The Game #14

Edited by Karen Leigh

Damn, his head hurt. He looked up at Bryson, noted the smudged lipstick and remembered the way Mulder had just kissed him/her.

The elevator arrived and he walked in to lean against the back wall, leaving Bryson to hit the proper floor button. His eyes closed, Skinner gave an almost silent groan of pain and closed his eyes. His fucking head was going to explode any minute.

Spotting Agent Bryson's look of shock as his outrageous beloved planted a smacker on him/her, Alex chuckled a little, and addressed Hobbes.

"I bet you think you went to La-La Land, huh? What's it to be? Tape or parole?"

Hobbes glanced at the cuffs then back to the man speaking to him. This place was more than La-La Land. He allowed his mind to run through scenarios of what could happen if he didn't cooperate.

Sighing heavily and lowering his head slightly he finally spoke, "I'll...behave." His innocent blue eyes slowly came up to Alex's greens. For a moment he saw Wraith in those eyes. God how they all looked so much alike. His mind wondered to how the other man was doing, was he killed and what of Pinocchio?

He pulled himself into a seated position and waited to see if Alex would un-cuff him. "Can I at least have so clothing since you... companion," for the lack of better words that came to his mind, "... saw it fit to cut my uniform to shreds?" An involuntary shiver raced over his body at the thought, reliving in his mind how the other man just simply too pleasure in cutting his clothing away.

Krycek looked at the man who stood, vulnerable, awaiting their next move. The man looked so lost. He moved over to where Hobbes stood uncertain, and put one arm around his shoulders. "Come on, kid. We're only people."

Alex couldn't resist. He dropped a kiss onto the soft lips that quivered beside him. "You'll be fine. Infinite Spockness in alternate settings. Isn't that the answer?" His practiced fingers stroked Hobbes' torso, claiming as he held the man.

When lips touched, Hobbes tensed slightly but didn't move to push him away. Alex's mouth seemed so skilled, Hobbes had to resist melting. Was this the reaction Mulder got when they kissed? Then came the gentle stroke of his chest. Tom's breath caught in his throat and his held it till the man moved away.

Hobbes had to close his eyes briefly. He didn't want to feel that way, not about this man, not about Alex. He shivered at the thought. The man would just use him any way, just like he was using him now. He groaned silently, God how he wished Pinocchio were here.

Sighing with regret at lost opportunities, for Hobbes still wore his camouflage underwear, and Fox suspected he wouldn't be up for a sneaky peek at what lay beneath before getting re-dressed, he threw open his closet door.

"Help yourself," he said, stifling a smile. "Let's see... gold spandex, latex? Leather with lots of zips?"

The silence was leaden. He was getting the message that Hobbes didn't share his own taste in clothes.

Resignedly, he added, "Or there's Mulder's stuff."

Hobbes felt the cuffs fall away. He slowly slid off the bed and went to the closet, keeping his distance from all. He turned to the closet as he threw a glance to Fox. The man was taller than he; he would never find a pair of pants to fit him.

Slowly he reached for one of Mulder's blue shirts and gladly threw it on. He buttoned it up and rolled the sleeves up. His mind was working as he did. They were going to see One. This may be his chance to terminate the unit and end all this. His blue eyes darted to Alex who was watching him carefully. He turned back to the closet and found a black pair of slacks.

He pulled them on and found they were to long and he had to take the belt in several notches to get them to stay up. He bent over and rolled the pants legs up but then glanced at his boots. He could tuck them in but then he may look silly. He paused, what was he thinking... of fashion and how he would look?

Leaving the pants as is, he pulled his boots on and laced them up. He stood up and looked at Alex. He threw a glance at Fox, "Thank you... for the clothing." he said softly. He licked his lips nervously as he waited.

"You're welcome," said Fox, absently. Inside his head, Mulder was in a towering rage, having glimpsed what Fox was wearing in the mirror hanging on the closet door.

What the hell are you dressed like, you freak! he shouted. Last time I looked was in my suit.

I often dress like this, protested Fox. Yeah, sneered Mulder, But not in front of Skinner.

I don't kiss other guys in front of him either, but I did a minute ago. Didn't hear you protesting too much about that. You should be happy he didn't catch me giving Alex's boots a tongue-bath, Spooky.

You did WHAT! Mulder's silent voice was laden with horrified fascination. Did that other guy see? Oh, yes, purred Fox. I think I frighten him. Anyway, Alex is ready to leave. Are we going with him, or are you going to be a wuss, and turn us back into Agent Mundane again? He won't wait, Spooky. Stick with him, sighed Mulder And don't tell anyone who you are if you can help it. Maybe I can pretend it never happened

Fox firmly suppressed a laugh - knowing that reacting outwardly to a voice only you can hear makes people avoid you, and leads to offers of psychiatric assistance.

Alex headed into the living room to check on Skinner and Denise.

Hobbes appeared to be ready. He was ready, if the option of a session alone with his beautiful assassin wasn't available. Leaving Hobbes in the bedroom he went back to Alex, who was just seeing Skinner and Bryson out of the apartment, and walked up behind him, putting his hands on his shoulders and running his cheek over the soft bristle on the back of his neck.

"Love you, babe," he murmured. "We're ready to go."

"So I see, baby. That's good, because it just might help us get through this." Krycek fixed his mouth to Fox's ripe lips, and then went back to retrieve Hobbes.

"Come on, kiddo. We need to get out of here."

Dana's mind was whirling. She had thought she had seen everything. Well, make that almost everything - she hadn't exactly "seen" the invisible man on that table but she had certainly dusted him into existence before her own stunned eyes. Aliens and sentient slime was at least more scientifically explainable than genies. It remained the most personally challenging and overwhelming experience she'd ever had in all her years with the X-Files and Mulder.

Mulder... She hoped that Mulder would be able to shed some light on what was going on, here. As she tried to gather her thoughts, she formed the opinion that they must all be clones. All of them. How to tell which of them was the original - if any - baffled her of course. Somehow, she wasn't sure she was comfortable with reporting a myriad of clones in the DC area, all wearing Alex Krycek's face. Mulder had a tendency to become irrationally violent in the man's presence. She couldn't help a grimace at the thought of how Mulder might react to four or five of them at once.

Lost in her thoughts and feeling decidedly out of her depth, Scully only caught sight of the couple walking out of the building as she approached Mulder's apartment building. She could have sworn it was AD Skinner - but he was accompanied with a very, very tall woman. Although she barely caught a glimpse of the woman's face, she frowned - the woman looked eerily familiar. She shook her head briefly and went inside. As she rode the elevator all the way up to Mulder's floor, she smoothed her skirt and straightened her jacket, clearing her throat.

Walking to the door, she hesitated briefly and then knocked, calling out, "Mulder? It's me."

The three men were just about to leave the apartment when a knock on the door brought them short.

"Mulder, it's me."

Krycek groaned.

Hobbes heard the groan coming from Alex; his sharp blue eyes darted between the men. "I take it you two know who it is."

Fox made a noise like a strangled cormorant, and stepped back, looking at the door as if it had grown huge pointed teeth.

Jesus! yelled Mulder, in Fox's brain, get us OUT of here. Manically, he pushed Fox to retreat, leap out of a window...anything...

Scully heard noises from inside his apartment but there was no reply. She began to grow concerned. "Mulder?" she called. "Are you all right?

Struggling back into control, Fox took a deep breath, stood proudly and calmly, and flung open the door.

"Hello, Dana," he purred, "It's good to meet you at last." Gently taking her arm, he turned her from the door and led her back toward the elevator, followed by Hobbes and Krycek, who locked the door behind them. "We were just on our way out. You wouldn't have a car downstairs, would you?"

Scully stared at him, taken aback. Then continued to stare as she saw what he was wearing.

"Mulder?"

Scully was unable to speak momentarily, still distracted by his attire. But then she saw who was accompanying them. Her mind was now whirling, and she felt unmistakable danger; not just from the surrealism of their companions but Mulder's strange attitude. Why wasn't Mulder trying to beat the crap out of Krycek?

"Mulder, are you aware that this is *Alex Krycek*? A - A known felon wanted in connection with - with the death of your father, and my sister? And my abduction? Mulder, what is going ON here? And why was Skinner leaving here in the company of someone who was the spitting image of you, in drag?"

She stopped and took a breath. "Mulder, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but there are apparently at least eight men in the greater DC area, and they all look," she hesitated, "like Krycek."

Fox steered her into the elevator and held the door for the others to join them, listening with a slight smile to the torrent of questions from Scully's mouth. They all crowded into the cubicle, and Krycek pressed the button for the lobby.

"A lot more than eight, Dana... there are also 10,000 androids who look exactly like Krycek. In fact, how do you know this is Krycek?" He draped himself over his lovers chest, flicking his tongue over Alex's cute pointy ear, before turning back to look at Scully. "How do you know I'm Mulder... it might have been him in drag, with Skinner."

Releasing Alex he crouched down a little to look her full in the face, and added, "Dana, have you ever had one of those days when you can hear little bells tinkling from across the universe, and everything goes kind of... Zen?"

'Dana'? Since when did Mulder address her as Dana? She knew this question was an attempt of her mind to focus on something that she could focus on, rather than the frankly bizarre and shocking fact that Mulder was....draped on Krycek and behaving as though they were -

She shook her head briefly, as if to clear it of buzzing. And his attire... She closed her open mouth with a nearly audible clop and decided that, regardless of how she felt, she was probably still the most sane and prepared individual present. Mulder had obviously lost it. Or perhaps Krycek had slipped him some substance or other. He did look suspiciously uninhibited. And who was the other man? She turned wide and disbelieving eyes on Hobbes.

Hobbes turned away wanting to just bang his head on the wall. Why did he agree to this? He kind of felt sorry for Scully; he was in the same boat as her... in a way. He glanced to the door thinking once it opened he could make a run for it, leave this whole mess and find Wraith on his own... but then he thought better.

He threw a glance at Alex then at the confused and obviously shocked woman. He heard Mulder's question and groaned to himself, "I'm having one of those days now." He looked up when the elevator stopped and he was the first one out, very much glad to be so too.

Scully followed them out of the elevator, trying to keep up with the pace that the longer-legged men made down the hallway.

"Mulder," Scully pressed, insistently, "What are you doing? Where are you going? Who is this?" she added, indicating Hobbes. "And if you aren't-" she stopped, feeling suddenly very disoriented, before continuing, "If you aren't Mulder, then who are you?"

Krycek looked over his shoulder at her and smiled a small, savage smile.

"Don't worry about it, Dana. He'll be his normal, anal-retentive self before you can say 'suppository.'" He gave Fox a swift, but thorough kiss and proceeded out of the elevator

Hobbes turned back to her and stopped. "Tom Hobbes." He replied for the man as he held out his hand. His blue eyes connected with hers and held their usual innocent look. "I'm sorry about the clothing," he threw a look at Mulder, "Someone thought my uniform was not..." he looked away with a little disgust remembering what Mulder did to him, cutting his cloths away, "Appropriate."

Krycek shook his beloved off his arm, and reached to lay a hand against Hobbes' face.

"Listen, Tom. I'm sorry that we had to do that. We'll find you something more suitable soon enough. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. I just want to get this straightened out, okay?" His face urged the other man to believe. He patted the man briefly, and moved away from the elevator.

Tom's blue eyes locked onto Alex's greens the moment contact was made. He fought back the instant urge to bat the hand away. Was this what Wraith felt when he touched him? He was warned by Wraith not to touch him but he had continued to do so. He held back a sigh as he realized that he might have pushed the other man.

Hobbes threw a glance at Mulder who was by Scully and lingering in Alex's shadow, "It's a little late on trying not to make me feel uncomfortable. I want to get this straightened out as much as you do." He turned away still feeling the linger touch of Alex's hand on his cheek.

Still hoping to get through to Hobbes, Alex raised an eyebrow. "I think we all want to have some straight path to follow. Just promise that you won't start killing people until you've heard the whole story?"

"We need to go and get Skinner and his associate first, I think. Then we have to go out to the compound where the rest of the clones are." he announced. Inwardly, he wondered if this was ever going to end. All he wanted was to go back to bed for about 36 hours. I'm getting too old for this, he thought.

Hobbes dropped his head; closing his eyes briefly, "Tell me something Alex, what of my friends Pinocchio and Wraith. What have your so-called friends done with them?" He raised his head to the man, "Because if they hurt them in any way," he narrowed his eyes and a determined look rose in his innocent eyes, "I WILL hunt you down and..." Suddenly his eyes glazed over as a memory that was locked far back deep in his memory crept forward.

Krycek smiled, a sour hint of a smile.

"Touchy!"

"Unlike your master, I don't squander resources, and neither do the people that I work for. Pinocchio is to be returned to Mr. Santiago. Wraith has gone with Marita to the enclave. You'll meet up with him later, okay?" Alex frowned. Had the man heard him or not? "Tom? C'mon. We need to communicate, here. Stay with me."

It was of when a man named Mel Waters shot his girl, Sophie, in Harsh Realm. He had sworn then that he would kill Waters when he got a chance.

Hobbes backed up from Alex like the memory had scared him. And it did. He didn't remember any of the vision, never recalled ever living it. The only thing he remembered was waking in a bed, a medical bed with Inga looking down at him. So where did it come from.

Confusion spread across his youthful face as he hit the foyer wall before looking away, to gather himself. He swallowed hard trying to blink the vision away. His heart started to hurt but he never recalled the woman in it but he had this feeling he loved her once. He took a few deep breaths and the vision soon faded, but it left a lingering effect on him. He grew silent and when the apartment building door opened, he darted out and was glad to be in the fresh air once more. He stood outside waiting taking a few deep breaths before turning to see the others approaching.

"You need help, don't you? There's something...? We need to get you some assistance. Don't worry, Agent Scully is a doctor. She might be able to help."

Leading the others, Alex headed for his car, unlocked it and gestured for the others to climb in.

"We're heading out to pick up Skinner, and then we'll go to the enclave. That's where you'll be able to check Wraith out and make sure we didn't devour him or something."

Closing the door, he started the engine and pulled away. Tom's blue eyes locked onto Alex's greens the moment contact was made.

Tom sat in the back seat next to Scully, thankfully. He was deadly silent, biting his inner cheek as he tired to figure out the memory that flashed before him. Alex said he needed help. More than he knew. Tom had been having these memories flashing through his mind, some he remembered, and others faded as quickly as they came.

Hobbes wanted to quickly end this mission and get back to the lab so that Inga could check him out, see what was wrong with him, why these memories were happening.

He stared at his feet as he thought not paying attention to where they were going. He turned his head slightly to glance at Scully. The poor woman, she was till confused. His eyes lingered on her hand, so small a delicate.

Sophie had small hands just like Scully's. His hand reached over and lingered over hers but he quickly pulled it away wondering what made him think of that. Who was this Sophie he was thinking of? He turned his gaze back outside only briefly glancing at Alex in the review mirror since he was behind the Russian.

Fox remained silent on the journey to the hotel. In his head he was having a heated argument with Mulder about Scully. Mulder wanted him to hide who he really was, keep her confused, and Fox thought he was being unfair to his faithful partner, and for once, should put her completely in the picture. But it was not the time right now for a long heart to heart with her and Mulder reluctantly agreed, should the need arise, that Fox could attempt to sketch an explanation.

For now, however, Hobbes distracted Scully and his poor condition, which Fox guiltily, realized he had exacerbated.

Alex couldn't help noticing that Hobbes seemed confused, and ill. He frowned as he watched the glazed expression come and go in Hobbes' eyes. He sighed, not enough that his G-man was a volatile split personality, he had to get mixed up in this too.

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Else where, Mike Pinocchio groaned again, but yet for the second time. Fuck but he wished they would stop drugging him, he was getting one hell of a headache. He looked about the room he was in but his vision was blurred from the pounding in his head. He closed his eyes again to clear them and decided to use his other senses. He didn't hear much, except himself struggling with the tape that bound him. He couldn't smell much either.

Once he worked the tape loose enough, he worked his arms around his body and managed to get them in front. It hurt like hell but he would worry about the pain later. He started biting at the tape to get it off and once he did, he tore it off his ankles.

Now to find a way out.

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On to Chapter 15