Dulce Est Desipere in Loco
 

MICHAEL:

How long was I asleep? And I'm getting devoured by mosquitos.

Where's Dad?

I can sort of hear him, not too loud so I can't hear what he says, but he's inside.

I need another pain pill. It's been a long day and I don't feel so good.

Dad's in Mulder's study with him. Mulder's kind of kicked out on the sofa, which is real butt-ugly, and Dad's in the chair at his desk.

No wonder Dr. Scully makes him keep the door closed. Not only is the place butt-ugly, it's a mess.

Dad should feel right at home here.

Like I should talk.

I blink. The light's dim but compared to outside, it's bright.

"Where's Dr. Scully?"

"At work," Dad says, not elaborating.

"Junior. Thanks for taking care of my kids today."

"You're welcome." More or less.

"You take a check?" He asks me. He sounds real tired and he still looks like shit.

"How's the head, Mulder?"

"Still sore...not as bad. I'm doing better."

Fooled me, asshole.

"Anyway, you take checks?"

"Mulder, I take anything that's negotiable currency."

"Frohike, open the top drawer and hand me my checkbook." Dad hands him a black checkbook, Mulder opens it up, I notice his hands aren't that steady right now, but he does manage to write me a check.

Three hundred bucks.

Maybe Dad told him what an ass he made of himself.

I only asked for two. I got to learn to negotiate better.
 

FROHIKE:

"How much did you pay him?" I'm wary, because I noticed Michael's eyes nearly popped out of his head when Mulder handed him the check.

"What we negotiated for. And a little extra...for taking good care of my girls."

I know what he means by this. I let it drop.

He closes his eyes, opens them again. "When's Scully coming back?" He's asked me this twice already.

"When she's finished. She's doing an analysis on the medication you took."

He shakes his head slightly. "Scully hasn't done analytical chemistry in years. It'll take her ages just to get set up."

"She doesn't trust anyone else to do it. Not even Byers's associates at AU."

He smiles a little, but it's a sad, guilty smile. "See what I put that woman through?"

I shrug. "She's still around, Mulder. Probably against her better judgment, she'll be with you forever. Count yourself lucky."

"You don't mind...if I crash out?"

"No." I don't. I'd just as soon be alone right now. Access to a computer would help, but if he's going to bed...

"I'm gonna stay here. I can't really sleep in our bed if Scully's not there."

I flip off the lights and close the door.
 

Being in Mulder and Scully's bedroom, I feel somewhat awkward. They're not in here...yet somehow my presence here violates their sanctum sanctorum.

The bed is unmade...well, Mulder was in it today. On one side of the room, the laundry basket contains clothes, the night table contains a clock, a few journals, pictures of the children...and some condoms.

The other side of the room...well, it looks like our apartment. Clothes everywhere. I can't tell what's on the night table because it's piled high with junk.

I'm guessing this might have something to do with why the condoms are on her night table. Were it up to him, contraception would fail not from lack of willingness, but from lack of ability to locate the devices.

Or maybe it would fail from lack of willingness. I know he wants more children. I know she is not averse to the idea of more children, but her two pregnancies were so difficult. And he feels guilty about that to a point.

I wonder at what point desire will overcome guilt. I get the feeling with him, it will happen. And she will have been a willing party to it.

I check my e-mail. To my surprise and delight, there is one from Renegade. He'll be in town shortly. He doesn't specify the date and time, of course, but wants to get together. I look forward to seeing him.

I scan the dates on my e-mail. July 11...July 11...July 11...why is this date sticking in my mind?

Oh shit. It's Langly's birthday tomorrow. I totally forgot about it. I may not be much for my own, but Langly doesn't appreciate not being remembered.

Which hits home when I open my e-mail from Coppe-@wastedminds.com, which is Allison's e-mail address. She indicates that tomorrow is indeed Langly's birthday, and she's got something planned for daytime, but could we join them for dinner at Bustamante's around 8?

I think that's a go. Provided nothing truly off the wall happens.

Getting to be a bigger and bigger if these days.

I keep my ear open for the children, and for their father. I'm less worried about the children waking up. They may want a bottle, or perhaps just to be cuddled.

With their father, I pray he stays asleep, because I have no idea what he'll need if he does wake up.
 

MICHAEL:

I'm so dead, I should just go home, but I wanna see Kelly.

She's like, I called you, what happened?

"Got stuck on baby detail again," I tell her. "But I did get 300 bucks out of the deal."

She isn't going after me so hard this time. I appreciate that.

"So how's life in the lab?" I ask her as I sink down on her bed. She wraps an arm around my shoulder when she sits next to me.

"Oh, God, I have so much to learn...and I'm kind of nervous. Dr. Scully is a lot more demanding than Dr. Shalad. Speaking of which...Dr. Shalad's body was released today, Michael. The funeral is Friday." She wipes her eyes a little.

"I'm sorry, Kel."

"Will you go with me?"

"Sure." Course I will. "I love you, Kel."

She snuggles me and leans my head on her, strokes my hair. Unlike little Becca, she's gentle with my face. She knows I'm still tender there.

"I love you, too, Michael. But you know what? I've got a ton of papers to read...and you need to get some sleep. So why don't you head home, and I'll call you to say goodnight in half an hour. Deal?"

Actually, that sounds real good to me. Normally, I'd wanna stay and snuggle with her for hours...but right now, just collapsing is like the highest good.

She hugs me and kisses me very, very gently, which is good, because I'm sore and I really need a pain pill.

Plus I have to go tutor tomorrow. I didn't plan to take more than three days off.

She walks me to my car, and says she'll call me in half an hour...and I better be in bed.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll come over there and beat your butt," she winks at me.

Hmm. Could be good.
 

Dad must still be at Mulder's. He probably won't come home till Dr. Scully gets back...whenever that is.

I kind of wish he was here. That's stupid and childlike, but I really feel lousy.

And my stitches are starting to pull. It feels gross. And I can't get this awful taste out of my mouth.

Brushing my teeth helps. I just have to do it gently or I start bleeding. And a little salt and warm water makes it calm down a bit.

Tylenol 3's will be welcome tonight.

I finish getting ready for bed. Goddamn, it's sweltering in this place. At least Mulder's got A/C. And a kiddie pool.

What a fucking weird day.

I scope out one of the phones and drag it into bed with me. I hit the pillow and it rings...and it's Kelly.

"Just making sure you're being a good boy," she giggles. "Are you okay?"

"I guess."

"Anything I can do for you?"

"No...just wish you were here to tuck me in."

"I am tucking you in. And if you want, I can make you feel really nice."

That little minx...just hearing her say that...oh God, this is ridiculous.

I just had surgery. I have spent the day with two babies and their insane father. I hurt, I'm tired, it's hotter than hell...

All of a sudden I am hopelessly horny.

"Like what?" I purr to her.

"Like...just imagine my hands on your back."

"Oh, yeah."

"And I move them down further..."

"Keep going."

"And I get your shorts off..."

"Yeah...yeah..."

"And then I have you take mine off..."

Naked Kelly...oh God, I'm shivering with delight now.

"And I lie down on top of you...and I can feel you move underneath me..."

"Don't stop," I beg her. And I'm running out of breath here. She really has me going.

"And you feel so nice...I love the way you feel on me, Michael...I want you inside me."

All of a sudden, I realize she's as horny as I am.

"I love you," I whisper, and realize that...

I'm about to come here.

"Michael. Come for me. Inside me." Her voice gets like it does when we're so close.

"Oh God...Kelly...yeah..."

And next thing I know, I need Kleenex.

So what. I have the best sleep I've had in ages.

I can handle being tucked in like that.

I've had phone sex, but not like this.

That's because I never had phone sex with the girl I love.

Awesome.
 

LANGLY:

Patrick turns 4 tomorrow...and I turn 38. It was Ally's last day of work and she got home sort of late, it's been pretty crazy around here.

Hope she didn't forget.

Ally wouldn't forget my birthday. Would she?

The only way to convince Patrick to calm down is to rock him, which I do, until he's dozing off on me.

He's getting heavier all the time.

God, they grow fast. He seems bigger than he was when I met him.

"He weighs a ton," I tell Ally.

"They do that, Langly." She pulls her hair out of this butterfly clip...and watching her shake her curls out, it's like, so damn seductive...

Whoa, not with the kid in my lap.

"So Ally? When did Miranda get to be fun?" He's been a maniac all night.

She grins this patently evil smile. "Didn't you know, Langly? This is the fun part." She wanders out to the kitchen, comes back with two Carta Blancas. She can drink again, so we're back on Mexican beer. "Speaking of fun, Langly, you're not going to work tomorrow."

I give her a weird look. I mean, somebody has to earn some money around here...

She holds up her hand. "Relax. I talked to Bryce and Goldie. I told them it was your birthday, you weren't working, and they could stuff it if they didn't like it." She smiles. "Since you don't have a boss right now, figured I'd bring your coworkers in on the act."

"So what'd they say?"

"Goldie asked me what I saw in a goyische guy like you."

"Did he hit on you?"

"He wanted to." She laughs. "Seriously, though, we have plans tomorrow."

"We do?" When was I informed.

"I thought...since it's your birthday, and Patrick's, we'd go up to Chesapeake Bay, spend the day at the beach-not our beach, I want that to stay X-rated-" she smiles wickedly-"but Miranda and Shelby are coming, too. Whaddya say?"

Let's see...either a day in the offices with no windows in the Pentagon, with three geeky dweebs in my cube, working on algorithms and codes...or a day in the sun, with my family, having fun...

Tough choice.

Right.

"Bring on the SPF 9000," I tell her.

She remembered.

"And dinner at Busty's afterwards," she says. "Well? That work for you?"

I look at the sleeping kid in my lap.

And I realize, he is mine. I am connected to him.

But he's sleeping now, and it's time to stuff him in bed.

"I'll tell you what'd really work for me," I say to her.

"Oh?" She closes her eyes a little. "And what would that be?"

"Let's get this kid in bed first."

"Langly, you weren't thinking of starting the celebration early, were you?"

"Exactly what I was thinking."

She giggles...and then she blushes a little.

I think she was hoping for the same thing.
 

It's hot in our room, and I don't think it's just the temperature.

I keep thinking of the scene in the movie 'Body Heat,' with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner in the bathtub full of ice. I could go for that...

But right now, I get to have this gorgeous woman wrapping her tiny body around me in every way imaginable...and as far as I'm concerned, I can incinerate from it, and die happy.

A few days ago, I was wondering when this was gonna ever happen again. I mean, she would barely talk to me...

But then she did talk to me. A long time. More than she ever did.

I learned a few things about her.

I love her more than ever. 'Cause she trusts me more now.

She trusts me to love her and respect her, and not for how much money she makes or doesn't make. I think she's starting to know I love her 'cause she's her.

And the fact that she is really hot in the sack doesn't hurt, either.

I remember when I met her I made some crack that JAPs don't do blow jobs.

Oh God, was I ever wrong.

This was one time, however, I didn't mind being wrong. Especially right now...

Oh God Ally go slow don't do that right yet I wanna hang on...

She pulls back, just in time. Wow. I can feel all the blood rushing out of my head. Floating.

Floating around in her.

Her tiny fingers on my back...incredible.

I need her so bad. I need her to take care of me. To take care of all of us.

And now she will. For at least now.

I would say at this moment, she's doing a pretty damn good job of taking care of me. Her fingers travel down to the places where she knows she has to be real gentle...and it drives me wild.

She brushes her lips against my nipples, I never even knew before her I could get turned on there...maybe it's just her. All I know is, I can feel my heart speeding up like unbelievable.

She travels up to my neck, and she covers it with kisses...until she works up to my mouth, and she parts her lips a little, and I probe her tongue with mine...it's like electric, touching hers, tip to tip. I can hear her sweet little cries coming out that she makes when she's starting to really get going.

God I want her now.

She strokes my hair, real gentle, I love it...kissing me on my eyelids (another place I never knew I could get turned on...but like I said, maybe it's just her)...

She is amazing, and she makes me feel amazing.

I'm sort of sitting up in our bed while she's doing this, usually we're lying down, but she gets on top of me, slides down real nice and slow...oh God. I pull her close. I want all her skin next to mine. Her mouth on mine. Her breath in mine.

Feeling her sliding up and down me very slowly, it's so incredible. Holding out will be hard...but I want this to last. At least long enough for her.

I can see her face...it's getting that soft, dreamy quality she gets when she's about to come.

She is so beautiful.

And she has made me feel the same. Something I never thought in a million years would happen...but when I'm with her, it's so great...

She throws her pretty red head back, curls all over, and cries out my name.

That does it for me. There's nothing but her now, wrapped around me...I can feel myself letting go, incredible amazing release, my love for her...I can't even talk. I can only give myself over to her and what I feel.

And it's so awesome. She holds me, murmurs my name, tells me how much she wants me, how much she loves me...

I spill into her, and I don't want to stop till I'm gone.
 

Sweat. Lots of it. All over both of us. You couldn't tell whose was whose tonight.

She's got her head buried in my chest, we're lying down now, I think we're both a little dizzy.

"Langly." Her voice is a little hoarse from the exertion.

"Yeah?" I'm rubbing her back with my finger.

"Wanna go in the spa for a while?"

I could, normally...but the spa's like 106 degrees, and the temp outside isn't a hell of a lot cooler.

"Hmm. Think I'd prefer the shower. A cool one." I don't know if she'll go for it...

She takes my hand and drags me off to the bathroom.

I hope Miranda's not home yet, because we haven't got a stitch on.
 

I just cuddle her, we take turns with the bar of Ivory, and it's just peaceful to be in here.

This is so nice...

And then there's a loud bang on the door.

Ah, so much for romance.

"Need in!" It's Patrick.

Ally giggles. "Hope Miranda didn't take all the towels."
 

I'm so tired...but we're both clean at least.

We still haven't put anything on. It's still 88 degrees out, at least according to the local news.

And humidity? It's like you get out of the shower, you can't get totally dry. I notice all the towels in the bathroom never seem to get dry.

At least when you can find one. My stepdaughter is a towel-sucking monster.

My nephew may have his flaws, but he's not a towel-sucking monster.

He does, however, have his annoying habits.

Like barging in on us at moments like this.

We manage to pull the covers over us in a hurry, but I don't think he's fooled.

"Where your clothes?" He asks.

"Patrick, you're supposed to be asleep," Ally tells him gently. "Come on, it's your birthday tomorrow...and we've got something planned. And you need to get to sleep."

She wraps the covers around her, leaving me fully exposed...thank you, Ally.

She comes back a few minutes later. "We need to do something about the lock on this door, Langly."

"Like have it give off electric shocks?"

"Something like that." She gives me a kiss and a sleepy smile, then snuggles against my heart again. "G'night, Langly babe."

Somehow, I think I'll have a very good birthday this year.

END OF PART 66