Frozen in Time - Round 2, Part 2

Ann H

***

As he tried to fend off the blows, Alex thought that with all that had transpired, at least Mulder hadn't changed. And for that, he was grateful...

...but enough was enough. He would lie steal and kill for Mulder. He would even endure Morrison's unwelcome lust to protect Mulder.

It was time he and Mulder came to an understanding. No more angry, false accusations. No more punches. And no more secrets.

Starting now.

It took Alex less than a minute to subdue the flailing Mulder. A knee to the stomach and quick roll to the left had Alex straddling a shocked, prone Mulder.

***

"Fox, don't you think it's time to grow up?"

Mulder glared at his former partner, but Krycek showed no signs of being intimidated.

"Mulder, for once in your life, use your brains and intuition, and don't fly off the handle. If half of what we've been told by our 'keepers' is true, we are in a new world with dangerous men that make Cancer Man look like a circus clown. We need each other."

Mulder abandoned any pretense of a struggle: he knew Alex was telling the truth. The last time Alex spoke to him this way, husky voice layered with urgency and resolve, it was with information about a captured rebel leader.

That was the night Alex restored his faith, reinvigorated his search for the truth.

That was the night of the kiss.

Some three hundred years later, and our situation is the same. Surrounded by mysterious men obsessed with power and control. Subject to unwelcome tests and medical exams. No one to believe except my Alex, the beautiful, uncontrollable triple agent whose brilliant emerald eyes silently plead for trust and understanding.

My old life and world are ashes; it's time to take charge.

This time, I listen to my heart, and bring us full circle. This time, I slowly raise my head from the floor, and kiss Alex Krycek.

And not on the cheek.

***

Mulder. Oh, God, Mulder.

His lips are everything I dreamed of, and more. His kiss is tender and strong, full of sweetness and need, and I am addicted and overloaded.

No one else has ever had this effect on me; no one else ever will.

When he pulls back, I start to protest, but his eyes stop me. Those multi-faceted shades of hazel, blue and gold are mesmerizing. He is captive beneath me, yet he is in control. He doesn't know it, but he always has been.

Watching a Mulder-smile unfold is like observing the most gorgeous sunrise. The slow stretch of those full lips is the regal lift of that golden orb. The flash of gleaming teeth is the brightening of the sky. The glittering sparks in his eyes are the varied hues of the clouds hit by those glorious rays of sunlight.

He is incredible. Magnificent. And he's smiling at me. Any torture I suffer on his behalf is an honor. I will not let these monsters harm him.

At the thought of our captors, my brain starts to work again. I roll off Mulder, rise silently to my feet, and pull him up. Before he can complain, I crush him against me, our hearts pounding, our breaths hard and heavy, bodies touching from head to knee. The sensual onslaught is intense and complete, and it takes a few minutes before I can softly speak the urgent words into his right ear.

"Mulder, there are video cameras in here...they're watching our every move."

He stiffens, and makes an effort to move away. But I won't let him. Not now. Possibly not ever. God, I love him!

I pull back only far enough to look him in the eye.

"I found out how to turn them off."

He grins, I grin, and this unknown world is suddenly a beautiful place. I drag him to the door, and wave my hand over the same bricked area I watched Morrison control in my old room, and we hear the sudden click behind the wall. Success!

When I turn back to face Mulder, all thoughts of cameras, doctors and soldiers are gone. All I see is the man I can't help but love, reaching out for me, his face a glorious mix of wonder, lust, longing, hope and...trust.

I've wanted him for so long, and never thought this moment would come. I could just cry, but triple-agent resistance leaders don't cry, they take action. So, action it is.

We fly across the room, Mulder landing on the loveseat, me landing on Mulder. He laughs, I laugh, and it takes a few minutes for us to catch our breath.

Finally, Mulder speaks. No, he growls.

"So, where were we?"

***

No one in the observation room would look at General Kamarov. They wouldn't even look at each other. The general was in a rage, and anyone in his path would be lucky to survive.

"How did he learn to disable the camera?" came the thunderous roar. "Morrison!"

Lieutenant Commander Charles Morrison looked straight ahead, hiding his anger and fear behind his military bearing. Alex Krycek would have a lot to answer for when Morrison claimed him...

***

The transmission contained three pictures and a short, but informational message:

Both subjects healthy. More tests. Three weeks maximum. Then transport to the City of Domes per Minister Lermontov.

It took a large measure of control for Commander Samuel Jefferson to contain his disgust at the thought of the two purebred humans under Lermontov's control. For the resistance to succeed, they need vitality, courage and unwavering determination. They need cunning, stealth and survival instincts. They need Alex Krycek.

With a measured breath, Commander Jefferson faced his most trusted rebel allies.

"Gentlemen, our situation has never been more perilous, yet today I have never felt more confident of our eventual victory. It is time to plan our attack on the North Dakota facility. Our timeframe: less than three weeks. Our objective: the retrieval of three men."

Jefferson passed to his allies the first picture, featuring a fresh-faced blonde man with an innocent air.

"This is Wade du Pres, descendant from the first families. His sister, Nicola, was recovered during our last mission. du Pres is a medical student; we can use more medics. More importantly, both du Pres' have viable reproductive ability."

"The second man," Jefferson continues, as the second photo hits the table. "is Fox William Mulder. He is one of the two purebred humans unearthed by the consortium. Our records show is was an FBI agent who fought against the original consortium on many occasions, until his sudden, unexplained disappearance 314 years ago."

The final photograph elicited gasps of shock from every man in the room. Commander Samuel Jefferson smiled.

"Our most important target is Alexander Nicolai Krycek. Obviously, I don't have to tell you who he is, or why we are retrieving him."

Jefferson paused, giving each rebel a cool, commanding look.

"We've been cautious, picking our targets carefully, working methodically. These long years of resistance have been hard work, against terrible odds, with little progress."

"The return of the father of the resistance is our call to action. This attack will be our largest, most dangerous effort since the alien wars. The risks are considerable, but the rewards are enormous."

"We will start planning a rescue mission today...now. Time is of the essence, and this will be our only chance at the three men before they are shipped to the City of Domes."

"I want all three recovered, but if forced to make a choice...there is no choice. Alex Krycek is our top priority."

***

End Round 2, Part 2

Aqualegia's next!