Rating: R, for a little afterglow.

Summary: Just try to have a romantic evening for two...

Spoilers: None.
 

"Such as worship my power in all humility
I exalt in honor.
But those whose pride is stiff-necked against me
I lay by the heels."

Euripides, from the prologue speech by Aphrodite in "Hippolytus," Lines 6-10. Translation by David Grene. Copyright 1955 and used without permission.
 

Kullos
 

May 7, 2000

"So what'll it be? Italian? Thai? Chinese? Mexican?"

I thought carefully.

"Tell you what. Dessert first. Then we'll see what I'm hungry for."

"A woman after my own heart."
 

"You do realize in eight days, we'll no longer be living in sin," I giggled as we laid in bed after making love.

"Yeah, but we can pretend like we are, can't we?" He leaned over and smiled.

"Well, we've still managed to pretend my arm's still broken," I laughed.

"Well, you gotta admit, it opened a new range of...possibilities." Not to mention a lot of experimentation with various positions. He snuggled into my shoulder. "God, Ally...I'm just real happy."

"I was having a hard time telling that this past week," I confessed.

"Yeah, well, y'know. Things are nuts." He stared at the ceiling. "I had to tell Sheridan what we found."

"You mean the virus data."

"Yeah."

"What's he doing about it?"

"For now? Nothing. He didn't know shit about it. Scared the hell outta him, too. But he's documenting everything, and planning what to do next."

"You gonna publish this stuff?"

"Yeah, we are. I'm sorta nervous about it, though. You want people to be aware...you don't want 'em to panic."

"They have to believe you first."

"Well, that's...Sheridan's thinking about going to the mainstream press."

"Cost him his job."

"Yeah, well, there's the rub, as Shakespeare would say. If you thought I had a shitty week, you oughta see Sheridan." He became very serious. "His lover's dying, you know."

"AIDS?"

"Yeah."

"Bad deal. He been out a lot?"

"Lately, yeah. The bud's pretty far gone."

"Think he'll make it to the wedding?"

"Hell, yes. Sheridan loves weddings. You, on the other hand, seem sorta nervous about the whole thing."

"I don't do well in crowds."

"You're stressing over nothing, Ally. You're the bride. You're perfect that day. And after a couple hours, you'll be so liquored up you won't care, anyway."

"This is probably true. By the way, you know we have a trial run on Saturday night, don't you?"

"What, they don't trust us to get it right the first time?"

"Guess not. Anyway, what it really is, it's a big excuse to get the families and the wedding party together to eat and get wasted the night before. It's a good thing we're doing Jewish lite. Lots less to remember."

"Do I get to smash the glass at the rehearsal?"

"You do not."

"Too bad. I was kinda looking forward to it."

"You'll have your chance on Sunday. By the way, don't forget to ask Mulder if he's got a spare yarmulke."

"You mean, a hat?"

"Yeah, the hat. You need one."

"Why's that?"

"Because it's supposed to mean you're humble before God. Or something like that."

"What if you're not into the God trip?"

"Then wear it 'cause you respect me."

"Okay, I can deal with that. Y'know something? I'm starved."

"Helped you work up an appetite, didn't I?"

"You have no idea."
 

We decided to go for broke and have Korean food, which was in Silver Springs, up in Maryland. A bit of a drive, but then, we were-for a change-not terribly pressed for time. The night was ours.

"This is so weird. No kids, no family, no friends." I settled back into the passenger seat of the Neon and lit up.

"Yeah, nice, isn't it?"

"Sometimes I feel like they're going to join us in the bedroom next, they're all around so much of the time."

"At least they don't barge into the bathroom."

"Yes, they do. The girls do it all the time."

"What's the prayer you said really religious Jews pray in the morning?"

"Something like 'Lord, thank you for not making me a woman?'"

"Yeah, that one. I think in this case it holds. Hey, there's Jaleel's." We drove by Crazy Jaleel's lot, where we'd bought the Neon.

"Is he invited?"

"Yeah, but he got sorta bummed when Frohike told him he could only bring 50 family members."

"That barely scratches the surface for Jaleel."

"You have no idea."

We were quiet as we made the rest of the way through Silver Springs and pulled into the parking lot of a small, nondescript looking restaurant. I'd been here before with him, but we'd had the usual entourage of kids and friends in tow.

"Langly," I said very quietly before we got up to get out.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, Langly."
 

"What time does Juliet come in?" I asked.

"I think Byers said she was coming around 6."

"She's here, then."

"Probably. He was cleaning her new place today."

"Cleaning it? There's nothing in it yet."

"This is Byers, Ally." We were happily noshing on Korean barbecue and kimchee. It was delicious, although as a taste sensation, it hardly compared to the delicious man I'd devoured just a couple hours earlier...

"Nothing if not a bit compulsive."

"Byers isn't a bit compulsive. Byers defined compulsive. Tell ya, the guy's a real piece of work."

"John? He's a sweetheart."

"Yeah, he's a cool dude and all, but man, talk about not knowing where it's at."

"He's not unaware, babe."

"Yeah, but he's-I mean, I hope this thing with Juliet works out. Seems like he just can't get it for anybody since Susanne. She's been the first. It's like he was so hung on her, and then she gets together with him, and now he's like so undecided and all."

"He's been through a lot this winter. We almost lost him."

"Yeah. I know." The thought sobered him for a moment. Hard. His face softened, but he still looked serious. "Glad he's okay. There wasn't gonna be a best man if he hadn't made it." I knew he was serious about that. Then he perked a bit. "Hey, it's not like I could ask Frohike, since he's already doing the father of the bride thing to the hilt."

"Hey, I'm letting him give me away."

"You're joking."

"Not. Hey, he's done a lot for us. It's a small thing, and it'll make him happy."

"Seems like that - it's sorta weird. I mean, you're a second timer, you're not like twenty, and it just seems so weird that someone'd give you away like you were property or something."

"Well, the custom has its roots in that, but for me, it's a celebration of love and friendship. And if it makes him happy to play father of the bride for a day, I'm gonna let him do it in spades."

"Yeah, well, he's making me nuts. You know how many times he's asked me if I know where the rings are?"

"As many as Byers has?"

"Almost. They ask me at least twice a day. I mean, Jesus! They're in the office safe, for God's sakes, it's not like they're going anywhere!"

"Hey, they're just taking their jobs seriously."

"Tell me about it."

"Personally, I'm looking forward to dragging you off to Mexico for some serious fun and sex, babe. That's the part I'm waiting for. Mexico's great. It's so relaxing there, lots of sun, the water's warm, the tequila's delicious-"

"They don't serve the stuff with the worm, do they?"

"Not in the hotels, babe. Now if you decide you're going to drink with the locals...I can't help you there," I grinned at him.

"Who says we're leaving the hotel?" he grinned wickedly.
 

We'd spent two glorious hours gorging on Korean food and beer, and we left happy, sated, and giggling. Langly had his arm around me. We weren't drunk, just mildly and pleasantly buzzed.

"Where'd I leave the keys?" he asked.

"Try your pockets."

"Oh, yeah. Good call." We were both feeling incredibly silly, and he began to pull them out.

"Ringo Langly." A voice in the dark. Neither friendly nor hostile. We froze, and said nothing. Footsteps.

An expensively dressed man, shorter than Langly but solidly built, approached us.

"Go away, Roy." Langly's voice was quiet, but warning. Oh shit. Joan's soon-to-be ex. "Get in the car, Ally."

"Where's Joan?" demanded the man, whom I'd deduced was Roy Renshaw.

"She's not with us. And we're leaving," Langly said as he came around and unlocked my door. Roy Renshaw came over and grabbed Langly by the jacket, and Langly tried to pull away.

"Get the fuck outta here!" Langly hissed.

"Not until you tell me where my wife is!"

"Hey, she's not with us, and who the fuck are you to follow us the hell around!" Langly demanded harshly, successfully escaping Renshaw's grasp, but Renshaw was faster than he looked, and grabbed him by the shirt. Oh, shit. The Ramones. His favorite.

"I'll tell you who I am. I'm her husband, and you're going to tell me where you're hiding her!"

"I'm not hiding her anywhere," Langly groaned as he struggled. He had the height advantage, and he was a strong guy, but not compared to this person.

Renshaw had just about lifted him off the ground. "You tell me, you pagan!" I would have laughed had I not been worried that Langly was about to get hurt.

"Put him down!" I screamed.

"And this would be your...infidel, would it?" Renshaw's voice was low, malicious.

"Don't...you...ever...talk...about her that way!" Langly had broken free enough to grab Renshaw by the shoulders. As he pushed him back, though, Renshaw took a wide swing...and Langly was down.

I grabbed my cell from my purse and dialed 911.
 

Renshaw, probably being aware that he would be facing assault charges, took off, but not before firing a final warning at us, that he would be back, and we were going to tell him where Joan was.

I relayed the info to the paramedics as to what happened. I held on to Langly's left hand and smoothed his hair with my other, murmuring to him.

"He'll be all right. I think he's got a broken nose, though," one of the paramedics announced. "We're going to take him to emergency."

"Give me directions, and I'll follow you."

So much for a romantic evening.
 

We returned home several hours later. I handed Langly an ice pack.

"Fuckrag. I can't even breathe!" He moaned. "Swear I'm gonna kill the bastard, Ally."

"We can still press charges, you know."

"Right. And what's that gonna do? He's an upright pillar of the Christian community, and I'm an ex-con hacker!"

"But you have a much better haircut now." I took a shot at levity.

"Yeah. Nicely offset by a broken nose." He lifted the ice pack for a moment. His nose had swollen to about twice its normal size, and the area around it was turning black and blue rapidly.

"Least he didn't get your glasses."

"Big deal. I can't even get 'em on right now. How the fuck'm I supposed to see?"

"When's your last day of work before the wedding?"

"Wednesday."

"You've got an old pair of contacts, don't you? You wore 'em at Dana and Mulder's wedding."

"Yeah, I've got 'em. Don't like 'em much."

"Yeah, but you would be able to see." I snuggled up next to him. "Y'know, that's the second time in one day I've been referred to as an infidel." It was almost amusing, but Langly wasn't laughing.

"It's not funny, Ally. And I don't appreciate it."

"Well, neither do I, but you have to admit it's got more style than some of the other epithets used on Jews in the past."

"Ally, stop it." He leaned back, placing the ice over his nose and cheeks again. "Christ, this hurts."

"C'mon." I went over to the VCR and popped in a tape. I didn't much care what it was. "Did you take a Vicodin?"

"Not yet."

I grabbed some water and two Vicodin-the better to keep him quiet with-and placed a pillow in my lap. I urged Langly to lie down in my lap after he popped the Vicodin-he didn't question my doubling the dose, and with a great deal of whining, he settled in. I leaned over and kissed him gently.

"Watch the nose," he muttered.

The tape was a Saturday Night Live we'd taped when my brother's band was playing, and it had a few funny skits in it. I smoothed his hair gently, and as time passed by, the Vicodins began to work their magic and he became more lethargic.

"I look like shit, don't I?" he muttered sleepily.

"Never to me, babe. Never to me."

He slept.

END OF PART 80