. I'll get over it."

"Big man," she purred running her hand down between them.

"Oh yeah." he smiled back at her as she trailed a finger along his penis.

"It's not like I'm going to get pregnant right away in any case, Walter.
Doctor Crawford said it might take several months for my body to know
it's fertile again."

"Right. I guess that does give us some breathing room."

"Exactly," she replied as she continued to stroke his cock. He was
swelling under her attentions. She looked into his eyes and he reached
forward. He took her chin in one hand and kissed her deeply. She smiled
around his mouth. He released her and began to touch and tease her
breasts, swirling his finger around each nipple until they were both
straining at attention. He pushed his head forward and began to suck on
each nipple in turn. Kimberly moaned slightly. She brought both hands up
and cradled his head against her tits, running her hands over his scalp
as he laved her.

Finally his sucking and nipping became too much and she sagged back into
the pillows, giggling. He laughed around her, and followed her over,
lying over her, his mouth never leaving his target.

"Oh Lord," she laughed as he sucked hard on her left breast. He pulled
back and smiled at her.

"You have the most gorgeous tits. Did you know that Mrs. Skinner?"

"Never would have guessed it," she laughed as he went back to work.

Soon his mouth began to travel down and she smiled even wider. Trust
Assistant Director Skinner not to forget a request. She raised her knees
up and spread her legs to give him better access. He was licking as he
went and when he reached between her legs she came off the bed. His
tongue went right into her hot , wet cunt.

"Oh God," she cried out. Kimberly had learned in the last year that
Walter Skinner had several hidden talents. He was a gourmet cook. He
played a mean game of scrabble. He could repair cars like an ace
mechanic, and he gave head like there was no tomorrow. In very short
order she was writhing under his mouth. He was going to make her come
just by sucking her off. She arched her hips up into his face again, and
again as he worked her.

"Just...little harder," she gasped. She was almost there. She pumped her
hips, rocking towards ecstasy and Walter, hearing her entreaty sucked
her clit hard.

"That's...uhhhhh," she groaned incoherently, crashing over the edge.
Walter levered up and worked two fingers into her, taking her response
higher. She screamed as she clenched down on his hand like a vice.

"Baby...baby," he growled as she squirmed uncontrollably, spitted on his
large fingers.

When she came back to herself , breathless, he was hovering over her
licking the inside of her thighs. He worked back up to her neck and then
to her mouth. Their tongues warred together. She could taste her own
salty muskiness on his lips. She pushed him back and he growled low in
his throat. He had settled between her legs and she gripped him tight.
With one heave she flipped him over so that he was prone beneath her. It
was no mean feat for her to do it. But she had very strong legs made
stronger now by the fact that she worked out with Walter three days a
week at the gym.

Walter was laughing as she straddled his hips just in back of his erection.


God damn," he chortled.

"Surprise," she purred. She knew Walter liked little surprises.

"No shit," he gasped as she went down on his cock, "Oh fuck!" he added
with a moan.

Kimberly knew Walter also liked it when people got right to the point.

If Kimberly had been writhing under Walter's mouth, Walter Skinner was
on fire under hers. He didn't even stop to think about how good Kimberly
was now at blowing him. There wasn't time. All he had time to do was
grab the sheet, grit his teeth and try to stay breathing. His hips
thrust up on their own accord, hard. She took every buck he could deliver.

"Christ, Christ," he hissed as she sucked him in again, and again. He
didn't have to tell her when he was close any more either. When he
started to leak she'd let him go and then sit up in order to give him a
chance to regain some control. Once or twice she'd even squeezed him
hard behind the glans to stop him from ejaculating. He'd had a suspicion
some of her lunches with Dr. Dana Scully had something to do with that
little technique. But he gave a shit. None of it mattered in the heat of
their passion. All that mattered was that they were incredible together
in bed now. It was incendiary.

"You doing ok, Big Daddy?" she asked, breathing hard.

"Mutherfuck," he grunted.

"Working on it," she laughed.

His hard on strained up in front of her. He was throbbing. Oh God, it
felt so good. His nuts were cum heavy. Jesus he wanted her now.

"Get on up here," he rumbled, grabbing his cock.

She grinned at him and levering up, lowered herself down as he guided
himself into her.

"Oh babe. God," he moaned as she took all of him in right down to his nuts.

"You...its..so good," she gritted her teeth. It felt so fantastic taking
him like this despite his size. She loved the feeling of his huge cock
going in deep and the control she had over it, and both their pleasure
this way. His hands roamed over her, gentle but strong, protective and
even that aroused her. He reverenced her body. She felt like she was the
center of his whole world when he touched her like he did now. His eyes
smoldered, burned, as he looked into her face. Until he couldn't look
any longer, overcome, and is eyelids fluttered shut.

She settled against his thighs, breathing hard. She looked down at him.
His mouth was open slightly and he was gasping for control as well. He
looked so handsome. So hot. Powerful. She ran her hands up the scars on
his groin and into his mat of chest hair.

"I love your cock," she whispered.

"Kim..." he sighed, "Kim..." he was almost beyond words. His mind was
besotted with her. The feel of her body enfolding him. Her smell. The
softness of her thighs over him. The full, heavy lushness of her breasts
as he ran his hands over them, kneading them. The fresh, clean feeling
of her hair in his hands as well. But most of all, his heart was in this
throat as he beheld the loving soul that shown through her caramel
colored eyes. He couldn't look anymore. She was too exquisite, an angel.
A bright angel. He shut his eyes against the blinding light of her
beauty. He took her hips in both his large hands. He managed one last
word and it was a command that she was more than happy to obey.

"Ride," he gasped out. And she did.

She moved up and then came down on his cock, a moan low in her chest as
she did. Walter thrust up to meet her. Soon they were both moving
together finding the rhythm that came so naturally, so easily to them now.

Walter took both her breasts up high, kneading them again and again,
focusing at last on her nipples. Kim bit her lip and concentrated on her
position and speed again to get the contact she craved the most. Walter
was so hard and she could hardly believe that he could stay that way
under this onslaught. She was really riding his cock. Bucking to get
every inch of him she could. He was thrusting up, arching up in long,
slow thrusts at first. As she began to whine and moan, picking up the
pace even more, he did his best to keep up. Soon they were slapping up
hard against each other as he pumped fast and deep. She plunged her hand
down between her legs and began to tug at herself. She was gone, totally
gone and she never wanted the ride to stop.

Walter concentrated hard to keep it up. One thing he knew how to do was
hold back. At his age one hard on a night was a distinct possibility and
he'd more than learned how to make it last. Oh God yes. He'd do anything
to let her have it all for as long as she needed it. So she could come,
and come again, and again, and scream for more. Count marine drill
cadence, do square roots, recite the Declaration of Independence, think
about his portrait of Janet Reno. Anything to keep going. To stay hard.
To let her ride, and ride and....

"OH GOD!" Kim groaned loud, "bbbastard!" she added with a gasp. Her
orgasm hit her hard. The climax sent her entire body arching back. She
spasmed taut around him. Walter thought he could practically feel her
womb contracting. It was an unbelievable sight as every muscle in her
body followed, clenching tight. Walter just held on and watched the
show. He held her hips as she strained back.

"Oh that's so good, babe," he moaned, "Oh Jesus you, bbbitch," he stuttered.

"Ohhhh. Do it," she cried out, her body just beginning to untense as she
shook through the last of the powerful orgasm. Walter was confused for a
minute but then it occurred to him that she wanted to feel him come too.
He grunted his assent and carefully shifted her over, performing the
reverse of her earlier flip maneuver. She was under him, her legs
spread. She helped him to shift her legs up onto his shoulders so he
could thrust in deep.

"Hard," she gasped out, and shut her eyes. She grabbed his shoulders,
then his back, raking his flesh with her nails.

Walter back thrust almost all the way out and than drove into her. He
took his weight on his hands for a minute. Kim grabbed his ass urging
him to do it harder and faster...and... he was beyond thought. Lifting
both hands up he grabbed the headboard and pulled himself forward.

"Oh God yes," Kim cried out as he used the extra leverage to really ram
it home.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he started to grunt in time to his thrusts. He was
almost there. His nuts felt like they were the size of cannonballs.
Huge, hot, hard and ready to do their duty. They slapped against Kim
every time he thrust. The sensation was almost too much to stand. Sweat
ran down between them, slicking them up as his ass pumped against her
again and again. He suddenly felt one of Kim's hands shift over his butt
cheek and insinuate itself between. Fingers searching. Finding the
opening. Going somewhere he hadn't had anyone's fingers go in years.
Mother Mary.

She was right on target too. Bingo.

"OHCHRIST," he howled as she stroked his prostate with two delicate fingers.

Walter roared as he felt his ass pumping forward, his balls contract,
and then the phenomenal ecstasy of release. He shot into Kim like a
volcano erupting. He came so hard that the semen backflowed out of her.
White light exploded in back of his eyes. His head snapped back, neck
muscles cording as he gasped and howled some more. He wasn't even aware
any more of where he was or the sounds he made. His hands convulsed,
gripping the headboard so that he propelled his hips so violently
against Kim he dimly thought they'd snap. And all the while he emptied
into her he still wailed an animal sound of pleasure. He was vaguely
aware that Kim was twisting under him, coming again herself. Emptying
him. Taking him into her. Taking his seed. He collapsed on top of her
and she took him into her loving and warm embrace.

xXx

A short time later...

"You all right, babe?"

"Hmm hmm."

"Sure?"

"Walter, I'm more than all right."

"Lord, woman."

"What about you? Are you ok?"

"Hell, yes."

"Like it?"

"Couldn't you tell?"

"God, I guess..."

"Are you sure you're ok, Kim? I mean I didn't..."

"Walter, everything's fine."

"Well, slide over babe, you gotta be in the damn wet spot," Walter
rumbled against Kim's hair.

"Walter! Don't talk about your half of the baby that way," she giggled.

He laughed like hell and drew her close, kissing her on the top of her
head. She clung to his chest with lithe strength and laughed along with
him, kissing his neck over and over.

"You wore me out, woman." he teased.

"Wore you out? What about our expedition?"

"You still want to go shopping?" he asked in feigned amazement,
chuckling as his breathing came back to normal.

"Now, more than ever. I'm energized, sir. Ready to shop till I drop."

"Energized?"

"Yes, you know...like the Energizer Bunny..."

"Right. He keeps coming, and..."

"...coming, and coming," she finished for him. He grinned down into her
face and stroked her hair. His face grew soft and solemn all at once.

"I love you," he whispered quietly.

"I love you more than life itself," she whispered in return, tears
making her eyes glisten. Walter swallowed hard, tears in the back of his
throat, as Kim moved down and put her head under his chin. Her hand
stroked his chest.

"I hope we made a baby," she added almost so quietly he didn't hear her."

"It wouldn't be for lack of trying," he grunted with humor, "but I think
it's a little too early to expect success," he added touching her
shoulder gently.

"You're probably right. But, Walter?"

"Yeah babe?"

"It was wonderful to feel you filling me and know that...well, that we
might conceive a new life. I just wanted you to know that."

"Oh lover..." he whispered. He didn't know what to say so he just hugged
her close. A tear trickled down from the edge of his eye. They lay
quietly together for several more minutes until Kimberly finally spoke.

"I guess we'd better shower," she sighed. Kim felt like lying there all
day with him. Loving him. Making love to him. Making him scream again
and again. She couldn't quite believe the sounds of orgasmic pleasure he
had made when she'd flicked his prostate. She'd really have to thank
Dana for that bit of information. Fox was a lucky man, she thought after
seeing Walter practically shoot to the moon under her hand.

"We could stay here all day," he smiled looking up at the ceiling. Oh
yeah. He could stay with her all day. Holding her, sleeping with her,
waking up and loving her some more. No sweat.

"I considered it, believe me," she mumbled into his chest hair, "But
honey, I really do want to get to Marlo's to look at a coffee table and
a couch. "

"And Levitz's and.."

"The Hub, right."

"Jesus I better call the bank to check the account before...hey!"

he laughed as she slapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh come on you were the one who said the couch looked like a loaf of
old, moldy bread!"

"I know. I know."

"Well, it doesn't go with the room," she insisted rubbing where she had
slapped him.

"Right," he smirked nodding his head.

So, shower, shave and a bite before we hit the stores?" Kim grinned as
he kissed the palm of the hand that had delivered the playful slap.

He nipped her earlobe and she giggled.

"Mr. Skinner!"

"All right, all right. Shower," he chuckled wryly, into her ear. "And as
for the bite - I'll take you out for brunch, how would that be?"

"I think you have a deal, dear."

"Good. So, shift it woman, we don't have all day here," he mock scowled
at her. She laughed, and getting up, headed into the bathroom.

xXx

"What do you think about this one?" Kimberly asked indicating a low,
modern looking coffee table in the living room group near them.

"Well..."

"Too retro?"

"Yeah I think I saw that on a *Leave it to Beaver* rerun the other
night," Walter replied pushing his glasses up.

Kimberly nodded, smiling, "I think you're right. Not good. Listen. Why
don't we kill two birds with one stone here. I'll keep looking at the
coffee tables and you go recheck the couches. You can start again at the
beginning of these displays." she suggested indicating the huge expanse
of living room displays that stretched in front of them. Luckily the
store had been incredibly busy so they hadn't been inundated with too
many sales representatives. So, they had been able to make a cursory
couch search without much trouble. But the place was large enough to
make the dual hunt rather practical.

"And we'll rendezvous by the entrance in say 30?" Walter smiled back.
That was Kim. Still efficient in every way. She hadn't changed in that
respect since she'd quit working for him at the Bureau.

"I'm synchronizing my watch, sir," she grinned.

Walter nodded, smiling, and then he turned and sauntered off in the
direction of the entrance to start at the top of the sofa offerings.

He had been looking at dismal sofa after dismal sofa when somehow he got
sidetracked into the futon department. As he rounded a low wall,
dividing two of the displays he almost fell over a man kneeling down
behind it. The man was trying to look under one of the futon couches on
display and Walter hadn't seen him at all.

"God, buddy. I'm..." he started to bluster his excuse.

"Oh, hello, sir," the other man replied cheerfully, standing up to his
full height. Fox Mulder rubbed his thigh a bit where Walter had run into
him and grinned at his boss.

"Mulder!" Walter exclaimed slightly surprised. Mulder stood by a bit
self consciously, awkward for a moment at running into Walter or rather
in having Walter run into him. He extended his hand a bit and Walter
grabbed it and shook it warmly. Mulder relaxed at once.

"What were you doing down there? Hey, sorry I almost bowled you over,"
Walter replied as he released Mulder's hand.

"No harm done. I was trying to see if this was wood or metal underneath.
I think the metal ones don't hold up very well. So I'm looking for
wooden slats."

"Are you buying a new couch?" Walter asked with a smirk. Mulder's old
leather couch was notorious. He practically lived on it. He most
certainly slept on it. Walter had slept on it several times and it was
horrid. Lumpy, uncomfortable and sagging in all the Mulder spots - all
the wrong spots for anyone else who tried to lie on it's cushions.
Walter Skinner couldn't help but think that if Mulder was bedding Scully
on that thing she had real guts. And he had some nerve.

"As a matter of fact, Walter I am," he grinned sheepishly, "I thought a
futon might make a nice change of pace."

"Well this is a monumental occasion, Mulder. A moment of import.
Historical..."

"Please, you sound like Frohike," Mulder sighed. Walter barked a quick
laugh.

"So why the change in sleeping accommodations?" he asked.

Walter wasn't sure but he thought he saw Mulder blush slightly. Hmmm
this could be interesting. He could have a little fun at the
wisecracking agent's expense.

"Well the old sofa met with a little...accident," Mulder admitted,
looking down and scuffing his foot on the displays rug. He looked about
16 years old suddenly and Skinner grinned a bit wider.

"Do tell."

"Uh, I don't think I should go there," Mulder replied wincing just as a
voice came from behind Walter Skinner. Walter watched as Mulder lifted
his head and beamed in on the voice like a plane beaming in on a homing
signal. His whole face lit up and he smiled wide

Walter Skinner winced slightly and looked down, a bit embarrassed. The
naked love that shown in Mulder's face was a familiar sight for Skinner.
He knew he had that look on his face when he looked at Kim. He shook his
head in chagrin. Man the agent had it bad, he thought. It was nice to
see but a problem in this particular situation. The voice came from Dana
Scully, Mulder's partner. Mulder and Scully were deeply in love. That
much was obvious. And, partners were not supposed to be lovers. Against
Bureau policy. What a crock of shit, Walter thought. He knew he was
supposed to enforce that rule. But this situation went way beyond all
that crap. There was way too much water under the bridge between all
three of them. Enough water to drown the fucking rules in a deluge.
Maybe Mulder should get off his duff and ask Scully to marry him for
Christ sake, Skinner mused for a moment. It was something he almost
considered talking to Mulder about at some point in the future. He filed
the thought away for a convenient time. Walter looked back up at Mulder
again. The younger man was looking right past him.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" Scully was saying as she approached them.

Walter turned to see Dana Scully striding confidently through the living
room grouping in back of them. She drew close and touched him briefly on
the arm. A lot had transpired between Skinner and Scully. They had been
lovers, albeit briefly, and now they were friends, albeit cautious in
that friendship. But Walter knew that Scully respected, liked and
trusted him now and he valued that very much. She was also very
appreciative of his support and guarded friendship with Mulder. Walter
looked out for Mulder a bit more now. Went to bat for him and tended to
stay out of his way more. Mulder's work life had become much more easy
because of the situation. Scully was also a very close friend with
Kimberly now and Walter appreciated that even more. He sensed that
Scully was looking out for his wife a bit. Almost in a sisterly fashion.
Walter felt good about that too.

"Buying a new couch, I think," Skinner smiled easily at her as she
crossed and took Mulder's hand in hers. Walter thought they looked
incredibly young in that moment. Like college sweethearts or something.
He felt a tight feeling in his chest.

She laughed and then Mulder did turn obviously red.

"Did Mulder tell you he's buying a new couch too?" she asked

"Yeah, he did."

"Did he tell you why?" she smiled wide and squeezed Mulder's hand.

"Oh Christ, Scully," Mulder's voice cracked, "Come on, don't go there, Ok?"

"No he didn't," Skinner joined in Scully's fun at needling Mulder. The
agent was really squirming and Scully's blue eyes were dancing.

"Well let's just say the phrase *come and go* was descriptive of the
event," Scully laughed.

"That's it, I'm out of here," Mulder was grinning wide despite his
embarrassment. Skinner felt his ears go a little hot too. Well well. So
there was maybe more than one wild morning in Arlington he thought.

"So the couch was a victim in a crime of passion?" Skinner asked looking
Mulder in the eye with his best deadpan AD expression.

"My poor couch," Mulder sighed. "Faithful. Kind. Steadfast. Loyal.
Obedient."

"You make it sound like a dog," Skinner rumbled.

"Well, it was a bit of a dog," Scully continued to laugh.

"I'd agree there," Skinner nodded.

"Oh come on. It was a classic," Mulder disagreed, trying to frown and
not succeeding.

"Classic my ass," Scully chortled. "My ass, no kidding. God, those damn
springs. It just couldn't hold up, Walter. But it went out in a blaze of
glory," Scully added casting a wry grin in Mulder's direction.

"What a way to go," Skinner barked a laugh and then all three of them
were laughing together. It felt good. Skinner thought. Damn good.

As soon as they all caught their breath Walter glanced at his watch.

"Oh hell. I have to meet Kim by the entrance. She's gonna kick my ass. I
was supposed to scope out a sofa."

"Well, maybe you should show her something in a futon," Mulder chuckled.

"Yeah, I'd better have something to show her. Well..." he ended awkwardly.

"Tell Kim, I'll call her later," Scully smiled up at him.

"Sure. I'll do that. I'll see you later," he nodded, and turning left
their side.

Scully turned to Mulder and started laughing all over again at the
expression on his face.

"He's never going to let me live it down," he shook his head at her.

She sagged against him in her laughter, and he kissed her hand.

"Come on, let's go replace old faithful," he hugged her against him and
then they walked off hand and hand.

xXx

At the entrance, Walter spied Kimberly immediately. She waved excitedly
to him.

He hurried over to where she was standing.

"Sorry I'm late. I ran into Mulder."

"Mulder?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Yeah he was back in the futon department buying a new couch. Scully was
with him."

"New couch? Whoa, call *The Guinness Book of World Records*," Kim laughed.

"No kidding."

"What happened to the leather monster?"

"I got the impression it couldn't handle the heat," Walter grinned.

"No?" Kim started to giggle.

"Yeah. I think it broke down under the pressure. They came and it went.
Went out in a blaze of glory though like a good soldier."

"Oh God. Well it sounds like Arlington was really bopping this morning,"
she grinned. Walter turned red and she laughed even harder.

"All right, Mrs. Skinner, " he growled, "Enough of that shit. What was
all that frantic waving about a second ago."

"Oh. Come on. I have to show you what I found.

xXx

The couch and coffee table were perfect. The couch was upholstered in a
warm caramel colored material with a delicate pattern in it. The color
matched Kim's eyes. The coffee table was a light color as well. Simple
but stylishly elegant.

"So?" Kim was asking him as Walter sat on the couch. He glanced around
the entire living room group. There were several nice pieces. A nice
overstuffed recliner which he rather liked the look of as well. And a
beautiful rocking chair which he had noticed Kimberly making eyes at as
she watched him test the couch.

"This is great," he nodded feeling the material and underlying support
of the soft cushions, "Yeah this one is a keeper I think. The coffee
table too."

"Wonderful," Kim touched his shoulder briefly she turned and wandered
about the group stopping at the recliner.

"Do you like this piece?" she gave him a sly smile.

"Just as much as you like the rocker, babe," he stood up and walked over
to her, taking her in his arms.

"What?" she whispered into his eyes.

"We'll take the rocker, too," Walter smiled back at her. He kissed her
gently on the cheek, and then pulled back letting her go.

"Oh thank you, honey," she breathed with excitement, "It's so beautiful."

She sat down in the rocker and began to move it back and forth.

"I always dreamed about having one of these some day when...well when I
had a baby to rock in one," she said quietly lost in the movement of the
rocker and her own thoughts of motherhood for a moment.

Walter watched her and his heart swelled. God he loved her. More and
more every day.

He sighed and she looked up.

"It suits you," he nodded and then he looked around the area to cover
the wetness that had appeared in his eyes, "I'll roust a sales rep."

xXx

January 15, the J. Edgar Hoover Building...

Jana Cassidy was just ending her final remarks in Agent Sanchez's part
of the OPR hearing. Walter Skinner sighed. It didn't look good. He had
done the best he could but it looked like Sanchez and Burton were going
down. It was a God damned shame. They were fine field agents. Good
records. He shook his head and Cassidy droned on and on about the
regulations on fraternization.

"Christ, she sounds like a broken record," he thought dismally as he
looked at Sanchez sitting bolt upright in the hot seat in front of them
all. The young Hispanic agent stared straight ahead, ramrod stiff, no
fear showing on his face. Skinner had to admire his guts. He was going
to lose his job today. Face career ruin. But he wasn't going to let
anyone see how much it hurt.

Walter hated these proceedings. For obvious reasons it made him think of
Mulder and Scully. His guts roiled. It all made him sick. Of course
these fraternization hearings were a bit different. They would *process*
Sanchez's partner, James Burton next. The two partners were both male.
Gay. A death knell job wise. Oh sure, the Bureau wasn't discriminating
here because they were gay necessarily. But they were going to hang them
out to dry on the fraternization rule. Well that and the fact they'd
been caught blowing each other in a bu-car on a stake-out.

But the fact they were gay was an unspoken rule for dismissal. Stupid
rule. For obvious reasons Walter thought giving them the boot on the gay
angle was idiotic as well. Vietnam and his dead lover John Rand jumped
into his mind. God. Poor Georgia boy, John "Cracker" Rand. What would he
have said about all this PC garbage?

"Sinnuh, this is mule shit, boy. Come on up here and take a ride
instead," would have been pretty typical. Another hot night in Saigon
and John's loving arms. Walter shook his head slightly to clear his
thoughts. He needed to focus on Cassidy's voice to find out if there was
any hope at all for Sanchez and Burton. He didn't think so. It sounded
like the *Iron Maiden* was going to give them their walking papers. Fuck.

Walter had spoken in Sanchez's behalf all ready. He and Burton both were
valuable investigators. Sanchez, in fact, was almost as gifted a
profiler as Mulder. The young man was one of the reasons Mulder hadn't
been assigned to as many VCS consults as of late. Walter mused over that
fact. Mulder would not be happy to find out that was going to change.
Nothing Walter had said had done much good. Jana Cassidy was plowing
ahead like a steamroller and both agents were going to be crushed under
her treads.

He glanced at his watch. Jesus it was 6 PM all ready. Well he had told
Kim when he had called her at noon, that he would more than likely be
late getting home. It couldn't he helped. She had understood of course.
She always did. She remembered James Burton, the older agent, from her
days at the Bureau. She had suspected he was gay but never said anything
about it, bless her. She was upset to hear that he would more than
likely be asked to hand in his badge and gun. She was doubly upset that
it would be Walter who would have to take them from him.

"I'm so sorry, honey," she had told him over the phone.

"So am I Kim. He's a good man who made one mistake. This isn't right."

"I love you Walter. I'd better go. I have to leave for classes."

"OK, Babe. Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really. I think it's the flu maybe. I'm going to go to bed early
when I get back. So if I'm asleep when you get home, don't worry."

"All right. I'll feed the cats."

Kim laughed. "Remember Darrow gets the Science Diet Lite"

"Right. Fat Cat," Walter grinned gently into the receiver.

"Bye, Mr. Skinner."

"Bye Mrs. Skinner," he'd ended the call and gone to lunch.

He hoped he didn't wake her when he got home. He'd try to be extra quiet
so that she could get her rest. She'd been studying so hard it wouldn't
surprise him if she had run herself down. He hoped it wasn't the flu. He
knew what she hoped the feelings meant. Her period was over due. He
smiled a little to himself. Maybe she was pregnant. The thought made him
feel really good, warm, joyful...

"Assistant Director Skinner?" Jana Cassidy was saying breaking into his
reverie.

Walter looked up at the AD of OPR.

"I'm sorry?" he asked tersely, clearing his throat.

xXx

"James, I regret this whole...mess. I can't tell you how..."

"Sir, it's...it's all right. You did everything you could do in there. I
want to thank you." James Burton said quietly extending his hand. Walter
Skinner walked forward and took it without hesitation, shaking it firmly.

"You might as well drop the sir, shit, Jim. Just call me Walter," he
nodded releasing the now ex-agents hand."

Burton's gun, badge and resignation were on his desk blotter. Sanchez's
were next to them.

"Walter, thanks again. I've enjoyed serving under you, really. You're a
son of a bitch, but fair."

Walter barked a laugh, "I'll take that as a compliment."

The other man laughed as well, "Well, we always felt like we got a
square deal with you. So yeah, it's a compliment."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment and then Burton straightened up.

Walter knew it was time to let him join the other man waiting outside in
his reception area..

"Look, Jim. If there's anything I can do - references, recommendations -
don't hesitate to call me."

Burton stood tall and pinned his eyes, "Thank you, Walter. I...I won't
hesitate to call." He turned to go. Walter followed him to the door.

"Do you have any immediate plans? I mean, uh..." Walter wasn't sure what
he wanted to say. He wanted to offer the guy a hand if he needed it.
Money even or a place to stay if getting fired this way was going to be
a problem. He knew they would more than likely never work in law
enforcement again once the reason for their dismissal went into their files.

"As a matter of fact I do," his face brightened a bit and Walter felt a
little more optimistic.

"Marco's family is located in New Mexico. They...well they've been
marvelous really. I never expected, never hoped..." he became a little
flustered and cleared his throat.

"Anyway, I guess I'm going to New Mexico. They have a huge cattle ranch
down there. I dabble in painting a bit. I understand it's beautiful out
there on their ranch. Should make for some great landscapes."

"That's great, James. Fantastic. Call me when you have your first
gallery exhibit. I'm serious. Kim and I want invitations to your first
opening."

"That I can do," he grinned shaking Skinner's hand one last time.

Skinner opened his office door. Marco Sanchez rose to his feet and
smiled when he saw Skinner smiling and laughing with his lover. Relief
was etched in every muscle of his body.

Walter Skinner watched as the older agent walked over to the younger man.

"Take care, both of you," he rumbled.

"Thank you, sir," they both replied in unison. Sanchez laughed and
Burton took his hand as they walked out the reception room door.

Walter went back into his office to finish organizing his notes so
Angela could type up the last of the paperwork for his files on Monday
morning.

xXx

Walter quietly put the can of *Science Diet Lite* cat food in the
recycling bin. He picked up the tumbler of bourbon he had poured for
himself and sipped it as he watched Clarence and Darrow chow down at
their respective bowls by the refrigerator.

"I guess you guys are both on a diet tonight," he whispered. He'd
wearily forgotten to give Clarence regular food, tipping up the diet
into both bowls before he even realized he'd done it. Walter sighed.
Clarence wasn't complaining it seemed. He turned and headed out into the
dining room and then through into the living room.

The living room group they had purchased three months before looked
great. Walter chuckled a little when he remembered how he and Kimberly
had inaugurated the couch when it had been delivered to the townhouse.
God that had been some night he thought. He could believe Kim was well
and goodly pregnant after the couch christening. He vaguely wondered if
Mulder and Scully had given his new combination futon/bed a similar
workout when it had been delivered to his dump of an apartment. Man,
that thing must stick out like a sore thumb in there he smiled as he
crossed over and sat down on the couch.

He had all ready been upstairs to check on Kim. She had been fast asleep
curled up in a fetal position in their King sized bed. Walter had come
back down to feed the felines. The suit coat had come off for comfort's
sake. He just wanted to catch the late news on CNN before turning in.

He sat down on the couch, put the bourbon on the coffee table and took
the TV remote into his hand. He pressed the on button. He quickly turned
the volume down so as not to disturb his wife. The news was just
starting and he settled back with a grunt, placing the remote nearby on
the couch cushion. He loosened and then removed his tie, throwing it
over the back of the couch. Clarence jumped up onto the couch back and
brushed his hand as he was letting go of the tie.

"Sorry about the low fat food," he rumbled at the cat, lifting him down
and placing him on his lap. The cat kneaded his pants.

"Hey, watch the wool. These are fucking Versace, fuzz ball," he
chuckled, patting the cats humped back.

Clarence had become Walter's cat in the year that he and Kim had been
married. Darrow was Kim's beast for sure, but Clarence had gravitated
slowly towards Walter. Skinner found himself really liking the tabby. He
was secretly flattered the sleek, proud Clarence instead of the fat,
fawning Darrow had taken to him. But Kim doted on Darrow so it was ok.
Each cat had his person and all was right with the world.

So now, Walter settled back, Clarence curling up on his lap, to watch
the nightly nuthouse that was CNN News.

xXx

A strange hissing sound jolted Walter Skinner awake suddenly. What the
fuck? he thought. He looked around confused. God it was hot and dark.
Tropically hot and...it smelled like...lush...like lush foliage ...like
jungle foliage. There was just enough moonlight to see the huge gum tree
he was pissing against rising up into the canopy above.

"Sinnuh, hold still, luvuh..." a voice with a southern drawl whispered.

Skinner looked down below his waist, past the hand that held his pissing
dick, and into the eyes of green death. He didn't move. Didn't breath.
He held the eyes of the snake, willing it to go away. Willing it not to
strike.

"Easy, Waltuh. Easy," John Rand whispered. He raised his rifle butt just
a little bit and brought it down fast, catching the snake behind the
neck, pinning it. The snake thrashed, helpless to strike out or even
move as Cracker drew out his machete. He brought it down with a firm
swing of his arm and the snake was neatly decapitated, it's head rolling
to the side, eyes blinking. Skinner jumped back as the jaws snapped on
air near his foot.

"Jesus," he breathed out raggedly.

"No shit, Big Dawg." Cracker gasped, "He must have been guiding my hand."

"Cambodian two step," Walter observed as the snake's body ceased to
thrash about. He kicked it and then the head into the underbrush with
the toe of his combat boot.

"Fuck, yes. It bites you, you take two steps..."

"..and die," Walter finished for the hazel eyed soldier from Georgia,
"God, John. You saved my life."

"Or your dick at least, Sinnuh," he laughed quietly," Ah wouldn't want
anything to happen to that big gun of yours," he added as Walter shook
off. Cracker Rand placed his rifle and machete against the tree they had
been standing next too and walked over to stand in front of Walter. He
reached down and stroked Skinner's cock. Walter sighed and ran his hand
down Cracker's face.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," he whispered as Cracker moved his
hand up and down Walter's hardening length. They were still within
walking distance of the barracks after all. The snake might not be the
only set of eyes out tonight.

"It's been days Walter. I...I just needed to touch you. Be with you, son."

Walter nodded looking into John's, sad gaze. Cracker's sensuous lower
lip was trembling slightly with his passion.

"I know John. I know," Walter replied leaning forward and kissing that
soft lip.

Cracker moaned.

When Walter pulled away, Cracker slowly knelt before him and Walter
leaned back against the tree. Touching him tenderly, Cracker took
Walter's cock in his hand, lifted it to his mouth, and began to swallow it.

Walter Skinner thought distantly that despite the searing pleasure in
this act, something was wrong. Not the act as such. He loved John. He
knew he did. This was so right. So good. But there was
something...something...odd.

He began to buck his hips, pumping his cock into John's mouth, deep down
his throat. He grunted in time with his thrusts as Cracker sucked and
licked him hard.

He shut his eyes and rode the sensations. It was so fucking fantastic.
So tight, so wet. So...oh Jesus Christ. He opened his mouth to groan
encouragement to his lover.

"Oh God, Kim, that's so gggood." Kim, who the fuck is Kim? he thought
and then he crashed over into a mind blowing orgasm and all that he knew
was his thrusting hips, his erupting cock, and John's hot, wet, talented
mouth.

Later he sat below the gum tree, in the semi-darkness, with John's head
in his lap. He was stroking John's hair. What little of it he had with
his Marine issue hair cut.

He had blown John too and loved every minute of it but despite the
satisfaction and the beautiful feelings of the moment, something still
nagged at him.

"Cracker?"

"Yeah, Sinnuh?'

"Do we have a guy in the unit named Kim? I don't...I mean, I can't..."

"Not in the unit, Waltuh," John Rand sighed.

"Then who the fuck is Kim and why did I yell out that name?" Walter
asked very bewildered.

Cracker sat up and pulled back to sit cross legged in front of Walter.
There was a wry, somewhat sad smile on his face.

"Kim is the reason we probably won't be doin' the wild thang much
longer, Big Dawg," he chuckled slightly.

"What the hell?" Walter asked.

"Kim, or rather Kimberly, is your wife, Waltuh. Ah mean don't you
remember your own woman, boy," Cracker barked a quick mischievous laugh.

"Wife? I've never been married you stupid hillbilly. I don't have a
wife..." his voice trailed off. The more he protested the less he
believed what he was saying. A vision of an angelic woman jumped into
his mind. A woman with soft caramel eyes and a musical, easy laugh.

"Ah see you haven't forgotten, her Waltuh. Good. That's as it should be,
luvuh. You're with her now, body and soul. Our time is almost through.
And that's the way it should be too, Sinnuh."

"John, I don't understand."

"Waltuh, just remember this one thing. Love her. No matter what happens
- love her and everything else will take care of itself eventually. It
won't be easy for a while but in the end all the trouble will be worth
it. Believe me. It will be worth it for all of us."

Skinner stared into the hazel eyes of the boy from Georgia. The hazel
eyes flecked with gold were very intense.

"All right John I do love her. I love her more than life itself," he
whispered, "but I don't want to lose you."

"Oh you won't be losing me exactly Big Dawg. And anyway. Ah'll still be
around for a bit here. Ah don't intend to go AWOL just yet," he smiled wide.

Skinner nodded his head.

"So do we agree here, Waltuh? Do we have a deal?" Cracker asked as he
stretched his hands up above his head. He stretched as Walter Skinner
slowly nodded his head in the affirmative. Skinner watched him stretch
and flex, stretch and flex his back and hands. He arched up and Skinner
thought he looked all the world like a great big hazel eyed....

Cat...

"Christ Clarence, get off my face, I can't breath," Skinner choked
pitching the sleeping feline onto the floor. Clarence flicked his tail,
once, very disdainfully, and flounced off in the direction of the kitchen.

Walter sat up blinking hard. Fuck. He'd fallen asleep on the couch. He
was disorientated for a moment. The TV was showing noisy hissing static
so he grabbed the remote and powered it down. He must have switched
channels at some point and not even known it. Dead air didn't appear on
CNN as a rule.

He knew he'd been dreaming about Nam. It hadn't been a nightmare exactly
but it had been weird. John had been in it. John sucking him off. Kim,
was Kim in the dream? Jesus. The memory was just out of reach. He shook
his head to try to dislodge it but it didn't do any good. He ran his
hand over the back of his neck and snapped it quickly, moving his
vertebrae with a satisfying crack.

Well at least it was Saturday he thought glancing at his watch. Five AM.
Shit. He'd better go up and at least try to look like he'd slept next to
his wife. Poor Kim. She'd be scared to death if she woke up and thought
he hadn't made it home.

Skinner hastened to rise and go upstairs as quickly as his groggy legs
could carry him.

He opened the door to their bedroom and saw Kimberly, lying on her back
now, still fast asleep. He smiled gently at the sight and just as he did
so, Darrow, his tail waving, streaked past him.

"Darrow, no!" he hissed as the cat, desperate to see his mistress,
launched himself through the air and landed squarely on Kimberly's stomach.

"God damn you," Skinner growled coming in after him. Kimberly yelped and
picking Darrow up, tossed him onto the floor.

"Darrow, you fat piece of shit," Walter grated, coming over to the edge
of the bed as Kim held her stomach and winced.

"No, it's all right, Walter. He...it's just that..."

"What's wrong honey?" Walter asked with concern hastening to sit down
next to her and pull her close, rubbing her shoulder, "flu?"

"No, I have cramps. I got my period," she mumbled against his chest.

"Oh," he answered quietly. Oh shit, he thought. He knew she had gotten
her hopes up. This was the first real instance, the first real
possibility that she might have been pregnant.

"Well uh..." he was somewhat at a loss for words.

"It's ok. I shouldn't get my hopes up like this. But I thought...well
you know."

"Yeah, I know, babe. But maybe it's just too soon yet," he replied
kissing the top of her head. God with as much as they'd been making love
lately if she wasn't pregnant...A niggling fear gripped Walter Skinner
for a moment. Oh brother, he hoped there wasn't anything...wrong. He
shook his head. Hell, he didn't even want to think about it. No, it was
just taking a while for the effects of the birth control to wear off.
Kimberly was only 31. She was healthy. Strong, and in shape. There was
nothing wrong.

"Would you like me to rub your stomach, babe?" he asked her quietly.

"My back," she nodded against him.

"Ok. lie down on your stomach then. Walter Skinner, masseur at your
service," he grinned patting the mattress.

Kimberly scooted back down and turned over slowly to lie under his
hands. He sat next to her and began to gently rub her back just above
her hips.

"How's this?" he asked.

"Feels wonderful honey."

He continued to rub. Finally Kim did turn back over and he started to
gently massage her stomach as well. She shut her eyes.

"So I take it you slept on the couch?" she asked after a minute or two.

"Yeah, I...I sat down to watch CNN...I guess I was pretty beat."

"Walter...I'm really sorry about Burton and Sanchez."

Walter sighed, "Yeah, me too Kim."

"Did you sleep all right on the couch?"

"All right. But it would have been better up here," he smiled

Kim smiled, stretching a little under his warm hands, as they continued
to make a circular motion on her abdomen.

"Did you take some Tylenol or something?" he whispered.

"Midol."

"Is it helping?"

"Yeah, actually it is helping finally," she nodded, opening her eyes
back up and staring into his.

She looked so exquisite. Walter's heart flipped in his chest. He brought
a hand up and stroked her cheek.

"Kim. We'll...we can keep trying. We'll get pregnant. I mean..."

"I know, Walter. It's all right. Like I said I just got my hopes up,
that's all. And I know we'll keep trying." she grinned a little back at him.

Walter's smile widened, "No question," he agreed.

"Honey, I could use some coffee," Kim said rolling slightly to look at
the clock. It was nearly 6 AM now, "And we need to think about going for
groceries later."

"Yeah, I used up the last can of fat cat food last night. We'd better
get to the store or there'll be a mutiny around here."

As if on cue both Clarence and Darrow jumped up on the bed and sauntered
around as if they owned the entire house.

"Maybe it's started all ready," Kimberly laughed as Walter crossed his
arms and pretended to scowl at the posturing feline's display.

xXx

Several miles away, but still in Arlington...

"Oh God, Mulder, just...oh God." Dana Scully's voice was cut off
abruptly as Mulder thrust forward into her while rubbing her taunt clit
with a swift, hard circular motion.

"That's it, that's it," he groaned as she threw her head back. He
supported her with one arm as she writhed in his lap.

"Uhhhhh," she moaned, coming in one great rushing wave.

They were seated on his new futon couch in the living room of Mulder's
apartment and they'd been screwing each other senseless half the night
and into the morning. This was proving to be one of their rare marathon
sessions and they were determined to pleasure each other for hours on
end while they were between cases and had the idle weekend at home.

Scully was screaming an open mouthed silent shriek, as she crashed over,
clenching tight around Mulder's cock as he drove into her hard.

"Oh Ffffuck!" he groaned low in his throat. Then he exploded violently
into her. Both of them slammed against each other, wringing out as much
of the joint orgasm as they could.

Mulder's sweat drenched hair splattered water on the wall in back of him
as he arched back, yelling in the final moments of ecstasy. It was too
damn good. More then he ever had a right to hope it would be, he thought
dimly as he watched Dana trembling through the final spasms of her climax.

"Oh My God," she finally breathed out, coming back to herself. She fell
forward against him and he collapsed against the futon's back.

"Damn," he smiled wide at her.

"How the hell did you do that?" she laughed breathlessly against his chest.

"What?"

"Keep going like that for - how long was it?" she asked looking at the
clock over on his desk.

"Don't say it. My head's big enough all ready, Scully," he chuckled wryly.

"Well far be it for me to contribute to the Mulder ego," she grinned
sitting up to look into his eyes. He was still inside her and the
feeling of her body pulsing even over his flaccid cock was so erotic he
had to swallow hard.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Oh, God, Scully..." he replied softly, "I love you too."

She shifted to pull up so he could pull out and then they lay down
together side by side on the couch. The new one was wider than the old
couch had been. It was black though like old faithful had been, but it
was vastly more comfortable. And if necessary it could be folded out to
serve as a bed. But they never seemed to get that far Scully thought.
Not that she cared. Fucking Mulder on a couch had practically become a
time honored tradition by this point in their relationship.

Mulder stroked her hair.

"We'd better eat something. Shower. Something..." Mulder's voice trailed
off. He was close to falling asleep.

"Something..." Scully smiled, turning into his chest.

They were silent for a few minutes.

"Mulder?"

"Hmmm?"

"Kim thinks she might be pregnant." Scully replied quietly.

Mulder shifted up slightly and looked down at the top of her head. Oh
hell, he thought. He hoped she wasn't...that she didn't start thinking
about not being able to have kids again. This still saddened Mulder
deeply. Everything about Scully's sterility made him guilty, ashamed and
ill. He blamed himself for it all. It made him wish that Scully had
never met him. If she hadn't she'd probably be happily married with a
bunch of kids and practicing medicine in some friendly little town. Or
she would have been a crack field agent on the road to becoming a SAC,
or teaching forensics at Quantico or...

But instead she was with him, infertile, and in danger for her very life
24/7. Quite frankly he didn't know why she even stayed with him.

"Does Walter know?" he asked struggling to keep his voice upbeat.

"Not yet. She was going to do a home pregnancy test last night before he
got home and then if she is she'll surprise him with the news this morning."

"Well I guess if we hear a bellow coming from the direction of George
Mason Drive we'll know why," Mulder answered, kissing Scully's hair.

Scully snuggled close. She knew that with Kim pregnant the circumstances
of her condition in contrast with her inability to produce a child might
make Mulder fall into a terrible guilt trip. It was the last thing Dana
Scully wanted to have happen. The main reason she brought up the subject
at all was because she knew this and she wanted to make Mulder realize
that her sterility was not his fault and that he had no control over
what had happened to her.

"Mulder you know I'd never blame you for what happened, don't you?
You're not to blame for my...infertility. She felt him move against her,
tensing. He clenched and unclenched one of his hands.

"Scully, I...I guess I know that logically of course. But there's a part
of me in here that rejects every bit of that logic," he replied quietly
pointing towards his heart.

Scully sighed and levered up to lean on his chest. She looked in his eyes.

"Mulder, it doesn't matter. I mean it. I love you. I don't blame you. Do
you hear me? Let that sink in here," she said with gravity placing her
hand over his heart, "let it sink in deep," she added kissing the spot
gently. She looked up at him from under her eyelashes as she kissed him.
"Mulder?" she asked still not sure what was going on his mind.

"It's ok, Scully. Really. I...I understand.

She nodded and ran her hand through his chest hair. His brow was still
creasing. She waited patiently for him to open up and say what else was
on his mind.

"Scully?" he asked licking his lip slightly.

"Yes, Mulder."

"Did you ever...I mean give serious thought to well, you know...having
kids with me," he looked at her carefully.

"What?" she couldn't help chuckling a little.

Mulder raised an eyebrow. His expression was caught somewhere between
being hurt and amused at the same time.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. But - you have such a way of
changing gears on me."

He smiled wryly, "Yeah, I know - it's...Spooky."

"Well. Spooky. For your information - yes. I thought about having little
Spookys with you more than once," she replied kissing his left nipple.

"Really?" he smiled wider.

"Really."

He looked at her eyes very closely, studying her for a moment. Something
passed over his face that made Scully's heart almost stop in her chest
with emotion.

"Well, then. Did you ever give serious thought to marrying me, Scully?"
he asked quietly.

"Oh Mulder..." she whispered.

He looked away thinking her answer had been in the negative. She grabbed
his chin hard and turned his head to face her again.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" she asked him in a low voice.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he replied giving her his lopsided smile.

Scully's whole face lit up and she smiled a tremendous grin of her own
at him. Then she began to laugh again. And this time she couldn't stop
it, and it was from pure joy.

"What?" Mulder asked momentarily stunned and confused.

"Mulder? Where the hell is the candlelit dinner? The violins?"

"Would you settle for mouth music?" he smirked back at her.

"God! You have some nerve. Why aren't you down on your knees?"

"Hey, I'm on my back..."

"What balls, Mulder! Where's my damn ring?"

"Yeah, let's talk about my balls some more," he was laughing too now,
getting breathless.

"Mulder you never do anything conventionally do you?"

He shrugged and brought both of his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
Scully grabbed them and then taking them in both her hands, lifted them
up, pinning his arms over his head. She sank down over him and captured
his mouth. His lips opened instantly and they devoured each other,
tongues warring, mouths moving over each other hungrily. She released
his hands and he gripped her head deepening the kiss even further.

When she broke the kiss, Mulder was gasping.

"God, is that a yes?" he asked, his eyes open wide, and his voice hoarse
with passion.

"It's a yes."

"Seriously?" he asked, still unsure. He asked half in disbelief that he
had finally asked her, and half in disbelief that she had said yes so
simply. So easily. But when he looked deeply into her dancing blue eyes
all disbelief was erased at last.

She nodded her head, her red air bouncing free. Mulder smiled wide. He
didn't know what else to say. His stomach growled loudly and they both
laughed even more hard.

"Jesus, I'm hungry? Are you hungry?" he replied, running his hands
through her hair.

"Starving. Now, come on Marathon Man, I'll fix you some breakfast," she
laughed, patting his chest.

xXx

March 1. Friday - The Office of the Assistant Director...

Walter Skinner sat staring at Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they sat in
the chairs in front of his desk. Ostensibly they were in the hot seat.
Or rather the hot seats. Both had been trying to make themselves as
invisible as possible. That worked as long as one of them wasn't
talking. But the invisible agent routine didn't last for long. Walter
was working up to roasting them both against his better judgment. It was
inevitable given his overall state of mind. He was now listening to
Mulder drone on and on about what had gone to hell on their last case.
But only part of his mind was listening. The other part was miles away.

He was thinking of the events of last night and what was going to happen
after lunch.

 

The night before, Kimberly had cried in his arms. She had finally hit
the wall emotionally with everything that had transpired over the last
several months. They had made love and afterwards Kim had burst into
tears. For months they had tried, and tried again with no results. No
baby. The week before, at the end of February, Kim had gone for
extensive tests at Arlington Hospital to see why she was unable to conceive.

The tests and the elaborate informational probing by both Kim's regular
gynecologist, Dr. Liz Crawford, and the fertility specialist she was
consulting with had been intrusive, embarrassing and in some cases
painful. Kim had kept a stiff upper lip during the entire ordeal. But it
hadn't been easy. Then, finally last night she had lost it. Walter's
heart had seared in his chest to see her crying. Her anguish was
horrible. It just became suddenly too much and she fell apart under the
strain. The test results would be back the next day, Friday, today. They
were scheduled to see Dr. Crawford at 4 PM in her office.

So, last night, Walter held her in bed and rocked her until she had
finally stopped crying and fallen asleep, in utter exhaustion. Then
Walter couldn't sleep for most of the night. He spent the time staring
at the ceiling brooding about the events. He was due to see his own
doctor, Jackson Fuller, on Monday. They were going to cover all the
bases. He would have seen him sooner but the job and Jackson's schedule
had necessitated delaying the appointment. So he worried about Kim's
results and he worried also about his own prognosis. All in all it kept
him awake.

When he finally did fall asleep he had yet another nightmare. They had
been coming at regular intervals since the first strange dream he had
had months before with John and the snake. Now they were more violent
often ending with his platoon being massacred or a very disturbing image
of one of the men in his unit stabbing a Vietnamese elder over and over
in the stomach. He dreamt about Cracker several times and those were
always a welcome respite because they were a little more quiet and
peaceful or as funny as hell and he wouldn't wake up screaming. The
others drove him into yowling fits. Poor Kim. Christ on a crutch. She
was trying to get used to his yells and thrashing. He explained that he
was having war nightmares again. He told her if they didn't go away soon
he'd go back into counseling rather than keep waking her with his
screams. Last night he had accidentally hit her in the chest when he
woke up. Once he got her relaxed and sleeping again, he had spent a half
hour or so crying silently himself until he finally drifted off.

He had gotten up in the morning with the start of a brain bursting
headache teasing his frontal lobe. Now the headache crushed his skull
like a vice. He felt slightly sick to his stomach. He really didn't want
to be sitting here he thought. No way in hell. Mulder was getting to a
critical point in his report and Walter knew he had only half caught
what he'd been saying. He looked into the younger man's face. Jesus what
did he say a second ago, he thought with chagrin.

He ran one large hand over his face.

Scully looked over at Skinner as he ran his hand over his face. Her mind
jumped instantly to Kimberly and what she knew Kim and Walter were going
through.

Since the morning Mulder had asked Scully to marry him, Dana had been
rather preoccupied. She knew Walter and Kimberly were trying to start a
family. She was aware peripherally that there was a problem with their
efforts in that area. But with thoughts of just how she and Mulder were
going to go about accomplishing the next step in their relationship
paramount in her mind, she hadn't given Kim and Walter's situation much
attention. Evidently, She and Mulder were going to have a long
engagement. They had just got around to shopping for rings as a
matter-of-fact. They were on special order at the jeweler. It just
seemed that once they had made the commitment there didn't seem to be a
head long rush to the altar. In the long run, Scully didn't mind this at
all. The job and their other obligations, her family, his mother, were
taking up a lot of their time. Planning a wedding was on the back
burner. They could afford to take their time and plan for success. They
had even been waiting to tell people the news until they got the rings.
Waiting gave them time. And waiting finally also gave Scully the time to
concentrate on Kimberly and Walter. When she did focus on Kim again she
was called on to be a very good friend indeed.

As she studied Skinner she sighed. She had gone to their townhouse for
lunch on Wednesday afternoon. Scully had taken the afternoon off because
Kim had sounded so depressed when she had called to talk on Tuesday
after she and Mulder had gotten back from Milwaukee. Scully had made the
date on Wednesday and then told Mulder she needed the time off. When she
arrived at the townhouse, Kim hadn't been her usual upbeat and fun self
at all. She looked tired and upset. They had eaten lunch, making idle
small talk. Afterwards, when they were seated on the couch in the
townhouse living room and drinking coffee, the reason for Kim's distress
came out.

"Dana, I...I don't know what's wrong. Walter and I have made love so
much over the last several months I mean - God. I can't imagine how I
can't be pregnant. I'm so worried over the test results. I'm just...it's
horrible. And the waiting is the worst. We have to wait until Friday to
find out what the hell is going on with my body."

"I'm so sorry, Honey" Scully replied. "I know this is tremendously
upsetting. Walter's been supportive though, hasn't he? I can't imagine..."

"Oh God, he's been wonderful, Dana. I couldn't ask for more support. But
he's very worried about me and I think to some degree about himself as
well. He has an appointment with his doctor on Monday. He said he wants
to cover all the bases. God, who knows at this point. He's going with me
on Friday of course."

Scully nodded and touched her friends hand. She could relate very well
to being upset about not being able to conceive. It was something she
would more than likely have to deal with for the rest of her life. She
supposed that if she and Mulder really wanted children they could adopt.
Adoption was an altruistic option as well and rather appealing. But she
would of course have considered giving Mulder a son or daughter if given
the choice. She knew Kim wanted to give Walter a child. It was sad to
see her suffering now when something seemed to be amiss in the process.

"I'm glad Walter is going with me on Friday. I'll need his strength. I
hope to God I'm not sterile Dana I...oh Lord, I'm sorry honey, I didn't
mean to say that..." Kimberly started to tear up a little as she looked
into the face of her friend.

Scully slid over across the couch and embraced Kim tight as she began to
sniffle. She held back her own tears as best she could so as not to
further upset her friend.

"It's all right, Kim. Don't worry about being guarded around me about
this issue. I...I guess I'm in a unique position to help you deal with
whatever you may have to face. I'll be here for you. Lean on me, Hon. I
may be short, but I have a strong backbone. And my shoulders are wider
then they look too," she smiled into Kim's watering eyes.

"Thank you Dana. I...I can't thank you enough."

"If there's anything I can do, or Mulder can do too for that matter,
don't hesitate to ask."

"Well, there is something Fox could do if you'd mention it to him."

"What?"

Kimberly sighed and moved away from Dana to get some Kleenex from a box
on one of the end tables that sat on either end of the couch. She blew
her nose and shoved the tissue into her pocket. Scully waited patiently
for her to get to the point.

"Dana, I think it would help Walter if Fox just...if he spent a little
time with him to see if Walter needs to talk. You know - man to man."

"About the possibility he may be the problem here?"

"Yes, that, and...Dana he's been having nightmares again."

"Vietnam nightmares?"

"Yes."

Dana studied Kim carefully. This was something neither of them had
talked about. She was on shaky ground here. Scully had no idea how much
Walter had told Kim about his Vietnam experiences. Oh, she knew Kim
understood about Walter's platoon being wiped out and about his wounds.
What she didn't know was whether Walter had told Kim about John
*Cracker* Rand.

"Did he tell you what the nightmares were about?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Not in detail. I think he wants to spare me some of it Dana. His unit
being wiped out. John Rand dying. All those things are incredibly
painful for him. I know the general content of a lot of the dreams. But
he doesn't describe the blow by blow action."

"Then he talks about Cracker Rand?"

"How did you know his nickname was Cracker?" Kimberly asked with a
furrowed brow.

Dana wondered how much she should say now. She knew Kimberly wouldn't
appreciate a lie. She decided to try to be as honest as possible without
dragging in the supernatural aspects, the X-File slant of Cracker Rand's
aid in rescuing Walter from Marita and Krycek. She didn't know how Kim
would react if she told her Cracker's ghost had been a walk in - that
he'd walked into Fox Mulder and kept Walter alive after he'd been raped,
and almost beaten to death by Alex Krycek.

"Walter told me about John Rand that night in the Boys Home, Kim. He
said that he and John were...that...well..." she felt herself blushing
and cursed silently for doing it.

"Walter told you they were lovers, didn't he?" Kim replied slowly.

"Yeah, he did," Scully replied looking down at her hands.

"Well. Men...men do things during war time that they wouldn't normally
do otherwise I think, Dana. At least that's what I've tried to tell
myself..." Kim began.

"But it bothers you?"

"A little. I think Walter was in love with him. That bothers me a bit. I
can deal with it though. But it bothers me more to think he loved him
and the poor man was killed in such a horrendous way. It must have been
terrible for Walter. I can barely think about it. I don't know what I
would have done if something like that had happened to me. No wonder he
has nightmares. I would be afraid to even go to sleep if someone I loved
that much was killed in front of me," Kim concluded in a whisper.

Dana moved forward and hugged her tight again. Kim chuckled a little.

"What?" she asked with a little smile.

"Oh Kim. Did anyone ever tell you, you're an angel."

"Walter - and so many times I've lost count." she laughed a little. Her
face grew very soft for a moment.

"He's an angel too, Dana. Even if most of his agents think he's the
Devil incarnate sometimes. He's been a saint to me, Dana. I...Oh I'd
better stop going on this way. I'll end up using the whole bloody box of
Kleenex," she sniffled again, reaching for more.

The rest of the afternoon had been spent in quiet and less upsetting
conversation. Dana had left assuring Kim that she would speak to Mulder
about getting together with Walter, and that as soon as she found out
the test results she should call and let Scully know. If she wanted Dana
to come comfort her that would be fine too. Kim gave her a hug and kiss
when she left. Once she saw Mulder that evening she had spoken to him
about talking to Walter. Unfortunately they were still trying to
schedule a time to get together. As Scully watched Walter rub his chin
she thought, God, with the way things are going here they may be trading
blows rather than talking about Walter's nightmares. She watched as the
AD came back into focus and began to speak.

"Now let me get this straight," he hissed from between clenched teeth.
He had the copy of their report clenched in his hands and his eyes were
black, his face a tense mask, "he took your gun in the men's room of the
gay bar?"

"Yes sir, that is correct. But Scully did get it back sir."

"I see that here. Agent Mulder."

"And you trailed this...what was his name?" Walter glanced down into the
report.

"Jonathan Walker, aka Count Milwaukee."

"The vampire?" Walter glared at Mulder.

"Sir, Mr. Walker was clearly operating under the delusion that he was a
vampire. He avoided sunlight. Was afraid of religious symbols as
evidenced by his dropping Agent Mulder's gun when I brandished my cross.
He slept during the day in a coffin, dressed in black..." Scully began
to hurriedly explain.

"Drank the blood of his four victims - the reason the Milwaukee Bureau
called us out there if I could remind you sir..."

"I don't need to be reminded of that, Agent Mulder. I'm more than aware
of it."

"Then if I could ask you what your point is, sir?" Mulder asked with a
touch of annoyance in his voice. Scully winced. She knew that was a
mistake. She was soon proven to be correct. Walter's face flushed beet
red and when he spoke his voice rolled to a roar with every word.

"THE POINT IS YOU LOST YOUR GOD DAMNED GUN!" he bellowed rising in his
chair.

"Walter!" Scully blurted out in alarm. He frightened her for a moment
with both his violence and the idea that if he kept it up he'd have an
apoplectic stroke. His face was as red as the stripes in his tie.

Walter Skinner looked at his two agents and suddenly realized he had
completely lost it. Oh fuck, he thought. He was on a full anger bender
over something that with Fox Mulder was practically routine after 5
years. He was blowing it all up way out of proportion. This is wrong.
Way wrong. The headache that had been crushing his skull all morning
throbbed anew behind his eyes. He felt dizzy suddenly. He sat down hard
in his chair. Scully was up like a shot and around to stand next to him.
She made to take his wrist and he swatted her hand away.

"I'm fine, Scully, back off," he growled. Scully stood her ground and
took his wrist in a firm grasp.

"Calm down," she hissed, "Did you get dizzy? You looked faint, Walter."
She felt for his pulse. Glancing at Mulder she hissed, "Go get him a
glass of water." Mulder turned without comment and headed for Skinner's
executive bathroom.

Skinner looked up at her. "If you're implying I'm having a heart attack
give it a rest, Scully. I'm all right."

"I was thinking more in line of a stroke. Walter you didn't look all
right. You looked stricken. Now cut the crap. I know what kind of strain
you've been under. I talked to Kim on Wednesday you know. Now let us
help you for God's sake and shut up."

Walter looked up into her face. He saw the worry there for both him and
for Kim. He let his breath out in a long sigh. Resignation made his
shoulders slump a bit. He really did want someone to talk to. Someone to
just help shoulder the burden for a minute. And these two people were
more than just his agents now. They were his friends as well. He nodded
and let the tense frown leave his face and his arm relax in Scully's hand.

"That's more like it, Walter," Scully smiled a little.

"I'm just...I'm sorry. Really. The strain - hell yeah I've been under a
lot of strain. Christ all mighty, Scully. I haven't been sleeping well
at all. I suppose Kim told you the nightmares are back with a fucking
vengeance. The job's making my guts broil and shit, this morning...this
morning I have a massive headache. And this afternoon..." he let his
voice trail off.

"I know, Walter, I know," Scully answered releasing his wrist and
patting him on the shoulder briefly before she stepped back.

Skinner glanced at her again, "I just...it just got to me I guess," he
ended mumbling in embarrassment.

Mulder returned with the glass of water.

Scully looked at Mulder and then spoke to Walter again, "Do you have
some aspirin or something in your bathroom?"

"No actually, it's in the desk drawer, there," he replied. Mulder
stepped forward and handed his boss the glass of water. He opened the
right hand drawer for Walter and took out the bottle of Exedrin.

"Here you go, sir," Mulder said proffering the bottle.

"Thanks. And look. I'm sorry, Mulder. That was uncalled for. Losing your
piece is bad, but not...Shit. How many times have you lost your weapon
Agent Mulder? It's not like I haven't heard it before," he shook his
head wryly. He was coming back to himself more now. Scully heaved a sigh
of relief and stepped back around to the front of his desk again. Mulder
did the same.

"Skinner shook out two Exedrin from the bottle and downed them. The
water followed and he swallowed hard, closing his eyes.

"Listen. Let me read through the report again. I'll...we'll meet back
here Monday at 10 AM. Let's just go over it all again then. You're
dismissed," he said quietly placing the empty water glass on his desk
blotter. He bent his head down slightly, slid his glasses up, and rubbed
between his eyes.

Mulder looked at Scully and motioned for her to go ahead without him.
Scully nodded. She crossed to the door and let herself quietly out.
Mulder stood in front of Skinner's desk for a moment. When Walter didn't
look at him he cleared his throat.

"I said you were dismissed, Mulder," Walter replied quietly.

"Permission to speak, sir," Mulder stated formerly.

Walter looked up at him and blinked back the headache bleeriness of his
vision. The pain was receding a bit. Now that he wasn't shouting like a
bull moose and had done a few moments of relaxation technique he felt
marginally better. He nodded wanly at Mulder and then waved him to sit
back down.

"Oh, fuck, Mulder. Sit down. Let's...let's just cut the chain of command
shit for a minute here. What's on your mind?"

"More to the point, Walter. What's on yours?" Mulder asked as he sat
back down in one of the chairs.

"Right now? How the hell I could have jumped down your throat like that
Mulder. It was a total breach of..."

"Look, Walter, let's not talk about me for a few minutes ok. I'd like
to...I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

"Your degree is talking, agent," he grated tersely looking away from
Mulder and down at his hands for a second."

"Walter, my psychology credentials notwithstanding, I'd like to talk to
you as a friend right now. I'd like to help you as a friend if you'll
let me," Mulder replied very seriously. His voice was soothing. Calm.
Walter looked back up and stared at him. For a moment he was
disorientated again. He could have sworn the agent spoke in a Southern
accent. The feeling passed quickly however and he threw all his
concentration into the younger man's words, letting them wash over him
like a cool, refreshing draft of water. He nodded his head.

"Yeah. I could use a friend right now. Thanks, Mulder," he answered
simply and sincerely.

"I understand the nightmares are back," Mulder replied shifting the
chair closer to the edge of Walter's desk.

"No shit. I haven't slept well in weeks, Mulder. They're horrible. Last
night I saw John killed again. God," he shook his head.

"Have you contacted the VA group and your psychologist?" Mulder asked
concerned etched in his face.

"Not yet. But shit...I'll have to soon. I can't take many more sleepless
nights. And the screaming is scaring the hell out of Kim."

"I think contacting them might be a good idea."

"I know you're right, Mulder. I'll give them a call."

"Uh, have any of the dreams been, prophetic or seemed like a warning
Walter? I mean has John said anything to you that..."

"No," Skinner shook his head grimly. He didn't like to think about John
Rand walking into Mulder's body. He still had trouble believing any of
that had taken place. When Scully and Mulder had tried to explain what
had occurred in Hank Luttrells' car storage warehouse, he had almost
rebelled at even hearing them out. But eventually he had and tried to
understand. But he still had trouble wrapping his mind around the concept.

"No warnings or advice at all?" Mulder pushed him further.

"Well he did give me some advice. He told me to love Kim. To love her no
matter what happened and in the end it would go well for all of us,"
Walter answered with a dismissing gesture of his hand, "That was an
obvious thing for my own mind to have said. I don't think Cracker Rand
had anything to do with my hearing that in a dream. So, I discounted it
as my own head telling me to remember that I love my wife and I should
support her."

"He said it would go well? Is that what he said - it would go well for
all of us."

"No Mulder his exact words were - "Walter, just remember this one thing.
Love her. No matter what happens - love her and everything else will
take care of itself eventually. It won't be easy for a while but in the
end all the trouble will be worth it. Believe me. It will be worth it
for all of us."

Mulder pondered the words. Something about the way John's comment was
worded bothered him. He just couldn't put his finger on it. If only he
could make the connection. If only...Mulder shivered a bit. On the rare
occasion since John had walked into his body he could almost sense him
there again. It was a prickling sensation. As if someone were staring at
him or standing behind his back.

Mulder wondered also if the feeling had something to do with the fact
that he was also a Doppelganger for Rand. An eerie double, an identical
twin of the dead soldier. Besides Rand's possession of him that had most
certainly saved Walter's life, Mulder had even spoken with Rand in a
dream in which the boy from Georgia had warned him Walter was in danger.
He had to accept all of those events. Since Scully had witnessed the
walk in and had reported it to him and the warning had proved to be all
to real, Mulder could do nothing else but believe it all. He wasn't sure
he liked the idea of some guy's ghost riding shotgun in his body. It was
more than a little disconcerting. But it had happened and he'd have to
face up to the idea. He just wished Walter was a little more willing to
consider the possibility. He was maybe on the edge. But not quite there yet.

Now Mulder struggled to grasp the significance of the dead man's advice.
Was it a warning. Was it prophetic? The answer was just out of reach. As
if reading his mind, Walter spoke again.

"Are the words significant?"

"I'm not sure," Mulder replied with pursed lips, "I...I just don't
know," he shrugged. He filed the information away for later
consideration. He knew it would gnaw on him until he thought of why the
words made his neck hairs stand up.

"Well, I can't worry about it right now in any event. I have more to
occupy my fucking mind today," Skinner shook his head in dismay.

"So you're seeing Kim's doctor this afternoon?"

"Yeah."

"And your Doctor on Monday?"

"Ditto," Skinner sighed.

"Don't you think you should consider taking Monday off Walter? Our
report can wait." Mulder pinned Skinner's eyes.

Skinner blinked at him, "Maybe..." he let his voice trail off.

Mulder realized his monosyllabic answers were an attempt to put Mulder
off again. Skinner was obviously reluctant to discuss his personal
affairs. Walter Skinner was an intensely private man. Even though Mulder
was reaching out to him as a friend he was still balking at telling him
any of his fears regarding his and Kim's failed attempts to conceive a
baby. This was all too familiar territory for Mulder. He'd walked down
this road numerous times with Scully. The road was a bumpy one where
Scully was concerned as well. She was ever reluctant until more recently
to confide her innermost thoughts on the subject. Mulder figured if
Scully, as his lover, was a tough one to unbend then Walter Skinner
would be even worse. He didn't think he was going to get any more out of
Walter today. All he could do was make one last attempt and then offer
his support.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

Skinner studied him for a minute. What could he say, he thought. Could
he tell Mulder that his guts were rolling over and over with the thought
that Kimberly would never be able to have a child and what that might do
to her, and their relationship? Could he tell Mulder that he'd rather
die than see his wife go through the agony of finding out she was
sterile? Jesus what was he saying? Of course Mulder would be able to
understand the sterility issue. God, he was probably having to deal with
that matter on an every day basis with Scully. But Walter still couldn't
bring himself to broach the subject with Mulder. It was too private, too
intimate. And at any rate, if he was having his own bad time with Scully
over the issue it wasn't fair to burden him with the same sad story from
two directions.

Walter's own fears about himself would be kept to himself as well. No
way in hell would he confide in Mulder that he was afraid he might be
sterile. He'd always been worried about his war wounds. Deep down he'd
wondered if there had been more damage then just the right kidney as the
doctors had told him. Sure, none of the wounds intersected with his
genitals but shit - those Mash Unit surgeons were never very subtle. For
all he knew the rest of his plumbing was all fucked up and no one had
bothered to tell him. But that was stupid. Jackson Fuller would
certainly have told him something over the years wouldn't he? Walter
shut his eyes as he pondered that thought. Mother Mary he hoped he would.

No, he just didn't want to talk to Mulder about any of it. Not right
now. Maybe not ever.

"Look, Mulder..." he began with a shake of his head.

Mulder sighed a little and straightened up.

"I'm sorry. I just can't get into it all right now. It's...it's just too
much before this appointment and..."

"Walter it's ok. I understand. But listen if I can be of any help, call
me. I'd be more than happy to lend an ear or a shoulder if you need to
lean on me for a while. Really. God knows you've...well you've been a
hell of a lot more supportive to me and Scully too, I..."

"Mulder, uh, look...no problem. Don't worry about it. I'll call you if I
need someone to lean on. Thanks. I really do appreciate it." Skinner
nodded standing up to signify that the meeting was over.

Mulder stood as well and turned to walk to the door.

"And Mulder?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tell Scully I truly appreciate her being such a good friend to Kim. I
don't think I exactly conveyed my feelings there. Would you make sure
she knows it, Mulder?"

"No sweat, Walter. Good luck this afternoon. We'll...we'll be pulling
for you both," Mulder replied as he opened Skinner's office door and
made his quiet exit.

xXx

Lisa Bettis, Dr. Elizabeth Crawford's receptionist surveyed the waiting
room with a grateful sigh. The crowd was thinning out at last. Only the
3 and 4 PM appointments were left. As she watched, the first couple,
Greg and Colleen Franks were being ushered into the inner examining
areas by one of the nurses.. Colleen was pregnant again. Lisa smiled as
the woman took her kids and husband in tow and followed the nurse. This
was her third. They were hoping for a little girl. She'd find out today
with the ultrasound. Such a nice couple, Lisa thought.

She placed Colleen's chart off to the side and glanced over at Dr.
Crawford's 4 PM. She knew the woman of course, Kimberly Skinner. A
really nice person. Pleasant. Vivacious and intelligent. Could the man
with her be her...husband? Lisa's brow furrowed a bit. He was quite a
bit older then his wife if it was her husband. Lisa paged through Kim's
chart. As her head was bent down over the file folder she sensed a
presence in front of her. Someone cleared their throat.

"Excuse me. Do you have a men's room?"

Lisa jerked her eyes up and was greeted with the man in question looming
right in front of her. Whoa, she thought. Her eyes were drawn to his
waist for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that he had his hands on
his hips. She noticed...Christ he has a gun.

Walter Skinner saw the receptionist's glance fall on his holstered Glock
and her eyes grow suddenly wide. She became flustered and paged through
the file in her hands. He had already observed that it was Kim's file.
He pursed his lips and hastened to reassure her, taking her name from
the tag on her sweater.

"Liz, it's all right. Let me show you my ID," he deliberately made his
voice soft and even, calming. He reached into his suit coat's inner
pocket and drew out the billfold with his badge and ID inside. He
flipped it open and placed it carefully in front of the woman.

Lisa devoured the ID and relief spread through her body. God with all
the crap that went on nowadays with extremist and abortion clinics she
thought....the gun had just freaked her out for a moment. She smiled up
at FBI Assistant Director, Walter S. Skinner.

"I'm sorry, the gun just had me worried for a minute."

"With justification," Walter rumbled, "It's never a bad idea to be
cautious, Ms. Bettis. In any event..."

"Oh, I'm sorry. The men's room is over there, through that door and down
that short hall to the left."

"Thank you," Walter replied. He took his ID back, re-pocketed it and
sauntered off towards the indicated door.

Lisa watched him walk away. "Hmmm," she mused. "Older than his wife or
not that wasn't a bad looking derriere. Not a bad booty at all," she
grinned to herself as Skinner headed towards the hallway door. He
glanced at his wife and indicated the door, smiling gently at her. He
opened the door and disappeared from view.

Lisa glanced over at his wife. She was watching his exit. Lisa smiled
more broadly. The expression on his wife's face was one part adoration
and one part perspiration for sure. Obviously they were very much in
love and in lust for that matter. Just goes to show you can't judge a
book by it's cover. Walter Skinner looked more like a bureaucratic
pencil pusher than a great lover. But there had been that hard, muscular
ass walking away...Lisa shook her head to banish the warm feeling
growing at the pit of her stomach. God, she needed to see Mark when they
got home tonight she thought. Oh yeah. She thought suddenly to check on
what Kim and Walter Skinner were there to see her boss about. One glance
at the chart had her frowning in dismay. "Oh no," she thought. "What a
shame..."

xXx

Walter sat in front of Dr. Elizabeth Crawford's desk holding Kim's hand.
Kim sat bolt upright on the chair next to him. She looked like a gazelle
ready to run. Walter rubbed her hand gently.

"It's ok, honey. Just...it'll be all right." he didn't know what else to
say as they waited for the doctor to finish with the other couple in one
of the examining rooms.

Kim nodded her head and squeezed his hand. She looked into his eyes. He
saw resignation there. She was prepared for whatever was going to come
next. He steeled himself too. Where the fuck was the doctor he thought
with growing anger. Just as the thought entered his mind the office door
opened and Dr. Liz Crawford swept in. She was a tall, graying, British
woman. Accent that cut like a knife. Competent but compassionate. Walter
stood up as she strode towards her desk. She stopped next to him and
grasped his hand firmly.

"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. So this is Walter Skinner. It's a
pleasure to meet you. Kim has told me so much about you. But sit down,
sit down," she chuckled releasing his hand. She gestured towards the
seat he had been in and Walter sat back down.

"I hope some of what she said was good, doctor" he chuckled in return.
Even the pat response got a smile out of Kim. Thank God. The doctors
upbeat mood was beginning to buoy his spirits a little.

"Well she did tell me you were a gentleman. And call me Liz," she nodded
alluding to the fact that he had stood up when she entered, "I
appreciated the gesture. It was very....British, my dear. But we'd
better get down to business here..." she let her voice trail off.

Kim spoke and her voice was a little shaky.

"Liz, just what the hell is going on with me?"

The older woman looked up and sighed. "I know you don't like beating
around the bush any more than I do, Kimberly. And from what you've told
me about Walter I take it he's of a similar mind," she began.

Walter nodded. He wanted to yell at her to cut to the chase. Get to the
fucking point. But he knew that was rude. She was getting there. It was
just such torture. Every ticking second a small death.

Kim voiced his thoughts quite simply then and he reached for her hand
again to hold it gently in his.

"Please, Liz..."

"All right then," she nodded glancing from on to the other and then
centering on Kim.

"Look, Kim. There is essentially nothing wrong with you. All the tests
were negative. Your ova are obscenely healthy. You are as strong as an
ox, my good woman. I was surprised to see that even your folic acid is
at a nice high level. So many women forget about that while they are
trying to conceive. It's important even before you're pregnant to
maintain that folic acid. Prevents birth defects. So, I have to say -
there is nothing here that says you shouldn't be pregnant right this
minute. There is nothing wrong with you at all."

"Nothing wrong with me?" Kimberly asked, dumbfounded. It was obvious she
was confused - didn't believe her ears. Liz Crawford smiled gently at
her and then she spoke. But her gaze didn't stay on Kimberly for long.
Her head swiveled over to Walter Skinner before the end of the sentence.

"There is nothing wrong with *you* Kimberly," she said quietly. Walter's
bowels twisted into one huge knot. He struggled to keep his jaw muscles
from tightening so much that they felt like his teeth would grind away
to stumps.

He heard himself speaking and he hardly recognized his own voice.

"I take it you're implying then that the problem here may be me?"

He felt Kim squeeze his hand again.

"Walter, there are a number of possibilities here. One of them may just
be bad timing which I'll get to in a moment. But yes, the problem could
also be you. I won't mislead you there. Have you had a physical and
sperm count?"

"I'm scheduled to see my doctor on Monday."

"All right. Well then until you have the results from that consultation
I'm not going to paint this as the end of the world here. We'll assume
bad timing or perhaps just...inhospitable conditions."

"Meaning?" Walter asked hopefully.

"Well for instance. Do you wear boxers or briefs?"

"Briefs."

"Well you may want to consider wearing boxers while you're trying to get
pregnant. Sperm are temperamental little beasties. They like a certain
temperature and if they're kept too warm..."

"You mean if my testicles are too close to my body..."

"Exactly. Briefs tend to hold your scrotum up too tightly sometimes.
Boxers are better. Around the house loose sweats are good. Or if you can
live with it - just tie a towel around your waist.

Walter smiled tersely at that comment.

Kimberly smiled at Walter in reassurance.

"Oh I think we could live with that idea," she gave him a game grin.

Walter stared into her eyes. He saw hope there and he tried to be
reassured by her faith that the solution to everything was as simple as
a new style of underwear. But something in his guts told him that wasn't
going to be the case. As he heard Kimberly asking the doctor what she
had meant by bad timing he barely heard the beginning of her explanation
about ovulation and planning to have intercourse to take advantage of
Kim's most fertile time of the month.

All Walter could think of was the growing certainty that his doctor was
going to find out he was sterile. It was the fucking war. His wounds or
who the hell knows...maybe he was exposed to something over there -
Agent Orange or some God damn chemical weapon no one knew anything
about. Fuck! After all the shit Mulder and Scully had uncovered over the
years. After what had been done to Scully. Mother of God, who knew what
they might have done to soldiers in Vietnam. Something from the damn war
was rearing it's head to make his life a living hell again. When would
it ever end. He just knew his insides were all screwed up and he'd never
be able to give Kim a child. Never...they'd have to settle on some
alternative like adoption or...he had no idea. His mind flew in a
million different directions. There were too much to consider. What the
hell should he do...what should they do...

"Walter, honey?"

"Yes, I understand what you're saying. No problem. I'll be willing to
try all of it. Could you....could you recap that bit about the, uh,
critical temperature?"

xXx

Later that evening. A townhouse in Arlington...

Walter and Kimberly lay in bed, spooned together. Kim rested her back up
against Walter's nice warm chest and thighs. Walter had one arm draped
over her, protectively, lovingly. She snuggled in close and he stroked
her belly.

"I love you Walter. No matter what happens Monday. It doesn't matter.
We'll work it out."

"Kim, I know you love me. I don't have any doubts that you love me.
I...I'm just...this whole thing is ripping my guts up." Walter replied
in a very quiet voice. It was a difficult thing for him to say. He
couldn't even articulate the words *it's killing me to think I can't
give you a child*. What the hell? Christ this was his wife here, he
thought. He should be able to tell her anything. To confide his
innermost thoughts. But how could he tell her his heart was breaking?
How could he admit that, as stupid as it might sound, he felt like less
of man because he wouldn't be able to give her a baby. "I mean how
idiotic an idea!" he berated himself. What a total moronic
unself-confident bit of shit....but he couldn't help it. The pain was
there and it ate at him. It hurt despite all his denials and
admonishments that his potency had nothing whatsoever to do with his
manhood or Kimberly's love for him.

Walter Skinner felt a black hole growing in his soul at the prospect of
being denied something they had both, by this time, wanted so much. His
perceived loss of manhood was one thing. It surprised him how hard the
idea stuck with him. But, the loss of the possibility of conceiving a
child was hitting him even harder. Maybe harder than he expected it
would he thought with dismay. It was crushing. He struggled against the
feeling of impending doom with everything he had in him. But it was
hard. Very hard. And he felt the darkness threatening to engulf him. To
engulf them both.

"Honey, I'm sorry I can't...I'm so sorry..." he shrugged against Kim's back.

Kim knew exactly what he meant even though he couldn't communicate it.
Non-communication was still Walter's way on occasion. But she knew him
well enough by now that it didn't matter. And in truth she found his
sporadic inability to express himself somewhat endearing. It was part of
his charm now. It reminded her of when she was still at the Bureau and
he was her boss.

She hugged his arm where it was draped over her.

"Well we can't assume that's the case yet can we? We have to wait to see
what Doctor Fuller has to say. And...if...if you should prove to be...if
you're..."

"Kim, say it - if I'm sterile."

"Yes. *If* you're sterile. We can always adopt or we could consider a
donor."

"Sperm donor?"

"Yes."

"I guess we can weigh both options," Walter replied, his brow furrowing
in thought.

I'd rather give some unwanted or orphaned kid a second chance I
guess...he mused. He didn't know. Sperm donor? Well fuck, at least half
the kid would be Kim's. Maybe that wasn't a bad idea either. If push
came to shove they'd have to leave all the alternatives open he guessed.
If they were going to be parent's at all they'd have to look into all
the possibilities.

"But we should wait and see what happens Monday anyway, honey.
Let's...let's try to relax this weekend and then face what we have to
face when it's time. I know this is hard. It's going to be hard for us
both but I know we can work it out. Walter, I have faith in us."

Walter sighed. He had already pretty much decided he knew what Jackson
Fuller was going to say. He felt it in his bones. Yes sir. He was
shooting blanks, and there was nothing he was going to be able to do
about it. He wanted to try to cope though. For Kim. Yes, for their
relationship. God, he loved her.

"We'll try to work it out though, right? You have to tell me we'll try,"
Kim patted his arm.

Walter heard the love and tenderness in her voice. Felt the compassion
of her touch. He knew he'd try for her. He'd do anything for her. He'd
die for her if it was necessary. Working it out? Yeah he'd try to work
it out. No question.

"Babe, I'll do whatever it takes. We'll see what Jackson has to say on
Monday. Then we'll just take it from there. I have faith in our
relationship too, honey. Kim...I...I love you so much." he replied
passionately. He bent forward slightly and kissed her fervently on the
back of the neck. She sighed contentedly and wiggled back against him
most enticingly. He grunted a little from the feeling of her firm ass
rubbing over his cock.

"I love all of you," she purred.

When he heard that tone in her voice if he had any doubts about his
manhood they were gone with every sultry syllable. He felt invincible,
renewed and powerful. He felt like he could move mountains. It did more
for his ego - more to banish his doubts now then anything else she could
have said or done. To just know that she desired him, even now...even
with the possibility of...he kissed her neck again, tasting tears in the
back of his throat.

"You feel so good, babe," he whispered huskily into her hair. He nuzzled
below her ear and she giggled.

"You know I do like that towel around the waist look, Walter. I was
telling Dana about that tonight and she said she was going to see if she
could talk Fox into trying it."

Walter knew Kim had called Scully. He had been mostly glad if a little
embarrassed that she was confiding in Scully about what had gone on at
the doctor's office. But, the talk with Scully had really seemed to buoy
Kim's spirits. Walter understood that she needed to talk to another
woman. A woman friend. Someone she almost considered as a sister by this
time. He was glad of that and it outweighed any other trepidation about
the call.

Walter barked a laugh, "Oh I can just see Mulder walking around her
place in a fucking sarong."

"Sarong?" Kim giggled again.

"Yeah. I felt like I was wearing one of those damn Polynesian wrap
around things all night."

"Like the big Kahuna?"

Walter laughed harder.

"Maybe you should mention that nick to Scully."

"Oh Lord no. I think it's bad enough people call Mulder, Spooky. And
besides there could be only one Big K," she replied in a low seductive
voice.

"Oh yeah?" he grinned, kissing her shoulder.

"Most definitely, lover," she purred.

Walter began to slowly caress Kim's back and ass with a featherlight
touch of one large hand. He moved her hair up and gently kissed and
sucked at the back of her neck. She moved against his chest and thighs
tenderly, rubbing lightly, teasingly against his cock. She drew the arm
that was wrapped around her waist up and kissed his hand.

"Does that feel good?" she asked quietly as Walter continued to kiss the
back of her neck.

"Oh yeah, babe. Really good. Do you like this?" he asked her in return
as he nuzzled her ear.

"Hmm hmm," she answered with a sigh and a little nod. Walter continued
to caress Kim and she moved against him for several more moments.
Finally Kim shifted to face Walter.

He began to stroke her hair and neck. She took his hand and stilled it
against her face.

"What?" he looked at her quizzically.

"Let me make love to you," she whispered, "Relax and let me do this for
you tonight, Walter."

"Oh honey..." he let his voice trail off and moved his hand to cup her
chin. God, she was angel. He knew what she was trying to do for him. If
he had felt like man before he felt like a King now. It touched him so
deeply he wasn't able to answer her right away at all. He just gazed
into her eyes and let his hand move back to rest against the side of her
face. Kim drew his hand away and began to nuzzle and kiss his palm
looking up into his eyes from beneath her eyelashes. He smiled at her in
bemused silence as she began to suck on his fingers, one at a time.

This individualized attention was something a little new for him and he
wasn't sure how to react or deal with it. They had almost always shared
their lovemaking as equals. On those occasions when things were more
one-sided it was usually Walter who was more concerned with Kim's
pleasure then he was with his own. He didn't mind it because her
response and enjoyment was an integral part of his arousal and pleasure
as well. But this emphasis on his needs, his wishes was...it was kind of
nice. Well it was more than nice actually. He just wasn't sure...oh
hell, he thought. It was damn fine. A real turn on too. Oh yeah.

It made him very excited to contemplate that Kim was willing to just
give him this experience. Something for him and him alone. He was
worried for a moment that it seemed selfish but at the look in her eyes
he knew that was a foolish objection. She wanted to do this out of her
love and compassionate caring for him. His smile changed from a bemused
grin to one of contentment.

"I'd really enjoy making love to you," Kim whispered, as she released
his hand. Walter's heart melted in his chest.

"I'd enjoy it too," he replied in a low voice.

"Tell me what you want, baby. Anything tonight. Whatever makes you feel
good." Kim smiled at him. She caressed his chest and ran her hands up
over his shoulders and down over his strong biceps.

"You mean I have to articulate this?" he chuckled.

She giggled, "You know you can be a very articulate man when you want to
be, Mr. Skinner. Yes, tell me exactly what you'd like." she grinned
mischievously into his eyes. He grinned back.

"You're very naughty, Mrs. Skinner," he rumbled at her.

"And I can get more naughty," she giggled, reaching down and tweaking
his left nipple.

"Oh yeah," he sighed slightly.

"So, you like that do you?" she asked running her finger over the hard
nub of his tit.

"Actually, uh...I'd like it if..."

"Yes?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"If you'd, you know - if you bit me."

"Tell me if it's too hard," she smiled. Walter lay back slightly. She
bent her head to his nipple, nipping it gently with her teeth.

"Oh Jesus, yeah - that's good," Walter shut his eyes as she began to nip
and suck on each nipple in turn.

God he knew his nipples were sensitive but this was incredible. Kim
worked over him, varying the pressure on each side until he was gasping
under her mouth. He stroked her hair and moved his hips on the bed
experimentally. It felt good to move like that too he thought. He was a
little self conscious just doing this in front of her but it felt
fabulous and she seemed to be really enjoying the show too.

She pulled back and stroked his chest and stomach again.

"Do you like to be touched all over Walter?"

"I never thought much about it. I know you like it. I...I guess I never
seriously considered it. I mean I like to be touched but..."

"Why don't you shut your eyes and let me stroke you all over and then
let me know what you think?" she asked with a gentle smile.

"All right," he replied.

Walter lay back completely and Kim levered to sit up next to him.

"This won't be like a rub down Walter. It's different," she whispered,
"Just shut your eyes and concentrate on the sensations."

Walter did as instructed and he felt Kim moving her hands over him.

He felt her touching him, caressing him, running her hands gently and
seductively over every inch of his skin. The sensation was so erotic he
was rendered completely speechless. His arousal climbed slowly with each
brush of her fingers. She ended by fondling his penis. At this point he
was still flaccid. He hadn't been worried about it. Under some
conditions, like their stressful week, he didn't get hard when they
first started making love. It usually took a little manual stimulation
to get him there then. He never worried about it. He just let himself go
with the flow. He usually got hard eventually. And if he didn't for a
while they found other fun things to do until he did. Kim's gentle touch
continued on his soft penis and he found the whole feeling just
marvelous. It was different from having his hard cock fondled. It felt
somehow even more intimate and loving.

"Honey, that...God, that feels great," he opened his eyes and smiled up
at her.

"Do you want me to go down on you?" she asked quietly.

"You know...I...can you just maybe...touch my balls?"

"Massage them?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Ok, tell me if I'm squeezing too much," she smiled again as she rolled
first one testicle and then the other in her hands.

"S'good," he whispered. He was starting to feel warm all over. His groin
was tightening and he felt his cock begin to harden slightly.

He rolled up and onto his side.

"Lie down with me, Kim," he asked quietly.

"All right," she moved to stretch out face to face again.

"Do you want me to get you hard, honey?" she asked him as she stroked
his face. He kissed her, running his tongue in between her lips. They
kissed deeply and then Walter pulled back.

"Can you, just...spread your legs a little?" he asked quietly.

She smiled at him and did as he requested.

"Could you...would you put my penis between your legs. I...I'd like to
feel you that way," he asked looking down slightly. He hadn't asked to
be held this way since they'd done something similar on their honeymoon.
But it was an experience he'd enjoyed then and wanted to try again. To
just have her hold him against her warm, wet sex so that he could
masturbate between her legs.

She reached down and took his hardening length in her hands. He moved
close and she pulled his penis in between her legs and up against her labia.

"Like this?" she asked fondling his balls again as he settled against her.

"Yeah, just like that, babe," he moaned slightly, "Keep...just massage
my nuts too. Oh Jesus that feels...so good," he hissed as he began to
rub his cock between her thighs. He gave himself over to just humping
and the heat and pressure in his groin. He focused on his arousal. He
got hard then, oh no problem at all. It was so pleasurable, too
fantastic. He was having such a phenomenal time and he wanted to make
sure Kim was enjoying herself too.

"Is this good?" he asked gutturally as he rubbed his cock between her
legs. He drew himself back and forth over her hot, wet flesh in
unhurried pumps. He shut his eyes with the sensation.

"God, yes. That...it feels wonderful," she whispered. Kim continued to
stroke Walter's balls in time with his sensuous movements between her
legs. Her own arousal was rising. It was so typical of Walter that even
though she had said this was about him tonight he was still concerned
with her experience and wanted her to enjoy herself as well. But she did
understand that beyond a certain point he would desire her experience.
Her pleasure was part of his joy in bed and she wouldn't withhold that
from him under any circumstances.

And Lord, he was a good lover. Everything they did together was so
fulfilling she couldn't ask for anything better. Kim knew she liked sex.
Her earlier fears regarding it had been conquered and banished long ago
with Walter's wonderful patience and understanding. She had become more
adventuresome in bed in the year since their wedding night. It had both
tickled and pleased her that Walter had kept pace with her willingness
and interest in experimenting. Even now his acceptance in letting her
pleasure him was turning her on even more. And his movements where
perfect, the feeling of him running the length of his cock over her
sensitive and swollen labia was indescribable.

"You feel wonderful. Why don't you touch yourself?" he asked gruffly
trailing a hand down. His voice was rough with passion. "I like to feel
you touching yourself.

She moved her hand from his balls and down between her legs. She began
to massage her own flesh, tugging at her clit. Walter placed a strong
hand over hers as she did herself.

"Is that good?" she purred, her breath coming faster.

"Oh yeah." he growled nipping at her neck. He pulled her hair up for
better access.

"Oh baby..." she moaned.

They continued to savor the masturbation, moaning and whimpering with
enjoyment. They rocked their hips slightly - teasing, stoking their heat
in foreplay until it was to an almost unbearable level. Walter sucked,
nipped and ran his tongue over Kim's neck and breasts. He rubbed her
stomach and held onto her hand with a light touch as she continued the
friction on her own body. He toyed with her breasts, tweaking both
nipples until they were hard little nubs. He ran his lips down her neck
and then back up to her ear. He was breathing heavily against her.

"You're making me so hot," he growled pumping his cock between her legs
in slow, languid thrusts. He was getting harder and harder but he was
taking his time and holding back a bit. He wanted them to both savor
this as long as they could.

"God, you're so fucking good at this baby. So good," she moaned, arching
her head as he worked his mouth over her neck again. His tongue traveled
downwards leaving a hot trail as he laved her skin.

"Christ, you're unbelievable..." Walter moaned around her nipple.

"Oh lover," Kim groaned, she shuddered slightly, coming in a soft, sweet
orgasm.

Walter took her in his arms and pulled her tight against him. They
touched head to toe, full body contact. His skin was buzzing with the
strength of his arousal.

"I love holding you," he whispered as she trembled against him.

"I want to hold all of you," she kissed his neck. She shifted her hand
off her clit and taking his cock, guided him inside. He sunk inch by
inch into her flesh, slowly and erotically until he was indeed held
within and without in her loving embrace.

They lay together, connected, touching and stroking, murmuring their
love. Kim went back to rubbing his balls gently and Walter shut his eyes.

He gave himself over to the experience of having his cock in her,
tightly enfolded, warm and wet, and how comforting it felt. He let
himself enjoy fully the soft cupping of her fingers over his scrotum.
She ran one finger over the sensitive flesh between his balls and anus.
He trembled under her hand. He lay against her not wanting to move at
all, satisfied to just be there and be with her.

His heart swelled with his love for her. He kissed her again, deeply.
Their tongues danced over and around each other until she brought both
her hands up, took his head in them and broke the kiss.

They locked eyes and Kim saw the desire in Walter's face. The desire to
complete the act now. She knew he was hesitating, waiting to see if she
wanted more, needed more for her own pleasure and satisfaction. Walter
just wasn't the type of man to consider his own needs very often at all.
He was always thinking of others, always thinking of her, very seldom
himself. She was moved almost to tears at the unselfishness of this man.
It was overwhelming to be loved this much.

"Walter, come for me," she whispered softly, " I want to feel you come
inside me."

He swallowed hard, nodded and moved his hips back and then forward again
in a slow thrust.

"That's it baby, that's it," she crooned as he moved. He drew out and
then pressed in again and again. His rhythm was somewhat ragged,
disjointed at first. He was so very aroused. Hot. Going at his own pace
for his own needs. It thrilled her to think he was abandoning himself to
sensuality, to his own ecstasy for once. She moved her hips up slightly
and wrapped her legs around his waist. One leg was under him but it
didn't matter. She was too lost in his heat. He began to moan
incoherently, picking up the pace of his thrusts one moment, slowing
them slightly the next. Varying the action to give himself the greatest
pleasure but prolong the moment as well.

She ran her hands down his back and murmured encouragement to him
telling him she loved him, loved having him inside her, hard and hot,
loved the way he was moving. Soon he was completely gone, lost in her,
thrusting, groaning, his breath coming in short sharp gasps. He became
unaware of his surroundings and his hips pumped hard against her as he
finally reached that plateau of no return.

Kim felt his entire body tense up. She gripped his waist just above
where her legs held him as he arched back, his neck and facial muscles
tightening in an orgasmic rictus. He opened his mouth but no sound came
out because his breath had stopped in his chest.

"Oh God, Baby," Kim shifted to hold his arms for a moment and watched
the flush spread up from his chest and over his head. He was bathed in
sweat, his eyes shut tight and still his body arched back, rigid with
the force of his climax. Finally air filled his lungs again and with
oxygen came sound. He roared.

"UhhhGOD!" he cried loudly. His hips thrust forward several more times
seemingly of their own volition as he emptied into her. Finally his
thrusting slowed and he collapsed against her half senseless. She
wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

"I love you," he whispered against her breasts.

"You're my whole world..." she replied drawing his head up to her. Tears
were seeping from his eyes and beginning their slow meandering trickle
down his cheeks. Kim tenderly kissed each trail of tears and then she
kissed his mouth.

xXx

Walter Skinner was drifting in darkness. It was a warm darkness. Warm
and sweet. It smelled of magnolia and something else rich and fruity -
peaches ...yeah peach trees. He rolled over, stretching out his arm to
pull Kim close to his chest again but she wasn't there. He woke with a
start and looked around him. He wasn't in their bedroom in the
townhouse. What the fuck? He looked around in a panic. What the hell was
going on? Where's Kim? What the hell am I doing sitting buck naked
in....in....He was in a bedroom all right but he didn't recognize it at
all. There were two large windows to his right that opened out onto the
roof of an overhanging porch. The full moonlight streamed in through
shear curtains. There was a man standing at the window in the moonlight.

"Mulder?" Walter asked in a bewildered voice. What in God's name was Fox
Mulder doing...what was happening here? What' s happening to me? Fear
gripped his guts.

"It's all right, Waltuh. It's not Foxhunt...well not exactly, big dawg.
It's me mostly. It's ok, son," the man replied in a soft Southern drawl.
He stepped closer to the bed and Walter brought his hand up and ran it
down his face.

"John?"

"Yeah, it's me Sinnuh."

He stared at the man from Georgia. John was standing in his boxers and
t-shirt in the bright moonlight. It wasn't the John he remembered from
the war this time at all. It frightened him more than he wanted to admit
to see an older John Rand standing before him. Christ all mighty it
looked like Mulder standing there for sure. No more Marine issue
haircut. His hair was longer and unruly. Tousled just like the agent's
mop of brown hair. This John was more muscular, filled out with the
hard, toned body of an older man. Skinner moved back away from the
advancing figure and pressed his back against the headboard of the full
sized bed. He didn't want this version of John to touch him. It was
too...it was something he didn't think he could deal with right now. The
whole scenario was almost too much for him to process. To weird...to
much like...a...like a fucking, like one of Mulder's fucking
X-Files...Lord Jesus.

John sat down on the edge of the bed very gently and looked at him with
tenderness in his eyes.

"Ah won't touch you Waltuh. Not now. Not ever again if you don't want me
too..."

"Cracker," he almost choked on the name this time and it hurt when he
did, "I...I can't...not like this...we're not 19 here...I'm, I'm really
sorry."

"Ah know, but ah had to bring you here tonight. Bring us all together
tonight. This is...this is a very secure place. We need to talk big dawg."

"Where are we and why...what do you mean by all of us?"

John Rand shifted his eyes from Walter's face, and smiling, looked out
the window of the room.

"Come with me Waltuh and Ah'll show you," he whispered. He rose and
walked back to the windows, pushing the curtains back. He raised one of
the windows wide. He bent to climb through, glancing back at Walter with
a wry smile on his face.

"Come on Waltuh. You climbed out of your bedroom window more than once
when you were a young 'un, Ah bet."

Skinner smiled a little at the memory. There had been a convenient
trellis next to his window when he was a boy. Yeah, he'd used it more
than once, especially in high summer.

"I guess you're right. But I nearly broke my neck..." he gave a gruff
chuckle as he moved off the bed and made to follow the other man.

"No chance of that happening here, Waltuh. Like Ah said - this is a
secure place. We're safe...here."

John was through the window and sitting on the roof of the porch staring
off into the distance across a wide expanse of lawn that stretched out
below them. When Walter climbed out and walked forward to him, John
patted the spot next to him indicating where Walter should sit. Skinner
leaned back to keep from pitching off as he walked to John's side. He
sat carefully down next to the other man. He didn't sit too close,
however. He looked out over the grounds with interest trying to place
where he had seen the view before. Where he had seen an orchard - a
peach orchard like this before.

"Recognize it now, Waltuh?"

And he did, "This is your home in Georgia, Cracker. I...I remember
seeing the photos on the wall in back of your bunk in the barracks."

"Right. We're sitting on the roof of the front porch, Sinnuh. The one my
Mamma, Dad and Sam posed in front of for that one pictchuh."

"I remember...your sister...Samantha. John...why...why do you look like
Mulder now?"

"Ah'd look like Foxhunt, son, if Ah'd lived. Ah thought you would have
realized that by now."

"Yeah, I guess I did but...why look like him now and why bring me here?
John, please tell me. You're...this is making me a little nervous."

"We need to talk, Waltuh. This was the safest place Ah could think of to
come."

Both of them jumped slightly as thunder rolled in the distance. Walter
could see lightning arcing on the horizon. It seemed far away but he
sensed that it could be drifting closer. It smelled like a storm was coming.

"Summer storm coming," he observed with a grunt.

"Oh there's a storm of sorts coming, Waltuh. That much is certain, son."

Walter felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up with John Rand's
words.

It occurred to Walter that he could be losing his mind. The strain, the
lack of sleep from his nightmares. He might be going crazy. He might
have even had that stroke Scully had mentioned back in his office. Maybe
he'd had the stroke and died and this was some cockeyed version of
heaven. Stuck on a peach farm in Georgia with a Fox Mulder look-a-like?
Whoa. Not likely. Heaven? Probably more like...

"You're not losing your mind, Sinnuh. And you're not dead
either...luvuh," John replied. The last word came with a note of sadness
that made Walter's heart clench in his chest. He knew whatever he and
John had together was well and truly over. But he also knew he would
always love him and he knew the other man still loved him as well. He
reached forward and touched John's arm. John nodded and placed a hand
over his. Then he swallowed hard, shuddered and shut his eyes.

"Hang on a second Waltuh, Ah need to...Ah need to settle Foxhunt down a
bit."

"What?" Walter grated in a low voice. What in the living God did he mean
by that...."

He watched in stunned amazement as John's lips moved silently for a few
moments. Walter could almost follow what he was saying. He saw him
silently mouth Mulder's name several times followed by some things he
couldn't make out. Then John blurted out the word..."Wait" very
vehemently. He moved his lips silently again for a few moments. Then his
eyes came open, he stopped his silent mumbling, and smiled wanly at Walter.

"It's all right. He...Foxhunt thought he'd lost it too Waltuh. This is
scaring him shitless."

"Mulder is here?" Walter asked incredulously.

"Yes. He's...he's here. Ah'm ridin' shotgun with him right now. Ah
needed to talk to you both tonight and this was the easiest way to get
us all on the same...wavelength so to speak."

"Christ, John. I don't believe this..."

"Do you want to talk to him?"

"Can I?"

"Yes, but Ah'm not sure Foxhunt wants to talk to you....he...he's having
a peck 'o trouble coping. He's really fightin' me. Waltuh. Buckin' and
hollerin'. Jesus he is strong. The red head - she's having a fit because..."

"Scully's there with him?"

"Yeah, Dana Scully. She...hold on...God. It...it hurts...she's trying to
wake him up."

"John, let him go. He has nightmares about his sister all the time.
You're...this isn't right. Let her wake him up!" Walter grabbed John's
arm and shook it hard.

"All right Waltuh. Ah can't hold him any more anyway." John let his
breath out in a rush. Suddenly his body flowed underneath Walter
Skinner's hand. Walter snatched his hand away in horrified fascination
as John Rand's body melted and morphed back into the 19 year old soldier
he knew so well in Vietnam. In a matter of seconds he was Cracker Rand,
Walter's Georgia boy lover, right down to the Marine issue haircut.

"Christ on the cross," Walter whispered as John Rand shook himself all
over like a big hound dog who might have gotten wet in the stock pond.

"Waltuh, Foxhunt will be fine now. His woman's goin' to take more than
good care of him tonight, son. Hoo boy, will she evuh," he grinned into
Walter's eyes.

Skinner pinned John's eyes, "John, I think you'd better tell me what the
hell is going on here..."

John sighed, "Ah expect Ah'd better Waltuh. And listen up real good, big
dawg. Listen and remembuh. You're goin' to need to tell Foxhunt all of
it now. And it's goin' be very, very important he know all the details."

xXx

Fox Mulder's apartment...

"GET THE FUCK OUT!!!"

"Mulder, my God, Mulder..."

"SHIT. YOU STUPID HILLBILLY ASSHOLE...LEMME GO!"

"Mulder...Fox...wake-up. It's me, Scully. WAKE-UP!"

Dana Scully was lying next to Mulder in the fold out futon bed holding
onto his thrashing body for dear life while trying simultaneously to
rouse him from the throes of a terrible nightmare. This was worse than
any Samantha nightmare she had ever seen. He was shrieking at the top of
his lungs and fighting desperately against something...someone he
thought was in the apartment? As he hit himself in the head again she
stared in horror. No not the apartment - he was fighting against
something he thought was in his...

"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY MIND!!!!"

He screamed, confirming Scully's fevered theory. She grabbed both his
arms with all her strength to keep him from raining another blow on his
skull and perhaps injuring himself severely

"MULDER!" she yelled loudly trying again to wake him.

At last his eyes flew open but he was staring right through her. Scully
watched as he tried to focus on some point in back of her.

"Mulder?" She asked quietly.

His next words froze her blood because they weren't spoken to her at all
and they were spoken softly, beseechingly.

"Walter. Please sir, help me. Make him let me go..."

His whole body shuddered then and he fell back, silent and shut his
eyes. Scully felt his pulse and listened to his chest. Everything was
normal. He was asleep. She touched his forehead gently and moved his
damp hair away from his eyes.

"Scully?" he asked dreamily. He opened his sleep dimmed eyes and reached
clumsily for her hand. He drew it up to her lips and kissed her palm.

"Mulder, are you all right?" she asked with concern.

"All right? I...was I dreaming?" he asked blinking at her. The small
night light they kept on in the room cast his face in shadow but she
could see his confusion and his dread. He knew something was wrong. God
he had to know. He could see her face as well and she hadn't been able
to master her emotions before he opened his eyes.

"You were dreaming all right. Do you remember any of it?"

Mulder sat up and ran his hand through his hair.

"Ow, what the hell?" he frowned as he hit a tender spot.

"Here let me look," Scully asked scooting close and bending to look at a
spot on his scalp as he lowered his head into her hands.

"Any cooties?" Mulder asked smiling gamely as he straightened back up.

"You scratched yourself," Scully pulled back and looked in his eyes,
"You were pummeling yourself in the head, Mulder. I had to restrain you."

"What the fuck? It must have been some damn dream."

"But you don't remember what it was about? I didn't seem like,
well...you didn't yell for your sister."

"Yeah. I know it wasn't about Sam," Mulder nodded, "But well, this is
far fetched, I mean hard to believe even with my track record..." Mulder
rubbed at the sore spot and glanced at his hand. "No blood," he thought.
Well that's a break.

"Try me," Scully touched his shoulder. Scully had a very good idea what
had been going on in the dream. Quite frankly she could hardly believe
it either. She wanted to see if Mulder could corroborate her idea
without any coaching or hints at what she suspected had gone on.

Mulder sighed, lying back down flat. Scully sat outside the covers and
pulled her legs up to sit Indian style.

"I was sitting on some kind of porch roof looking out on a peach orchard
and Walter Skinner was sitting stark naked next to me. How's that for
starters?" Mulder began glancing at Scully's bland expression. "No
raised eyebrow?"

"Not yet. Go on."

"Well I more or less inferred it was a Georgia peach orchard. I mean
peanuts would have been a better clue maybe but..."

"Mulder..."

"All right. Sorry. Scully it scared me shitless ok? I can't remember
much more other then the feeling that..."

"Someone else was in your mind?"

"John Rand," Mulder confirmed with a nod.

Scully nodded in confirmation.

"You believe me?" Mulder asked looking into her face.

"You screamed * You stupid hillbilly asshole, let me go!* at the top of
your lungs, Mulder. I got the idea *you* believed Cracker Rand was
inside your head big time, yeah. But whether he..."

"Scully like I said - I find all this pretty hard to stomach as well.
But hell, the scene was so real...the aroma of peaches, the night air,
crickets, there was even a storm on the horizon. Everything was so..."

Mulder let his voice trail off for a moment. Then he sat up again.

"I should call Skinner."

"You will NOT!" Scully grabbed his arm, "Mulder, it's 3 AM for God's
sake. Let the poor man and his wife sleep. They've been through hell in
the last 24 hours. You're seeing him tomorrow, uh, today - right?
Basketball, remember?"

Mulder stared at her for a moment and then smiled wanly, "Thanks. Yes.
Right. Christ, 3 AM? I didn't even look at the clock."

"Well, it's 3 AM so, come on, let's...let's try to get some sleep now,"
Scully prompted gently. She shifted over and lifted the covers on her
side up so she could snuggle back down next to Mulder.

He pulled closer so they were face to face.

"I will really need to talk to Walter tomorrow," Mulder said running his
hand through Scully's hair. She looked at him quizzically.

"Look, Scully, whether you believe me or not I have to find out if...if
Skinner even had an inkling that I saw him in that dream. He was there
looking right at me. I got the impression he knew I was there too."

Scully sighed, "All right, Mulder. I guess based on
previous...occurrences you should talk to Walter. I just hope he doesn't
laugh in your face. You know he's still having trouble believing what
happened in that garage."

Mulder thrust his lower lip out, pouting a bit."

"Oh come on, Fox..." Scully started to laugh, "You know that's not going
to work."

He laughed too despite his annoyance at her skepticism. In the long run
he didn't want her any other way, though. He always realized it. Nothing
kept him more sharp. As usual he loved that aspect of her personality.

"Well if that doesn't work, how about this instead?" he asked with a
wicked grin. He bent forward and licked the tip of her nose.

"Oh for God's sake," she laughed, "You are so mercurial. I don't
know...sometimes..." she swatted him playfully.

"Hey, you know it's my way of keeping you off guard."

"On guard you mean," she laughed.

"Whatever," he bussed her lips quickly grinning further as she pushed
forward but missed his mouth. Scully reached down and tickled him in the
ribs in retaliation until he squirmed. Soon their hands were roaming
over each other's bodies and finally they were locked in a deep and
tender kiss.

Mulder pulled away first and looked breathlessly into Scully's eyes.

"What time is your basketball date with Walter?" she grinned at him.

"1 PM," Mulder smirked back.

"Good," she purred as she dove down under the covers.

"Whoa, yeah," Mulder chuckled as he felt her lips trailing down his stomach.

xXx

Saturday, March 2 - A YMCA in Arlington - about 1 PM

The parking space in the YMCA garage was a lucky find, Skinner thought
as he steered his Olds Intrigue into the stall. Usually on a Saturday
the garage was packed with members. This Saturday was holding true to
form. He hadn't seen Mulder's car of course - but then he hadn't
expected to see it in the crowded garage. He knew he'd be there however.
The agent had called that morning to confirm their date for basketball.

Walter was still restless from the previous nights disturbing dream. In
point of fact he was caught between denying the dream completely to save
his own sanity and blurting it out as soon as he saw Mulder, and damn
the consequences. John had been so insistent that he talk to Mulder
about the dream anyway. "You're goin' to need to tell Foxhunt all of it
now. And it's goin' be very, very important he know all the details."
Cracker had said.

But the details were nuts. Crazy. Describing the conversation would make
him sound certifiable. But of course Mulder claimed to have intimate
first hand knowledge of John Rand. Boy that was putting it mildly. The
whole thing had been so outrageous, though, so...extreme, so...Oh
Hell...maybe Mulder would...but...Christ. Skinner wasn't accustomed to
being so indecisive. It bothered him almost more than the dream...and
the dream was making his stomach churn.

He hadn't said a word to Kim. Their lovemaking last night had been
sublime and life affirming even if no life was going to result from
their union. Crap, he had to stop dwelling on that possibility. He
should focus on Kim's generosity of spirit and compassion. He was still
so grateful to her for what she had done to bolster his ego and relax
him. God, he felt like such a fool doubting his manhood, her love for
him, any of the dozen other weak willed ideas that had jumped into his
mind last night.

After Kim had lavished her attentions on him he'd come with one of the
most intense orgasms he'd ever had in his life. He'd cried from both the
intensity of the erotic pleasure and also from his utter joy in being
with the woman in his arms. Afterwards, he and Kim cuddled together,
murmuring quietly, reaffirming their devotion for each other, steeling
themselves for whatever was to come. They had talked until both of them
had fallen blissfully asleep. And then he'd had the damned dream.

So, in the morning he couldn't bring himself to tell her. Kim had been
so intent on helping him forget himself, on making him happy, on loving
him, that he was afraid any sign of his dismal mood would have hurt her.
So, even though he knew that was probably a foolish assumption he had
remained silent. He hadn't wanted to take the chance he'd upset her
because Kim had been so much more calm and upbeat the next day. She had
kissed him on the cheek as he left the townhouse, duffel in hand, and
headed off for his pick-up game with Mulder. Scully was coming over
later and he knew Kim was looking forward to seeing the red haired
agent. Scully visiting with her would improve Kim's mood even further.
He nodded glumly at his decision not to divulge the dream. It would only
ruin her day. Better to let her have a moments peace.

Now he didn't know what to do about telling Mulder, however. He kept
mulling it over and mentally kicking himself as he entered the building.

Mulder and several other men were already on the YMCA court when Walter
walked into the gym. He hadn't expected to see so many other players.
Mulder must have joined a game in progress he thought as he walked over
to the bleachers nearest one of the baskets. Walter sat his duffel on
the wooden bench next to the one he recognized as Mulder's. He was
already wearing his sweats. The duffel contained his shaving kit and a
change of clothing. He watched for a moment and then bent to unzip the
legs of his sweats. He pulled the pants off, laying them on the bench
next to his duffel. Now, in shorts, he was ready for battle. Mulder
spotted him disrobing and gave the time out signal to the other men on
the court. He jogged over and stood in front of Skinner, basketball
under his arm.

"Glad you made it," he smiled cheerfully. He had already broken a good
sweat and Skinner couldn't help but grin to himself. The agent never did
anything half-assed - least of all play basketball.

"Glad I could make it," he grinned a little back, "looks like there was
a game already in progress."

"Oh, yeah. But we do need another man," Mulder shifted slightly and then
asked in a more quiet voice, "Is that a problem, sir?"

Skinner looked around the floor. It looked like a congenial enough
group. Competitive. Maybe that's what he needed this afternoon. A hard
physical workout to get his mind off his problems. No, it wasn't a
problem. In fact it was a welcome diversion. Walter shook his head and
smiled a little more broadly at Mulder.

"No, it's not a problem, Mulder. And look, Walter's fine for today, all
right? Now, who's side am I on?"

"Mine." Mulder smirked, tossing him the ball.

Skinner caught it and nodded, replying with a grin, "All right, let's go
for it," as he followed the agent out onto the floor.

Walter was inwardly pleased as Mulder introduced him as *Walter Skinner,
a friend from work*. The game commenced again. Walter took the ball up
the court for a lay up and basket. Some huge red headed guy elbowed him
underneath the rim, got the rebound and ran back up the court. Skinner
raised an eyebrow at Mulder and the agent shrugged and laughed and they
both headed off at a dead run after the man with the ball.

Later...

Mulder pounded up the court on one side, Skinner on the other as their
teammate dribbled the ball straight up the middle. As he neared the
basket the black man was too well guarded by an opposing player. He
passed the ball to Mulder. The agent dribbled it, as he attempted to
fend off the man guarding him. Skinner was open, being about 3 inches
taller than the hapless opposing 17 or 18 year old kid attempting to
guard him. Mulder passed the ball back to their black teammate and he
passed the ball on to Skinner.

Walter drove for a lay-up again but the same guy with the errant elbows
was there ahead of him. As the AD tried for the jump shot, the man
bumped him hard. Skinner released the ball as he fell backwards. There
was an audible thump as he hit the gym floor. He was just able to see
Mulder jump up and make the basket on an assist, winning the game for
them before he started to gasp. The wind had been quite successfully
knocked out of him. He could hear Mulder yelling.

"Time! Time out!"

The agent ran to his side and squatted down next to him.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

As the other players gathered round Mulder and Skinner, the agent looked
up. When his eyes caught the face of the red headed man who had body
slammed Walter, he sneered at him.

"I thought this was a friendly game?"

"Hey..." the guy started to protest.

Skinner was trying to sit up at that point and grabbed Mulder's arm for
support.

"I'm fine. Just had the wind knocked out of me, that's all," He hastened
to interrupt. He didn't want the mercurial agent to start anything with
the opposing player. He was bigger than Skinner.

"Let me help you up, sir," Mulder said.

"Sir?" their black co-player asked with furrowed brow.

"Yeah, this is my boss," Mulder grated as he helped Skinner to stand.
Walter bent over slightly, still catching his breath. Then he
straightened up.

"Oh man..." the young black man grinned sheepishly and slapped Mulder on
the shoulder.

Skinner chuckled ruefully, "It's ok. Believe me, this won't affect your
next review, Mulder."

"I'll hold you to that, sir," Mulder nodded with a tight smile. The
bigger man who had knocked Skinner down extended his hand.

"Sorry, buddy."

"S'ok," Skinner replied, shaking his hand, "hell of a game," he added a
bit breathlessly.

"I guess so. You play pretty good for an old dude," the youngest player,
the short kid guarding Skinner for the afternoon, laughed and slapped
him lightly on the back.

Mulder laughed as Skinner raised an eyebrow at the kid and then shook
his head with an amused smile. The group began to break up. Skinner
shook hands all around, spoke with each man briefly and began to walk
away. Mulder, basketball tucked under his arm, followed him. As they
drew up side by side they could just hear the black guy talking to the
huge red-headed man.

"Lucky you shook his hand, Frank."

"Yeah, why?"

"Mulder's FBI . So, if that's his boss..."

"NO shit?"

"Yeah...."

Skinner started to chuckle again as their voices faded off across the
gym toward the showers. Walter and Mulder continued to walk to the
bleachers. Reaching them, they both sat down on either side of their
duffels. Skinner picked up his sweat pants and wiped the sweat off his
face with them. Mulder took out an old towel from his bag and wiped his
head and arms.

Now that the game was over Skinner's mind wandered almost instantly back
to the dream from the night before and he frowned. Mulder noticed the
change in Walter's demeanor and looked at him as his boss stared off
into thin air.

"You going to take a shower?" the younger man asked suddenly, almost
startling Skinner out of his reverie.

"I'd better," Walter grunted. He didn't want to go home to Kim and the
visiting Scully smelling like a goat.

Mulder continued to stare at him as he wiped sweat off .

"How about coffee afterwards?"

"Well, it's late. I should be getting home to Kimberly."

"It's not that late, Walter. Besides, I'm supposed to meet Scully at
your place."

"Oh. Well then I guess if we call ahead and tell them we're going to get
coffee that would be fine."

"Great." Mulder replied, "Starbucks or Steamers?"

"What?"

"For coffee?" Mulder looked at him quizzically.

"Oh, uh...Starbucks is fine."

Mulder continued to stare at him with the same odd quizzical expression.
Finally Walter let out an exasperated sigh.

"Is there a problem, Agent Mulder?" Walter asked, lips tight. He had
just about decided to leave the whole dream discussion for another time.
He was tired and sore, and despite John Rand's exhortation to tell
Mulder everything he just wasn't up to it right....Mulder interrupted
and Skinner's thoughts were stilled at once.

"Oh, so now it's *Agent* Mulder," Mulder stated quietly, putting the
towel down on top of his duffel bag.

"What do you mean?" Skinner asked tensely, setting down his sweat pants.

"I think you know what I mean."

It was Skinner's turn to stare back at him.

Mulder continued, "I had the dream too, Walter."

Skinner ran a hand over his face. Christ on a crutch. His mind raced in
circles for a moment and came to a stop on the idea that maybe he'd
better be prepared to tell Mulder everything. What did he really have to
lose anyway. God, this *was* Mulder for crying out loud. Just as he was
about to speak his cell phone chirped from it's spot inside his duffel.
He frowned deeply and pulled it out.

"Skinner."

Mulder watched as Skinner went quickly into AD mode.

"Hell. Go on. Yes. No. I can be there in 20 minutes. I'm at the Y. Yes.
All right."

He hung up and quickly stood to pull on his sweat pants.

"Mulder, I'm going to have to go into the office. There's a break in the
Garibaldi case but it's a mess I'm afraid. I've got to deal with the
fallout. Crap, I'll have to shower there I guess. Can you...can you tell
Kim I'll call her later and let her know when I'll be home," he asked in
a rush.

"Sure. No problem," Mulder sighed as Skinner hastened to gather his
belongings.

As the AD rose to leave Mulder stood up and touched his forearm.

"Walter, we really do need to talk later," he advised carefully.

"All right, agreed. Look, I'll...I'll try to call you tomorrow."

"Ok," Mulder nodded as Skinner turned and hurried out of the gym.

xXx

Sunday, March 3. A Townhouse in Arlington. 11 PM.

Kimberly Skinner sat on the couch, her feet curled up. Clarence and
Darrow snoozed at the opposite end of the furniture in one furry bundle.
The TV was on low. An inane made for TV movie was showing on the USA
Network. Kim had tried to study, and then read the new Stephen King
novel but she hadn't been able to concentrate. She'd finally opted for
the tube. She glanced at her watch again. It was 11:05. Walter's call
had said he'd be home by 11:30 come hell or high water. Kim sighed.
Walter hadn't been home since Saturday afternoon when he'd left to play
basketball with Fox. The Garibaldi case had broken wide open but an
agent, Jeffrey Spender, had been wounded. Another agent had been killed.
Unfortunately Tony Garibaldi's youngest daughter had also been killed in
the shoot out. They had Garibaldi in custody however on the drug rap.
But apprehending him had been a total fiasco. Not the FBI's most shining
moment. Walter had been trying to pick up the pieces for half the weekend.

Kim had visited with Dana during the afternoon and she had really
enjoyed Dana's company. Fox stopped by after the basketball game to pick
up Scully. He relayed Walter's message about being late. Kim invited
them both for dinner and they had been happy to stay. The company lifted
her spirits further and kept her mind off things.

Shortly after Dana and Fox left, Walter called and told her he was in
the office for the duration. He'd be sleeping there most likely, on his
office couch. Kim was glad he had a clean suit in his executive bathroom
at least. They laughed a little about his having to wear his jeans or
even his sweats for the press conference Sunday afternoon.

Kim watched the press conference. Walter came off well despite the
barrage of difficult questions. Garibaldi was going to trial. Kim hoped
they locked him up and threw away the key. Walter looked tired on the
TV. Kim was angry that his relaxing weekend had been ruined. She knew it
came with the territory. She just wished this weekend, the one before
his doctor visit on Monday, could have been less stressful. She sighed
and ran a hand through her hair. God it was getting late, she thought
again. She just wanted him to come home. Kim finally settled back
against the couch and tried to focus on the TV.

A short time later...

Walter Skinner wearily turned his key in the townhouse doors dead bolt.
The door unlocked, he slipped quietly inside and quickly deactivated the
silent alarm. Walter sat his briefcase down on the floor and pulled his
trench coat off. He went to the coat closet, opened, and hung up the
coat. He glanced at the briefcase, shrugged and placed it in the closet
as well. He'd it in the home office tomorrow.

Something brushed his ankle. He glanced down and saw Clarence winding
around his trouser leg, tail in the air.

"Hey, guy. Where's Kim?" he asked the graceful feline. Clarence padded
back in towards the living room. Walter heard the TV and saw the muted
light from it as he followed the cat.

Kim was on the couch, curled up in a ball, fast asleep. The TV was on an
inane USA Network movie. Darrow was asleep on the other end of the couch
imitating his mistress. Clarence jumped back up to join the fatter cat.
Walter smiled gently at the homey tableau and walked over to stand over
Kim. He let the sight of her still his mind and relax him. Watching her
sleep helped to drive the tension from his body. He squatted down next
to her head and stroked her hair, kissing where his hand first touched
her tresses.

Kim stirred, opened her eyes, and smiled up at him.

"Hello sleepy head," he said quietly.

"Hello handsome," she replied fondly, lifting up to take his head in
both her hands. She pulled him close and kissed him sweetly.

When she released him, she sat up and leaned into the corner of the
couch so that Walter could sit down next to her. Darrow walked over from
the opposite end of the couch, peered at Skinner, flicked his tail and
jumped down, headed for the kitchen.

"Same to you fatty," Walter growled. Clarence looked at Walter.

"Go ahead, you can afford to put on the feedbag," he quipped as the
other cat jumped down and dashed after Darrow.

Kim laughed, and Walter hugged her close with one arm.

"You must be exhausted, honey," she whispered, rubbing his back.

"Yeah, it's been a day. Hell, a weekend," he agreed yawning a little,
"sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about. Come on, I'm taking you up to bed."

He turned and smiled into her eyes.

"You gonna carry me, mom."

"Don't you think I could, sonny?" she smirked at him.

He bent and kissed her forehead.

"I think you could do just about anything you set your mind too, Mrs.
Skinner."

"And don't you forget that, Mr. Skinner," she laughed her musical laugh
and touched his lower lip with her finger.

"Now be quiet and let's go to bed. You need your beauty sleep."

"Well, you need your rest too. After all, you have that exam tomorrow.
I'm surprised you're still up," Walter answered her with a chuckle as he
rose off the couch, pulling her up carefully. He wrapped one large arm
around her waist as they started to walk to the stairs.

"I called Doctor Belkins and told him I had a family emergency. He's
going to allow me to make it up," Kim replied quietly when they reached
the bottom of the stairs.

"You what?" Walter asked stopping and pulling his arm from her waist.

"I called Doctor Belkins and told him...."

"All right, I got it...but Kim..." Walter began to protest. He disliked
the idea that she had postponed her degree class exam even though he
knew why and also knew what was coming next.

"I caught him at home this afternoon, right after I saw you on TV."

"After the press conference?"

"Yes. Walter, you looked so tired. I...I was concerned for you. I don't
want you to have to go to see your doctor alone tomorrow. It's just not
right. Come on, sweetheart. You were there for me. You can't expect me
to not want to be there for you too?" Kim asked looking at him very
seriously.

Skinner realized that she was absolutely correct of course. He just felt
uncomfortable about her taking a chance on the exam. Also, he knew he
was reacting in his typical stoic, I'm the AD, I can handle anything
personality mode. He should have learned by now that the stoic surly
face AD persona was a waste on his wife. After all she had worked for
him for years before they were married. She knew the act. Besides it was
a stupid attitude. This was his wife standing here with him. Your second
wife, Walter, his conscious reminded him suddenly. Yeah. He'd already
been stoic and uncommunicative with one wife and where had it gotten
them. Crap. Well those days had better be long gone he nodded to
himself. He took Kim around the shoulders and hugged her tight to his chest.

"I love you, babe," he whispered, "I know you're right. Look, I was
going to take a vacation day tomorrow anyway. I...I arranged for
Peterson over in VCS to handle the rest of the mop up on Garibaldi. He
can call me here if there's a problem. I don't think he will though.
He's a good man. He can handle it. I rearranged my regular schedule too.
No meetings. No agents to chew out," he finished, chuckling slightly in
self depreciation.

"Oh, I'm glad, Walter," Kim rubbed his arms and pushed back from him,
"now, up to bed, Mr. AD. We need to banish those bags from beneath your
baby browns."

"Bags?" he rubbed her ass as she turned and started to walk up the stairs.

"Gucci. You should see them."

"No thanks. I'll take your expert opinion," he mock growled as he
followed behind her.

Later...

Kim snuggled close to Walter after he'd turned out the light. She could
sense his breathing becoming more regular. Sleep breathing. She wondered
if she should tell him that Fox had called twice today and asked to talk
to him. No. It hadn't been business Mulder said. He just wanted to talk.
It could wait, Kimberly thought. Walter really did need his sleep.

xXx

"Waltuh, don't go there big dawg...not inside...aw shit..."

Walter Skinner sat on an overturned watering trough, smoking a joint and
staring off into nothing.

They'd just taken this village, Christ he couldn't even remember it's
fucking name. But it was property of the US Marines now. The village,
it's hapless inhabitants, human and livestock, including the nearby
underground bunker complex and the 20 VC dead they had pulled from it.

Crap, he was glad he was too big to go down into those bunkers. Fucking
sewer hole crawling with rats - gook rats and rat type rats, he mused
idly, taking another toke from his smoke.

Yup, if I'm gonna blow the head off some poor VC kid I want to do it in
broad daylight. Yessiree I wanna see his face in my sites. And if I have
to stick him, get up close and knife personal, I wanna see the whites of
his scared shitless baby brown...ey...

His dazed, bitter thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a terrified high
pitched whining sound. A loud, almost inhuman keening coming from the
largest hut nearby. The unnerving sound drowned out the noise coming
from outside the thatched structure.

Outside the hut, most of the rest of his unit had the frightened
villagers herded into a circle. They sat or kneeled, the women and
children crying and the men and boys quiet with bowed heads. In a few
cases a man stared defiant until some belligerent and exhausted Marine
smacked him in the chops with a rifle butt. Then the man fell stunned,
and his woman let out an abrupt scream.

Walter Skinner tossed his joint down, stood and ground the reefer under
his combat boot. A squealing potbellied big scooted in front of him as
he strode angrily towards the source of the noise inside the hut. Screw
that Murdoch. He was probably sticking the villagers friggin' pork
again. Damn New York bastard.

He wondered absently where the hell Cracker had gotten off too. He
usually had a knack for keeping Murdoch in line. He hated it when
Murdoch started bayoneting pigs. Skinner hefted his rifle and bent down
to peer under the thatched hut overhang.

Murdoch was in there all right. But he wasn't sticking pigs.

"Come on you old fuck, how many more VC are you gooks hiding?" he was
hissing into the face of a white-haired man. Murdoch brandished his
Marine issue knife at the old man and the old woman who was also in the
hut. Another GI stood behind the couple, the old man was propped back
against his thighs. Great, Skinner thought. This has to be the village
elder and his wife. Wonderful. Christ on a crutch he cursed as he bent
further and pushed his way into the dim interior of the building.

Just as Skinner came in Murdoch struck the man again with the fist that
gripped the knife's handle. The old guy's head reeled back and the head
man's horrified wife screamed that gut wrenching sound Walter had heard
while he was lost in The Land of Oz earlier.

The elderly man was on his knees, a large bruise on the right side of
his face. His lips were split, his mouth and chin bloody. His shaking
wife was on her knees next to him. The other GI - Digger Claxton shifted
uneasily in back of the couple. He brandished his rifle butt up high and
repeated Murdoch's questions in pidgin hill dialect. Skinner cursed to
himself. Cracker was nowhere to be seen. Fuck. He'd have to handle this
himself. Even if these people were VC sympathizers there were rules.
Procedure for questioning them. The procedure didn't include beating up
the village elders. Skinner sighed and stepped forward, rifle held in a
neutral position in front of him.

"Murder, Digger, what's going down here?"

Murdoch didn't even turn around. Claxton looked up at Skinner, nervous
tension in his eyes. Murdoch didn't like Skinner. He suspected Skinner
and Cracker Rand were more than just good buddies. He couldn't prove it,
but he let everyone know he thought it was an abomination and that
Skinner was a mutant freak. Claxton respected Skinner but was afraid of
his size and the aura of command he carried, despite his youth.

"Whaddya think's going on, Sinner," Murdoch growled. The nickname had
just enough emphasis on it to be a epithet.

"I think you're abusing these people," Walter answered quietly, anger
barely concealed in his voice.

His Vietnamese hill dialect was good enough that he could tell the wife
was pleading for them to stop. She kept saying *No VC* in English as
well. OK, so maybe they weren't VC. Whatever. The VC were here. The
villagers were in deep shit. These two were in crap up to their
eyeballs. Damn it. He needed Cracker in here. John spoke this dialect
almost like a native. The Georgia boy had a knack for languages as well
as calming down assholes like Murdoch. He'd be able to get to the bottom
of...Walter's deliberations were interrupted by Murdoch's snarling reply.

"Oh yeah. Well, I suppose you should recognize abuse when you see it,
cocksucker," he answered snidely, still not turning to face Skinner.

"Murd..." Claxton began.

"Shut the fuck up, Digger," the taller soldier shot back at the cringing
shorter Marine.

Skinner caught Claxton's haunted eyes and cocked his head back towards
the hut's entrance. Claxton caught the gestures meaning.

"Murd...I...I gotta take a..."

"Get out,!" Murdoch sneered viciously and Digger Claxton beat a hasty
retreat. As he passed close to Skinner in the sweltering, half dark and
tight confines of the hut he whispered, "Sorry man."

Skinner kept his eyes on Murdoch but whispered back, "Get Cracker."

The other man slapped his shoulder lightly to signify he'd heard him and
exited the hut.

Jesus it's hot in here, Skinner thought suddenly. Sweat was running into
his eyes. He didn't want to take a hand off his rifle to wipe it away,
however. The air in front of him shifted and wavered a bit. He coughed
and spoke as calmly and carefully as he could.

"Come on Murdoch, let's get out of here, it's hot man."

Murdoch's answer was to pick the old man up by his ragged black shirt
and hit him even harder across the face. By this time the old man's
mouth was a bloody pulp. His wife fell flat on the floor, her arms over
her head. She was crying loudly. Murdoch shifted his grip to the old
man's neck.

"Shut up bitch!" Murdoch yelled at the prostrate woman.

Skinner bulled forward, anger welling up from the pit of his stomach and
threatening to explode out the top of his head. No more waiting for
Cracker. He was going to have to beat the living shit out of this
asshole or someone was going to die in here. Maybe someone was going to
die, he thought distantly the killing fever rising in his blood as
Murdoch held the elderly Vietnamese man close.

Murdoch sensed Walter coming on fast. Without turning he called out to
him, "You should have left with Digger you butt fucking bastard!"

As the tall, New Yorker screamed the insult he jerked his knife back
quickly and plunged it into the belly of the village elder. Up to this
point the man had been almost stoically silent except for low grunts
when he'd been pummeled in the face. Now, with the knife slamming into
his stomach, once and then twice, he began to make a bleating noise.

Murdoch laughed then. He laughed and laughed.

"That's right you stupid slant. Squeal. Squeal like a mutherfuckin' pig!"

"You're dead, you sick fuck," Skinner cried out, pointing his rifle at
Murdoch's head.

"Oh, think so, Walter? Guess again, Comrade," the other man said,
turning around at last.

Skinner's breath caught in his throat and his trigger finger became
paralyzed with fear. He stared into the evil smile and green eyes of the
man in front of him.

"Murder?" Skinner asked in bewildered fascination as the man with close
cropped brown hair grinned like a skull. His luminous green eyes were
suddenly looming directly in front of Walter's sweating face. He felt
the man's knife pressed intimately against his tight stomach muscles.

"Murder? Well I could say Mulder, but you'd know that wasn't right
wouldn't you, Walter? No, murder it'll have to be, boss," the green eyed
man replied with a feral laugh. Walter felt his bladder release as the
man's hot breath bathed his neck.

As his killer's knife plunged into his stomach, Walter Skinner threw
back his head and screamed.

xXx

Monday morning, March 4, A townhouse in Arlington.

Walter rolled over and opened one sleep sticky eye. He had a twinge of
momentary panic when he spied the alarm clock. 9 AM would have made him
most definitely late for work - if he hadn't arranged for the vacation
day. He rolled onto his back again and stared up at the ceiling. He knew
he'd been dreaming but he was damned if he could remember the dream. He
hadn't woken up, so it couldn't have been a Nam nightmare. Still, he
felt edgy, tense. His stomach muscles twitching below the edge of the
blankets.

His stomach growled suddenly as he picked up the smell of...frying bacon.

Kim must be making him breakfast. Oh yeah. He could smell the coffee and
eggs as well. He shook himself and grinned a little. Ok. He was just
famished that was all. Well, he hadn't had any dinner to speak of last
night. He was just hungry. And he had to take a huge piss too he
realized. He made a move to crawl out of the bed. When he shifted his
feet he encountered something furry. He almost jumped but then chuckled
as he raised the covers.

"So fatty. I'm ok when you want to stay warm?" he laughed.

Darrow was staring at him from under the covers at the foot of the bed.
He came out and rubbed against Skinners chest. Skinner rubbed the big
tabby's head. He purred.

"Truce?" he asked the feline.

Darrow continued to purr. Clarence came flouncing in and jumped up next
to them. Darrow took a half hearted swat at the other cat.

"Hey now, let's not have any jealousy here. As flattering as that may be."

Both cats rubbed against him and Skinner ran his hands over them
affectionately. Finally his bladder was becoming too insistent. He had
to get up.

"Sorry to break up the party, guys. But the big cat has to use the
litter box," he advised the furry duo. Both cats felt his movement and
jumped down, heading out the bedroom door at a saunter.

"Tell Kim I'll be right down," he joked, calling after them. He got out
of bed, snagging his glasses from the night stand.

In the bathroom he took his piss. As he handled himself his appointment
with Jackson Fuller came crashing back into his mind. Oh hell. If he had
been dreaming about anything it was probably a nightmare about seeing
his doctor today. Nightmare? Oh no. What if it had been the other
nightmare the one...the one he needed to talk to Mulder about...crap he
was supposed to call Mulder yesterday. Christ where was his head? Up my
ass he thought with bitter self recrimination. He'd have to try to call
Mulder today for sure. The oversight was inexcusable. Damn. In the
meantime he needed some coffee he thought, shaking his head. He finished
up with his piss and crossed to the sink. He absentmindedly scratched
his balls as he stared in the mirror. Man, he looked like shit. Jackson
was probably going to tell him to take a long vacation he mused glumly.
Realizing he was thinking about his doctor again, and what he was doing
with his nuts, he snatched his hand away from his nether region with a
grim expression. "Screw this shit," he snarled out loud, "Get a grip
soldier, and I don't mean on your balls," he added tersely at his
reflection in the mirror.

Skinner turned on the tap and washed his hands. As he was washing he ran
his tongue over his teeth. God, even his mouth tasted like someone had
been walking around in there during the night. He reached for the
mouthwash, uncapping it. Taking a disposable cup from the holder over
the sink, he dumped a healthy swig into it. Upending the cup he used the
mouthwash to rinse the sour taste from his mouth. As he rinsed he
stilled his mind. Breathed to calm himself. Gradually his fears and
doubts abated enough for him to feel marginally more in control. Better
ready to face the day and Kimberly. He spat the used rinse into the
sink, washed it down and exited the bathroom. Walter grabbed his robe
and left the bedroom to join his wife for breakfast.

xXx

"You want some more coffee, babe?" Walter asked as he got up to refill
his cup from the pot.

"Yes, thanks," Kim answered with am absent minded smile. She was pouring
over the business section of the paper. She had just swapped the sports
page with Walter.

Walter took her cup along with him and refilling both walked back over
to the table. He sat down and took up the sports section again. He could
sense Kim looking at him over the financial pages. He lifted his head
and caught her eye.

"Ok, I'll call him," he chuckled ruefully, closing the sports section.

When Walter had come downstairs and entered the kitchen earlier, one of
the first things Kim had said after kissing him was "I'm sorry, I didn't
tell you Fox called twice yesterday."

Walter sighed and said he was way ahead of her anyway. He knew he'd
forgotten to call Mulder, it wasn't her fault. He had to do it this
morning without fail. He knew he'd been procrastinating. Fiddling over
his food, reading the paper. Enjoying his wife's company.

Kim touched his hand, "Walter, I'm glad you're talking to Fox. I...I
think it will help."

Walter turned his hand over and held hers. He squeezed her fingers
gently. Obviously she thought he was relying on Mulder for support on
today's doctors appointment. God, maybe he should. For Christ sake, he
had hardly any close male friends that he could really share what was
going on in his life. Mulder would be the ideal choice. Well shit, maybe
he should be talking to him about the sterility issue. Yeah, sure right
after he told him all about sitting naked on a roof top with the dream
ghost of Cracker Rand.

But in truth, Walter didn't know why he didn't confide in the agent
more. It was just his natural reticence. The idea that Mulder was still
a subordinate. The idea that Walter Skinner found it hard to talk to
anyone about his inner feelings. Crap, even his wife. Here he was
staring into her beautiful eyes and letting her believe he was calling
Mulder to discuss his doctor appointment today. He was letting her
assume something that wasn't true and it made his stomach flip over on
his breakfast.

He had to tell her something about the dream. He would. As soon as he
talked to Mulder and they got back from the doctor. A voice in the back
of his mind was howling *coward, asshole, you idiot* over and over. He
ignored it and squeezed Kim's hand once more.

"I'd better try to make that call then," he smiled at her. She released
his hand as he rose up from the table and exited the kitchen, heading
for his study. When he reached the study he entered and shut the door
behind him.

Walter sat down at his desk in front of his PC and picked up the nearby
cordless phone. His lips tightened grimly as he contemplated the phone.
Special technology Mulder had said. Bug proof according to Mulder's
*source*. It better be he thought as he punched the numbers on its face.
He dialed Mulder's direct basement extension and sat back. As the phone
rang he ran a hand over his scalp. Mulder's voice came on the line
suddenly and there was a split second before Skinner realized with
annoyance that it was his voice mail. He hung up and dialed Scully's
extension next. Her voice mail came on as well. Fuck, he swore inwardly.
All right. The next number he dialed was to Angela, his executive
assistant's extension.

"Office of Assistant Director Walter Skinner. May I help you?" came
Angela's crisp greeting.

"Angela..." he began.

"Sir, I thought you were taking a day off," she chided him with good
nature. He let a smile creep into his voice for a moment.

"Yes, I know. I'm duly chastised. But listen, have you...uh did Agents
Mulder and Scully try to see me this morning?"

Angela was silent for a second.

"They're on the road, right?" Walter replied in exasperation.

"Yes sir. Agent Mulder left a 302 on my desk for your signature very
early this morning. It seems he and Agent Scully are off to Baltimore."

Walter sighed with resignation. It figures, he thought. A damn X-File on
top of his own personal X-File here. Just his fucking luck. Angela was
saying something else into the phone but he had missed her words.

"I'm sorry, Angela, what did you say?"

"Agent Mulder did mention when he left the 302 that he thought the case
was - as he put it "a wild goose chase." He felt he'd be back tonight if
you needed to, uh...talk to him."

"Oh yeah, I'll want to talk to him," Walter nodded with ire in his voice.

"Yes, sir," Angela replied with complete understanding.

"All right. Thank you, Angela."

"Yes, sir. Enjoy the rest of your day off."

"Thank you," he replied hanging up the phone.

Angela was another person not in the know about any of his intimate
business. Sure, he'd enjoy the day off. Oh yeah, right. The day was
turning into a butt hole for sure. Damn Mulder. Just like him to be all
hot to talk one minute and then book out after an X-File the next. Of
course Walter hadn't exactly made himself available to discuss anything
had he? Well it couldn't be helped. No, thanks to the Garibaldi's he and
Mulder hadn't been able to connect. Now they probably wouldn't be able
to connect at all until this evening. Fine. He picked up the phone again
and dialed Mulder's home phone number. The machine came on. Walter
waited for the beep and then he spoke.

"Mulder. This is uh, Walter. We do really need to talk. Please call me
when you get in. If you can't reach me at home, try my cell phone. Thanks."

He dialed Scully's number and left a similar message. He hoped
eventually Mulder would get back to him. He sat there for several more
moments, letting his mind focus on nothing at all. Finally he placed the
phone carefully back in its cradle, got up and left the study, shutting
the door behind him.

xXx

Monday afternoon 3 PM

Walter and Kimberly were silent as they wheeled into the clinic parking
structure where Walter's doctor had his practice. Normally Walter looked
forward to seeing Jackson Fuller. He had known him since Nam after all.
Christ, the guy had been in the Mash unit and was responsible for his
recovery for crying out loud. He'd only been a corpsman at the time but
he'd helped treat Walter before he went stateside. He was an old friend
and they had kept in touch. But today he was probably the last person on
earth Skinner wanted to see.

He wheeled the car into a stall, cut the ignition and sat with his hand
on the keys for a second. Crap. How the hell could he be so nervous
about this? For crying out loud.

"It's going to be, ok, Walter," Kimberly told him quietly. She touched
his arm and he took the keys out of the ignition.

"I know. I'm sorry. I can't believe I'm being such a...so nervous about
this exam."

Kimberly laughed a little and Walter looked at her with a quick but
tense grin."

"If you call this nervous then I must have been a complete wreck," she
kissed him on the cheek, "Come on, Mr. AD. Stop trying to be Sgt. Rock
here. You don't have to be Mr. Macho all the time. Let me be the anchor
for a while," she added stroking the fringe of hair on the side of his
head. He placed the keys on the dash board and turned to her, pulling
her into his embrace. The steering wheel was in the way but neither of
them really cared a bit. They kissed and Skinner let all the love he
felt for Kim pass between them as they explored each other's mouths.
Finally they broke apart, breathless.

"Whoa," Kim giggled, "We'd better cool off here hon, or Sgt. Rock is
going to have another meaning all together."

Walter laughed a little then himself. He took the keys off the dash and
pocketed them.

"Yeah, I guess Jackson isn't expecting me to wave a boner in his face -
at least not until the prostate exam."

Kim laughed with him.

"You want your coat Kim?" Walter asked. Both his trench and Kim's coat
were in the back seat.

"No, I think I'll be fine," Kim replied, grabbing her purse.Walter left
his coat as well. They exited the car. Once Walter activated the alarm
and locks, he took Kim's hand and they headed for the parking garage
stairwell.

Presently, in Doctor Fuller's office...

"Walter, how are you?" Marion Fuller asked with a huge smile. Marion was
Jackson's wife as well as his nurse. She was a large, fun loving woman
but she ran her husband's office with a steel hand encased in a velvet
glove. Jackson often said she was the real brains in the practice. He
was just an old country doctor. In truth Jackson Fuller was one of the
finest internists in DC. He was a good doctor and a good friend. So was
his wife and Walter smiled as she came out from her small office cubicle
and hugged him tight. Skinner grunted and then laughed despite his
feeling of nervousness.

"Marion, I always said you should have joined the bureau. With a grip
like that you could handle a perp with no sweat."

She laughed throatily and released Skinner, turning to beam at Kim.

"This must be Kimberly! My God, you're beautiful. Walter, you told me
she was sweet but you didn't tell me she was an angel."

Kim blushed to her roots and extended her hand. She was treated to the
same bone crushing hug as Walter.

"It's wonderful to meet you at last," Kim replied somewhat breathlessly.

"Well now that we've met, Hon, let's get together sometime. These men do
once in while. We can at least give them some hell raising competition.
Now give me your purse honey. You can leave that with me."

"I'd love to get together, Marion," Kim smiled, handing her purse to
Marion. She glanced over and grinned at Walter. He swallowed a little,
tried to smile, but was sure he looked even more ill at ease.

Walter used to play poker with Fuller once a month or so. He usually
beat the doctor quite badly and it was a running joke between them. He
was suddenly embarrassed to realize just how long it had been since he'd
been to one of those poker games. He hadn't had time lately for their
monthly matches with some of the old Marine crowd at all. He'd missed
the camaraderie. He'd have to mention getting together with Jackson. To
cover his guilt on neglecting his friendship with Jackson and looked
around the office and then spoke again to Marion.

"You alone here today, Marion?"

"Yes, Sheila, the receptionist called in sick. It's been a hell of a
day. But your Jackson's last patient so I can relax a little," she
smiled. Just as she said it Fuller came out the door which led to his
offices, examining room and small lab. When he saw Walter and Kim he
beamed wide.

"Woman, are you monopolizing these two good people?" he teased his wife,
advancing to Skinner. The two men grabbed each other's extended right
hands and Fuller pulled Skinner into a firm hug. Skinner slapped his back.

"How are you, you old war horse," Jackson laughed, pumping Skinner's arm
up and down. Jackson Fuller was a handsome, gray-haired African
American, as tall as Skinner, but thin as a rail. He also wore specs -
and his eyes were keen behind them.

"I guess that's what we're here to find out," Skinner replied shaking
Fuller's hand vigorously. Fuller looked at him closely, saw the tension
and nodded his head curtly. He turned to Kim and introduced himself.

"Kimberly, it's a pleasure to meet you. Walter told me all about you on
his last visit here - too long ago," he said with significance. He
grinned to temper his small rebuke. Skinner pulled a brief sour face but
took it with good grace.

Kimberly grinned at Walter and shook Fuller's hand, "Thank you doctor,
he needs to hear that from more than one source sometimes."

"Hey, I was in for my last physical - just before the wedding. And there
was that stomach flu virus about 6 months ago. You saw me then, and it
wasn't a very pretty sight. No fair ganging up on the patient," he
added, taking Kimberly around the waist.

"It's just lucky you're as healthy as an ox," she smiled at him and
patted his ass. She raised an eyebrow suggestively. Walter loved her
with all his heart again in that moment. He knew she was trying to
bolster him up before this ordeal. It was obvious everyone was trying to
put him at ease with jokes and gentle teasing. He appreciated it a lot.
He was grateful because up until that point he felt like he needed an IV
of Pepcid AC.

"True on both counts," Fuller was chuckling again. "But look, we'd
better get this show on the road. And don't worry, we'll discover why no
little Skinners have made an appearance yet," he assured them gently.

"Jackson do you need me?" Marion asked.

"No ma'am. I think we can manage without your good self."

"Thank heavens. I'm way behind on these records updates. I'll just get
back to work."

"All right. But if I need you I'll let you know."

Marion gave a last smile and nod and reentered her office area. Skinner
and Kimberly followed Jackson Fuller into the examining room area.

"Do you want to sit in on this Kimberly?" Jackson asked as they entered
the examination room.

"Oh, I'd like to...yes," she answered gravely, "Is that all right with
you, Walter?" she added.

"Sure. I haven't got anything you haven't seen up close and personal,"
he replied. His game half smile didn't even reach his eyes.

Fuller chuckled a little as he got out a paper gown.

"Well, you're going to put this on anyway Skinner. After all, I'd like
to spare my tender sensibilities."

Skinner gave a gruff chuckle as he took the gown from Fuller's
outstretched hand.

"I'll just draw the screen so you can undress and Kimberly and I will
give you a few minutes. Just holler when you're ready.

"Fine," Walter replied and he started to take his clothes off.

While Skinner was disrobing Jackson Fuller drew Kimberly aside and spoke
to her very quietly.

"Kimberly, I just want to ask you quickly...is there anything you think
Walter may be reluctant to talk about here? I know he can be tight
lipped and bull headed...." he whispered with a gentle hand on her arm.

She smiled, but hastened to interrupt, "Well he's guilty as
charged...sometimes. But not when it's important he isn't. And not with
me. Jackson...he's not going to hide anything or avoid the issue here if
that's what you mean. It's...it's too important to us both."

"I thought that might be the case. But you never know. Some men don't
even tell their wives they've found a testicular mass or that they've
been urinating blood. They don't tell so they can avoid seeing the
doctor. Stupid I know. But that's the male of the species...sometimes,"
he shook his head.

"No. Walter has never had anything like that wrong. God, a lump in his
testicles I would definitely know about," she grinned a little, blushing
slightly.

"No blood in his urine or semen?"

"No," she replied shaking her head.

"All right, good." Just as Fuller replied Walter called out from behind
the screen.

"Hey, you two - my ears are burning."

Fuller walked over and pulled the screen back. Walter was sitting on the
examination table.

"Sorry. Kimberly and I were just talking about what a surly son of a
bitch you are," Fuller grinned.

Walter barked a laugh.

"All right, old man. If you can cough that good when I ask you too,
we'll be doing just fine. Kimberly, why don't you take a seat on that
chair and we'll get down to business here."

Kim noticed that despite her seat near the examining table, Jackson
Fuller did position himself between her seat and Walter. Fuller was
pretty much blocking her line of sight most of the time thus offering
Walter a modicum of privacy. Kim nodded slightly in satisfaction. The
guy was good, his bedside manner impeccable she had to admit. She
settled back and steeled herself for the results of the exam.

Fuller went through the standard physical first. Weight. Heart. Lungs.
Blood pressure. Pulse. Reflexes. He felt his lymph nodes and asked
Walter a list of questions about anything odd he noticed with his body.
Swallowing. Shortness of Breath. Unusual Thirst. Sweating. Change in
Bladder habits, bowl habits, change in...change in etc. etc. It was a
litany and after a while Walter was almost, but not quite, put at ease
with the routine of it all. Jackson drew blood and also asked Walter to
give a urine sample as well. Finally he got down to examining the area
everyone was the most concerned about.

"You still with us, Kimberly?" Fuller asked over his shoulder.

"Yes," she answered. He turned and talked to them both for a moment.

"I have to tell you - so far so good. You weren't far off with
describing this guy as an ox, my dear woman. He's in great shape for a
47 year old sorry son of a bitch."

The words were meant to be humorous but for Skinner they stung. Blood
rushed to his face. He'd had it.

"So, what the hell is wrong here Jackson? Come on. We've been trying to
get pregnant for months. Kim's doctor gave her a clean bill of health so
what the..." Walter began, his anger, upset and nervousness at last
breaking free of the bonds he had held them tightly under.

"Now, Walter, have some patience. We're going to find out. Let's examine
the rest of you here and see if we can get some answers."

"All right," Walter sighed, "where do you want me, on the table?

"Not at first. Just take off the gown and we'll look at your testicles
and penis."

Walter glanced over at Kim, shrugged a little, and removed the backless
gown.

"Don't make any judgments, it's cold in here," he attempted the joke as
Fuller pulled a stool over and sat down in front of Walter's crotch.

The doctor examined him gently, palpitating his scrotum, feeling for
lumps. His penis got a similar treatment. At the end he dimmed the
lights, and asking Walter to spread his legs slightly, shined a bright
pen light behind his balls. He was looking for any masses that he might
not have felt, any abnormal opaque areas. All during the examination
Fuller asked him questions, some of them the same questions he had asked
Kim before Walter's exam.

When he was done with examining Walter's genitals, Jackson turned the
lights up again and told Walter to put the paper gown back on. He put
the pen light in his pocket and stood aside while Walter reached for the
gown. Skinner looked into Fuller's eyes immediately upon getting the
gown over his shoulders.

"So?"

"Hold your water, big man. I need to do the prostate exam and then we'll
all go in my office and talk."

For the first time Kimberly noticed some discomfort from Walter
regarding her presence. She sensed he wouldn't admit it but he was
embarrassed now. She could tell from the slight tensing of his mouth and
his body language that this was a part of the exam that maybe he would
prefer she didn't see? For a moment she couldn't understand why. After
all it wasn't like they had never done this while making love. But then
it hit her. It would be a man putting his fingers in Walter and under
the circumstances of Walter's past, maybe he would rather she not see
that happen. Even if it was his doctor doing it in conjunction with a
medical exam he might feel uncomfortable with the whole same gender
issue. Ok. She could respect that idea. She knew when to make a
strategic withdrawal.

"Jackson, I hate to leave you two here but I really need to use the
ladies room..." she began.

"God, where are my manners?" Jackson replied with chagrin.

"Oh, that's ok. We've all been rather engrossed after all," she smiled.

"Go out to Marion. She can show you the bathroom. I am sorry. Why don't
you just meet us in my office when you get back. We should be done by then."

"All right I'll be back in a few minutes," she replied, getting up to
make her exit.

Later when she returned from the restroom and entered the examination
area she could hear Walter and Jackson Fuller talking in his office. She
just caught the end of what Fuller was saying.

"...there's no point. I really don't have the equipment to look at the
sample. So..."

Kimberly walked in and both men stood.

"What sample?" she asked with nervousness, sitting down next to Walter
in the second chair that sat in front of Fuller's desk.

"A sperm sample, Kim. Let me explain what we were talking about before
you came in."

Kim reached for Walter's hand and held it tightly. She squeezed it and
he squeezed back.

"Kim, I told Walter I couldn't find anything in the overall physical
exam that would tell me why he can't father a child. I was hoping I'd
find something obvious - a simple non threatening reason - but nothing
presents itself. Walter asked me if I could do a sperm check on him. I
don't really have the correct equipment here to look at the sample
properly so there's really no point in my doing that for him."

"Oh," Kim answered quietly.

"What I'd like to do is send you to a fertility clinic I work with and
have him give a sample there so you can get the results almost
immediately. In the meantime I'll send the blood and urine samples over
to the lab and have them tested as well. I can call you with those
results myself. But I don't expect to find anything negative. You're in
good health, my man."

"So that means another round of doctors?" Walter asked, his jaw tense.

"I'm afraid so Walter. I really am sorry but I just don't have the
equipment to take a look at your seminal fluid sample. I wish I did. But
the fertility clinic is good and they can give you same day results. I
think it's the only way to go," he nodded at them both.

Walter sighed and straightened his shoulders.

"All right. Can you refer us then?"

"No problem. In fact, I can get you in tomorrow. They owe me more than
one favor," he grunted making a note on a yellow pad on his desk, "give
me your number at the bureau again. I'll call you and give you the
appointment time."

"Great," Walter replied. He gave Fuller both his FBI office extension as
well as his cell phone number. Kim made sure that Fuller had their home
phone number and her cell phone number too. As soon at they had
exchanged the information, all three of them stood to say their good-byes.

"Now, look Walter, Kimberly. Don't worry, all right."

Skinner frowned and Kimberly wrapped her arm quietly around his waist
and hugged him to her side. She looked at Jackson Fuller and gave him a
half hearted smile.

"Ok, easier said then done, I know. But, like I said - we'll find out
what's going on. This isn't the end of the world. And I'll work with
you. If we do find something wrong Marion and I will be there to lend a
hand. I can recommend any number of alternatives. Of course so can the
clinic. So, hang in there."

Skinner straightened up. He knew Fuller would be as much help as he
could be. He was a good man. He stilled his mind and squashed his worry.
What the hell. He had Kim. He had Jackson and Marion to help. He could
face this thing. They'd face it together. A little of the weight lifted
from his shoulders. He hugged Kim back and then let go of her so he
could shake Fuller's hand.

"All right, Jackson, thanks. I'll take your advice and hang loose. I'll
talk to you tomorrow."

"All right my man. Good deal. And Kim, you're going to do just fine.
You're a strong woman. I'm a doctor - I know these things," he smiled
taking her hand.

"Thanks for all your help, Jackson," Kim smiled shaking Fuller's hand in
return.

When she dropped his hand, Walter found hers again and they stood
together in the door to Fuller's office.

"We should get together...for poker," Walter nodded

"Oh sure. So you can clean out my pockets again, you rotten card shark?"

"Of course. I enjoy robbing you blind."

"Oh yeah? Well just wait till you get *my* fee," Jackson snorted in
jest. Walter conceded defeat with a rueful smile.

"And I do want to get together with Marion too," Kim added.

"Well I guess I can let you have another crack at me, Walter. We'll talk
about it when I call tomorrow. And as for Marion. I'm sure she'd love to
raise some holy hell with you Kim. If I know my wife she'll jump at the
chance."

"Now you're talking," Kim and Walter replied almost together. All three
laughed briefly. Finally, Skinner and Kim turned to leave, hand in hand.
Fuller cleared his throat and they turned back around.

"One last thing. Uh, they're going to ask you to give a sample of your
ejaculate tomorrow..." Fuller began.

Skinner squinted slightly, "I figured as much, so?"

"Well you want to give them a good sample so you two should refrain from
having marital relations until then," Fuller looked apologetic, "Sorry,
folks."

Kimberly laughed and Walter barked a quick laugh as well.

"Despite your earlier remark about oxen, I think I can use some
restraint, Jackson," Skinner mock growled at his doctor.

"But it's lucky we're going tomorrow nevertheless," Kim added and Walter
stared at her with a raised eyebrow for second. Then he chuckled.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Jackson," was all he could think to say.

Kimberly laughed again and Jackson smiled and waved them out the door.

Later...

"Did the courier come for Walter's blood and urine samples?" Jackson
Fuller asked his wife as she was noting something in Skinner's file.

"He just left."

"Good. You almost done here ma'am?"

"Yes sir. I just want to make one last note online here in Walter's file
and then I can lock up."

"I'll go get the car and bring it round front if you'd like," Jackson
Fuller told his wife.

"Ok, honey. I should be done soon here. Then I'll turn everything off
and meet you downstairs."

"Sounds fine. I'll see you shortly," Fuller replied, getting his coat
from the small office closet. He opened the office door and went towards
the parking structure entrance.

Fuller's hollow footsteps resounded off the concrete and echoed in the
near empty garage as he walked towards his Lincoln Continental. When he
reached the car he deactivated the locks and alarms and started to open
the driver side door. As his hand touched the handle someone spoke very
close by.

"Did you tell him?"

Fuller whirled around to see a taller shadow separate itself from the
larger shadows near one of the garage support pillars. The person had
been standing right there as he approached his car. Right next to his
driver side door and he hadn't seen her. The blood in his veins turned
to ice and the hair on his neck stood up.

"No, I didn't tell him," Fuller answered. He tried once more to open his
car door. There was a small click and then the barrel of a gun was
pressed to his head. His breath nearly stopped in his chest.

"Please..." he begged for a moment.

The attractive blonde-haired woman pressed the gun even tighter to his
temple.

"I told you what would happen if you didn't tell Mr. Skinner about...his
condition, didn't I Dr. Fuller?"

"I know but...but I've sent him to another doctor who will be able to
diagnose him. Let him give him Walter the news. I've been out of the
project for so long Ms...Ms. Ccccovarrubias, it's not..." he stuttered,
"I didn't want to have anything else to do with the whole sordid..."

Marita Covarrubias sighed. Idiot, she thought. Didn't he know? She
voiced her thoughts with a sneer.

"No one is ever "out of the project" Dr. Fuller. You know that as well
as I do. It's imperative that you tell Walter Skinner everything. You'll
tell him or else I'll blow your head off. Now you don't want to make
your wife a widow so young do you?"

"No. Marion doesn't know anything about any of this."

"All right then. So, you know what you have to do?"

"Yes, I'll tell Walter tomorrow when I..."

"You'll call Walter tonight and tell him."

"It's not something I can just tell him over the phone."

The gun pressed hard against his sweating skin.

"All right. I'll find a way. I'll figure out a way to tell him tonight,"
Fuller gasped once, his mouth open in near shock. Then he clamped his
lips shut and held his breath.

"That's a good boy. See that you do."

Fuller pushed his eyes over to look at the woman standing with the gun
to his head. Her eyes were clear as crystal and just as cold. He knew
she'd kill him on the spot without even thinking twice and with
certainly no regrets.

"I will."

The gun was removed from his head, and Jackson Fuller let out his breath
in a rush.

"See that you do," Marita flipped the safety and reholstered her Sig Sauer.

"I will," Jackson insisted, his voice loud with fear.

"I know you will," Marita Covarrubias replied and then she melted into
the shadows as quickly as she had appeared from them.

xXx

Monday evening 7:30 PM, March 4. A townhouse in Arlington.

The phone was ringing. Skinner could hear it through the front door as
he struggled to unlock the recalcitrant dead bolt.

"I wonder if that's Fox, again?" Kimberly mused as Walter finally got
the door open and they walked inside the darkened foyer. Clarence and
Darrow came rushing out to greet them from the softly lit living room
beyond. Kimberly deactivated the silent alarm and shut the front door.

"Ill answer it and find out. Why don't you find out which piece of
furniture has the cat hair on it," Walter chuckled as Kim knelt down to
play with both felines. She laughed and then followed as Walter walked
into the living room. Skinner picked up the cordless phone receiver from
the coffee table. Kimberly bent and picked up first Clarence for some
hugging, and then putting him down, she took Darrow in her arms. Walter
tabbed the *Phone* button.

"Skinner," he said out of force of habit and then he amended it, "sorry,
this is the Skinner residence."

"Walter, this is Jackson," the doctor's voice quavered into his ear.
Just the sound of those few words uttered in a tone of tense worry made
all the hairs on the back of Walter's neck stand on end. Years of
experience told him something was coming on. Something unpleasant.

"Yes," he replied glancing at Kimberly, "can you hold a minute, please?"

"Yes," came Jackson's clipped reply.

Walter muted the phone and caught Kim's eyes as she placed the purring
Darrow down on the couch.

"Kim - this is uh, work. Peterson with some more Garibaldi fall-out. I'm
going to take it in the study," he smiled, hoping his face looked more
convincing than he felt inside. He had a creeping chill going up his
spine. The chill was telling him what Jackson had to discuss with him
was something he didn't want Kimberly to hear immediately. And perhaps,
depending on whether his most justifiably paranoid thoughts were true -
something he might never want her to hear because it would hurt her deeply.

"Oh, well that's fine..." she began, a slightly perplexed look on her face.

"I was going to make some coffee..." he added interrupting her. He
wanted her to be occupied somehow and to not get suspicious. He wanted
her as far away from the study as possible. An almost unreasoning dread
was building in his heart and the need to protect Kim was coming along
with it.

"I had the same idea," she smiled back at him gently, the puzzlement
leaving her countenance. Kim walked towards him, coming around the end
of the couch. "Besides I have to feed the troops," she added indicating
the staring cats.

She trailed over and then as she passed him, Kim kissed Walter lightly
on the cheek. Clarence and Darrow raced after her, tails waving eagerly
with the prospect of dinner. Walter watched them for a few seconds and
then tabbed the *Phone* button again.

"Jackson?" he hissed quietly

"Yes, Walter?"

"Hang on, I'm going to take this in the study."

xXx

Monday evening 7:30 PM, March 4, Apt. 42. Hegel Place, Arlington.

"Scully, do you want a soda, beer?" Mulder was asking as he unlocked the
apartment door.

Scully stood behind him, her garment bag and carry-on bag at her feet.
She yawned slightly and nodded.

"Which?" Mulder chuckled swinging the door open. He struggled to balance
both his own garment bag and carry-on as he pushed the door open with
his hip.

"I would not, under any circumstances, turn down a beer," Scully sighed
reaching for her bags.

"Leave them I'll bring 'em in next," Mulder volunteered. Scully raised
both her eyebrows.

"Hey, I'm capable of chivalry on occasion, Agent Scully - go in and help
yourself. There's some Bud Light in the fridge, I think," Mulder griped
but with teasing humor.

"God, Mulder don't you ever buy anything but Bud Light?" Scully teased
back as Mulder took his bags in ahead of her.

"Not if it's on special at National Liquor," Mulder smirked.

Scully rolled her eyes and headed into the kitchen as Mulder threw his
garment bag over one of the chairs in the living room. His carry-on made
a thunk as he dropped it on the floor. He turned and went back into the
hallway to retrieve Scully's bags as well. He shoved the door shut with
his hip and it smacked back hard with a heavy thud. Mulder winced. Mrs.
Slater was going to complain about the door again at the tenants
meeting. He shrugged and headed back into the apartment.

As he brought Scully's bags in and added them to the collection on and
beside the chair, Scully came up behind him. She flipped up the bottom
of his t-shirt and touched a cold beer bottle to the small of his back.
Mulder jumped.

"Shit!"

Scully laughed. "That's the penalty for buying Bud Light!"

She dodged out of the way as Mulder grabbed for her waist. Instead he
snagged the beer bottle and laughing, tossed it onto the seat of the
chair next to where their garment bags touched the seat. Scully laughed
and tried to dodge past him into the kitchen but this time he caught her
and pulled her close. He kissed her passionately and one of her arms
wrapped around his neck while the other went limp, the beer bottle
dangling down in her hand.

When they drew apart both were breathless.

"Oh. Uh...mmmm," Scully sighed.

"Yeah," Mulder smirked into her face. He thought she looked beautiful,
flushed and slightly disheveled despite the fact she also looked very
tired after the trip back from Baltimore, Maryland.

"I've wrecked your do," he chuckled kissing her on the forehead, and
running his hand through her hair.

Scully kissed his Adam's apple in return and replied, "I'll survive."

They stood together, forehead to forehead for a few more moments. Scully
considered just asking him to make love, but in truth she was tired and
knew he was as a well. The best thing for them would be sleep so when
they reported to Skinner tomorrow they could be fresh
to...Skinner....she thought suddenly. Mulder should....

Mulder was considering asking if she'd like to make love but she did
look a bit tired for any extracurricular activities. No, sleep was
better. It's too bad the case had been such a bust. He had expected as
much. Mulder thought it might have been more wise to stay at home and
take a day or two more to do the background research before they flew
off half cocked to Baltimore. Hindsight is always 20-20 vision however.
But the trip had proved to be a wild goose chase as he had told Angela
it more than likely would be and...Shit....Angela! AD Skinner! He had to
call Walter.

"Scully I need to call Skinner."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

"Ah...as the saying goes..."

"Great minds..."

"Right," he nodded, smiling at her. They separated and Scully lifted up
the beer bottle and removed the cap with a twist. She took a long swig
as Mulder picked up his bottle and ambled over to his telephone.

"Mulder, I'm going to hang my stuff up," Scully advised going for her
garment bag.

"K..." Mulder replied, distracted. He had noticed the small blinking red
light that signified he had messages waiting.

Scully didn't say anything further. She took her garment bag and
carry-on and exited the living room for Mulder's bedroom.

Mulder pressed the *Play* button on his answering machine and Skinner's
earlier message played out for him. He frowned slightly and picked up
the receiver. He jabbed the speed dial for Skinner and Kim's townhouse.
The line was busy. He considered calling Walter's cell phone number for
a second. No, it could wait for a while. He'd try again later. He nodded
to confirm his decision. He twisted the cap on his own bottle, took a
swig, and then went off in search of Scully.

xXx

"All right, Jackson, what is it?" Walter Skinner asked tersely as soon
as he got in the study and shut the door.

"Walter we need to talk."

Skinner sighed in exasperation.

"I mean not on the phone," Jackson whispered into his end of the
conversation.

Walter figured he must be at home and didn't want anyone to hear his
words either. Walter wanted to press him though. He was becoming more
concerned with every passing second. And he really hated unpleasant and
unexpected surprises. What the devil could Jackson have to say? Was he
trying to tell Walter he was indeed sterile? Bull shit - he could have
told him that on the phone. No, this smelled. It really smelled of
something very sinister and in his line of business that was entirely
probable and highly unwelcome.

"Jackson, what the fuck is going on? If we need to talk..."

"Yes, we do. Look - do you know that neighborhood bar that's near my
office?"

"Borders Tavern?"

"Yes."

"Yeah I know it."

"Is there any way you could meet me there in say...45 minutes or so?"

"At Borders? What the hell for...look...if this has something to do with
my medical..."

"It does, Walter...please...this is serious. I know it's asking a lot
but as a friend...can't you just meet me? Can't you just trust me?"

Trust you? Walter thought. Christ that was the crux of everything wasn't
it? His whole fucking life? Who to trust. Who not to trust. The cold
feeling in his guts climbed up a notch and he bent his head, the phone
clenched to his ear.

"Jackson....this isn't just about Kim and I trying to have a kid is it?"

He could hear Jackson swallow hard on the other end of the line.

"No. God, I wish that was all it was about," he hissed into the phone.
"Damn, I'm so sorry," he whispered again. Walter didn't know if he meant
the insensitive remark or something else quite different.

The gravity of his words and Jackson's now shaking voice made Walter
sure he would go. He'd hang up and go out and tell Kimberly he had to go
into work. He'd lie to protect her and then he'd dash off into the night
to once more whore himself for the powers of darkness. He just knew it
was coming. Could feel it in his bowels. Could almost smell the Morley
smoke searing his sinuses.

But he just had to make one last attempt to discover just what had
panicked his old friend. Oh yeah, he had more than a suspicion now. He
just wasn't sure which direction the suspicion would go and how far he
would have to go into hell to find out.

"Does this have to do with Nam, Jackson or with my work? Or with
something you..."

"Walter, remember all those poker games we played over there, in country?"

"Yeah," Skinner replied, confused at the conversational tangent.

"Well...I played a really big game of poker, Sinner...and I lost the
pot. Yeah this is about stuff that happened in Nam, Walter. Stuff that
happened to me and to you. And oh yeah, it's about "The Work" too. The
fucking, son of a whore project work. So now can you just meet me at
Borders?" Jackson was practically begging now. Skinner's jaws clenched
tight.

"I'll be there in 30. Get a booth in the back."

The other end of the phone went dead with a hollow click.

xXx

Monday evening 8:45 PM, March 4, Apt. 42. Hegel Place, Arlington.

Mulder smiled up at Scully lazily. Ok, so they hadn't been as tired as
they originally thought. Nope. Not at all! Scully sat, gloriously naked,
astride his thighs, just in back of his growing erection. Yeah, he was
wide awake all right. Or at least part of him was rapidly getting there.

Scully grinned down at him and ran her hands over his groin and then
back down onto his balls. Mulder shut his eyes as she began to massage
his scrotum.

"See. You aren't really that tired, Agent Mulder," she purred.

"Nope. I'm definitely awake now."

"Uh huh," Scully chuckled. She moved one hand onto his cock and began to
pump it gently from tip to base and back again. She increased the pace
until he was almost completely erect. Her other hand continued to stroke
his balls most tantalizingly.

"S'good," he grunted as she took some of his pre-cum and massaged it
around the head of his cock. She brought both hands up and slicked his
whole length down towards the base again. Repetition of this process had
him gasping.

"Oooh...yeah," Mulder exclaimed, looking up into her face. She licked
her lower lip and he was almost undone at the sight. His cock twitched
in her hands and she smirked down at him. He was very hard now, and he
wanted her, but she was still in a playful mood. He could match that game.

Mulder reached up and stroked over her breasts with one hand. His other
hand moved lower and he found her clit. He began to massage it. Scully
breathed heavily and stopped the movement of her hands as she savored
the sensations of his fingers caressing her nipples and the sensitive
swollen flesh between her legs. He kept working her until she was
bucking into his hand. Every sinuous movement of her hips caused her to
bump his hand against his own hard-on. It was almost too much for him.
He gulped down some saliva, and then he spoke.

"Scully..." he whispered.

"Yessss," she hissed in pleasure.

"Fuck me."

"Oh yeah," she smiled.

She moved forward and shifted up. Mulder took one hand away from her
breast and steadied his cock for her. He kept his other hand on her clit
and mons, massaging continuously as she sank down on him slowly.

"Oh God..." she moaned once and then she was well seated, flush against
his balls.

They stilled around each other for a moment. Scully gently caressed his
stomach.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," Mulder replied as quietly, taking her hips in his
hands. As Scully began to move up and then down on him Mulder thought
distantly about calling....about...he was supposed to call Walter. But
the thought was driven from his mind as he groaned loudly, and arched up
to meet his lover's pumping hips.

xXx

Monday evening 8:45 PM, March 4, Near Border's Tavern.

Walter Skinner gripped the steering wheel in anger, frustration and
fear. Yeah he was afraid. So what? He was more angry though. Angry and
disgusted with himself. He had hung up the phone, left the study, gone
into the kitchen and told Kimberly he had to go into work. He'd lied to
her face and told her that Peterson needed him regarding some touchy
evidence in the Garibaldi case. And of course she believed him because
she trusted him. It made him sick to his stomach.

To top it all off, he had lied to her again a moment ago. He lied when
he called her on his cell phone and assured her he had arrived at the
Hoover Building safely. "I'll call you later, honey," he'd said. He
should be shot. He really should be shot.

Now he was about to pull into a parking place in front of Border's
Tavern and put *his* trust in a man who it seems had quite possibly
betrayed him in a very basic way. Walter tried to still his thoughts
enough so that he wouldn't go ballistic the moment he saw Jackson
Fuller. It wasn't easy, but by the time he was parked and had the
ignition off he was somewhat more serene. He exited the car, activated
his alarm and walked the short distance to the Tavern door. He checked
his Glock where it rested in its holster at his waist, and reached for
the Taverns door handle.

Inside...

The Tavern was dark. Not much smoke and it wasn't too crowded yet.
Skinner was glad that was the case. He scanned the crowd and quickly
spotted Jackson Fuller signaling him from a booth way in the back.
Walter stalked forward. When he reached the booth he slid in quickly,
not even bothering to remove his trench.

Jackson wouldn't look at him immediately. His eyes were on the one
waitress working the night shift. Walter sat patiently but his nerves
ratcheted up a notch. He clenched and unclenched his jaw muscles as he
studied Fuller's ashen gray complexion.

"You want a drink, Walter?" Fuller asked, gesturing for the waitress to
come over.

"No, I'm driving," Skinner replied tersely.

Fuller looked at him at last, and barked a bitter laugh.

"Fine. But you might want to reconsider that in a minute," he answered,
shaking his head in dismay.

Before Walter could reply the waitress was at the booth.

"What can I get for you, gentlemen?" she smiled down at them.

"Whiskey, Jack Daniel's, neat," Fuller replied.

"And you sir?" the waitress asked.

"You have coffee?"

"Regular or decaf?"

"Regular, black."

"Coming right up," the waitress smiled again and left their side.

"Some things don't change," Walter finally said.

"What?" Jackson asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Jack Daniel's...you've been drinking it as long as I've known you,"
Walter replied quietly. Jackson's face twisted and he reached his hand
across the table to grip Walter's where it rested between them.

Skinner flinched but held steady.

"Walter...I've done a terrible thing. An...an inhuman act to a man that
I...that I consider one of my closest friends in this world. I can't ask
for your forgiveness...but...if you could find it in your heart..."

Skinner extricated his hand from the African American doctor's grip.
Once again just as he was about to speak the waitress returned with
their beverages.

"Thank you," Jackson husked at her, his voice hoarse with emotion.
I...I'd like to start a tab."

"All right, Dr. Fuller," she smiled back. Evidently Jackson was a
regular here. Skinner could believe it under the circumstances now.
Jesus, this was bad though. Jackson was a recovered alchoholic...he
shouldn't be...not...Skinner's objections were stilled when the doctor
returned his attention to him. Skinner spoke.

"Let's cut to the chase Jackson. I can't forgive anything if I don't
understand what the hell is going on here."

Jackson took a quick swig of his whiskey and closed his eyes for a
moment to compose himself. He placed the glass back down on the table
top with a tiny clink. Walter watched him as he replied.

"Walter...I'm going to tell you some ancient history here - some history
I wish had remained history. Can you let me get it out without
interrupting? It's going to be hard enough without stopping to answer
questions."

"I can try."

"Ok. I'll answer any questions at the end if I can answer them. I
promise you that."

"Fine."

"All right then. As you are very much aware - I was a corpsman in Nam. I
was the corpsman who road with you on that Evac chopper back to the MASH
unit after you'd been wounded."

"After I'd been killed. You brought me back, Fuller."

Fuller waved a hand in dismissal at the comment.

"Oh sure. Yeah, well, I did. I thank God for that now, Sinner. But
then...I can assure you my efforts to keep you alive were less than noble."

Skinner just stared at him. He knew he wasn't going to like any of this
story. He nodded grimly and Jackson continued.

"One day, months before I ever road in that Chopper with you, three
middle aged guys showed up in the MASH unit. Civilians - but suits. I
could tell they were government spooks right away. I think you might
know them - or at least one of them," Jackson whispered, moving closer
across the table.

"Chain smoker?" Skinner asked, tense.

"Right. Fucking Morley smoking son of Satan that one," Fuller hissed.

Skinner's guts spasmed. Ok. Suspicion confirmed. Now he had to hang on.
To get a firm grip for that descent into hell that was coming.

"Go on..." he prompted Jackson as the doctor took another swig of his
whiskey. Skinner hadn't touched his coffee. He couldn't. He would gag if
he did.

"Well to make a long story that I think you know anyway, short. They
made me an offer I couldn't refuse. At first they...well...they appealed
to my patriotism, and my...altruistic belief that somehow what we would
be doing would save the entire human race. I mean shit - that was some
big ball of wax for a poor, black kid from Tupelo, Mississippi to refuse
you know?"

"Yeah, it was a hard offer for a naive, young jock from Ambler PA to
turn down too," Skinner mumbled.

Jackson fuller nodded and shrugged.

"Well...I balked at first. I mean fuck - who the hell would have thought..."

The waitress came back having noticed Fuller had pretty much knocked
back his drink.

"Can I get you another, Dr. Fuller?"

"Bring the bottle, Maxine."

She raised an eyebrow but left the table quickly, bringing back the
bottle and a second glass. Jackson nodded his thanks and she left. She
never asked Skinner if he wanted another coffee since his cup was
untouched. Skinner eyed the empty glass speculatively but he didn't ask
for any booze. Not now. He needed a clear head. Obviously that was the
last thing on Fuller's mind as he poured himself another tumbler full of
liquid courage.

He choked slightly after the next swig, and then continued as Skinner
merely stared at him.

"Who would have fucking believed them? Alien invasion. I mean come
on...that was....that was Twilight Zone material, right?"

Skinner nodded glumly. Yeah, well...he had believed. After some of his
experiences in special ops, and his near death experience he had
believed in more back then as a young agent than he was willing to admit
now. Water under the bridge. Filthy water he thought with self hatred.
He refocused on Jackson as the man continued his narrative.

"Anyway, when I balked they took up another line of persuasion. They
brought up...certain services I had performed during medical school.
Services for unlucky young women that would...that might effect my later
plans for going back to school and getting the degree, that..."

"Abortions?"

"Right. I mean I even performed one on...on my own fiancee for Christ
sake. They had it all down, Walter. All the facts, dates...names. They
could have ruined me but...more important...those poor young girls...and
Marion. God!"

"Fine...I get the point. Go on..." Skinner looked down at his coffee. He
picked up the cup at last and took a sip of the luke warm fluid. His
mouth had become terribly dry and he risked the gag reflex reaction in
order to get rid of the taste of dried disgust on his tongue.

When he looked back up, Jackson was drinking more whiskey. His eyes were
growing glassy - a sure sign that he was on his way to a good hangover.
Skinner watched, and waited, and finally he put the glass down again and
went on.

"So, anyway, I made the deal with the devil. I've hated myself for years
for that decision. Tried to make amends through good work...I..."

"Jackson!" Skinner grated in desperation. He had just about had it with
the doctor's convoluted explanation, "what in the name of God did you do
to me?"

"Walter, I....we took soldiers who were severely wounded - who weren't
maybe going to make it despite our efforts to keep them alive and
we...we put this device...this microchip...."

"Chip?"

"Yes. During surgery we put a chip in their scrotums, from right inside
the groin. It was easy to do. Shit, we had guys guts hauled out all over
their chests and stomachs while we rooted around in there. Yourself
included, my man."

Skinner nodded again, grimly. Oh yeah he knew it. He had the inglorious
scars to prove it.

"So, we put this tiny chip right next to the epididymis. This chip
was....was supposed to affect the sperm
somehow...cause...mutations....create....create some kind of resistance
in humans to...to that shit...the..."

"Black oil?"

"Fuck, yeah. So, you do know?" Jackson asked hopefully, his eyes
blinking back tears that were now threatening to spill down his cheeks.
It was as if up to this point he has suspected Skinner knew what was
going on but wasn't quite sure. The confirmation seemed to comfort him
in an odd way. It made Skinner want to puke again.

Skinner's lips formed into a tight line as he answered, "Unfortunately,
yes."

Jackson nodded gratefully, "The guys with the chips weren't supposed to
make it, so when they died we were supposed to remove the chips, take a
sperm sample, and send it out to this lab back in the states for testing."

"But I fooled you..." Skinner interrupted.

Jackson gave a bitter chuckle, "Yeah, buddy - you lived all right, you
stubborn son of a bitch. And worse yet...I got to like you. You were a
fighter. And a hell of a guy. I started to get a sick feeling about
sticking that hunk of metal in you. So I told the cigarette dude and the
one guy who stayed on...I think his name was Mulder..."

"Mulder?" Skinner hissed. Oh fuck.

"Yeah. Is that important?"

"No...go on," Walter replied, his stomach churning.

"I asked them if the chip was going to...you know harm you over time.
Cancer or....or something like that since it seemed you were going to
survive your wounds."

"And they said?"

Jackson wiped one hand across his tearing eyes and answered, bitterness
clouding his voice.

"They said no. They said you should feel honored eventually because you
would be fathering the fucking master race. The race that would save
mankind. Can you believe that? I was working for the God damned masters,
Sinner. The fucking quasi-Nazi overseers. The rotten bastards."

Skinner stared at Jackson Fuller as he wiped his eyes and reached for
the bottle of Jack again. He didn't want to believe him. But he knew he
did. It all sounded all too familiar. Too sick and twisted not to be a
plan hatched by the Consortium. Mulder's father's involvement only
rammed that idea home with a vengeance. He supposed, distantly that was
something he should tell Mulder eventually if he could bring himself
too. Walter had a feeling he and Mulder were going to get a lot more
close soon, and that he'd have a lot to discuss with him now. A whole lot.

Jackson Fuller was filling his tumbler again, and moistening his lips in
anticipation of his next conscience dulling swig. Skinner wanted to grab
the man's wrist and stop him from sending himself into blissful alcohol
induced oblivion. Either that or snatch the bottle from his shaking
grasp so he could pummel him in the head with it.

Instead he spoke, trying desperately to keep the anger and bitterness
out of his voice. The hatred for this man who, after all, had taken the
same deal that Walter Skinner had taken at one point in his life, and
regretted it just as much.

"Obviously they were incorrect regarding my becoming the herd sire."

"No shit. Lying sons of whores. I found out years later that the chips
might have been put in to do just the opposite. Although I can never be
sure if that was their true intention or some kind of macabre defect.
Anyway - they...they asked me to keep monitoring you and report any odd
changes."

"Jackson - I never felt this chip during my self exam..." Skinner began.

"You wouldn't. We put them up under the epididymis a little. And it was
fairly small and flat. You would have never known it was there."

"But it made me sterile?"

"God, yes."

"For sure? Permanently?"

"I'm so sorry..."

"Ok...all right," Skinner said at last, sighing. At least he had his
explanation. God, what would he tell Kim? How could he tell Kim? Christ.

As if he didn't hear him, Jackson continued to talk.

"One day a directive came down, a...a phone call from some guy...some
errand boy named Krycek. He used the code words so I knew the message
was legit. Direct from the polluted smoking bastard himself."

Skinners teeth clenched at the mention of Alex Krycek's name.

He said you had been shot, what hospital ER you had been taken too, and
that I should get my ass down there and remove the chip. Well, lucky it
was the hospital I was working out of at the time.

"So you did remove it?"

"Yes. I had to fight with some tough woman agent that was guarding you
like a K-9 corps dog but..."

"Agent Dana Scully."

"God, yes. Talk about your Doberman guard dog. But I did get on the
surgical team. I got the chip and I worked like hell to save your life,
Walter. It was the least I could do after the horrible things I had done
to you in the past. I felt like a rapist. The worst kind of violator. It
made me hate myself."

Skinner nodded, "Man, I know the feeling."

"Well it was too fucking late anyway by that point. I sent the chip to
the P.O. Box that Krycek gave me in the phone call and that was the last
I heard about it..."

"Until I came in to tell you Kim and I couldn't conceive?"

"I was hoping you got away lucky..."

"You mean there were others?"

"Two more that I treat, yes. It's why I started to do some...some
digging. I started to suspect the chips were fucked and now anyone I put
them in was more than likely sterile. It was...Walter I started drinking
again over it. I...Marion wants me to go back to AA," he ended miserably.

There was nothing more for him to say. Finally, Skinner reached over and
removed the glass from his hand very gently. He took Jackson's hand in
his and squeezed it once with compassion in his face. Jackson hung onto
him with desperate longing, like a drowning man looking for rescue.

"Walter, can you ever forgive me. I...I can't..."

"Shhh," Skinner whispered quietly. His heart did fill with pity for
Jackson. They were more alike then he ever knew before. He could relate
to everything he said. Walter had his own horrors to forget. His own
actions that brought him sleepless nights filled with guilt. A morgue
with the bodies of dead school children in Payson, South Carolina came
instantly to mind. No, he could forgive Jackson. Fuller was a good man
now, no matter what he had done in the past. He was a good man and that
fact would place him in danger now if he kept digging. He needed to
convey that idea to him somehow. He wished he hadn't drunk so much Jack
Daniel's.

"Jackson, I forgive you, all right. I...I know more than you could ever
guess about this...this shadow government and the things they say and
can do. I...I've been in deep before myself, and believe me when I say I
hate myself for it just as much as you do. But...I've changed now. I'm
not working for them or with them at all any longer. Just the opposite..."

"God, tell me how Walter. I want to pay them back so badly for what
they've done. For..."

"Jackson...I don't think that's a good idea."

"What? Why?" Fuller replied disappointed, drunk and confused.

"It's incredibly dangerous. I...I can't be responsible for what would
happen to you or to Marion if you became involved in my battle. My fight
against these bastards. They...they might very well eliminate you or get
through to you by injuring, even killing your wife..."

"Oh God. Was Sharon, did they?"

"Right," Skinner nodded grimly.

"Oh, Lord..."

"Yes. Listen. The best thing you can do is try to maintain business as
usual. Do what they tell you but before you do it...tell me. I
have...certain connections that may be able to help. I may be able to
forestall whatever actions they want you to take," Skinner replied
sincerely. He released Jackson's hand and sat back against the booth
seat. Jackson sagged back as well.

"Would that work for you?" Skinner asked the doctor, "Would you do that
for me?"

"Yes. It...it's more than I can ask, Sinner. More than I could ever hope
you'd do for me. God, thank you Walter...I...I don't know what to say,"
he answered, the tears starting to run down his face.

"You don't have to say anything - but I do have one favor to ask you."

"What? Anything."

"Don't mention any of this to Kim. I...I need to tell her all of it in
my own way. I'll do it before we see you again though, so don't worry
about that idea."

"No problem. I won't breathe a word to Kim."

"Good."

"And Walter..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to do everything I can to see that you and Kim get pregnant.
Adopt...whatever. I mean that. Any strings I can pull anywhere...I'll..."

"Hey...uh...it's ok. I know you'll help. I appreciate it," Walter
replied, flustered.

"Ok, good," Fuller smiled a tentative smile.

Walter quirked his mouth slightly, "Look, uh...Marion is going to be
worried. Why don't I drive you home? You can come back for your car
tomorrow."

"I came here in a cab, Walter. I knew I was gonna get lit. No, I'll get
another cab. That's ok. What about Kim, won't she be worried?"

"I told her I was going back into work. I called her just before I came
in here to tell her I got there fine and would be home late."

"Oh. Ok. Well...I'll get on home then," the doctor replied getting up.
He swayed a little as he took his wallet out. He threw some bills on the
table.

"That should cover the tab," he added, weaving a little.

"More than enough," Skinner replied, taking his wrist again to steady him.

"You going to be ok?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine...now," he smiled down at the still seated AD.

"Jackson. I meant what I said. Keep a low profile - and call me on my
cell phone if you need help."

"Ok. I'll lay low. Keep my butt down or get it shot off. I read you loud
and clear, Sinner. Loud and crystal clear."

Walter Skinner nodded and released Fuller's hand. He slapped him on the
arm as he staggered past the booth towards the pay phone at the front of
the bar. As soon as Fuller reached the phone, Maxine, the waitress, came
back over to collect the cash from the table. Skinner was staring at the
nearly empty bottle of Jack Daniel's.

"Can I get you anything else sir?" the waitress asked.

"Take away this whiskey and bring me a bourbon," Skinner replied quietly.

"Shot or you want me to fill that glass?" Maxine inquired gesturing with
her head at the unused tumbler resting next to Skinner's elbow.

"Bring me a bottle. Any brand. Doesn't matter," Walter replied in a near
whisper. Maxine nodded once, briskly and left Skinner's side to go back
to the bar.

xXx

Tuesday morning 2:30 AM, March 5, Apt. 42. Hegel Place, Arlington.

Mulder didn't drift out of sleep - he snapped awake. There had been a
sound. Scully woke almost simultaneously. Both of them grabbed for their
weapons on the night stand before they even looked for their clothing.
When no one burst into the bedroom they stopped for a moment, listening
intently. Someone was knocking on the front door. Both agents quietly
pulled on underpants and robes.

Guns in hand, up and ready, they looked at each other in silent
understanding. Yes...someone was knocking at the front door. Both had
glanced at the clock. 2:30 AM. No one came calling at 2:30 in the
morning unless it meant trouble.

Mulder signaled with his head that he was going out into the living room
to answer the door. Scully fell in behind him. Partner to partner
communication. Watch my back. Cover me. It was unspoken as well, and
automatic.

Mulder crept out carefully into the living room, all senses on alert.
Scully hung back even with the kitchen doorway, gun held out ahead of
her, while Mulder stepped close to the apartment door. He took a moment
to mentally thank building management for finally installing the new
peep hole. Now he pressed his eye to it in order to see who was
methodically, and monotonously knocking on his door.

He gave a sharp intake of breath when he saw who was outside, and
flipped the safety on his piece.

He turned to Scully and mouthed the words, "It's Skinner."

"Mulduh?" came a slurred voice from beyond the locked door, "you in
there? Come on, op...op...open up."

Christ. He's drunk off his ass, Mulder thought.

Scully whispered, "Mulder, he's drunk. What is he doing here, drunk, at
2:30 in the morning? Does Kimberly know he's here? God she must be
terrified if she doesn't."

"Yeah, you should see him," Mulder indicated the peep hole. "He can
barely stand up. I have no idea if Kim knows where he is right now. But
obviously he wants to see me," he added, turning back to the door.

"Open the door and get him in here before he wakes the whole building,"
Scully whispered.

"It may be too late," Mulder winced as Skinner popped the door with his
balled up fist one more time.

"Uh, hang on sir, just a second. You...you woke me up," Mulder called
through the door.

"Maybe I should go back in the bedroom," Scully hissed as Mulder stuck
his weapon in the band of his boxer briefs.

"Why? We have nothing to hide from him." Mulder raised an eyebrow.
Scully shrugged back. Mulder grinned a little in understanding. Old
habits die hard. This was the boss after all. Their currently sloppy
drunk as a skunk boss, but the boss nonetheless. Scully still had some
issues there. Hell, so do I, Mulder thought as he slid the dead bolts
back, flipped the door handle lock as well, and pulled the door open.

Walter Skinner stood in the doorway, leaning heavily on the door frame,
a brown paper bag in his hand. The top of an unopened bottle of bourbon
was peaking out of the bag.

"Hey, Muldurrr...."

"Get in here," Mulder hissed, grabbing him by the front of his trench
and pulling him inside with one pull. He shut the door with one hand,
and propped the weaving, staggering Skinner up against the wall with the
other.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Skinner blustered trying to balance himself and
maintain his grip on the bottle. Scully hastened over as it became
apparent he would quite possibly fall down.

"Ssscully," he stuttered, blinking at her, "Gud evenin'"

"Hello sir, uh...would you like to come in and sit down?" she asked
diplomatically.

"Yuh...yes, I would. Thanks. I...I need to talk to you, Mulder. Uh..."
his brow furrowed and then unfurrowed. "Uh - it's very important...talk
about...about...some stuff I found out...shshshit...I..."

"Walter, come on, let's...let's just get you over to the couch and then
you can tell us what's going on, ok?" Mulder suggested.

"K," Walter nodded slowly.

Mulder on one side and Scully on the other served to prop Skinner up and
guide him over to the couch. They maneuvered him onto the futon seat and
he fell back hard, bottle still firmly in hand. As soon as his butt hit
the cushions he hefted the bottle up at them.

"I brought you this...cause I know it's late...peace offering. You wanna
drink?"

Mulder stared at him in disbelief. Who the hell sold him a bottle when
he was in this condition he had to wonder. Crap. Well...maybe he'd
bought it before he was this wasted and kept it...where? In his car? God
I hope he didn't drive over here.

While this was flashing across his mind Scully answered Skinner's question.

"It's a little early for me, Walter. But thank you."

And then, as if she'd read Mulder's mind she asked the next obvious
question.

"Sir, is your car parked uh...did you remember to lock your car?"

Skinner blinked at her again.

"Car? Oh. Yeah. I locked it up good. It's parked outside the bar.
Um...outside Borders. I took a cab here," he chuckled sardonically, "I'm
pissed aren't I? Couldn't fuckin' drive."

"Uh, right," Scully agreed glancing at Mulder.

Skinner followed the direction of her gaze.

"Mulduh?" he slurred, holding the bottle up towards the agent.

"No thanks, Walter. I guess it's a little too early for me too."

"Oh. Ok," he nodded in bleary understanding. Then he pulled the bottle
close to his chest. "Yeah, well it's too late for me," he replied with
deep bitterness in his voice, untwisted the unopened bottle top, tossed
the cap on the floor, and put the bottle to his lips.

"Hey, hey, hey," Mulder warned. He walked forward as Skinner tilted his
head back to take a huge swig off the bottle. Skinner pulled the bottle
away and stared at Mulder dumbly for a second. Then he grinned a little.

"Ya change your mind?"

"Uh, yeah...why don't you give me the bottle and I'll get three glasses
and pour us all a drink."

"Good idea," Skinner nodded, handing Mulder the bottle. The agent
crossed to Scully where she was still standing by the coffee table. She
had put her gun down on the table top after putting the safety back on.
As he passed her he whispered into her ear.

"Go in the bedroom and call Kim."

Scully nodded.

"Sir?"

"Wha?" Skinner asked, glancing up from studying his hands.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to the bathroom," Scully gestured
towards the short hallway that reached back towards the bedroom and
bathroom.

"Oh. Sure. Sorry," Walter replied. Scully left his side.

When Mulder came out of the kitchen he was carrying a glass of Coke. No
bottle.

Skinner looked up at him.

"Ssscully went to the...the can," he nodded back towards the hallway.

"Ok," Mulder nodded back. Skinner zeroed in on his hand holding the
glass of fizzing Coke. Walter looked back up at Mulder's face in confusion.

"Where's...where's my bourbon?"

"Walter...I didn't think you needed any more," Mulder replied quietly,
sitting the glass of soda down in front of his AD.

Skinner's face drew into a frown. He bristled instantly.

"Fuck you. Give me back the bottle."

"No. Come on, sir. I need you to try to sober up here so you can give it
to me straight. I mean so you can tell me about the uh
*stuff*...about...the dream Walter...and whatever else upset you
tonight," Mulder replied gently, seating himself on the coffee table in
front of Skinner and next to the glass. He leaned forward slightly and
touched Walter's knee. The contact seemed to galvanize the older man.
His face went from angry defiance to stunned grief in only a few moments.

"Oh God," he whispered. Then his face went white.

"Sir?"

"I'm gonna be ssssick," he slurred.

"Oh fuck!" Mulder exclaimed. Skinner lurched to his feet. Mulder grabbed
his arm and steered him towards the hallway leading to the bathroom. He
made it as far as the bathroom door before he sagged against the wall,
fell to his knees and started to vomit copiously all over the floor, and
himself.

"Scully!" Mulder yelled in desperation, jumping back, barely in time to
stop from being sprayed with Skinner's stomach contents.

Scully opened the closed bedroom door, her cell phone in hand.

"Oh Jesus," she gasped as Skinner leaned over and heaved again, "Kim,
honey?" she barked into the phone.

"Kim?" Skinner moaned, retching miserably.

"Yes. Come right away. No...he's just drunk honey, that's all. Yes, he's
sick to his stomach. Ok. All right. I'll tell him. Just be careful. Bye
bye," Scully quickly ended the conversation and handed the cell phone to
Mulder. She went down on her knees gingerly, avoiding the pool of vomit,
and gathered Skinner close. Walter was at the dry heave stage now, with
nothing left to bring up. Scully held him as he shook.

"Walter, Kim's coming over. Can you understand me?"

"Yuh, yuh," he huffed, "God. So sorry," he added in a small embarrassed
voice.

"Hey, shit happens, Walter. Don't worry about it," Mulder hastened to
reassure him. Yeah it sure as hell did - and at least Walter wasn't on
his ass in a garbage strewn alley when it did. Mulder recalled that
night with his own grim embarrassment.

"Mulder, can you get me a wash cloth?" Scully asked, looking up.

"Yeah, I was just going to suggest that too," Mulder nodded. He quickly
tossed Scully's cell phone onto the bed in his bedroom. Then he turned
around and entered the bathroom to get a wet washcloth.

"Come on Walter, I want to get you into the bathroom. Can you stand up?"
Scully asked.

"Yes," Skinner nodded. He shifted and tried to climb to his feet.

"Hold on, I'll help you," Mulder offered coming back out.

Together they got Skinner into the bathroom and seated on the closed
toilet. He was limp. Expressionless at that point. Willing to let the
two agents fuss over him without protest. Scully wiped his face free of
vomit and gave him a hand towel so he could dry himself off. Mulder
handed him a small cup of mouthwash so he could rinse and spit into the
sink. After he had done the mouth rinse, Scully grabbed a second, clean
wash cloth, got it wet with cold water and then wrung it out. She
brought it over and placed it on the back of Walter's neck. Scully
wrinkled her nose up. No two ways about it. He reeked. His suit and
trench were splattered with puke. Scully came to a decision and glanced
at Mulder, scrunching up her face in distaste. Mulder nodded getting her
meaning.

"Can you get your coat off sir? I think...I think maybe I'll go fix some
coffee and Mulder can help you get out of all those clothes. You...well
these are going to need to go to the dry cleaners."

"Ok...I could use some coffee," Walter sighed, rubbing up under his
glasses. He sounded marginally more sober at last. He wouldn't look
directly at them however. Clearly he was still very embarrassed about
losing control in front of them.

"All right then. Mulder, I'll be in the kitchen. And Walter...it's ok,
really. Like Mulder implied - uh...shit happens. Kim will be here soon
and we can...we can all talk then," she patted him on the knee and
glancing at Mulder again, she left the bathroom.

Skinner placed his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"Kim. Christ. How am I going to explain this to her. Mulder...I...I
don't know what to say to her...about anything."

"Well, Walter...I think you should try to sober up a little more before
you try to recount any of tonight's events. Right now I'm not sure
you'll get it all out right. You may leave something out that's vital
to...to the issues."

"Yeah, good point," Skinner nodded, "I...I'll try to sober up."

"That's my man," Mulder tried to sound positive as he clapped Skinner on
the shoulder. It was a hell of a lot more positive then he felt. Right
now, looking at Skinner's bowed head and having seen the haunted look in
his eyes before he put his head in his hands, Mulder felt a cold chill
spreading through his guts.

"Can you handle getting undressed? I...I should probably go clean up the
hallway."

"Yeah. Damn...sorry 'bout the floor," Walter looked up at him at last.

"Wasn't the first time someone's puked in that hallway. Won't be the
last time either," Mulder gave him a rueful smirk.

Skinner's lip curled up just a little at the corner.

"So, you ok?" Mulder asked one more time before he left his side.

"Yeah, uh...better. Thanks, Mulder. Really. Thanks a lot. Thank Scully
too, ok?"

"Sure. S'fine. No sweat. Uh, holler if you need anything else. I'll just
be outside."

Skinner nodded and then stood up shakily, but more steadily then before,
to pull off his vomit dampened trench coat.

xXx

Tuesday morning 3 AM, March 5. On the road between George Mason Drive
and Hegel Place, Arlington.

Kimberly Skinner drove as fast as she could to Mulder's apartment
without incurring a speeding ticket. Just getting stopped would delay
her and delay was the last thing she wanted to have happen right now.

God! She had thought Walter was at work. She'd gone to bed with the idea
that her husband was putting in overtime for the Bureau again. It was
something she was more than aware would happen even before their
marriage. For heaven's sake, she'd worked as his executive assistant for
over 5 years. She knew how hard he worked for the FBI. How many extra
hours he put in. The politics, yes and some of the intrigues and hidden
agendas. She knew it all - or most of it - from the inside before she
married him. He'd told her enough about the Consortium, Marita and Alex
Krycek, to make her aware of the dangers there as well.

So, she understood his job and what it took. The long hours that kept
him away. She knew even though she was somewhat resentful the overwork
kept him tired, sometimes irritable and away from her, home or away from
the things he enjoyed doing for himself. She understood about the gruff
outbursts of temper. She let them slide most of the time. But she did
worry about his health. She did make gentle suggestions to Walter that
he should take some time to rest, work out, get away from the grind when
he could. And to Walter's credit - he did listen. Kim considered that he
did listen because she tried to temper her suggestions with compassion,
honest concern and some humor. It seemed to work most of the time.
Walter listened and he made efforts to comply. After all, Kim knew he
still took pride in his work. Thought he made a difference and that
those ideals were important to him and his self worth.

So what in God's name was he doing showing up at 2:30 in the morning,
drunk and sick at Fox Mulder's door? What had Mulder wanted to talk to
him about? Did Walter really want to discuss his doctor's diagnosis, his
fears in that area with Fox or...or something else? What hadn't Walter
told her? It couldn't just be work matters regarding the Garibaldi case.
God! It obviously wasn't the Garibaldi case since it appears Walter
never went into work anyway. Her mind spun around point after point
until she was close to tears of frustration.

A mixture of fear for Walter and anger at his obvious reticence to
divulge something to her, to share with her, gripped her heart as well.
Kim stamped it down, however, in order to keep as cool a head as
possible. She settled her roiling thoughts as best she could. Wrapping
the car around a light pole wasn't going to get her to Mulder's
apartment any faster either. She took a deep breath, held tight to the
steering wheel, pressed down the accelerator and sped off into the dark.

xXx

Somewhere....

Walter Skinner drifted towards wakefulness. His head hurt. Mouth was
dry. Shit it figures. Hangover. Yeah well. After last nights bar
hopping...drinking, brawling, dope smoking,
carousing...fucking...fucking? No...loving...

"Sinnuh, you look like shit," Cracker Rand chuckled.

Walter rolled over slightly to stare at John where he sat on the
mattress. The young soldier from Georgia was stark naked, and sweating
slightly despite the cheap air conditioner in the Saigon hotel room they
had ended up passing out in. Walter glanced down at his own damp body.
He was nude as well. Nude, and he had a big bruise below his navel.

"Thanks asshole," Walter groaned, lying back flat again. He threw his
right arm over his face.

Cracker laughed gently, "Ah'm only kiddin' big dawg. You look jes fine
to me. Mighty fine as a matter of fact."

"No, you're right - I feel like crap. I've got a first class bastard of
a hangover."

"You do? Nah...you don't," Cracker replied in a low voice. Walter felt
him shift over close. He lowered his arm to stare at his lover. Cracker
smiled down at him and reaching over, ran his hand over Walter's
sweating brow. Skinner felt a pleasant warmth suffuse his body. It was a
contradiction in the tropical heat, but it made him feel both right as
rain and cool, calm and collected all at the same time.

He stared up at Cracker Rand in astonishment. The Georgia boy smiled wide.

"See, Sinnuh. You don't have a hangover now, do ya?"

Skinner shook his head and then he smiled too. He ran one large hand
down onto his groin and fingered the bruise there.

"Can you do anything about this...this mark?" he asked, his brow
furrowing in thought. The bruise wasn't sore really. In fact, he wasn't
sure it was a bruise at all. It was more like...like a criss cross
pattern of black and blue lines. For some reason it looked familiar. It
almost frightened him. But when he looked back into John's kind eyes the
fear was banished in a wave of love for the other man.

"No, Sinnuh. Even Ah have my limitations, son," Cracker shook his head
gravely, "Ah'm truly sorry about that..." he gestured towards the mark.

"Oh...well...that's ok...uh...come here," Skinner grinned at him.

John's hazel eyes danced but he cast them down. He didn't lie down next
to Walter right away. He plucked some lint off the mattress and spoke
quietly to Skinner.

"You sure lover? I mean...I thought....I didn't think we were going to..."

"No...um...it's ok. For tonight...yeah....I...I want this...more than
anything," Walter Skinner heard himself saying.

"Ah understand. Ah want you too, Sinnuh. Ah love you," Cracker sighed,
"Ah'll be here for you. Ah'd never do anything to hurt you Waltuh."

"I know that John," Skinner whispered, "I love you too."

John Rand looked up and smiled again. It was a slow smile full of love
and desire and he moved in next to Walter Skinner. They rolled so they
could lie face to face.

"Make love to me Waltuh. Ah...Ah want you in me, lover."

"All right," Walter smiled and then he bent forward and took John's head
in his hands. He kissed Cracker Rand deeply, plunging his tongue in
between John's eagerly questing lips.

Skinner rolled Cracker beneath him. They pressed together, skin to skin.
Cracker raised his knees up and cradled Walter between his legs. Their
swelling cocks met between them.

"Gawd damn I never can get over that thing," Cracker moaned slightly as
Walter rubbed his hard-on against Crackers straining erection.

Walter took his weight on his forearms and levered up to watch his
lover's face as they moved sensuously together. He always marveled at
the way that Cracker's eyes shined, shimmered with flecks of gold, green
and caramel brown as they made love. It was almost hypnotizing and it
was an exquisite sight that thrilled him profoundly every time he
witnessed it.

"You're beautiful," Skinner breathed out shyly. All of you, not just
your cock. I...I watch your eyes and...and...ah shit," he grinned,
embarrassed at the emotions that were surging through his heart and soul
in that moment.

Cracker reached up and traced his long, elegant index finger over
Walter's lips.

"Shhhh. Ah know, Sinnuh, Ah know. You're a good man. In time you'll be
an even better one. In time Ah hope Ah can live up to the love you have
for me now, Waltuh. Ah...it's my fondest wish...my...my hope for
salvation that Ah can," Cracker finished staring up into Walter's face
with the almost fathomless depths of his shining hazel eyes.

"Oh God, John," Walter whispered and then he fell on him, devouring his
mouth again with a soul searing kiss.

Soon they developed a rhythm with their hips that took them up, and up,
and up closer to that place they both sought to reach. Cracker held
Walter close, craving the contact of his strong muscular body against
his more lithe one.

He murmured in Walter's ear.

"You're so hard, Sinnuh. So good. Please lover. Fuck me. Come on big
dog. I want that big cock."

Skinner groaned loudly, he was so close. Jesus. Jesus. It was so good.
So fine. He tried to hold back but...but the heat, the hot friction, the
feeling of being in John's loving embrace was too much. His face grew
tight and he cried out.

"Fuck!" he grunted as his hips lost control completely and he ground his
cock into John, missing his hard on and hitting his thigh over and over.
He growled deep as he came, semen spurting all over John's groin and
pubic hair. Walter's body began to shake and he was sweating profusely.

"It's ok, son. It's ok. Do it. Cum on. Cracker's got ya. Let it go,"
John crooned into Walter's ear as Skinner's orgasm raced through his
convulsing muscles. John rubbed his back lovingly and Skinner finally
collapsed against him, gasping for breath.

"I'm so sorry. I....I know you wanted....damn," Walter buried his face
in John's neck.

"No, never apologize when we give each other that, Waltuh. It's ok. It's
a beautiful gift too."

"God, that felt good," Skinner whispered.

"Then that's what matters, Sinnuh," John replied, kissing Walter's
shaved head.

"Fuck me, John. Fuck me now. I want....I want you to feel...I want this
for you too."

Cracker nodded and pushed on Walter' shoulder. The more muscular man
rolled off him and than back flat onto the bed. He grabbed for Cracker
as the other man shifted up, his hard on jutting out and throbbing
between them.

Walter brought his legs up to his chest immediately. Cracker landed in
tight next to his ass. Walter lifted his legs up and draped them over
John's shoulders.

"I want to see you," Walter gasped into John Rand's loving eyes.

"God yes," Cracker replied.

Walter felt him reach down and smear a combination of pre-cum and semen
in between his ass cheeks. He swallowed hard as Cracker worked first one
finger, than two and finally three up his ass. He was still loose enough
from his orgasm that a lot of prep wasn't needed. He was bucking against
Cracker's hand quickly and urgently, trying to pull him in deeper.
Walter grunted loud as John stroked his prostate.

"Oh yeah, baby. Here we go. Here we go," Cracker giggled and Walter
laughed as well.

"You crazy hhhillbilly," he stuttered, "you got the magic touch."

"Oh yes, Ah do. Ah certainly do," Rand hissed between clenched teeth. He
was barely hanging on to his own erection at this point. He was close to
coming himself now.

"Put it in," Walter whispered, reaching up to touch John's face. In a
flash an errant thought crossed Skinner's mind. Something....something
about...John putting it to him. Whoa...no condom. John was going to do
him naked. That...but that wasn't right.

"Waltuh?" Cracker asked, love permeating his voice.

"John?" Walter asked in momentary confusion at the realization that
Cracker was going to do him without protection.

"I said I'd never hurt you. I won't...this...it's ok. You believe me
don't you?"

Skinner nodded his head and the doubt was gone in the heat of John's
passionate gaze.

"Give it to me," Walter hissed.

Cracker grasped Walter's hips and positioned the head of his cock at
Walter's anus. He began to push into Walter's body with a steady, even
thrust."

Walter felt his cock jump to life again, swelling as John slowly worked
his dick up his ass. Walter reached forward and began to crank himself,
getting it up hard. Getting ready to go with his lover when he climaxed
inside him.

"Oh God yeah. Man. Do it. Deeper," Skinner groaned as Cracker pushed in
up to his balls.

"Oh lover. Oh," Cracker moaned, "So warm. So...sweet Jesus."

"Uhhhh," Walter grunted, pumping his own hard-on furiously.

Walter Skinner looked up and pinned John Rand's eyes. He felt his inner
muscles spasm around John's throbbing cock. Waves of pleasure passed
over John's face and then he spoke.

"Walter, remembuh what Ah'm givin' you tonight. Remembuh this pleasure
and the fact there is no pain. Remembuh only that Ah love you and Ah
give of myself freely. Ah give myself freely. Remembuh that lover."

"I will....UhhhhhGod!" Walter cried out as Cracker began to thrust into
him hard and fast. They slapped together, flesh against flesh, heart
against heart, soul against soul. Skinner realized distantly that this
was their last time together as lovers and he thrust up again and again
crying out to join with Cracker in this last dance of ecstasy.

One part of him was sad - but another part thought of what Cracker was
giving him - pouring into him. John was giving Walter his undying love,
devotion and protection and what seemed like almost unending rapture and
Skinner rejoiced as well.

He held onto John's arm with one hand while he worked his own hard, hot
flesh with the other. As the boy from Georgia's hips pistoned against
his ass, they both began a litany of moaning together. Walter's rumbling
bass in counterpoint to John's baritone.

Suddenly John cried out and plunged deep into Skinner's body. Cracker
grew taunt and arched back, throwing his arms out to the side. He eyes
were shut and mouth open but no sound came out. Then he drew his hips
back and thrust in twice more, hard.

"JOHN!" Walter cried out in passion, love and wonder.

Skinner could feel John's cock twitch and his balls spasm. Walter yanked
his own cock hard and then they were coming together. Walter's last
thought before he fell off the edge of the world was of John Rand's cum
filling him, and John's words in his mind repeating over and over, "I
give myself freely. I give myself freely. I give myself freely."

xXx

Tuesday morning 3:30 AM, March 5. Apt. 42. Hegel Place, Arlington.

"Come on in, Kim," Dana Scully touched her friend's arm lightly in
comfort as Kim pushed past the smaller woman.

"Where's Walter? What's going on?" she asked quickly, striding into
Mulder's apartment living room. She glanced about.

Mulder was sitting on the futon couch, putting a mug of something
steaming hot down on the coffee table.

"Kim, it's ok. Walter..." he began, rising to cross to her.

"Is he all right?" she studied Mulder's face.

Scully came to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. She gently
pulled her close, hugged her and released her stepping back to meet her
gaze.

"Kim, he's fine. Or at least he'll be fine later today," she twitched a
frown of chagrin.

"Yeah, he's gonna have a hell of a hangover," Mulder ran his hand
through his hair and moved back again, indicating the couch to Kimberly.
She shook her head at his offer for her to sit down.

"Kim, it's ok, sit down. Walter's asleep in the bedroom," Scully sighed
touching her friends arm again. Kim did sag into herself at that point.
She took the four short steps over to the couch and sat down slowly.

"But I don't understand any of this," she ran her right hand through her
hair nervously. "He was drunk? Why? He told me he was going into...into
the office to help wrap up some details on the Garibaldi case."

"Kim, we're not sure what happened but he arrived here extremely
distraught. He did allude to uh...to finding something out earlier this
evening but at this point we just don't know," Scully replied

"I do know he wanted to talk to you, Fox," Kim explained - looking up
into Mulder's concerned face, "he's...he's been beating himself up over
our not being able to uh...conceive. I think he wanted...well he just
maybe needed some man to man support you know. But, the schedules..."

"Hell, I know," Mulder sat down on the coffee table again and spoke
gently to Kim. "Walter and I just haven't been able to connect lately.
I'm really sorry."

"I understand that Fox. It's not your fault. But...then today...we...we
found out some things from his doctor. Um...very painful things. I
thought...maybe I underestimated the impact on...oh damn," her face
crumpled slightly.

"What?" Scully asked taking a seat next to Kim on the couch. She took
her friends hand in hers and squeezed it in support.

"Walter's doctor told him there's a strong possibility he's sterile."

"Oh God!" Scully exclaimed, squeezing Kim's hand harder.

"Jesus," Mulder hissed.

"I...I'm sorry to have to just let you know this way...I'm sure Walter
would have rather told you himself..." Kim let her voice trail off.

"No, don't...don't give it another thought under the circumstances,"
Mulder hastened to comfort her.

"Kim did they test his ejaculate? Do a sperm count?" Scully asked,
moving into doctor mode.

Kim picked up on the dispassionate inquiry and in truth she was thankful
for it. It would help her to regain her equilibrium. She had been close
to tears a moment ago. She took a deep breath and answered Scully.

"Dr. Fuller is going to arrange for Walter to undergo tests at a
fertility clinic. God, that was supposed to be tomorrow. I mean
today..." she added flustered. "I suppose we'll have to call Dr. Fuller
and ask to postpone that now," she looked over at Scully.

"Well...let's cross that bridge when we come to it," Scully advised her,
"Kim...I'm so sorry...but until they do tests..."

"I know, I know..." Kim nodded, " we still have hope. We have to wait
and see."

Scully nodded.

Mulder watched Kim and he was beginning to wonder if the sterility issue
was all Walter wanted to talk to him about. What about the dreams? He
wondered if Walter had finally said something about his dreams to Kim.
He hadn't before. What about now?

"So, you think that was what he wanted to talk to me about - his...uh,
diagnosis? Mulder asked, fishing for answers.

"I think so. We did discuss the idea that you might be supportive - you
know - he might want to talk to a male friend. So, I assumed his fears
about the diagnosis where what he was trying to talk to you about, yes.
He acted as though it was urgent. And Fox - I know it's been eating at
him. And now this news..." she shook her head in dismay.

"Ok," Mulder nodded, "All right."

Ok. So Kim was still in the dark about the nightmares. Mulder would have
to confront Walter on that point directly. He sighed. It wasn't going to
be easy. Especially with this new development. Christ. He felt horrible
for Walter. He resolved to try to be more of a friend to him, a
confident. A supportive sounding board, if Walter would let him. He'd
try and hope Walter would let him in.

"Well we're going to have to wait until he's sober and awake to discuss
anything with him now anyway," Scully sighed.

Kim just stared at them for a moment, the words seeming not to register.
Mulder shifted and attempted to fill in the blanks in case it would help.

"Yeah. We left him in the bathroom to take his clothes off after...well
after he was sick to his stomach," Mulder began shifting from foot to
foot a little under Kim's scrutiny.

"And when I checked on him again, he'd...well he'd passed out. Fallen
asleep uh...sitting on the floor propped up against the bathtub. We
managed to half walk, half carry him into the bedroom and tuck him in."
Scully finished for her partner.

There was great compassion in her voice. She felt deep sorrow for Kim
and Walter. Walter Skinner must have indeed been very upset over the
diagnosis to dive into a bottle of bourbon last night. Well Scully could
relate to that idea. Oh yes. Being distraught over finding out you can't
produce a child cut very close to the bone. Mother Mary. And what must
it have taken out of Walter to come here, desperate to talk to Mulder
and then lose control, vomit, and pass out. He'd need some TLC when he
woke up. Good Lord - he could use it now.

"God," Kim shut her eyes and folded her arms across her middle. She
hugged herself.

"I think once he wakes up we can get a better explanation of what..."

"It doesn't matter right now, Mulder," Scully interjected in a soft
voice, "Kim he's right in the bedroom. Why don't you....you can go to
him," she ended, gesturing down the hallway towards the bedroom door.

"Yes..." Kim breathed out, "Yes I need to go to him," she nodded,
getting up.

"And Kim?" Mulder called softly.

"Yes?" she asked turning back briefly.

"You can...I mean you're welcome to stay back there with him. It's late,
early...uh whatever. Stay. You could call in sick for him at work. We
can all talk about this together when he feels up to it that way. Scully
and I will leave a message with Angela that we're doing research off
sight too or...well we'll think of some alibi."

Kim nodded, turned and walked in the direction of the bedroom without
giving them a second look.

"Scully?"

"Yes?"

"Help me pull the couch out. I gotta get some rest."

"I'm with you, partner." Scully nodded and she bent to help lift the
coffee table aside first.

xXx

Kim carefully opened the closed bedroom door, slipped inside and shut it
behind her. The two agents had left the night stand light on low. Kim
was grateful. She could see Walter lying in bed and of course, someone
would have been able to check on him easily with the illumination available.

Walter was lying on his back on top of the dark blue comforter, an off
white afghan covering him up to his waist. Kim could see he had his
t-shirt on. Her face grew soft. He looked so vulnerable lying there,
sans specs. So pale, despite his tan, against the dark spread beneath
him. His chest rose and fell evenly however. There was no stress in his
face.

Kim walked quietly over to the edge of the bed and studied him more
closely. As she observed him, his eyelids fluttered a little and he
sighed deeply.

"Cracker?" he whispered.

Kim's hand went up to her mouth. Oh no. Please. Not a John Rand
nightmare she pleaded silently. Not here. Not now. He doesn't need
this...doesn't deserve any more torture tonight.

Walter shifted a little and brought his arm up. One large hand ran down
his chest and under the edge of the afghan to rub at his groin. His face
twitched a tiny smile and then went slack again, his arm dropping to the
side. His eyes ceased to flutter and his breathing became quite regular
again.

Kim breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her hand. Thank God. It must
have been a pleasant memory. She knew he had them sometimes too. Good
times he'd had with John over in Vietnam before...well just before that
horrible ambush.

Kim's heart was filled with love for Walter as she watched him sleep. He
needed the peace and restorative powers of sleep more than anything now.
Explanations could wait. Right now they both needed to rest. To be
together, close and warm in each others arms.

Kim quietly pulled off her sneakers. socks and jeans. She left on her
panties and t-shirt. She hadn't bothered to even put on a bra before
rushing to Mulder's apartment. She piled her clothes on the end of the
bed and then slid in under the afghan and up next to Walter.

Walter shifted again, moving almost instinctively towards her in sleep.
Kim stretched out an arm and he snuggled into her, against her so that
she was holding his head on her breast.

Suddenly, his eyes fluttered again. Walter's brow furrowed a little and
then his eyes opened slightly and he was staring into her face.

"Kim?" he whispered sleepily.

"It's ok honey. I'm here," she whispered back, kissing the top of his head.

"I'm sorry Kim...I'm so sorry..." he sighed hard, pushing his face into
her warm body. She felt his lips kissing her tenderly. She ran her hand
over his scalp.

"It's ok, Walter. Sleep, baby. We'll talk about it in the morning. Go to
sleep now. I've got you. Go to sleep."

"K," she felt him nod and then he shifted yet again to roll over onto
his opposite side.

Kim smiled softly, another wave of love washing through her heart.

All the nights she had done that - rolled over to spoon against Walter,
seeking his comforting bulk at her back. To feel his hard, wall of
muscle behind her, protecting her, shielding her. Now he was doing the
same. Acknowledging that perhaps he needed to feel protected, comforted,
shielded tonight. Kim kissed the back of his neck, spooned in against
him, and draping her arm over his middle, pulled Walter close. Walter
sighed with contentment and Kim felt him relax completely under her arm
as she drifted off to sleep.

xXx

On the street outside Mulder's apartment building.

Marita Covarrubias stubbed out her cigarette in the cars ashtray. She
wrinkled her nose. Christ she could not believe she was smoking again.
Well...this job did that to you. So many dead faces, so much failure, so
many compromised ethics. Oh sure, there were triumphs...but not enough
of them. As a result, the work made you one kind of addict or another. I
guess I should be thankful it's only cigarettes she mused bitterly as
she glanced up through the tinted car windows at the face of the
apartment building a block down and across the street.

Yeah, but sometimes things do work out - after a fashion. The blonde
sighed and ran her hands through her hair, smoothing it down. It always
felt good to settle a debt. Yes - she had owed Walter Skinner. Big time
for what she and Alex had done to him. His situation was a tragedy
anyway - after his violation at the hands of the Consortium.

The least Marita could do was try to make up for some of what was done
to him in Vietnam. Give him the power that knowledge about those events
could give. The power to fight their war with accurate information
instead of disinformation. And...maybe the power to be happy despite the
facts. Certainly the idea that Skinner was sterile was upsetting. But
now, at least he knew and he knew why. There were alternatives for
becoming parents. He'd be able to deal with the problem now from a
position of strength. More control. She knew Skinner appreciated being
in that kind of position. That he appreciated being in control. So,
hopefully this would serve to bolster him. To make him continue monkey
wrenching the works.

Because that's what it had come down to for Marita now. Rebellion.
Revolt. Resist. In a way - she was using Walter Skinner to further her
ends in that direction as well. But what the hell. A girl has to hedge
her bets. Cover all the bases. And Walter would be his own man really.
But she knew him well enough to believe strongly that he'd go through
the Consortium like a wolf goes through a flock of sheep if he could.
Good she thought. I hope he rips their throats out.

And speaking of ripping out throats. Marita glanced at her watch. Plenty
of time. She reached forward and turned the key in the cars ignition.
The engine purred to life. She pulled out of the parking spot and drove
off down the fog shrouded street. She had a plane to catch. A flight to
Moscow. She had another debt to repay. A bad debt. An old debt with Alex
Krycek.

xXx

Tuesday morning 10 AM, March 5. Apt. 42. Hegel Place, Arlington.

Dim light. A soft, pleasant warmth at his back. A comforting arm over
his chest. Something smelled
familiar...delicate...feminine....marvelously fragrant.

Walter Skinner drifted up out of sleep and shifted a little. He snaked a
hand up and stroked t-shirt material. His hand wandered down the arm
that stretched over his pectorals. Skinner's eyes opened a little to
glimpse the sleeping face that now rested against him. He reveled in the
strawberry blonde hair that fanned out across his chest hair.

Kimberly. God, she felt so good lying in his arms. Smelled good too he
thought, smiling a little. He snuggled next to her and nuzzled into her
hair. Kim stirred slightly and rubbed her leg against him. The contact
brought him fully awake and then the events of the night before came
crashing back into his mind like a bolt of lightning.

"Oh shit," he murmured, stilling his hand on his wife's arm, He opened
his eyes wide and glanced around.

"Son of a bitch," he breathed in worried chagrin.

Somehow Mulder and or Scully had gotten him into bed after? Christ,
after he'd passed out drunk of course. God damn. How utterly disgusting
and embarrassing. Scully called Kim. He did remember that - vaguely.
Somewhere in the back of his mind he thought he should have an
incredible hangover - a titanic headache. But he didn't seem to have
that many ill effects. Cotton mouth maybe. Just a touch of muzziness
behind his eyes - but nothing major. It was very strange - but
fortuitous. Lucky, because coalescing in his mind was everything he had
found out from Jackson Fuller and the necessity of explaining that all
to Kim, Mulder and Scully.

And Jesus - the dreams. He didn't know what half of them meant - but he
certainly knew the import of some of them now. The significance of the
dreams he did understand was almost too hard to believe. God - how was
he going to explain this to Kim? How would he explain it to Mulder? How
would he explain the agent's father's involvement in what happened over
in Nam and now...shit...now Mulder's possible part of a solution. And
last but not least - how would any of this impact Dana Scully?

It was damn lucky he didn't have a headache now because he began to
think he might have one soon at this rate. No shit.

"Christ on a crutch," he thought suddenly. This was Tuesday. Work. He
needed to either get his ass in or call in sick. He had to call Jackson
too about that fertility clinic...about last night too! He...what the
fuck time was it? Where the hell were Mulder and Scully? Why hadn't they
awakened them?

Walter levered up slightly, seeking out a clock. There was a clock radio
on the night stand. 10:15 AM? Bastard! He was late for everything. Crap.

His movements to see the clock dislodged Kim's head from its position on
his chest. She woke up and grabbed for his waist, pulling him back.

"Walter..." she whispered, still struggling to wake up.

"Kim, I have to call in...I..." Walter mumbled, pulling away.

"No, no, honey. Hang on. Calm down," Kim soothed him, coming fully
awake. She pulled him back down completely until they were lying face to
face. She stroked his tense jaw and then ran her hand over to his lips.

"Shhh..."

"But...what about Jackson and...?" Walter asked in confusion.

"It's ok. I got up earlier and phoned into work for you. You're taking a
sick day. Mulder called in too and told Angela they were doing off sight
research to wind up their latest case. So...no need to worry. We took
care of work."

"What about that appointment...Jackson?"

Kimberly looked down.

"What?" Skinner asked in alarm.

"I called Doctor Fuller. I was directed to his answering service. His
patients are being referred to an associate at the hospital. His office
is closed. Family emergency."

Walter nodded. He had to hope it was just the morning after affects for
Jackson Fuller and not something more...unfortunate. Christ something
more lethal. He'd have to try to contact his friend soon to make sure he
and Marion were all right. God, this was a mess. He looked into his
wife's concerned eyes.

"Kim...I...we have a lot to discuss..." he began.

"Agreed," she sighed, touching his cheek. She lowered her hand and
placed it over his heart.

"Kim...I really am so sorry. You must have been scared to death last night."

"Well I'm not going to lie, Walter. You had me terribly worried. I still
am worried," she pulled her hand back and stroked his arm.

"Shit...how could I have been so...such an asshole...I need to tell
you...you and Mulder..."

"It's all right. I know. We'll...we'll cope. We all have a lot to talk
about. Let's...let's just concentrate on getting ourselves awake and up
here first, ok?"

"Yeah. Yes...good idea," Walter nodded again, resolving to pull his act
together, and fast.

"How's the head?" Kimberly asked, wincing a little as she looked into
his eyes.

Walter's brow furrowed, "You know, that's strange. My heads fine,
really. Stomach too. My mouth's a little dry but...."

"No hangover?"

"No, not one like I should have anyway," he shrugged slightly, stroking
her shoulder.

"Well...maybe vomiting..."

"Jesus," he frowned looking away for a moment, "that had to have been a
picture. It'll be a long time before I live that one down. Damn, what a
dick," he added, shaking his head.

Kim's lips twitched into a sad line. She knew he was mortified about
last night. She tried to compose herself further, but worry edged back
into her mind. Walter was hurting here and so was she. But, they need to
rally themselves. Regain some equilibrium so they could cope and get to
the bottom of things. She set herself to marshaling her strength again.
Damn it. She would not become a helpless fluttering damsel in distress
here. That was her aunt's favorite act around her uncle. She'd rather
die than act like her aunt. Lord.

She brought her hand up and caught Walter's chin to stop him from
shaking his head in disgust.

"Walter..." she began, studying his face. Her emotions were all over the
map. So were his. Damn. This wasn't helping. She decided to try for a
lighter touch, "shit happens," she finally advised in a reasonable
imitation of Mulder.

Walter chuckled and Kim smiled in gentle relief.

"Yeah. He did say that last night."

"I thought so," she moved her hand away.

Walter stared into Kim's face. His jaw relaxed, his expression became
more soft. His eyes played over her face for a moment and then came back
to rest, pinning her eyes.

"Kim?"

"Yes?"

"I love you," Walter whispered.

Kim bent forward slightly and pressed a kiss to his lips. He tasted
faintly of mint mouthwash. Walter brought his hand up, grasping the back
of her head tenderly. He pulled her face closer, deepening the kiss. Kim
eagerly explored his mouth. They finally broke apart and he gathered her
close and hugged her.

"Please forgive me," he mumbled against her hair.

"There's nothing to forgive," Kim answered, kissing his neck.

I hope to God that's true Walter thought as Kim pulled gently away from him.

"We'd better get our butts out..." Walter began to say just as there was
a tentative knock on the bedroom door.

"Uh, hey, are you two up and around in there?"

Mulder. Walter sighed. Oh man...facing both agents right now was not
going to be easy - especially Mulder. And not just because he heaved up
all over his hallway last night. Christ.

"Yeah, uh...we're awake," Walter called back.

"Ok, good. Um...sorry to bother you but Scully and I...well we need some
clothes."

"Oh shit," Walter winced. He could hear the awkwardness dripping off
Mulder's words. Shit. Clothes. Man what was he going to do about clothes
as well? He had no idea how bad his clothes were...well if they could be
worn at all, or what condition they were in.

"Mulder, sorry. Hang on," Walter answered. Kim sat up. Walter reached
over her, grabbing his glasses off the night stand. He slid off the
opposite side of the bed and padded over to the door. Skinner opened the
door a crack. Mulder stood outside in his boxer briefs and robe.

"Sorry," he smiled gamely, "We thought maybe we'd get...well Scully
wanted some sweats," he finished looking down the hallway towards the
living room.

"Sure. Uh...come on in," Walter replied, moving back and opening the
door. Mulder walked past him into the bedroom.

"Morning, Fox," Kim greeted the agent. She could tell Mulder was
struggling to maintain his calm exterior. She just wasn't sure what he
would do if it broke. Burst out laughing or run howling for the hills in
dismay and worry.

"Morning. I'll just get Scully's garment bag," he motioned for the closet.

"Did you just get up again?" Kim asked trying to make idle conversation.

"Yeah, we went back to bed for a while after the uh...after the phone
calls too," Mulder replied, advancing quickly to the closet door. He
opened it and fished around.

Walter stood there staring at Mulder's back. He was at a loss as to what
to say. Embarrassment coupled with dread caused his mind to lock up. So,
he just stared. Kim glanced at him and he noticed her movement out of
the corner of his eye. He looked down when she tried to cover where her
eyes had strayed. Well...Christ yeah. All he had on were his boxer
briefs and t-shirt. He sighed.

"Mulder?"

"Yes, sir?" Mulder replied, turning out of the closet, Scully's garment
bag firmly in hand.

"Were my...can I wear any of my clothes?"

"Well...." Mulder began.

"That bad?"

"Yeah. You kind of hit just about everything last night."

"Shit," Walter shook his head again. Kim smoothed her hands through her
hair and looked away. She could tell Walter was terribly embarrassed.
She mentally kicked herself for drawing his attention to his undressed
state. It was still upsetting her to see him feeling this low about
himself. It hurt to see him acting so unsure and tentative. Walter was
usually in control and sure of himself. In truth, and although Kim
didn't want to admit it, she was unsettled to see him otherwise no
matter how hard she tried not to be.

Mulder stared at Walter for a moment and then his face brightened.

"Hang on a second," he advised. Mulder walked over and laid the garment
bag down on the end of the bed on top of Kim's clothes. Then he walked
back to the closet.

He rooted around on the closet floor a minute and then he came out
holding some blue sweat pants in triumph. The pants had the FBI logo on
the one of the pockets.

"Viola! These are yours, Walter."

"Really?" Skinner asked half in profound relief and half in further
confusion.

"Yeah, if you check I bet you have my FBI issue. I meant to return
these. I took them after we showered at the gym about 3 months ago.
Grabbed the wrong pair off the locker bench," Mulder smiled, handing the
sweats to Skinner. Skinner took them in hand. "I did wash them," Mulder
added with a small grin.

"I thought Walter's had shrunk in the wash," Kimberly chimed in, a
chuckle in her voice.

"Damn lucky," Walter smiled tentatively at the agent.

"So, why don't you pull those on and then come on out for...coffee. It
won't take long to brew some," Mulder replied going back to the end of
the bed. He hefted the garment bag again. He ended up draping the bag
over one arm.

Skinner blinked. The meaning in Mulder's words was clear. Come out and
talk. Discuss. Unload. Unburden. He shifted uneasily. He shouldn't
procrastinate any longer. He had to get it off his chest or likely lose
his mind. He nodded and then spoke with very sincere gratitude in his voice.

"Thanks. Thanks for everything Mulder," Walter replied, holding the
sweats against his waist.

"Yes, thank you, Fox," Kim added, smiling at the agent.

"No problem," Mulder nodded. He headed back over towards the bedroom
door, retrieving a pair of gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt that were
hanging from a hook on the back of it. He threw the clothes over the
garment bag and then reached for the doorknob.

"Later," he added over his shoulder. Then he exited, closing the door
behind him.

Walter let out a huge sigh of relief.

"I gotta take a piss," he mumbled bending to pull the blue sweat pants on.

"That makes two of us," Kim agreed sliding to get out of bed.

xXx

Later...in the kitchen.

Mulder poured coffee into the cups all ready set out on the table.
Scully had shooed him over to set said table when he burned himself on
the frying bacon. He still looked sleepy, Walter thought. The agent's
hair was standing up in spikes all over his head. Walter was standing at
the counter, toasting English muffins. Scully and Kim were making soft-
boiled eggs and bacon. For once, Mulder's fridge was well stocked with
food. Walter thought, with some wry amusement, that Scully's influence
was certainly responsible for that state of affairs. It was also
probably responsible for the fact that Mulder didn't look like a
scarecrow anymore.

Scully appeared marginally more alert. She had evidently run a brush
through her hair because it looked more together as Kim would say. Kim
looked gorgeous - well she always did to Walter - no matter bed hair or
what have you. Walter didn't have to worry about bed hair. No shit he
thought with a self-depreciating shake of his head. He popped the
English muffins up out of the toaster and began to butter them with
alacrity.

They had agreed to eat a late breakfast. By almost tacit agreement the
four of them had come to the conclusion that the news Walter would soon
share was best absorbed on a full stomach. Skinner was surprised he had
any appetite at all. Surprised any of them did really. But in truth he
was hungry and he appreciated being able to fortify himself for the
difficult discussion ahead.

Finally all four of them were seated at the table, food, juice and
coffee at hand, eating in silence. They continued to chew in silence
until three of them were finished eating and were on their second cups
of coffee. They were silent until Walter began watching Mulder shovel
down a second helping of bacon and eggs. The agent's table manners
reminded him of when he'd been in the Marines. Eat it while there was
time to eat it had made everyone in his squad wolves over their food
most of the time. Besides, humping your pack through the stinking, hot
jungle all day gave a soldier a hell of an appetite. Nam. Christ. He'd
better get this show on the road, Walter thought as Mulder took another
huge bite of egg. Before Skinner could clear his throat and suggest they
all go talk in the living room, Mulder noticed he was under observation.
His fork stopped in midair, egg dripping onto his plate.

"What?" he asked looking down at his shirt and then his plate

Scully rolled her eyes. She'd noticed Mulder was really bolting his food
as well of course. He ate like a typical guy - but he didn't often eat
like he was trying to win a pie eating contest. He was probably rushing
either in a deliberate or perhaps unconscious effort to get to the
point. He was making an effort to finish quickly so he could find out
what Walter had to reveal. Well God. They all wanted to know but...her
musings were interrupted my Skinner's distracted response.

"What?" Walter asked, coming up confused out of his reverie.

"Did I spill it on my t-shirt or what?" Mulder asked with some amusement
in his voice.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Scully interjected, drawing a blank stare
from Mulder.

Scully felt like sticking her tongue out at him but restrained herself.

"Hey, same to you Scully. And who dribbles ice cream down her chin and
then lets it fall on her..."

"Hey, hey. We will not go there," Scully replied, shaking her fork at
her partner.

"I'm sorry, I know I was staring. It's just that..." Walter began.

Both Scully and Mulder fell instantly silent and gave their attention to
their boss.

Walter glanced at Kim and she took his hand in hers.

"It's just that I was thinking how you looked like me or one of the guys
in my unit eating in the field. We used to wolf our food down fast In
Country because...well because we usually didn't get much time to
eat...." he let his voice trail off. Kim squeezed his hand.

"Walter..." Scully started to commiserate as well, but Skinner put his
free hand up in a gesture to stop her.

"No. It's fine. We...let's go in the living room. I have some things I
need to tell all of you. I'm more than ready to do it. Let's go," he
gestured with his head and three of them rose, coffee cups in hand.

Mulder slammed down the last bit on his fork and then he also stood up,
taking his coffee cup in hand as well.

Once they were in the living room there was a brief awkward moment when
no one seemed to know where to sit. Scully finally settled the matter by
indicating with her hand that Kim should sit on the couch. The couch was
once more a couch since they'd folded it back up earlier. That solved
Skinner's problem. He sat down beside her. Kimberly took his left hand
in hers again.

Scully didn't hesitate long in seating herself in the new overstuffed
chair that faced the couch. The coffee table had been moved back in
front of the couch, between it and the chair. The table was a little far
for her to reach, so Scully put her coffee cup down on the small table
that sat next to the chair. She looked up at Mulder. There was a
straight backed wooden chair next to the overstuffed chair. Mulder
looked at it, sucking on his lower lip.

Walter could almost read what was on his mind. Sit down next to Scully
and make it look like a meeting in the AD's office or...or what? Skinner
was having that very same feeling - that except for Kimberly's presence
next to him and not at some desk outside his door - this felt very much
like a session between Assistant Director Walter Skinner and his two
often annoying, but brilliant agents.

Skinner had just about decided to take the bull by the horns and tell
Mulder to sit down this wasn't a conference, when the agent came to a
decision. He smiled at Scully and lowering himself down, sat at her
feet. Scully smiled down at him. Skinner caught the quick look of love
that passed between them. Then Scully pulled her legs up, under her. It
was comfortable for her sit that way due to her petite stature. Mulder
leaned his lanky frame back against the chairs seat, his legs stretched
out in front of him. Skinner sighed. Time for this meeting to come to
order he thought grimly. He looked into Kim's eyes, saw the raw devotion
mixed with worry there, and, gaining strength from both, began to tell
his story.

"First of all I just want to say, this isn't my office in the J. Edgar
Hoover Building, all right? I don't think we can stand on formality here
any longer. Scully, Mulder...I know, and I think Kim would agree, that
the two of you, well...you're the closest friends we have now. I...I
just wanted to acknowledge that and tell you I appreciate it more than I
can ever express," he looked down at his hands for a few moments to
collect his thoughts.

"I can only second Walter's words," Kim added smiling weakly at Scully
and then Mulder.

Kim's heart was beating hard. She knew this was going to be one of the
single most difficult experiences she and Walter would ever have to
face. She just knew in her very soul that what Walter had to say was
going to be perhaps cataclysmic. At the very least it was going to
irreversibly effect everyone in this room - and not for the best. Kim
steeled herself for anything and prepared herself to listen carefully
regardless of how painful it would be to hear what was said.

Dana Scully watched Walter Skinner and she knew this was going to be
bad. Walter had found out something significant about his and Kim's
infertility issues last night. Something had occurred, and Walter had
gotten almost blind drunk over it. She wasn't sure what Walter had
discovered but she was fairly sure, that in their line of work and with
the dangers that swirled around them...it wasn't going to be good news.
She tried to begin the distancing process that she usually put into
place when dealing with witnesses in a particularly horrific case. It
wasn't going to be easy and she knew she wouldn't be completely successful.

These were her friends now. Kim...Kim was almost like a sister to her.
My God, Walter was her ex-lover. She still loved him. Oh, not in a
sexual way any longer. But she admired, respected and felt a closeness
to him now despite her reassertion of the supervisor/subordinate
dynamic. Yes, that had something to do with all this too. This was the
AD. Seeing him as a friend, a man, and a man in distress was pushing all
kinds buttons with her. She could hardly fathom the emotions. However,
she did know one thing. She knew she would support both Walter and
Kimberly with her last dying breath.

Fox Mulder watched Walter and Kimberly with a mixture of concern,
compassion and unfettered curiosity. He was more than willing by this
point to acknowledge Walter Skinner as a friend. He all ready considered
Kimberly one and having Walter on the short list of Mulder friends
wasn't something he would find hard to do at all. He had the idea that
he might have a little trouble keeping business separated from that
arrangement. But not a whole lot of trouble. He had long known how to
compartmentalize matters like that fairly well. And he thought with wry
humor - if he forgot - Walter Skinner would certainly remind him.

So, yes. He was ready to accept Skinner as a friend. He was also ready
to support him in any way possible. Especially if, what he had to tell
them all had anything to do with The X-Files. Because that was where the
feelings of curiosity came in. Mulder had seen Walter Skinner in the
middle of his own personal X-File before. One that he wouldn't even
admit was one as a matter of fact. But in this instance Mulder's sixth
sense that ferreted out the bizarre, the paranormal was buzzing like a
hive of bees.

Somehow it was all connected he thought. The dreams, the infertility and
whatever Walter had found out last night. All Mulder had to do was wait
and it would be revealed to all of them. But waiting was never easy for
him. He was vibrating so hard with trying not to ask questions he felt
like a blender set on liquefy. But he held his counsel. He held it
partly because he knew Skinner would come to the point very soon. He
also held it partly because Scully, knowing him as well as she did, had
surreptitiously kicked him in the shoulder.

Scully spoke briefly at that point and Mulder turned his attention to her.

"I appreciate both of you saying that a lot. I think Mulder does too."

"No question," Mulder nodded with sincerity.

"I just want you to know we both consider you allies and friends as
well. I mean, Kim, I...you're almost like a sister to me..." she let her
voice trail off and looked down into her lap for a moment. Mulder
reached up and touched her knee with affection.

Walter had looked up by this time of course. He spoke again.

"Scully, I know some of what I'm going to say may hurt you in a very
fundamental way. It's because I consider you and Mulder friends that I
just want to apologize for that eventuality right up front as well."

"This is about your inability to conceive isn't it?" Scully asked
quietly looking up again at Skinner.

Before Walter could answer, Kim interrupted.

"Walter, I told them what we found out at Doctors Fuller's office. I'm
sorry. I know you probably would have rather told them yourself but..."

"It just came out," Scully hastened to add.

"Oh. Well...It's ok. I would have told you eventually. I probably could
have done it last night if I hadn't been drunk off my ass. Crap. Yeah -
I'm gonna be apologizing for that forever, aren't I?" he gave a terse
little grin and the tension in the room backed off a millimeter.

"Well...like I said..." Mulder began.

"Yeah, I know. But allow me to wallow in embarrassment for a while, all
right? You probably won't see it happen very often. Revel in it,"
Skinner quipped, reaching to take up his coffee cup from the coffee table.

Mulder chuckled and reached down to get his coffee cup where he had
placed it under the chair. By the time he'd taken a sip, Walter was
talking again.

"In an event - yeah. This is about our inability to have a baby. I'm
sorry this is even a topic of conversation given...uh...given your
circumstances Scully."

Scully nodded but made a dismissive gesture with her hand.

"Walter, I can handle it. The point here is...you and Kim need help...so
let Mulder and I help in whatever capacity we can, all right? I think I
can let my feelings take a back seat here for a while," she stared at
him seriously, "and this can't be easy for you either," she added
sympathetically.

Skinner nodded back. He knew Scully had a backbone of steel sometimes.
She was capable of becoming detached and stoic when matters necessitated
she remain the consummate professional. Walter understood this because
he had the same abilities. He had to hope that common ability would see
them both through the gut ache ahead.

"All right. Agreed. I also just have to say," and he turned to Kim,
"Kim. I know this is gonna hurt. I...I can't help it babe. Please,
just...I'm sorry."

Kim nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She gripped his hand tight.
Tears were close to welling up in her eyes.

"Go on..." she finally managed to whisper, "I need to know," she dropped
his hand and moved closer, allowing their entire bodies to touch now,
lending and receiving strength and solace through that connection.

Walter smiled gently and nodded at her. Then he turned and became
serious again. He began to get to the explanation at last.

"Ok. We did see my doctor yesterday. Jackson Fuller. Jackson and I go
way back - to Vietnam as a matter of fact. He was the corpsman who found
me when I was wounded and road back in the evac chopper to the MASH unit
with me," he began, "he also assisted in the surgery that saved my
life," he added grimly.

"At any rate, Jackson determined, after a thorough physical exam, that I
needed to see a fertility specialist. Since none of Kim's tests had
indicated any reason for her to be unable to conceive, there was a
distinct possibility that I was the problem."

"That you were sterile?" Scully asked quietly.

"Right. So, he was going to set up an appointment with a clinic so that
we could check that out."

Both Mulder and Scully nodded their heads.

"I take it you found out something else last night besides the idea that
your doctor wanted you to see a fertility specialist?" Mulder asked.

"You'd be taking that right, yes," Skinner nodded. He took one more
drink from his coffee cup to clear the dryness from his throat and then
he went on.

"When we got home from the appointment with Jackson, the phone at the
townhouse was ringing."

"That was Jackson," Kimberly stated matter-of-factly. Walter looked at
her in astonishment. Kim shrugged. Then he smiled just a little. Lawyer
in the making. Not much difference between and agents and a lawyers
powers of deduction when it comes right down to it.

"Yeah. It was Jackson all right. I didn't...honey I smelled something
rotten right away just from the sound of his voice. He sounded
desperate. Scared shitless in point of fact. I should have told you it
was him right away. But his tone and demeanor on the phone made me think
I should take the call in private first and then deal with telling you
after I found out what the hell had him in a panic."

"Go on," Kim replied.

But he hadn't told her Kim thought. Kim didn't appreciate not being told
either. She could understand where Walter was coming from there but it
was annoying and upsetting nonetheless. Of course he was thinking of her
welfare, her safety. He wanted to protect her. She understood that
logically. But, logic told her also that by thinking of her that way
Walter was also thinking of her as being helpless. Of being incapable of
dealing with danger or tough, unsettling life issues. She didn't like
that idea. It was something they would have to talk about later. They
needed to get some better communication going over the fact the Kimberly
was anything but a helpless individual. But...she would wait to a much
better moment to bring up that subject. Now was not the time. Now was
the time to hear exactly what happened between Jackson and Walter and
how that would effect them all. She watched her husband as Walter
Skinner began to speak again.

Walter got right to the point.

"Jackson wanted to meet me at that bar, Borders, near his office to talk
to me. He needed to discuss my diagnosis. As it turned out he wouldn't
have had to bother to refer me to a fertility clinic. He already knew
the diagnosis. I'm sterile and he's partly the reason I am."

"Oh my God," Kim whispered.

"How?" Scully asked half in disbelief.

"Jackson's part of the conspiracy," Mulder stated quietly.

"Since Vietnam, yes," Walter nodded fixing the agent with his eyes.
Skinner could practically see the wheels turning in Mulder's head.
Possibilities being weighed and theories being posed, examined, accepted
and rejected in turn. Walter nodded and went on to fill in more details.

"As to how...it seems that Fuller was...was suborned in Vietnam by
representatives of the uh...that shadow government with which we're all
to familiar. They made him an offer he couldn't refuse and he took it."

"Which was?" Mulder asked.

Which was? Skinner thought. Which was an offer that ruined my life he
told himself. But he couldn't tell the agent that little piece of self
defeatist crap. No, he had to shake off that shit and face the music
here. Get strong. Fight back even though he felt like digging a hole,
crawling into it and pulling the dirt back in on top of his body.

"Which was to insert chips during Mash unit surgery, into the bodies of
soldiers wounded in action. These chips were supposed to...to cause a
genetic alteration to the soldier's sperm - a very quick measurable
change evidently, because the chips were only put in guys who weren't
expected to survive."

"So they could be removed quickly and analyzed?" Scully asked.

"Right."

"What was the result of this genetic alteration supposed to be? Mulder
asked.

"I gather from Jackson that he was told I was supposed to be one of the
privileged few who would father a master race resistant somehow to
invasion by the black oil. I guess it had something to do with combating
the future invasion of Earth by...by the grays or whatever."

Walter still had trouble believing everything about the threat to
mankind even now. But he'd seen enough over the years to realize that it
was all coming down eventually and in exactly the way he had denied for
so long. He was glad that he had at least told Kimberly of the dangers
that could lie ahead. It was really time now to face the music. All four
of them would have to face it together from here on out.

"Christ," Mulder shook his head.

"Walter, you're saying Jackson...that Dr. Fuller agreed to do this to
you?" Kim asked, her voice shaky.

"He...Kim...yes, he did. But...I think he's paid the price for that
mistake over and over for years. But he's trying to...to do the right
thing now. And by doing that he's also put himself and his wife in great
danger. I cautioned him to keep a low profile and call me if he runs
into trouble."

"You mean you offered to help him?"

"Kim...I...I can't excuse what he did but I can understand it and try to
forgive him for it. Yes, I...I think he could use our friendship and
besides by helping him we may find out more information about the
bastards that are perpetrating these kinds of atrocities."

"We should try to contact him at some point," Scully interjected.

"Yeah, I need to do that soon because I'm still worried about what he
may do or what may be done to him," Walter nodded.

"We could make some calls after we...after we get done here," Mulder
volunteered.

"Good idea. Yes, thanks," Walter nodded.

Kim remained silent and her hand shook slightly in his. Walter released
Kim's hand and put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

"But, Walter if these chips were supposed to just alter your sperm
somehow why..." Scully let her voice trail off uncomfortably for a
second..."I'm sorry..." she mumbled. Mulder touched her knee gently and
she continued. "Why are you sterile then?"

"I'm sterile because Jackson said he thinks there's a possibility the
chip was really designed to make men sterile. He wasn't at all sure that
the...that his associates didn't lie to him from the beginning regarding
it's true purpose," Skinner replied, a trace of bitterness in his voice.

"Either that or the chips were unperfected and the sterility was an
effect of some defect," Mulder suggested.

"He mentioned that possibility as well," Walter replied staring down
into his coffee cup.

Kim shrugged out from under Walter's arm and stared at him for a moment.
When she spoke her voice was filled with strain.

"You're telling me that...that someone who was supposed to be a healer,
that a doctor put a device in your body that...that someone violated you
this way and...and...God. Walter how can you forgive a man for doing
something like that to you?

"Kim..." Walter began, turning to take her hand again. She moved away a
little.

"Walter we can never have children of our own because of Jackson Fuller,
and this...this damn syndicate or consortium or whatever they're called.
Dana....Dana can't either..." Kim continued on.

Kim felt herself losing control. She knew she was and couldn't stop
herself. The information had been too much to absorb in too short a time
and now she wasn't able to cope any longer. All she could think of was
Walter had been in essence raped, they would never be able to have
children and their lives were more than likely still in danger from
whatever forces had perpetrated this monstrous crime on them all. Her
voice started to rise.

"How can you ever forgive a man like Jackson Fuller, Walter. How can you
ever even look him in the face again?"

"Because he's my friend and I know he's suffering, Kim. I..." Walter began.

"HE'S suffering! For God's sake..." Kim let her voice fade suddenly. She
rose and moved away from the couch.

"Kim?" Walter asked in bewilderment. He rose too and tried to stop her
forward progress away from the group.

"No, just...I need to be alone for a minute. Leave me alone," she
whispered, pushing past his outstretched hand.

Walter stepped back abruptly. He felt like her whispered words had
slapped him in the face. He stood there dumbstruck as Kim rushed away
from him.

Mulder and Scully sat there stunned as well. Kim fled down the hallway
and they all heard the bathroom door slam shut a moment later. Walter
suddenly regained his senses and started to head off after her.

"Walter, wait," Scully admonished him. Skinner stopped dead in his
tracks and turned back towards her.

"I should go..."

"No, let me," Scully advised.

She pushed on Mulder's shoulders signaling him to scoot forward. She
climbed out of the chair and moved to follow Kim.

"Sit tight you two...I'll...I'll talk to her," Scully tossed back over
her shoulder as she headed off down Mulder's hallway towards the
bathroom. Skinner and Mulder listened as she knocked on the door and
asked Kim to open it. There was only a brief hesitation before they
heard the door click open and Scully go in, shutting it behind her again.

Skinner sat heavily back down on the couch and Mulder came over and sat
down beside him.

"Can I get you any more coffee?" he asked with a wince. He was really at
a loss for something better to say.

"No...I'm fine," Walter replied automatically. Then he gave a brief
bitter chuckle. "Shit, that's a fucking misstatement," he added shaking
his head.

"Sir...uh...Walter...I really am sorry," Mulder replied awkwardly. He
wanted to put his arm around Skinner's shoulders but he thought that
might embarrass the older man. Instead he extended his hand as if
offering a handshake.

Skinner hesitated for second and then grasped his hand firmly and to
Mulder's surprise pulled him into a brief bear hug. Mulder slapped his
back a couple of times and then they released each other. Both looked a
little sheepish but Skinner did look marginally more comfortable.

"Thanks Mulder," he mumbled.

"No problem," the agent ducked his head a little.

"Think they'll be in there long?" Skinner asked craning his neck in the
direction of the bathroom.

"They might be. If Kim's crying then Scully's probably crying too and I
know she won't come out until she's erased the evidence," Mulder grinned
a little.

Skinner turned and looked back at him. He returned the grin a bit and
then his face lapsed into a serious expression again.

"Mulder..."

"There's more isn't there?" Mulder asked quietly.

"Yeah," Skinner nodded looking down at his hands. Skinner had seen it in
his eyes again. That need to know. He suspected Skinner hadn't told him
everything. He could only surmise the agent might suspect his father's
involvement as well given the bastard's previous track record. Skinner
turned to face Mulder again.

"Did someone from this uh...project Fuller was involved in come to Nam
to offer him this deal...or was it done indirectly?" Mulder asked, his
eyes playing over Skinner's face.

"Jackson said three men came to see him. Suits. Government men for sure.
I'd bet they were direct operatives in the project, uh...the Consortium
I mean."

"Cancer man?"

"Jackson claimed one of them chain smoked Morleys, so yes, that's
probably a good bet."

"Walter...was one of them my father?" Mulder asked in a low voice.

Skinner had dreaded the question but knew it was likely to come. Mulder
went on in a dream-like voice and Skinner listened intently.

"I have a vague memory of my father telling us he...he was going on a
trip to someplace warm...to the jungle just before...just before my
sister was abducted. Sam asked him if they had tigers in this jungle
where he was going and he said "no Samantha, but I'm taking a tiger with
me for protection."

"Shit," Skinner rumbled. Jesus, Bill Mulder was one sick son of a bitch
he thought.

Mulder came back to himself and shrugged.

"He brought us back little water buffalo carvings and some gold inlaid
chopsticks," he mumbled looking down at the floor.

Skinner swallowed the bitter taste of disgust that flooded his mouth.

"Mulder, I can't lie to you. Jackson said one of the people who offered
him the deal was named Mulder."

Mulder nodded and looked back up, "I...I guess you know I'm doubly sorry
for that too."

Skinner studied the agent's face. He didn't like the agonized look that
shone from his eyes at all. It worried him. He needed Mulder sharp here,
not wallowing in self pity. Besides, it upset him at a very basic level
to know that this man, that his friend was aching so much. If Skinner
was hurting, Mulder was hurting as well. All of them were in the same
boat of hurt as a matter of fact. He felt it was his duty to try to
alleviate some of that gut ache. To lighten all their loads if he could.
Years of taking it all on his own shoulders came back into play. He
found the idea almost comforting. A way to reestablish control over an
unenviable situation. He placed his hand on Mulder's shoulder and
squeezed a little.

"Fox," Skinner began in order to make sure he had the younger man's
attention.

"Sir...I'd really appreciate it right now if...if you'd not use my first
name. Uh...just not right now, all right?" Mulder blinked and looked away.

"All right, Mulder. But listen to me, agent," Skinner growled bringing
Mulder's attention back to him instantly.

"Sir?"

"Mulder, you can't be sorry for something you had no control over. The
sins of the father's shouldn't be visited on the sons. You have nothing
to be sorry for, Mulder. Do you hear me? Nothing." Skinner hissed,
pinning Mulder's eyes.

Skinner could see Mulder's Adam's apple work up and down. He stared into
Skinner's eyes and then he nodded once.

"All right. Uh...it's just wasn't an easy thing for me to hear. I...I
guess I need some time to process the idea. I mean I suppose I shouldn't
be so surprised after all given my father's track record..." he let the
thought trail off.

Skinner waited for him to continue and when he didn't he prompted him.

"I know it's an unpleasant thing to realize that your father isn't all
you..."

"It's ok, Walter - I...I'll...I'll get this assimilated here somehow.
Let's...just fuck it for now. Listen...I know...I know there's still
more to this story. I don't mean this Consortium shit either."

"What?" Skinner asked momentarily caught off guard.

"The dreams Walter. We've got to talk about the dreams."

Skinner ran a hand over his face and sighed deeply.

"Mulder, this part is going to be really hard to explain."

"I've heard hard to explain before, Walter. Plenty of times as you can
well imagine. Try me," Mulder replied, furrowing his brow in concentration.

Dana Scully handed Kim another Kleenex from the box on the back of the
toilet. Kimberly accepted it gratefully, sniffling as she did. Scully
wiped her own nose again as well and tossed her tissues in the trash can
near by.

"I'm sorry," Kim mumbled, blowing her nose. Scully waited until she'd
tossed her tissues away as well, and then she answered her friend.

"Kim, there's nothing to be sorry about. I can more than understand why
you're upset."

Kim looked up at her from her seat on the edge of the bathtub. Scully
sat down next to Kim as the taller woman composed herself further.

"Dana, this has to be doubly upsetting for you under the circumstances,
doesn't it?" she sniffed again. "I admire your courage."

Scully tried to shrug off her own pain. Of course the whole sterility
issue was painful for her. She and Mulder were going to have to deal
with it as a couple for the rest of their lives just as Walter and Kim
would have to do. She was beginning to realize she could cope with it.
It wasn't easy - in fact it hurt a great deal. But she was going to deal
with the hurt as she had done so many times with other hurtful things in
the past. Besides, she wanted to be there for Kim now too and sharing
this situation would only help them both to grow more strong.

"Kim, I guess...I guess I'm learning to deal with my sterility. Of
course it's terribly painful and it's something Mulder and I will have
to deal with for the rest of our lives together. As for the courage
idea..." she didn't get to finish because Kim interrupted her.

"Rest of your lives together? Dana...what...did Fox..."

Scully smiled a bit shyly as she replied, "Yeah, Mulder asked me to
marry him."

"Oh Dana!" Kim exclaimed moving to hug Scully. She drew her close and
squeezed her tight for a moment and then released her. She smiled gently
at her.

"Where's the ring?" she demanded a teasing tone in her voice.

"Oh Lord. Well it took us forever to decide on designs. Mulder wanted to
have them custom made. So, you can imagine how that went. We finally had
them made specially and then they had to be redone because Mulder didn't
think mine was quite right and to tell you the truth, I agreed with him.
At any rate, we're supposed to pick them up next week."

"I'm so excited. This is just fantastic," Kim enthused, her troubles
forgotten for a moment.

Scully touched her friends hand.

"Thanks, Kim. I...I do want you to be maid of honor - eventually. I
don't think we're ready to take the walk down the aisle quite yet. I
haven't even told my mother."

"Oh. Well I can keep the secret until you're ready. Can I tell Walter
though?"

"Oh yes, by all means. We were going to tell you both, we just
didn't...well we didn't have the time..." Scully let her voice trail off
and she grew serious again as did Kimberly.

"Yeah, this wouldn't have exactly been conducive to telling us would
it?" Kim sighed.

"I guess not," Scully murmured, patting Kim's knee.

Kim looked into Dana's eyes for a second and then looked down at her hands.

"Can I ask you a question, Dana?"

"Sure, hon," Scully replied.

"Did Fox ever lie to you - even a lie by omission?"

Scully couldn't help a snort of laughter which made Kim look up at her
abruptly, eyebrow raised.

"Lied to me by omission, ditched me, argued like hell with me, made me
feel like a fool for my beliefs..."

"And your marrying this guy?" Kim asked only half in jest.

"Well I've done the same to him, Kimberly. I mean...we're only human.
Mulder and I have such a deep bond that even when we do lapse into more
human frailties we can get past it and reach an understanding. We love
and respect each other deep down even when we're ripping the heart out
of each other's theories. Why do you ask? Are you upset because Walter
kept you in the dark about going to see Fuller?"

"Yes, I am. I know that's selfish too Dana. I should be more upset and
worried about what was done to Walter not some slight I perceived was
done to me. But Walter has never lied to me, Dana, he's never left me
out before. It...it just hurt me so much to think he didn't trust me
enough."

"I'm not sure it had to do with trust Kimberly."

"Oh I know that deep down, I guess. He was trying to protect me. But,
Dana that infantilizes me - turns me into the helpless little woman. I
hate being made to feel that way. My uncle made my aunt feel that way
and it's so damaging."

Scully pursed her lips. Ok. She could understand that idea. Mulder had
done some of that in the past...until she straightened him out. Now he
tried to keep his over-protective tendencies at least under control as
much as he could. He knew it drove her up the wall.

"Honey, if you feel that way then you need to talk to Walter about it. I
had to have a similar discussion with Mulder. More than one to be really
honest. Believe me, it helps. Just talk to him about it when things
settle down and I'm sure he'll listen."

Kim nodded and replied, "I know that's the right thing to do. Walter's a
good listener. He always does listen to me."

"Exactly. And as for the rest of all this...I think it's horrible what
was done to Walter. But I can understand why he wants to help Jackson
Fuller..."

Kim interrupted, with a wave of her hand, "Oh I know that too. Walter is
that kind of man. He...he had an underlying compassion for people that
others don't often realize is there. It's typical of him to try to
forgive a friend. I just lost it in there, Dana. I...it was so upsetting
I guess I couldn't think straight."

Scully nodded, "I guess thinking 'straight' kind of goes out the window
in general where the X-Files is concerned, Kim. I learned years ago that
you have to roll with the punches."

"It's too bad those punches always feel like they're delivered to the
stomach," Kim replied, grimacing slightly.

Scully gave her a tight smile.

"I can't argue with you there. Kim, I'm not sure what's going to happen
next. You know the kind of work that Walter does in...in trying to help
Mulder and I with the X-Files. You were privy to some of it when you
were working for the Bureau and as you say, Walter has been truthful
with you about it now. I...I've really valued your support since we've
become close. I hope...I'm hoping that if you let me...we can help each
other to stay strong," Scully whispered reaching for Kim's hand.

Kim took Scully's hand in hers.

"Yes, we need to stick together," Kim whispered.

"We all need to stick together," Scully replied.

Kim patted Scully's hand and then released it. She rubbed her eyes a
little and straightened her shoulders.

"We'd better get back in there. They're going to wonder what's happening."

"Yes. And I want to find out what's happening out there too," Scully
pursed her lips.

Both women gathered themselves together and made ready to exit the bathroom.

xXx

"I've heard 'hard to explain' before, Walter. Plenty of times as you can
well imagine. Try me," Mulder was saying as Kim and Scully reentered the
living room.

Skinner stood instantly and went to Kim, taking her in his arms.

"Are you all right?" he rumbled into her ear, "I'm sorry..."

"No, it's ok. I...I should apologize too. We...we can talk about it
later," Kim whispered kissing him on the cheek.

Scully moved back to the chair she had been sitting in and she and
Mulder watched slightly embarrassed at the display of emotion between
Skinner and Kim.

"I can take you home," Skinner offered, pulling back a little and
stroking Kim's hair.

"No...no, that's fine. I'm...I'm better now. "Besides Dana and I made a
pact. We're forming a two girl gang here for moral support," Kim replied
giving a game smile.

"Oh oh. Sounds like trouble," Mulder interjected, smirking a little.

"Oh shut up, Mulder. You know you love it when I act tough," Scully
teased, raising an eyebrow.

Mulder laughed and a lot of lingering tension left the room. Skinner
pulled Kim close for one more hug.

"We'll talk about your concerns later then. I mean that," Skinner
assured Kim sincerely.

"Oh we definitely will," Kim affirmed, looking deep into Walter's eyes.
She wanted to makes sure Skinner understood she had issues here even
though she was attempting to overcome them. As Skinner studied her and
then nodded slightly, Kim added, "But...I'm trying to understand about
Jackson."

"Thank you," Skinner answered simply.

Kim stroked his shoulder as Skinner released her. "Now...what was this
about something else that was hard to explain?" she added, glancing at
Mulder as well.

Skinner's mouth dropped into a tight line. He nodded and made to return
to the couch. Mulder got up and moved back over to sit at Scully's feet
as she took her position in the chair again. Kim returned to the couch
as well and sat down next to Skinner.

Skinner composed himself.

Now where do I begin? he thought, trying to compose his thoughts. He
wanted to talk about the dreams but he wasn't sure how far he should go
into it. The dreams were incredibly personal even though Mulder and
Scully had a pretty good idea about his relationship with Cracker after
the incident with Krycek and Marita. He knew divulging and trying to
explain what he thought the dreams meant might be vital to all of them.
He just needed to work out how to deliver the message as best he could.

To make it more difficult, he was talking to three different
personalities here. It was going to be a hard sell even though two of
them were at least partly privy to the facts. He had to deal with
Mulder, a believer, Scully, a skeptic and Kim, a woman who was willing
to believe because she loved him but was still a lawyer in training -
analytical and demanding of as much proof as Dana Scully. A woman who
wasn't privy to all the facts regarding Cracker's walking into Mulder's
head, or his orchestrating of three way clandestine meetings in dreams.

And hell...he was struggling himself to believe what was happening with
Cracker Rand as well. How could he discuss this and convince others if
he hardly believed it himself? He knew what John had told him in that
Georgia porch roof dream. Last nights dream had shoved John's point home
- God - in more ways than one and quite literally. But how could he
explain what he'd been trying to deny to himself all this time? Where
the hell should I begin? he thought.

Skinner swallowed and did the only thing he knew to do. He began at the
beginning.

"Kim, I know you remember me telling you about my uh...affair with
Marita as well as the whole incident with Alex Krycek, right?"

Kim looked down at her hands and then back up at him.

"Yes. I guess you could say that circumstances surrounding Marita and
Alex Krycek were indirectly responsible for us falling in love, Walter.
I remember everything you told me."

"Well...there are a few things I didn't tell you," he replied in a quiet
voice.

Kim stared at him for a minute, annoyance playing across her face. Then
she seemed to rein herself in and nodded.

"All right. Does this have something to do with Marita?" she replied slowly.

"Not directly, no. It has more to do with...with someone Mulder and
Scully...uh...met during the incident with Marita and Krycek..." Skinner
let his voice trail off for a moment.

Scully straightened up in her chair and raised an eyebrow.

"Walter...does this have something to do with John Rand?" she asked, the
first hints of incredulity in her voice.

"Scully..." Mulder began to cut in, attempting to head her skepticism
off at the pass.

"John Rand?" Kimberly interrupted confusion plain on both her face and
in her voice, "They met John Rand? Walter, John's dead."

Walter Skinner ran his hand up under his glasses and pinched the bridge
of his nose. He dropped his hand and sighed deeply.

"Right now I'm not so sure about that Kim. I'm not so sure at all," he
replied.

"What...what do you mean. Did he survive somehow?" Kim asked, her voice
shaky.

"Sir...now hold on. Are you saying he's alive and trying to contact you
or..." Scully interrupted, formally.

"No, I think what Walter's saying is he's dead and trying to contact
him," Mulder interjected eagerly, "In your dreams, right, sir?"

"Oh now I am really confused," Kim blurted out in dismay. "In your
dreams? In your Vietnam nightmares?"

"In those and well...you know some of them aren't
nightmares...we've...we've talked about those too," Skinner replied,
shifting in his discomfort.

"What is going on here, Walter? I don't understand. Are you trying to
say Cracker Rand is a ghost and he...he's haunting you?" Kim asked,
straining to grasp what her husband was saying.

Scully rolled her eyes and Mulder caught the look.

"Scully, you can't disbelieve what happened between Rand and me. I mean
you were there when he stepped into my head."

"I saw something happen in the warehouse, yes. But there could still be
a scientific explanation for what I saw."

"Oh right."

"No, Mulder. Just because I don't have the explanation doesn't mean one
doesn't exist.

"But you'll have to admit that..."

"What are you saying!?" Kim exclaimed, holding up her hands.

"STOP - ALL OF YOU!" Skinner shouted bringing them all to silence
instantly.When he had their attention he spoke more reasonably. "If
you'll just let me order my thoughts, I'll attempt to explain."

"Sorry, sir," Scully nodded, flushing with embarrassment.

"Go on, sir," Mulder added.

Skinner glanced at Kim. Kim merely nodded, somewhat in shock.

"I'm sorry Kim. I know this is difficult. I'll do my best to make it
more clear."

"Go on then," she whispered.

Skinner took a deep breath and plunged in.

"I've had vivid dreams about Vietnam for years. As you all know I had
counseling because of them at one point. My dreams at that juncture
were...well as Mulder thought...of a psychic nature involving Sharon's
assault and death. At the time...well, I didn't understand any of it. I
dismissed it as something not worth understanding because I was afraid
to look any further into the unknown I guess. Uh...there's precedence
for my doing that before. I...I disavowed, suppressed and ignored my
near death experience in the war for years.

At any rate, if Mulder's theories were true....I may have some kind
of...precognitive dreaming ability. I'm still not sure if that's the
case, but I certainly do seem to be having dreams that are trying to
tell me something - where John is trying to tell me something. It's just
been very difficult to understand and then rationalize the message. So,
I've had dreams and nightmares about my war experience for years. But
these dreams and nightmares are taking on a new dimension regarding
my...my relationship with John and then John's death, of course."

"We know...we all know I guess, that you and John were lovers, Walter,"
Scully stated gently.

Skinner looked down at his hands.

"I'd have to say I've had two real loves in my life, Scully. The first
was John Rand. The second is Kim. I...I loved John very deeply. His
death was...I still have trouble dealing with his death even now," he
answered in a whisper.

Kim reached over and took his hand, squeezing it briefly. She released
it and he straightened up again, pinning Kim's eyes.

"You've never seen a picture of John have you Kim?" he asked suddenly.

"No...you never did show me a photo of him. I never asked to see one
because I thought...well...I thought it might be too painful for you. I
thought you might not even have a picture of him."

"You would have been right about it being painful. But...I do have a
photo," he replied. Scully...uh...sorry. Where's my wallet?"

"Oh. Uh, I'm sorry. I put your wallet in the night stand in Mulder's
bedroom. Let me get it," Scully replied, getting up. She walked briskly
away and back towards Mulder's bed room. When she returned she handed
Skinner his wallet and then sat back down.

"Thank you," he said.

Walter flipped the wallet open. He fished at the back of the plastic
photo sleeve inside and from below a photo of his mother and sister,
pulled out a small picture. He placed the wallet on the coffee table.

"This is John," he said simply, handing the photo across to Kimberly.
Kim took it, her hand shaking a little. She studied it, and then she
looked at Mulder.

"Oh my God!"

"In folklore that would be called a doppelganger, Kimberly. An exact
double," Mulder explained hastily.

"A younger version," Kim nodded, her hand going to her mouth. She placed
the photo down on the coffee table and continued to stare at it.

"As I looked at around 18 or 19," Mulder replied.

"His records do list him as killed in action Kim. So, we could assume
it's likely he's dead. But...as we know...records can be falsified..."
Scully began.

Kim looked back up and Scully and lowered her hand from her face.

"I saw his head blown off Scully," Skinner hissed, annoyance creeping
into his voice.

Scully gave him a serious look, "Yes sir, I know you 'thought' you saw
him die."

"Oh great...so you're going to tell me I imagined his death in some
marijuana induced haze or something?"

"God, Scully just because I told you he said he inhaled..." Mulder
choked out.

"Jesus, Mulder!" Scully replied deeply affronted, "I never meant to
imply anything connected with drug use. What I meant was...the shock of
battle could have..."

"Scully?" Skinner interrupted in his best AD command voice.

"Sir?" Scully answered, raising her eyebrow.

"John Rand was killed in action. I'm not mistaken. Believe me. I saw his
brains on my flack jacket."

Scully fell silent and looked down, "I'm sorry...I was just..."

"I know Scully. Look. I find this all hard to believe too. But I have to
believe because I don't know what else to do," Skinner replied.

Kim looked at Skinner again.

"Walter, what did Fox mean about Rand walking into his head?" she asked
quietly, studying Skinner's face.

"When I was beaten by Krycek and lay strapped down and dying in that
warehouse, John somehow...walked into Mulder's mind and...saved my life.
He talked to me, sang to me...did everything he could to help me to hang
on until the paramedics could arrive. He also...before that
even...helped me to cope with the beating. I would have died if he
hadn't been there, Kim. He kept me from giving up by...by being in my
mind and then possessing Mulder so he could have direct physical contact
with me."

"I did experience a very strange sensation in the warehouse. It was as
if someone was looking over my shoulder and then like...like someone was
whispering to me. After that I didn't remember anything that happened
for a while. When I came back, I was stroking Walter's head and the
paramedics were there," Mulder added.

"So you're saying John was...there in spirit and that he entered your
mind to help you cope with the beating and then into Mulder's to make
sure you would survive until medical help arrives?" Kim asked Walter
carefully.

"Essentially, yes. And...he's been coming into my dreams now more
frequently. For weeks he's been in them trying to warn me of some
amorphous danger which he doesn't seem to be able to pinpoint but which
is nonetheless on the horizon. He's also...also seems to be trying to.."

Mulder interrupted, his barely contained excitement evident in his voice
and gestures.

"I think John Rand can enter my mind in this manner precisely because he
does look like me," Mulder added eagerly This was Mulder's oeuvre - an
X-File - and despite the fact it was causing people he considered
friends deep personal anguish, he couldn't help but be excited at the
prospect of investigating the unknown and uncovering the truths to be
found there. "We may have some kind of...psychic connection because
we're in essence, astral twins."

"Astral twins?" Scully blurted, starting to object to the sheer
implausibility of Mulder's statement. But then she grew pensive.

"What's on your mind, Scully?" Mulder prompted into her pursed lips.

"Well...you did have that dream," she mused. The she turned to Skinner.
"Mulder...Mulder dreamt that John Rand was in his head and the two of
you were together...." Scully began, shaking her head. She still
couldn't quite bring herself to believe it even though she had been
there during Mulder's very vivid dream.

"...sitting on a porch roof in Georgia and looking out into a peach
orchard at an approaching summer storm," Mulder interjected, a dreamy
cadence to his voice.

"Exactly. John told me in the dream that he was riding shotgun in your
head that night and that you were fighting him. He said...Scully was
trying to wake you up," Skinner affirmed.

"Right, we were together that evening," Mulder replied. "He was going on
and on about a storm coming. He was trying to get me to stick around and
listen but I...well to tell you the truth he was freaking me out,"
Mulder added embarrassed and a little guilty.

"But what is he trying to warn you about, Walter? The...the Consortium?
Jackson's role in the experiments? What?" Kim asked, a little fear
creeping into her voice.

Skinner wanted to comfort her but he didn't think anything he would say
could help assuage her apprehension. He had to hope that the strength he
knew Kim possessed would come to the forefront now and help her to cope.

"I'm not sure John...I'm not sure he knows or if he does he can't
communicate it. Also...I can't always remember the whole dream. It comes
to me in flashes and when I wake up...I just can't quite grasp parts of
it. Sometimes the whole dream slips away before I can decipher what John
said or did. But the dreams are getting more intense. It really is as if
he's trying, in part, to warn me that my life is in danger but from who
or what he can't say."

"I'm sorry, I'm still having a lot of trouble believing this, sir,"
Scully sighed. "Dreams...dreams are mostly the unconscious mind's way of
dealing with everyday problems. The mind's way of coping with stress.
Perhaps...perhaps your concerns over the inability to conceive, over the
sterility, are being addressed in this manner when you're asleep."

"Scully can you just humor us for now?" Mulder whispered. "Just let
us...brainstorm a little here. Help us out here with our theorizing.
Maybe we'll come up with something more scientific later, but for
now...I just have a gut feeling we need to accept what's happening and
go with it for Walter's, and maybe even our own, safety."

Scully studied Mulder for a few seconds and then she let her breath out
again in a sigh.

"All right. I can at least listen," she replied.

"Thank you, Dana," Walter replied sincerely.

Scully nodded in his direction and Mulder began speaking again.

"You know, sir - many hauntings are explained by saying that the
deceased has unfinished business here on this plane before he or she
moves on to the next. Maybe John has that idea. Did he ever do anything
that he thinks he needs to atone for with you...or maybe that he owes
you in some way?" Mulder asked.

Skinner thought for a moment.

"Well there's a possibility that John thinks he's responsible for the
squad getting wiped out in the ambush. He...he and I were on point that
morning and he's said in the dreams on occasion that it was his fault
because he talked to me and distracted us both. I used to say the same
thing to him though," Skinner replied, adding the last bit in a near
whisper.

"That could be what he considers a debt," Mulder nodded. "Some ghosts
can't move on until they've discharged that debt. They...it's their way
of evening out the karma you might say."

"Or maybe he just loves him," Kim whispered.

"What?" Skinner replied, turning to look at her.

"Maybe he loved...loves you too, Walter. Maybe he's trying to...to stay
with you in order to try to protect you from beyond the grave because of
that love," Kim clarified.

Everyone stared at her. Her words drilled themselves into Skinner's
mind. She had hit the proverbial nail on the head here he realized. This
was probably the crux of the matter. It was the point that Skinner had
been denying to himself all along. John really did love him and
now...John wanted to prove that love in a basic and profound way.

Skinner could understand what John saw as his debt. John felt he was
responsible for not only Walter's near death but also his sterility
since if he hadn't been wounded, Jackson would never have gotten to him.
John is attempting to protect him from the agents of those who injured
him - Krycek and Marita. John may feel Skinner's life is in danger from
the Consortium in the near future because he discovered the reasons for
his sterility. And last but not least - John may not be able to move on
because he needs to....he wants Walter and Kim to... Oh Christ...this is
really too much to believe. His mind whirled around where his thoughts
were taking him until he couldn't deny them any longer.

"Jesus," he whispered.

"What?" Scully asked fixing on the look of surprise on Skinner's face.

"Sir?" Mulder asked.

Skinner looked at Kimberly, astonishment crossing his face. Then he
looked at Mulder and Scully and spoke.

"I think...I think Kimberly may be on the right track here. I think John
does love me too. I think he feels he owes me a debt as well. I think he
feels responsible for my being wounded and ultimately being rendered
sterile during the surgery to save my life. I think quite possibly he
can't leave this plane until he discharges that debt," Walter stated.

"But how, Walter?" Kim asked.

"I think...I think John is trying to help us have a baby," Skinner
replied in a quiet voice.

All three of Skinner's listeners stared at him, stunned, for several
seconds. Then Scully spoke.

"Walter," Scully began carefully, "I think that you've been under a lot
of pressure lately and..."

"Wait...Scully I think I know what..." Mulder cut in.

Kim held up one finger, swallowing hard as she tried to get her words out.

"Can we all just let Walter speak," Kim interjected. "I'm sorry
but...but I really just need to hear his whole explanation. This
is...this is getting to be way to personal and too much for me to
process with so many interruptions. Can you just hold your objections
and questions until the end?"

Scully's face became contrite. Mulder practically vibrated with the need
to keep talking but he held it in.

"I'm sorry, sir," Scully murmured.

"Go on, sir," Mulder nodded.

Skinner swallowed and prepared himself to deliver one of the hardest
explanations for anything that he'd ever given.

"All right, look. I believe - and yeah Mulder this is definitely a
friggin' X-File even I have to admit that - that John Rand feels he'll
settle our debt if he helps Kim and I conceive a child. I...I always
liked to think that John loved me too. He said it often but...well, I
had a hard time believing someone could love me that much...even back
then. So...you know...I discounted it. But evidently he was sincere
because I think now besides the debt...he really wants me to be happy
with Kim and for us to have a child."

"God..." Scully whispered, doubt and acceptance warring on her face.

Skinner nodded. He knew how incredibly strange this sounded. If Scully
doubted he couldn't really blame her. He was still having a hard time
going with the idea as well even as he articulated it. He continued to
speak.

"All this stuff about the warning I'm a little more hazy about. But
maybe the warning has to do with my discovering the sterility and how I
was rendered sterile. John may feel that we have to proceed very
carefully towards fulfilling his...plan because it's dangerous
otherwise. That makes sense to me under the circumstances. But...I think
his desire...his wish is that Kim and I have a baby so he can consider
things even between us and move on."

"He seems to realize that he's trapped here. That's not always the case
in these situations," Mulder added helpfully. "If that's the case then
yeah, he could be trying actively to act on the debt."

"Exactly," Skinner replied.

"But...but I don't understand how he thinks he can help us have a baby,
Walter. I mean, you're...you're not going to be able to father a child,
honey. How...what is he suggesting you...we do?" Kim asked, confusion
welling up in her again.

Skinner looked from Kim, to Scully and then over at Mulder. Skinner
almost couldn't bring himself to say it. He studied the agent's face
carefully. He could see the wheels turning there once again. Mulder
knew. Skinner could tell he knew, and took comfort in that knowledge.
The fact that Mulder had reached the same conclusion he had gave him the
confidence to continue. He just hoped the agent was going to buy what
they both knew now. That he would agree with it. Because if he didn't -
John would never be at peace, and he and Kim would have to find another
solution to the problem of conceiving a child.

Mulder made an almost imperceptible tilt of his chin signaling Skinner
that he should indeed spit it out. Skinner turned to Kim and gave her
his answer.

"I...I think John wants Mulder to father our child, Kim," Walter Skinner
replied, embarrassment mixed with doubt, fear, and hope weighing heavily
in his chest.

xXx

"What?" Scully whispered, her voice incredulous.

Kim just stared at him in stunned silence.

Mulder was silent for a moment as well and Skinner cleared his throat
and repeated his words.

"I think John wants Mulder to father our baby," he stated, running a
hand over his scalp.

"I heard what you said...I just...I can't...this is..." Scully
stammered. She was flushing slightly as she struggled for composure.

"Walter, I don't...this is too... too much," Kim interjected quietly,
shaking her head and looking down at her hands. "It sounds...well...do
you know how it sounds?" she added.

Skinner looked at Scully and Kim and saw the hurt and confusion in their
eyes. He looked at Mulder and the agent spoke.

"Uh...it's...well...it's not what I'd call an easy thing to swallow..."
Mulder began to address them collectively.

In a matter of seconds, with Mulder's seemingly doubting words,
everything that had happened over the last few hours came crashing down
on Skinner. His vision blurred and then he saw red. He felt anger and
self disgust both rising in his chest. It felt like all the blood in his
body was rushing into his head and threatening to blow the top clear off
it. His jaw clenched spasmodically and he felt his guts roil as well. He
went from being relatively calm and trying to explain to being furious
and wanting to cut and run before he said something or did something
damaging. He needed to leave as soon as he could stand up and get out
the door.

He felt like he'd made an utter fool out of himself. How could he have
even entertained the thought that they'd believe him? Even Mulder, the
man who usually believed in the most bizarre phenomenon was disbelieving
under the circumstances. How could he hope that the agent would
understand that he wanted him donate sperm so Kim could conceive? How
could he have been so thoughtless and insensitive to Dana Scully to
suggest her lover father another woman's child when she couldn't give
him a child herself? And how could he have been so blind to think that
Kim would accept the idea given that the suggestion had come from what -
a ghost? And from where - beyond the grave? He must be an imbecile to
not think she'd consider him crazy.

All that flew through his mind in a matter of minutes and when he
couldn't face thinking about any of it for another moment he spoke.

"You're right. It's too much to believe. I...I...just forget it. Fuck
it. Fuck all of it," he mumbled, and then he got up in a lurch. "I...I
need some air," he stated, pushing past Kimberly's legs.

"Walter...Walter!" she called in alarm after his receding back.

"Walter!" Scully called as well as Skinner stalked to Mulder's front
door, opened it and walked out. The door slammed behind him.

"Oh, God," Kimberly whispered, putting her head in her hands.

"Damn it," Scully swore under her breath.

Scully got up and so did Mulder. Scully went to Kim's side and sat down
next to her on the couch.

"Stay here," Mulder hastily told Scully as he headed after Skinner.
Scully nodded as he passed her. He strode to his apartment door and
opened it quickly. The agent rushed out, and shut the door behind him.

xXx

Mulder's bare feet slapped in the hallway as he glanced left and right.
The elevator doors were closing. Shit, he thought. Skinner must have
gone downstairs. Wonderful. Neither one of them had shoes on and they
were dressed only in T-shirts and sweatpants. He hoped it had warmed up
out. It hadn't been that warm a March day yesterday he thought, shaking
his head in exasperation. Trust Skinner to uncharacteristically hare off
without any heed to creature comforts. Mulder jogged off down the hall
at a good clip towards the stairwell.

The agent caught up with Skinner as he was opening the inner doors to
the vestibule entrance of the building. Skinner stepped through and
Mulder called out to him as the door began to shut behind the retreating AD.

"Sir!" he shouted. "Walter!" he yelled as he ran to catch the door.
Skinner stopped and hesitated next to the building's mailboxes.

"Sir?" Mulder asked more carefully as he opened the door, entered the
vestibule and shut the door behind him. Skinner turned to confront him.
They stood face to face and Skinner glared balefully at Mulder.

"How could you say that?" he hissed. "I thought...you of all people
would at least try to understand, even under the circumstances," he
added, fixing Mulder with a stony stare.

"Walter, I..." Mulder began.

"You could have at least cut me some slack up there, Mulder," Skinner
interrupted petulantly. "This isn't easy and..."

Mulder gritted his teeth. Skinner was really acting like a jackass he
thought. Understandable under the stress of the situation but it wasn't
making it easy for him to be supportive. Mulder marshaled his temper and
tried again.

"Walter...if you'll let me get a word in here I can explain," Mulder
blurted out, causing the AD to stop talking abruptly and fix him with a
raised eyebrow. Mulder took a deep breath and continued.

"If you had waited long enough for me to finish the damn sentence up
there, maybe you would have realized I agreed with you," Mulder stated
as calmly as he could.

"Agreed with me?" Skinner replied, the doubt still heavy in his voice.

"Yeah - agree with you, sir," Mulder replied, touching Skinner on the
shoulder briefly to reassure him. Skinner studied Mulder's face
carefully and then his shoulders sagged and he leaned back against the
wall, folding his arms over his chest. Mulder stepped back to give him
his space and Skinner sighed.

"Fuck. Well I made a damn fool out of myself again then," Skinner
rumbled, looking down at the ground for a second. He scuffed a bare toe
on the indoor/outdoor carpeting that served as a foot mat for the lobby
and then shook his head in self-deprecation. When he looked up his eyes
were filled with pain. "I'm sorry. I...I just...well this strains my
credibility too and..."

"And you figured none of us could possibly believe you, right?"

"Yeah, exactly," Skinner breathed out, running his hand up under his
glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. He lowered his hand and
re-crossed his arms.

"Welcome to the club, sir," Mulder replied, giving him a tight grin.

Skinner looked at him for a second, his eyebrows raised again and then
he chuckled softly.

"No shit. I guess that's something you've been living with for a long
time," Skinner replied, looking at Mulder with sympathetic understanding.

Mulder shrugged. Just as Mulder was about to answer an elderly woman
approached the vestibule door and opened it. Mulder and Skinner both
stopped speaking immediately. Skinner shifted uncomfortably. Mulder
smiled at the women.

"Good morning, Mrs. Warner," he greeted the tiny, white-haired woman.

"Morning? It's afternoon for Christ sake," she replied, bulling past
them, her cane taping lightly on the floor.

"Have a nice day," Mulder called after her as she hurried through the
outer door.

Mulder turned back towards Skinner. Skinner was following the woman's
exit, his mouth open slightly in surprise. Then he looked back at Mulder.

"I see they think fondly of you here, Agent Mulder," he ventured, his
lips twitching in a small grin.

"Oh yeah. I'm the ideal neighbor," Mulder replied, arching his eyebrows.
Both mean relaxed further, the exchange taking some of the tension out
of the air. Mulder went back to explaining.

"Well...my point is, I do believe you, Walter. As weird as you may think
it sounds I think John Rand is trying to fulfill the debt and his idea
for fulfilling it involves me fathering your child. Uh...remember, I've
had John rattling around in my head a few times. I've kind of gotten a
feel for what he thinks about you...what he feels about you and his
thought processes in general," Mulder replied, gesturing animatedly.

"So you...you believe all that too? About the warnings and Cracker
riding shotgun in your head that night...the works?" Skinner asked
hopefully. He was surprised he wasn't more embarrassed about Mulder
saying he knew what Cracker felt for him...about knowing what he and
Cracker had together. He guessed he wasn't as chagrined about it because
this was a very important undertaking they might just be embarking on.
There was no sense in being embarrassed or squeamish about Mulder
getting a glimpse of his affair with Cracker. There would certainly be
more things coming up which might be potentially more embarrassing.

"Yeah. If it wasn't true then it was one hell of a shared long distance
hallucinatory dream. I find it more easy to believe some guy was leading
me around by the nose to think about the hoops our brains would have to
jump through to dredge up a conjoined nightmare, Walter," Mulder
replied, chuckling a little.

Skinner looked down and shook his head again. He smiled a little in
relief. After a moment he looked back over at the agent.

"Mulder...thanks. I mean it," he mumbled.

"No problem," Mulder replied, nodding briskly.

"So, what now? I screwed the pooch up there. You have any better ideas
on how to approach this with Scully and Kim?" Skinner asked.

He really did need Mulder's advice at this point. He realized that
asking for it didn't give him as much of a problem as he thought it
would. That idea made him feel glad because it meant that he was
considering Mulder even more of a friend rather than a subordinate now.
He didn't mind seeking his counsel and he also respected Mulder for
having the grace to give it without drawing attention to the fact he was
asking for it.

"I think we've got to go back up there and explain this somehow to Kim
and Scully. We can give a shot at making them understand so that they'll
accept the situation and we can..."

"You mean you'd go through with it? Father our baby?" Skinner asked,
amazement making his voice harsher than he meant it to be. "Sorry...I
mean it's just that...well under the circumstances...the idea that you'd
be..." he let his voice trail off. Ok...here was one of the potentially
more disconcerting things. Suddenly the whole idea of discussing Mulder
having a child with Kim and the obvious ramifications as to how that
might be accomplished embarrassed him. He felt his face flushing slightly.

"Yes, I'd go through with it. And Walter...it's not like I'm going to
sleep with your wife. I assume you're considering artificial
insemination?" Mulder replied, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, that comes to mind, of course," Skinner hastened to agree,
wrinkling his brow a bit. "It's just that...I haven't thought that angle
through completely yet. I...I guess we'll have to all sit down and
figure out just how this is going to be accomplished - that is if we can
get Kim and Scully to even agree to the concept. If Kim or Scully
disagrees the idea is history. I won't even push for it. And I mean that
Mulder - if either one of them balks - we'll think of another solution.
John Rand's wishes be damned. I don't want to hurt Dana Scully under any
circumstances and I'd rather die than hurt Kim," Walter replied seriously.

Mulder nodded.

"I appreciate that, Walter. I feel the same way. But...I have hope
they'll agree if we all talk it over. I...I know this won't be easy for
Scully. But I know she's a compassionate person. She'll want to help...I
can only hope this will be the way she agrees to help."

"I...at this point I'm not sure what Kim's going to say," Walter
conceded dismally. "She...she probably thinks I've really lost it now."

"Oh bullshit, Walter. Come on. I can tell how much she loves you. She'd
never think that kind of thing. She was just shocked. Scully was too.
Their reactions were natural. If we sit down and discuss this
rationally..." Mulder replied.

Skinner gave him a skeptical look, interrupting his reply.

"Ok, You know what I mean. As rationally as the bizarre can be
discussed, then. If we talk it out I think it'll be fine."

Skinner nodded.

"All right. Uh...I guess I can try to be positive. The fact that you're
even entertaining going through with the plan does bolster my hopes a
bit," Skinner admitted honestly.

"Exactly. And really, Walter...uh...I'll be happy to make a donation to
the cause so to speak," Mulder replied, giving Skinner a lop-sided grin.

Walter nodded, still half in shock that Mulder would be agreeing to the
idea. He ran his hand over his mouth. When he lowered it he cleared his
throat.

"I suppose we could prevail upon Jackson to handle the medical end of
things. Or at least suggest someone trustworthy to do it," Walter mused
for a moment, looking off through the vestibule doors.

"Where there's a will there's usually a way," Mulder agreed.

Skinner refocused on Mulder and nodded, coming to a decision. He gave
him a brief smile and then spoke again, gesturing towards the hallway
behind them.

"Yes. Ok. Let's get back upstairs and give explaining things a second
try," Skinner replied. Mulder smiled. Both men turned and exited the
vestibule, heading back towards the elevator.

xXx

"Dana...I'm so sorry," Kim whispered as Scully knelt by her side. "That
must have been a horrible thing for you to hear, under the
circumstances. And it sounded so...so crazy...all of it. I mean I know
the nature or your work...and Walter's connection with it, but...God..."
she let her voice trail off with a helpless gesture of her hand.

Scully put her arm around her friend's shoulders and hugged her tight.
Her mind was clicking through the last few minutes and trying to process
things in a logical manner. She wasn't having much success.

She could tell from Mulder's body language and tone that rather than
preparing to disagree with Walter he was in reality going to agree.
Scully wasn't at all sure how she took that idea. One the one hand she
had first hand knowledge of more than one occasion when something...well
paranormal in the strict definition of the word had occurred where
Mulder and John Rand were concerned. Twice under Mulder's definition of
events...John Rand had walked into his mind and taken over. Scully had
tried over the months to think of logical, scientific explanations for
those incidents and come up with less than satisfying arguments. The
arguments basically centered around something being organic or
psychologically wrong with Mulder. But none of his other actions would
back up that contention. So, she'd been faced with no explanation...or
Mulder and Walter's explanation and she just didn't know if she could
accept the later.

However...in a way John Rand and his wishes, any kind of ghosts,
walk-ins or other associated phenomenon were all rather a side issue in
what Scully really saw as the crux of the matter here. The center issue
and that issue was Walter and Kim's desire to have a child, their
inability to do so and the alternatives to conceiving a child fathered
by Walter.

Therefore, Scully tried to look at that issue dispassionately. It wasn't
easy but she was trying. When it came right down to it, she wanted to
help Kim and Walter to find a solution to the problem of not being able
to conceive in any way she could. She was a doctor. That's what doctors
did - they helped to heal. She didn't see this as any different. Of
course one of the ways they could conceive was by artificial
insemination. It was a logical choice. But Mulder as the sperm donor?

Well...as much as she hated to admit it...that was the rub. Mulder.
God...she and Mulder hadn't really discussed children in detail for
obvious reasons. It was a painful subject. Deep down in her heart,
Scully wasn't sure that children were something Mulder would want. To be
perfectly honest, she wasn't sure she wanted them either under the
circumstances of their lives. But...deep down there was always that
nagging idea that someday she'd have a child...ok...a child again if she
were to allow herself to be technical about it. Children even. When she
had realized she was in love with Mulder the idea of making a child with
him had naturally crossed her mind. So, even though pragmatically she
had reasons for understanding why children might not be in the
picture...down deep in the core of Scully's soul...the idea that Mulder
would father a child with another woman and not her hurt a great deal.

So as she comforted her friend she tried to overcome her heartache and
look at the altruistic angle. She didn't want to appear selfish and
uncaring when she really did care for Kim so very much now. And
Walter...Walter had been through so much. She tried to tell herself that
the main idea here was Walter and Kim's happiness and if Kim was even
entertaining the idea that there was a possibility Mulder could donate
sperm in this instance...Scully needed to be supportive and see if
things could be worked out to everyone's advantage.

"Kim...listen honey," she began, rubbing Kim's shoulder and then letting
her go and straightening up. "It was a shock to hear. But...I've heard
and seen things over the years which were a lot more...outrageous than
what Walter is suggesting...believe me. And really...Mulder wasn't going
to object to what Walter said. I know him. He was going to agree."

"Agree? How could he agree to...well...I mean...oh I don't know what the
hell I mean," Kim finished just staring at Scully.

Scully captured her eyes and spoke quietly, almost reasoning it out as
she did.

"Kim...I'm going to be honest here. I'm...I'm not sure what I think
about the John Rand situation. But as I see it...that's not the real
point here. The real point is...how much you and Walter really want a
child...and whether you want that child to be fathered by Walter...or if
having someone else be the father is acceptable to you both," Scully
replied, watching Kim's face. She could see the dawning realization in
Kim's face almost immediately. Kim was a perceptive woman. Scully didn't
doubt she would pick up on the main point of the problem.

"I...I want a child," she replied in a whisper.
"But...God...I...honestly don't know about the rest. Of course, in an
ideal situation I'd want the father to be Walter. Evidently,
that's...that's not going to happen. So, alternatives...well, I guess I
would have said they're workable," Kim continued, doing a bit of her own
reasoning as she went along as well. "But now...I...God...I just don't
know what to think. I'm very confused, " she added, lowering her head.

"Well..." Scully shook her head. "I don't have a good answer for that
one, because I'm no where near confident I have any answers here.
But...I think we have to consider the possibilities and if uh...the
Mulder alternative is the one you think might be desirable then we'll
all try to deal with it like adults," Scully replied softly, patting
Kim's knee.

Kim looked up.

"Oh Dana...you...you'd do that for me? I don't want any of this to hurt
you or Fox," she whispered, taking Dana's hand.

"I know that, hon. And yes...I'd do it for you...Fox and I would need to
discuss it but like I said earlier...Mulder was going to agree with
Walter on John Rand...all of it. I have to believe he was agreeing with
being the sperm donor part of the idea as well.

Kimberly released Scully's hand and ran her hand through her hair.
Before she could speak again, the apartment door opened and Mulder
returned, followed by Skinner.

Mulder came in and stepped to the side at the same time as Scully rose
from the couch.

"Mulder...I need a word with you," Scully stated with a gesture of her
head towards the bedroom.

"What?" Mulder asked as Skinner moved past him to stand next to the
coffee table.

Mulder looked slightly flummoxed with Scully's direct addressing of him.
Skinner still looked embarrassed and uncomfortable. Standing stiffly he
waited to see what Scully was going to do. Kim looked at them all with
an expression of anticipation on her face.

"I need to talk to you. If you'll both excuse us?" she replied looking
from Skinner to Kim.

Walter nodded and so did Kim.

Mulder, gave a shrug, his face puzzled.

"Uh...I guess we'll let you know when we're done," he threw back over
his shoulder as Scully yanked on his hand. He followed Scully as she
went down the hall to his bedroom. When Skinner heard the door shut
behind them he let out his breath in a sigh.

Kim looked up at him, her eyes watery with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to storm out of here. I don't know what came
over me except to say, I'm starting to second guess myself...starting to
not know what else to do, or say or how to act right now," he told Kim,
showing her his hands, palms up. "I need to...to just get myself under
control a little better," he added.

"Walter...you don't have the corner on getting up and running away from
the situation," Kimberly answered quietly, giving him a rueful look. He
twitched his lip up and shrugged a little. So did she. They both fell
silent for a moment, staring at the floor.

"Look, babe. I know the John Rand thing sounded certifiable.. but I
don't have any other explanation," Walter finally added forlornly.

Kim looked up and stretched out her hand suddenly, the look of love for
him spilling out of her eyes along with her tears. Walter went to her,
taking her hand and sinking down on the couch next to her. He pulled her
into his embrace and hugged her tight

"I'm so sorry," he repeated. "We...we can do whatever you want, babe. If
you just want to go home and forget this...or go home and call an
adoption agency...or whatever...just...I'll do whatever you think is
best," Skinner whispered into her hair.

Kim rested her head on his shoulder for a moment and then pulled back to
look into his eyes.

"Walter...I honestly don't know what to believe about John Rand, or his
wishes, the danger he thinks we're in over pursuing any of this...any of
the uh...paranormal aspects of this matter. Dana...Dana seems to feel
that Mulder was going to agree with you..."

"He said as much downstairs. Made me feel like an even bigger jerk for
haring off that way," Walter interjected, stroking her hair.

"Then I have to at least bow to the idea that there are extraordinary
possibilities I guess. I mean...this is the area of Fox's expertise
after all. And honey...I know there's nothing wrong with you...here,"
Kim replied gently touching his head with a caress. "You're not
imagining something or hallucinating. Besides, Fox is a
psychologist...he'd know if there was something psychologically wrong
with you. You've had a thorough physical - there's nothing organically
wrong with you either. Scully said the same thing about Mulder. So, I
know that whatever is going on is how you've both seen it and you're
relating it honestly. I can't...I won't dismiss it out of hand even
though it is hard to accept for all those reasons."

"I appreciate that, Kim. Because really, none of this is easy for me to
accept either and I've been experiencing it directly. It's confusing and
I still haven't decided what all of it means...especially the bit about
John's warning about the dangers," Walter replied taking Kim's hand and
kissing her palm.

Kim took a deep breath. She knew now after talking to Scully and sitting
here and quietly talking to Walter, looking into his eyes, just what she
wanted to do. She knew what to tell him but it wasn't going to make it
any more easy. Her decision was going to effect all their lives
profoundly and in ways she knew she couldn't even foresee completely.
But she also knew it was the right decision for her.

"Walter...Dana...Dana had a good point about all of it, I think. And
maybe this will kind of boil it down to the common denominator," Kim
replied carefully.

Walter released her hand and sat back slightly.

"What did she say?" he asked, his face full of expectation.

"She said that all the John Rand matter notwithstanding that this
situation comes down to one thing...whether I...and you too of
course...really want a child and whether we'd be willing to accept
another man as the father. And Walter...I have to agree that's a pretty
good summation of the whole situation," Kim concluded, her voice a
little shaky.

xXx

Mulder paced the bedroom and Scully watched him from her seat on the bed
caught between wanting to laugh like hell or wanting to cry. He had
started talking and pacing the minute the door shut and he hadn't
stopped. Scully knew why...she just needed an opening in his diatribe to
get him to realize it too.

"Now I know shared hallucinations are possible, there is precedence for
them...but I really don't think what Walter and I experienced was a
shared hallucination. No, based on previous data...my previous
experience in the warehouse with Rand's walking into my body during
Walter's assault...I tend to feel this was another instance of Rand's
trying to control the action, this time of in order to talk to both
Walter and me at the same time. But...if I could only figure out the
'danger message' angle. I tend to believe we may be on the right track
with the idea he's warning us about the dangers of this whole line of
inquiry...the fertility and..."

"Mulder?" Scully interrupted quietly.

"Huh?" he asked, stopping in mid stride to stare at her.

"Mulder...it's all right...I can talk about it. We need to talk about
it," Scully replied gently, patting the bed next to her.

Mulder's shoulders sagged immediately, he ran his hand through his hair
and then walked over and sat down next to Scully, taking her hand.

"I'm sorry...I...well...you can't teach an old Mulder new tricks I
guess...and Scully...I didn't know what to say..." he let his voice
trail off.

"I know. Mulder...you believe it all I understand that. You don't have
to explain your reasoning. It's something...well I'm half inclined to
believe it myself," Scully admitted giving his hand a squeeze.

Mulder gave her a lop-sided grin.

"Yeah?"

"Well...look...the paranormal issue isn't the real issue here anyway
Mulder is it? I mean the real issue is whether Walter and Kim want to
have a child and whether they'd accept another man as the father, right?
she stated matter-of-factly.

Mulder's grin faded and he looked at her slightly stunned.

"Scully...you can't pretend it doesn't hurt for you to think about the
ramifications here...or to voice that summation," he replied softly,
touching her hair.

Scully lowered her head.

"Yes...yes it does hurt, Mulder. It hurts a lot. But...remember when you
said to me that time 'I never saw you as a mother?'"

Mulder shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes. But..."

"But, nothing. To be honest...I never saw myself as a mother either. Oh,
there were lots of reasons. My career, never being sure I'd be a good
one. But you know...somewhere deep down I guess maybe I did at some
point consider having kids. And yes, when I fell in love with you the
idea did cross my mind about having children with you as I said when you
asked me to marry you," she replied, looking into his eyes. "But
Mulder...honest to God, even after Emily......I still don't really know
if motherhood would be the right choice for me. I just don't know,"
Scully replied seriously.

"Maybe because of Emily," Mulder mumbled.

"Maybe...I can't discount that...but...Mulder...I have to face that fact
that a women as ambivalent as I am right now...shouldn't plan on
motherhood any time soon...even if she could conceive," Scully finished,
with some amount of resignation in her voice to go along with the
decisive logic of her reasoning.

Mulder nodded.

"I can understand what you're saying there. I mean...to say I'm
ambivalent on my views about fatherhood would be an understatement," he
replied quietly.

"But Kim and Walter...Mulder...Kim wants a child very badly and I think
Walter does too..." Scully added, letting her voice trail off.

Mulder looked into her face and studied it carefully for a moment.

"You're going to suggest I donate sperm aren't you?"

Scully looked equally as carefully back at him.

"You already volunteered too, didn't you? Why?" she replied, touching
his hand.

Mulder took a deep breath and let it out. It only took him a moment to
respond and when he did it was with conviction and a certain amount of
bitter defiance in his voice.

"Because I wanted...I wanted that man out on the couch to get a break
for once in his life. I want Walter and Kim to be happy. After what's
been done to him and indirectly to her now...to all of us over the
years, really...I just wanted to see one of us happy for once. To have
one of us win, Scully. To stick it to those bastards and come out
ahead," Mulder replied, his jaw tight. "Just once," he added more
quietly, looking away from Scully's compassionate blue eyes.

"I love you," Scully murmured, taking his hand and pulling him close.
Mulder embraced her and stroked her back. "And I couldn't have said it
any better."

"I'm so lucky to have you," he mumbled into her hair. "So lucky."

xXx

Walter nodded. Of course it made sense and even though he was surprised
that Scully had been able to sum up the issue under what have had to
have been difficult emotional circumstances, he could see her doing it.
It was typically analytical Scully in a crisis. Walter set his shoulders
and faced Kim, taking her hands.

"Kim...when we discussed having kids I know I balked at first. I
questioned my suitability as a father...whether I'd be a good one due to
my age and the job...oh, you know...all the objections based on fear
that I came up with back then. I wasn't with the program right away.
But...hell...I want kids now. I want them with you, Kim...more than I
can say. And I've thought about it a lot," Walter explained, watching
Kim's face.

"Go on," she prompted, holding his gaze.

"Well, I've come to the conclusion, there's more to being a father than
just contributing my part of the genetic ingredients here," Walter
continued. "Being a father means more than just making a baby. It means
being there and nurturing the baby, being a role model...all those
obvious and subtle things that encompass true fatherhood. So...just
because Mulder would be the biological father doesn't mean I wouldn't be
our babies real father, Kim. Because...if we do this thing...I'm going
to give it my all, count on it. I'll be our baby's father...in every
definition of the word," he added, his voice rough with emotion.

Kim squeezed his hands where he held hers.

"I always thought you'd be a wonderful father," she whispered.

"I love you, Kim," he whispered huskily. "If you want this...I'm with
you, all the way."

"I want it," Kim replied her tears trickling down her cheeks.

Walter enveloped her in his arms and kissed her deeply. They tasted each
other tenderly for several moments until the sound of someone clearing
their throat interrupted them. Walter released Kimberly and smiled
gently into her face. Then he looked up at Mulder. Scully stood next to
him, holding his hand.

"I guess...I guess we're going to make a baby," he told the two agents.

"I guess we are," Scully replied, smiling.