Title: Hygieia, Chapter 13, Part 2 of ?

Author: Kendall

Website: www.geocities.com/kendalxf/index.html

Fandom: X-Files

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: S/M/K.

Archive: All requests are welcomed

Date: October 15, 2003

Category: AU

Spoilers: None specifically

Warnings: Contains scenes of m/m sex, and discipline. If this offends you please *LEAVE NOW*

Disclaimer: Skinner, Mulder, Krycek, Scully, Doggett, and the X-File all belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and the Fox Network.

Series: Greek Gods

Summary: As Alex’s and Fox’s illness run their course, new friends join the fray.

NOTE 1: Sorry guys, but there is no sex in this one (EGADS!), and just a tiny spanking. I really couldn’t see the boys getting it on, with the chicken pox, and bronchitis.

NOTE 2: Thanks as always to my wonderful (and super speedy) Beta Ursula.

NOTE 3: This one is for Ursula and Raven, who are always supportive and inspirational. I hope you like the little surprise I put in this one.

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Hygieia (Goddess of Health)

"Alexei Nikolai Krycek, if you don’t come out of there in the next five seconds, you are going to make me late for work," Walter said, as he pounded on the bathroom door.

"NO!"

"Alex, I'm counting to three…" Walter said, the tone of his voice leaving no doubt of how serious his threat was.

"You can count to a zillion and three, but I'm not coming out," Alex yelled through the closed door.

Walter turned to Gabriel, who was grinning like a loon, and mouthed, "A zillion and three?"

"Alex, it's Gabriel," Gabriel said, "You can't stay in there forever."

"I'm staying here until he stops," Alex said, sounding astoundingly like a petulant four-year-old.

Walter looked towards the bed, and could not help but smile at Fox, who was laughing so hard, tears were streaming down his face. Due to his sore throat, he wasn't making any laughter sounds, but his merriment was undeniable.

"I'm going to be late for work," Walter said, trying to sound stern, although he was finding the situation rather funny.

When Sawyer had made his diagnosis, Alex's reaction had been classic. His mouth had dropped open, his eyes had widened, and he had stuttered in disbelief for about five minutes, before he could put a sentence together. That sentence had consisted of several 'What?'s, a couple of 'Shits', and quite a few 'No's in various languages. When Gabriel had snickered, and then Walter had chuckled, trying not to break out in a full-blown laugh, Alex had jumped to his feet, and had rushed upstairs to the bedroom.

What had happened next, Walter wasn’t sure, but when he reached the bedroom, he had found Fox laughing, and Alex locked in the bathroom, flatly refusing to come out.

"Alex, sweetie, you have to come out, we need to take your temperature, and probably put some Calamine lotion on you," Walter said, trying to switch tactics.

"NO!"

"Arrrgh," Walter growled in frustration, and if he had been in possession of more hair, he would have pulled it out, but as it was he rubbed his hands over his face. "You deal with him, and I'll take hyena boy," he said to Gabriel, and then headed towards the bed. "Fox, will you stop, please. He is not going to come out if you keep laughing at him."

"Can't…help…it," Fox said in a whisper. "His face…so…funny."

"I know," Walter said, in agreement, "But he won't come out if he thinks you are going to make fun of him. Please. I have to get to work, and I want to make sure he is settled."

"'Kay," Fox said, with a little nod, and a tiny smile still playing on his lips.

"Thank you," Walter said, and leaned forward to capture a kiss. Halfway to Fox's face, he stopped, and said, "You aren't going to sneeze on me again, are you?" When Fox giggled, and shook his head no, he completed the maneuver and kissed his lover gently. When he broke the kiss, he asked, "By the way, have you had the chicken pox?"

"Yes," Fox said, and grinned, "When I was…six."

"Gabriel? How about you," Walter asked Gabriel, who was still standing by the bathroom door.

"Yes," the former priest said, "When I was ten…I think, maybe eleven."

"You sure it was the chicken pox, and not measles?" Sawyer asked, as he entered the room, carrying a tray with a glass of water, and a bottle of Tylenol.

"Pretty sure, but I can't be positive," Gabriel said, suddenly worried, "I don’t have any of my medical records."

"You've been exposed anyway, so if you catch it, you catch it," Sawyer said, with a shrug.

"Will you nurse me back to health, if I do?" Gabriel asked, batting his lashes seductively.

"I'll be at your beck, and call," Sawyer said, with a smile, as he set the tray down. "Now, where is my little patient…ooops, I mean where is my patient."

"He won't come out of the bathroom," Walter said.

Sawyer walked over to the bathroom door, and said, "This is just a side effect of chicken pox when it hits an adult."

"What do you mean?" Walter said, joining him by the bathroom door.

"When an adult gets the chicken pox, somehow they revert to acting like a six year old," Sawyer replied, with a big grin on his face. "Although with Alex, it seems he went back all the way back to four."

Suddenly, the door flew open, and a scowling, red-faced Alex Krycek appeared. "I'm not acting like a four year old," he shouted, and began to slam the door shut.

Walter's arm shot out, and grabbed Alex's wrist, and before he knew it, the younger man was pulled out of the bathroom.

"Let me go, Walter," Alex said, struggling to get out of the vice grip his lover had on his wrist.

"Oh I don’t think so, little boy," Walter said, and wrapped his arms around Alex, trapping both of Alex's arms against his side. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

"I don’t wanna go to bed," Alex yelled, as he continued to struggle, his legs kicking-out in front of him, as Walter half carried, half pushed him to the bed. "I'm fine, I'm not sick. I never get sick."

"Those red blotches all over your chest, would beg to differ with your diagnosis," Gabriel said, smiling.

"I'M NOT…AHHH," Alex said, as Walter dumped him on the bed, and slapped his bottom once. "What did you do that for?"

"Because you are acting like a brat, and I won’t have any of it," Walter said, and stood at the side of the bed glaring.

Alex scowled, until it appeared as if he had only one big eyebrow. He glanced at Fox, who was on the bed next to him, and said, "I bet you think this is very funny."

Nodding his head vigorously, Fox said, "Yes, yes I do."

"I didn’t make fun of you when you got sick," Alex said, "I was worried about you."

"I…don’t …have a ki…kid's disease," Fox said, swallowing in between words, as he tried to get his sore throat to work properly.

"Fox, if you don’t want a sore bottom to go with your sore throat, you will keep your word, and not make fun of Alex," Walter said, frowning.

"Yes, Walter," Fox said, contritely, "Sorry, Lexi."

"Alex, what do you say?" Walter said.

"’S okay," Alex replied, still pouting. Looking up at Walter he said, "Walter, I’m not sick."

Walter sat on the edge of the bed, and said, "Honey, you are sick, there is no two ways about it. You are going to be miserable for a couple of…"

"Please say days, please say days," Alex begged, as he closed his eyes.

"Weeks, sorry baby, but it takes seven to ten days just to get over the spots," Walter said, feeling sorry for his young lover, who looked like his whole world was falling apart. "That’s how long my nephews had it."

"But, I don’t want it," Alex said.

"I know, Alex, but there is not much that we can do about it," Walter said, and kissed him on the forehead. "Now you both be good boys for Gabriel."

"Don’t go," Alex pleaded.

"Alex…" Walter said, hating the look on the beautiful face, but knowing that with only one more week of work to go before his retirement, he needed to spend as much time in the office as possible.

"Sorry, Walter," Alex said, pasting a fake smile on his face, "I know you have to go to work. I’ll be fine, and I’ll behave."

"Thank you. I love you," Walter said, and kissed him on the nose, "And I love you too," he said to Fox, before the other man could begin to pout, at having been ignored.

Sawyer walked Walter downstairs, leaving Gabriel to take care of the sick men.

"Are they going to be all right?" Walter asked.

"Fox, should be on the mend, but relapses are always a possibility," Sawyer said, "Alex, will definitely get worse, before he gets better. Where do you think he could have gotten it from?"

"I’m not sure," Walter said, as he put his coat on, "How long after the exposure, does he show symptoms?"

"Anywhere from ten to twenty-one days," Sawyer said, "But it’s different with adults. Besides, he didn’t have any early symptoms, such as headaches, low grade fever, or decreased appetite. He went straight to the lesions."

"Maybe I should stay," Walter said, hesitantly.

"Don’t worry," Sawyer said, "I don’t have to go in for another hour, "I’ll get them set for Gabriel."

"Thanks, Sawyer," Walter said, "For everything. When will you hear about the job?"

"Today," Sawyer said, "I’m looking forward to it. I didn’t think so, after living in Hawaii, but I figured that anywhere were Gabriel is happy, I’m happy."

"You are really in love aren’t you?" Walter said, with a chuckle.

"Oh, yeah," Sawyer said, with a big grin.

"If I get home early enough, maybe we can celebrate your new job," Walter said, as he headed for his car.

"Drive carefully," Sawyer said. He closed the door and turned to head up the stairs, when he heard a loud crash, followed by a string of curses. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

"Deputy Director, Agent Doggett is here to see you," Kim Cook’s voice announced through the intercom.

"Send him…did you say Agent Doggett?" Walter said, confused. John Doggett was now an A.D., had been since Walter’s promotion to Deputy Director.

Before Kim could answer him, the door to the office opened, and Dana Scully entered.

"Oh, I get it, ‘Agent’ Doggett," Walter said, with a big smile, "That’s a sly trick to play on your old boss."

"Couldn’t resist, Sir," Dana said, as she stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

Giving her a brief hug, Walter said, "Sir?"

"In this building, you’ll always be Sir to me," Dana said, as she took her seat.

"So what brings you into town today?" Walter asked, "I thought you didn’t go back to Quantico until Monday."

"I’m taking my husband to lunch, and we have something to tell you," Dana said.

"Something to tell me?" Walter asked, but before he could ask her to explain, the door opened again, and AD John Doggett walked in.

"Sorry to be late," John said, walking up to his wife, and kissing her. "Did you tell him?"

"No, just got here myself," Dana said.

"Okay, tell me what?" Walter asked, "What’s the big news?"

"Well," Dana said, blushing a little, "You were the first person I told, when I was pregnant with the boys, so I want you to be the first to know, that you are going to be an uncle again."

Walter’s eyes widened in surprise, and a second after he got over the shock of the news, he was on his feet, and had pulled Dana into a hug. "This is wonderful news…but…but I thought…"

"Yes, I know," Dana said, "We weren’t sure if I got pregnant the first time, because of something from Mulder’s physiology, but it seems that if that was the case, I was left with the capability to reproduce."

"This is incredible," Walter said, this time pumping John’s hand, in congratulation, "How far along are you?"

"Three months," Dana said, "I didn’t want to jinx it, by telling anyone too early. We are on our way to lunch, and we will tell my mother then, but we wanted you to be the first."

"I am honored," Walter said, meaning it. He saw Dana, as a surrogate daughter, and although he was the boy’s Uncle, and Godfather to William, he also thought of them as grandkids.

"We’ll stop by your house tonight, to give Alex and Fox the news," John said.

"Uhm…actually I don’t think that is a good idea," Walter said. "You see, we have a bit of sick streak going."

"What do you mean, Mulder is not contagious," Dana said, "He hasn’t gotten worse, has he?"

"No, not Fox, but Alex," Walter said, grinning as he waited for their reaction, "He woke up with the chicken pox."

He was not to be disappointed, "The chicken pox," both John and Dana, exclaimed simultaneously, and, as a good couple should, burst into laughter in tandem.

"Oh, poor Alex," Dana said, as she regained her composure. "Is he all right?"

"He is going to be miserable, and if I know my little rat, he is going to make the rest of us miserable as well," Walter said, with a sigh.

"Well, at least you get away from the house a few hours a day," John said, "How is the turnover going?"

"Carl is a quick study," Walter said, of his replacement. "Next week is more about wrapping up, and introducing him to his various teams."

"And a lot of partying, from what I hear," Dana said.

"Well, I really hadn’t planned on that part," Walter said, shrugging, "I thought they’d give me a cake, in the cafeteria next Friday."

"You are very popular, Sir," John said, "A lot of people will miss you around here."

"Thanks, John," Walter said, smiling, "But you two better get out of here, and head to your lunch with Maggie. She’ll be thrilled to be a grandmother again. Give her my best."

"I will," Dana said, "And you can go ahead, and tell the boys our news. Tell Alex, that I hope he gets over the chicken pox."

"I will," Walter said, kissing her good-bye. As he hugged her, he whispered in his ear, "I am so happy for you, Dana."

"Thank you…Walter," she whispered back.

As the couple left, Walter returned to his desk, and placed a call to the house.

"Where is Alex?" Gabriel asked as he walked into the bedroom.

"Don’t know," Fox said, rubbing his tired eyes, as he woke from a nap. "Not downstairs?"

"No," Gabriel said, with a frown, "I’ll go check the office."

Ten minutes later, he returned to the room, and said, "I can’t find him anywhere, and I can’t find Murphy either. You don’t think he went out, do you?"

"He was…pretty upset," Fox said, swallowing hard. His voice was clearer, but it still hurt. "Walter…will be mad."

"Not as mad as I am," Gabriel said, glaring. "I can’t believe he would do this."

The telephone rang, and Gabriel picked it up, "Alex?"

"Alex? Why would…do not tell me he is gone," Walter said.

"Oh, hi, Walter…yes, it’s seems we have a runaway chicken with the pox," Gabriel said, "He took Murphy."

"He might be at the park," Walter said, "Give him an hour or so, if he is not back, call me, and I’ll send someone out to look for him. When he does get home, tell him we’ll be having a very serious discussion about this little escapade. How is Fox?"

"A little better, his fever is back up, but his voice is coming back," Gabriel said, "Here he is." He handed the phone to Fox, and left the lovers to talk in privacy.

"Hi Alex," Eve Kirkpatrick, their neighbor, and friend said, as she took a seat next to him, on the park bench. "Aren’t you a little overdressed, sweetie?"

Alex was bundled from head to toe, even wearing a ski-cap, and sunglasses.

"Hi Eve. It’s cold," Alex said, his voice muffled by the scarf around his neck, which partially covered his mouth.

"I know its January, but the weather hasn’t been that bad. You look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy," Eve said.

"How’s Neely?" Alex asked, trying to divert the conversation, by asking his friend about her six-year old foster son.

"He is at home sick," Eve said, "My sisters are with him now."

"Your sisters? I didn’t know you had sisters," Alex said, not turning around to face her, but instead watching his Rottweiler pup, Murphy, romp in the snow with Monster, Eve’s dog. "What do you mean he is sick? Is he all right?"

"He is fine, or at least he will be in a couple of days," Eve said, "He is getting over the chicken po…"

"Chicken pox," Alex said, twisting around on the bench. As he did, the scarf fell off, revealing most of his face, which now was covered by an ugly red rash.

"Oh, Alex, sweetheart," Eve said, as she brought her hand to her mouth, "Oh, poor baby."

Alex, tried to pull up the scarf, but got his hand tangled in it instead. After a momentary struggle he gave up, and sighed in frustration. "I just can get a break, can I?" he said, as he leaned back on the bench, and stared at the cloudless, blue sky.

"Alex, it’s all right. Having the chicken pox, is not so bad," Eve said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Not if you are six," Alex said, "But when you are almost forty, it’s a whole different ball of beans."

Eve chuckled, and said, "I think that is ball of wax, can of beans."

Alex shrugged, and said, "Whatever, this just sucks…ooops sorry, Eve."

"That’s quiet all right," Eve said, "But, if you are sick, what are you doing out here, shouldn’t you be at home, in bed?"

"I just got it this morning, I’m fine," Alex said.

"But you wont be for long," Eve said, "Come on, let’s get you home," she added, as she stood, and put out her hand. "Walter, and Fox, are probably worried about you."

Alex stood reluctantly, and said, "I’m going to get it times four."

"Times four?"

"Yeah. Walter, Fox, my brother Gabriel, and his partner Sawyer, who is a doctor," Alex said, and then gave a shrill whistle to get Murphy’s attention. Both of the dogs came bounding happily towards their owners.

"And speaking of siblings, you never told me about your sisters"

"They are not really my sisters, they are my sorority sisters, but I have known them since we were in second grade. We are closer than most sisters I know, so it is easier to call them my sisters," Eve said, as they started walking home, "They are both writers. They are spending a few weeks with me, while they work on their next projects."

"Having family around is nice," Alex agreed, "By the way, we found another of my brothers."

"So the trip to Italy, was successful," Eve said, smiling. "Well, here we are," she added as they reached the front of her home. "Do you want to come in, and meet the girls?"

"No, I better get home," Alex said, "I’m in enough trouble as it is."

"I hope they are not too rough on you," Eve said, sympathetically.

"I may have a kid’s disease, but I’m going to take what I’ve got coming like a man," Alex said, flashing her a sly grin. "I’ll see you in a couple of weeks…that is if I’m not grounded for a month."

"Good luck," Eve said, "I’ll tell Neely, that you also have the chicken pox. He’ll be thrilled his hero is just like him."

"Glad I could make his day," Alex said wryly, and headed across the street towards his own home. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door, and walked in, Murphy bounding in head of him.

"Upstairs. NOW!" a very loud voice said to his left, making him jump.

"Geezus Christ, you scared the crap out of me!" Alex said, turning to face his extremely angry twin.

"Get upstairs, get out of those wet clothes, and get into bed," Gabriel said, glaring at him.

"I’m sorry if…" Alex began, but was silenced as Gabriel continuing to speak.

"I don’t care," the ex-priest said, arms crossed over his chest, "All I want to hear, is your footsteps going up those stairs."

"You are not the boss of me," Alex said, petulantly.

"Until Walter gets home, that’s exactly who I am," Gabriel said, gritting his teeth, "And if you chose to act like an irresponsible brat and risk the chance getting pneumonia, then, I’ll treat you just like that. Now, don’t make me repeat myself. Go to bed in the guest bedroom, Fox is asleep. His fever came back."

"Is he all right?" Alex said, worried about his lover. "I want to go see him."

"No."

"But…"

"Which part of 'no' don’t you understand?" Gabriel asked, with an exasperated sigh.

Alex, frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about the answer, and said, "The ‘O’. The ‘O’ is a little fuzzy."

Gabriel, could not help but laugh, and shake his head as he said, "You are most definitely a brat. Get up those stairs right now." He added a sharp slap to Alex’s jeans covered backside to propel him on his way.

"Owww," Alex yelped, and rubbed the stinging spot on his rear, "That’s no way to treat a sick person."

"Oh, now you admit you are sick," Gabriel said, with a smirk.

"I meant…uhm…a thin person?" Alex said, grinning, "Gabriel, I am sorry I worried you."

"I know brat, I know," Gabriel said, returning the smile, "Get to bed. I’ll be up in a while to check on you."

"Yes sir," Alex said, and bounded up the stair.

"Come on boy, let’s go get a snack ready for your masters," Gabriel said, as he patted Murphy’s head.

"What is this spanking for?" Walter asked, as his hand hovered Alex’s exposed bottom.

"I…I ran away…owww," Alex said, as the first spank landed. "But…but there were…extenuating…cir…ouch, circumstances…"

"And, what those circumstances be?" Walter asked, calmly, never missing a beat.

"I…uhm…I was…upset, awwww," Alex groaned, "I…sorry…Waaaalter, stop…stop, please..."

"How many times have I told you that running away is not acceptable," Walter said, looking sternly at his lover, "What you did was really stupid, Alex."

Alex gasped, but not from the pain on his backside, but from the sting of his lover’s words. Walter had never called him stupid. Sure he had been angry with him before, but had never said those words before. "I…I’m sorry," he tried to say, between sobs.

Hearing the change of tone, Walter relented, and said, "Alex, I know you are feeling a little out of control, but you are sick baby, and we need you to take care of yourself better, okay. That’s all I’m saying."

Alex, continued to cry, and said, "You…call…called me stupid."

Walter, stopped the spanking immediately, and slowly rolled Alex until he had the younger man seating on his lap. He rubbed gentle circles on Alex’s back, trying to calm him, as he said, "I said what you did was stupid, not that you are. Big difference and you know it. Fox and I love you beyond words, and we want you to take care of yourself. If not for yourself, then for us."

At Walter’s word, Alex began to cry harder, the stress of the day, and the loving words, working together to completely disarm him of any self-control.

Walter let him cry for a few more minutes, and then said, "Sssh, it’s okay, baby, everything is forgiven. Let’s get you into bed, you need to sleep."

As Alex settled under the covers, he turned unto his side, and faced Walter. "I…I’m sorry…I’ll never…do it again."

Walter chuckled, and asked, "What? Get the chicken pox?"

Alex smiled, and said, "No…I meant, I’ll never run away again, when I have a problem."

"Glad to hear that," Walter said, and ran his hand gently over Alex’s sweat-soaked forehead, letting his fingers play with the soft strands of sable hair.

"How is Foxlet? Gabriel wouldn’t let me go see him," Alex said, with a pout. "He said Fox’s fever was back."

"It is," Walter confirmed, "I’m going to go check on him now. Sawyer, and Gabriel are going out to dinner to celebrate, but they left me some stronger medication that should help Fox’s lungs clear up."

"I’m glad Sawyer got the job," Alex said, then yawned, "It’ll be nice, having Gabriel around."

"Even when he plays big brother?" Walter asked, and smiled as Alex scrunched up his nose.

"Even then," Alex said, "Are you going to sleep with Fox tonight?"

"Do you mind?" Walter said, "Sawyer suggested that you sleep alone, so that we don’t take chances about getting anyone else infected."

Alex’s eyes widened in surprise, as he said, "You mean I’m not going to sleep with you for two whole weeks. That just sucks, it’s so fucking unfair."

"So how do you really feel about it?" Walter asked, trying to make him smile, "We may not get to sleep together, but I still can cuddle you, and kiss you…well, at least in any spot where you don’t have spots."

"You are so funny," Alex said, punching him in the arm, "I love you, Walter."

"I’m awfully fond of you too," Walter said, and placed a kiss on the tip of Alex’s nose. "Get some sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning."

"Kiss Fox for me, tell him I love him," Alex said, as he closed his eyes.

"I will," Walter said, and headed for the door, "Good night."

Walter woke with a start, as a fist connected with his chest, "What the hell?" he said in surprise, as he fumbled with the light switch. Turning to the man on the bed beside him, and his eyes widened, "Fox? What’s the matter?"

"Can…can…can’t bre…breathe…" Fox managed to say, as he struggled to taken in a breath. His eyes were wide open in sheer panic, and he grabbed at his throat.

Walter did not loose any time asking questions, as he pulled Fox into a sitting position, and leaned him against his chest. "Fox, calm down, you have to calm down baby, or you’ll choke. SAWYER! SAWYER GET UP HERE! HURRY!"

He was relieved to hear running footstep, and a moment later the door flung open, revealing both Gabriel and Sawyer, and a moment later Alex.

"What happened?" Alex said, rushing to the bed.

"He is choking, he can’t breath," Walter said, as he continued to rub Fox’s back.

"Gabriel, get me my bag, hurry," Sawyer said to his lover, who wasted no time in complying. "Alex, go to the hall bathroom, and start a hot shower, as hot as you can get it, close the door, and let the steam build."

"What is wrong with him? Alex asked, panic evident in his voice.

"His lungs are filling up with phlegm," Sawyer explained quickly, as he took the bag Gabriel handed him, "Go help Alex get the steam ready, go on."

"He was better, Sawyer, what happened?" Walter asked, as he watched the doctor, place the stethoscope on Fox’s bare chest.

"This things are tricky, Walter," Sawyer explained, "I told you that there might be a chance of relapse. He has probably developed bronchitis, his lungs are really congested. Walter, can you get him into the bathroom."

Walter stood, scooped Fox up in his strong arms, and headed towards the bathroom. "Alex, open up."

As the three men entered, Sawyer said, "Alex, I think it’s better if you wait outside. It’s going to be a tight fit for all four of us in here."

"No, I don’t want to leave him," Alex protested, "Walter?"

Walter was lowering himself onto the floor, trying to keep Fox from slipping from his arms. He looked up towards Alex and said, "Alexei, I know you want to stay, but we have to do what is best for Fox. Please, honey, wait outside. Okay?"

"No, it’s not okay," Alex said, and rushed out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Don’t worry, Sawyer, he’ll be all right," Walter said, as he settled himself down, and propped Fox against his chest, "What do we do now?"

"We just need to keep him breathing in the steam," Sawyer said, sitting across from the two men, "When he gets a coughing fit, I’ll need you to slap his back with your hand cupped. It should help loosen the mucus."

"Hurts…" Fox rasped, as he snuggled into the broad chest.

"I know sweetheart, I know," Walter said, and placed a kiss on top of the dark, sweat soaked hair, "This’ll make you feel better soon. You scared the shit out of me, you know."

"Sorry," Fox said, and began coughing.

The sound made Walter think about when people said, ‘Cough up a lung’. He began to gently pound on Fox’s back, trying to help him through the coughing fit.

"Don’t be afraid to hurt him, Walter," Sawyer said, "It only helps if you do it with enough strength to loosen all the crap in his lungs. I’m going to call the hospital, and have them send an oxygen tank, and a nebulizer. We need to get him into oxygen therapy quickly."

Walter watched as Sawyer left the bathroom, and hugging Fox to him said, "Fox, I love you so much, I need you to be okay, I…I don’t know…what…" Walter stop in mid-sentence, took a deep breath, "Sorry, I guess I’m just worried. You are going to be fine." He continued to pound on Fox’s back, hoping that it was doing some good.

"I’m sorry, Alex, but I don’t have time for your tantrums," Sawyer said, as he picked up the phone to call the hospital.

"I’m not having a tantrum," Alex said, glaring, "I just want to know why I couldn’t be in the bathroom with Fox and Walter. Why did you put them in the hall bathroom, it’s too small."

"I needed the steam to build up quickly," Sawyer said, as he waited for the hospital to answer, "Your master bath is too…yes, thank you, this is Doctor Sullivan…"

"Alex, come here," Gabriel said, pulling on Alex’s shirt sleeve, "Alex, Sawyer is not doing this to hurt you."

Alex, took a deep breath, and said, "You are right, both of you. I’m sorry, I’m just really worried."

"We know," Gabriel said, "Fox, is in good hands. Sawyer will take care of him. Why don’t we go to your bedroom, and strip the bed, it’s probably soaked from Fox’s fever."

"Okay," Alex said, and followed his twin. He stopped for a moment, turned towards Sawyer, and said, "Thanks."

Sawyer, who was listening to the hospital repeat his instructions, winked at him, and smiled.

Two days later, the household had fallen into a routine, which consisted of Fox’s oxygen therapy, and Alex’s oatmeal baths, and Calamine coatings.

Walter had reluctantly gone to work, albeit a little later the day of Fox’s attack, but Gabriel had insisted he could handle the care of the two sick men. By the end of the first day, however, the ex-priest was exhausted. Alex, had fought him at every turn, once even going as far as locking himself in the closet, only coming out when Fox went into a severe coughing attack.

Eve Kirkpatrick had stopped by to see how they were doing, and had suggested to Walter that her friends could help Gabriel out during the day. They had both been very eager to meet a fellow writer, although their genre was very different. Yvonne was currently helping Fox with his therapy, and Ursula was in the kitchen making lunch, while Neil and Alex were watching television in the family room.

"When do you go back to school, Neely?" Alex asked, as the little boy sitting beside him, turned the channel again.

"On Monday," Neely said, with a big sigh. "I wish you were going to be there."

"Me too," Alex said, with an equally deep sigh.

"You are not supposed to scratch," Neely said, as Alex’s hand strayed towards his neck. "Auntie Ursula gets really mad if you scratch."

"I know," Alex said, rolling his eyes. He had already had an encounter with the formidable ‘Auntie Ursula’. She had made it quite clear that if she caught him scratching, she would put a glove on his hand, and would ensure that Walter had a ‘discussion’ with him, leaving no doubt, what she meant by ‘discussion’. He was glad that the rash covered his face, so she would not see the blush her words had caused.

Neely leaned over, and whispered, or as close to a whisper a six-year old could achieve, "I had one on my peepee, and she wouldn’t let me scratch. Had a bunch on my butt, too."

Alex, taken totally by surprise by the child’s innocently spoken words, swallowed hard, and said, "Uhm…I bet that was hard…not to scratch, I mean."

"Neely, honey, can you go to the kitchen, and help Gabriel feed Murphy," Ursula said, as she entered the family room.

"Sure," Neely said, happy to spend time with the puppy. "Oh, Auntie Ursula, Alex, was not scratching, not at all."

"Thank you sweetie, I’m sure he wasn’t," Ursula said, with a smile, knowing that the little boy was just trying to protect his hero. Turning to the man on the couch, she said, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Alex said, using all his willpower not to scratch his nose.

"Good to hear," Ursula said, smiling at him. She thought he looked like a little boy caught being naughty, "I think now would be a good time to get another coat of Calamine lotion on you, seeing as you don’t have any desire to scratch. If we coat you now, then you won’t have this unbelievable need, this incredible desire, this phenomenal want, to dig your nails into your skin, and scratch until the infernal itch stops."

Alex, who had been watching her with ever widening eyes, said, "You are evil, you know that. Now, I want to scratch more than ever."

Wiggling her eyebrows, she said, "I know. Come on, let’s get you taken care of."

When they entered the master bedroom, Alex quickly rushed to the bed, and jumped in, settling next to Fox.

"Hi," Alex said, softly, placing a gentle kiss on Fox’s lips. "Missed you."

"Missed you more," Fox said, and tried to slip his tongue between Alex’s lips, and was a little surprised when his lover pulled back. "What?"

"We have an audience," Alex said, pointing with his head, towards the two women standing at the foot of the bed.

"For pete’s sake, Alex, they are romance novelists," Fox said, "They write about the stuff that I want to do to you right now."

"Yeah, but…" Alex said, suddenly shy. He had been very surprised when Eve had told them the type of books her sisters wrote. They were both prolific, each having written dozens of stories.

"Hey, maybe we could write a novel about a homosexual relationship," Yvonne said, her eyes lighting up with interest.

"Maybe we should make it a threesome," Ursula said, "Oh…I have the best idea. We should write it together."

"A collaboration?" Yvonne said, "That is a great idea."

"Excuse me," Fox said, but was totally ignored as the two women began to plot.

"I have the perfect name for one of the characters," Ursula said, clapping her hands in glee, "How about… Lancelot, Lance for short, very heroic, very medieval."

Warming up to the idea, Yvonne said, "Love it, love it, how about Ryder for one of the other two, strong, yet caring. Knows what he wants, and is not afraid to take it."

"Ladies?" Alex said, trying to get their attention.

"Oh this is too good, but what about the third lover," Ursula said, "We better think this one carefully, he would be a pivotal role. Maybe Ryder and Lance have a tumultuous relationship, and this third man, brings them together."

"I like that," Yvonne said, "Let’s go down to the den, and put some of these ideas on paper."

The two women left the room, to the complete astonishment of the two men on the bed. After about a minute Fox said, "I call dibs on Ryder."

Alex, scrunched up his nose, and said, "I don’t know how I feel about being Lancelot."

"You were always my knight in shining armor," Fox said lovingly, as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Riding to the rescue on my Harley," Alex said, opened his mouth to receive his lover’s tongue.

They kissed for a full minute, when Fox suddenly pulled back, and began to giggle.

"What?" Alex asked, confused.

"I…I just was thinking about what name those two will come up for Walter," Fox said, trying to catch his breath.

Alex grinned, and said, "I’m not sure how Walter will take the news we are about to become the next Fabio."

"You know, now that I think about it, Scully used to read some of those novels with the half naked guy on the cover," Fox said.

"Our Doctor Scully?" Alex said, in mock shock, "My, my, what is this world coming to."

Both men broke into giggles, which soon developed into full-blown belly laughs.

Outside the door, two women listened to the laughter on the other side of the door.

"Do you think they’d let us watch," Ursula asked.

"Watch them what? Make love?" Yvonne asked, surprised by the question. "Wouldn’t that just be the hottest thing you’d ever see? Three gorgeous hunks going at it."

"A girl can dream," Ursula said, sighing deeply.

"That’s why I’m such a fan of fiction," Yvonne said, "You can make your dreams come true."

The laughter of the two women mingled with that of the two men.

"Walter? You are home late," Sawyer said, as Walter came into the house. "I was just heading upstairs to check on the boys."

Walter, took off his coat, and dropped it over the hall chair. He was so tired, every bone in his body ached. "How are they doing? I didn’t even get a chance to call today. Things have been hectic, but thankfully it’s over next week."

"You look dead on your feet," the doctor said, "You are pushing yourself to hard."

"I know," Walter said, and rolled his head, and then his shoulders, trying to loosen them up, "But I don’t have much choice. At least it’s the weekend."

"Are you going to be all right with the guys if Gabriel and I go out for most of the day tomorrow," Sawyer asked, "House hunting."

"Sure, I think I can handle them," Walter said, beginning to head up the stairs, "They are both too sick to really do much."

"You don’t really know your lovers, do you," Sawyer said, with a chuckle, "They are very imaginative. They haven’t kept their hands of each other all day."

Walter frowned, and asked, "I thought you said it would be best not to touch Alex, in case the pox spreads."

"Fox was using gloves, so there is nothing to worry about," Sawyer assured him, "If you hurry, you might catch the second show."

"What?" Walter asked, confused.

"Just go up," Sawyer said, grinning, "But don’t let them keep you up to late. You really need to get some rest. I don’t want to resort to giving you medication to help you sleep."

"You wouldn’t," Walter said, narrowing his eyes, then smiled, "Thanks for the concern, but I’ll get some rest. Good night."

"’Night, Walt," Sawyer said, and headed toward the den, where Gabriel was waiting for him.

Walter, entered his bedroom quietly, and stopped dead at the sight before him. Alex, naked except for his boxers, was sitting crossed legged on the middle of the bed, his back to Fox, both of them facing away from the door. Fox, on his knees, was busily drawing patterns of some kind on the exposed back. From where he was, Walter could not tell what he was drawing, but he could tell what he was using as paint. Pink Calamine lotion.

"Hi boys," Walter said, smiling at their antics, as he approached the bed.

Both of the younger men turned to face him, their faces split by pleased grins at the sight of their lover.

"Hi Walter," Fox said, as Walter leaned in to kiss him. "You are home late."

"We waited up for you," Alex said, as he too accepted a quick peck on his puckered lips.

"I’m glad," Walter said, sincerely, as he sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Sawyer says my lungs are clearer, but that I have to do the therapy for at least another few days," Fox said, sticking out his tongue to show his thoughts on the idea. "But at least, I can spend the day in bed with Alex."

"How is the itching?" Walter said, as he noticed Alex’s gloved hand.

"Unbearable," Alex said, looking pitiful, "Ursula, put this in my hand. She said, it was either the glove, or she’d call you to come and have a ‘discussion’ with me, and as much as I wanted to see you, I didn’t want to have that ‘discussion’."

"And I appreciate that," Walter said, "I really wanted to finish up as much as I could this week, so that I could take the whole weekend off, and pamper my sick boys."

"Yeah!" both Fox and Alex, yelled simultaneously, and bounced on the bed.

"But it will be tomorrow, because right now, all I want to do is climb into bed, and go to sleep. I’m beat," Walter said, yawning.

"Okay," Fox said, "I’ll just finish Alex’s back."

Walter glanced at Alex’s back, and asked, "What were you drawing?"

"It’s the Mona Lisa, of course," Fox said, as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Okay, DaVinci, whatever you say," Walter said, as he stood, and walked to the bathroom. He stepped into the bathroom, and right before closing the door, he added, "More like the Monkey Lisa." His chuckle could still be heard through the closed door.

"What the hell are you doing to my back," Alex asked, as he tried to look at his back.

"Nothing, don’t worry, it’s beautiful," Fox said, reassuringly, "He is just jealous because he can’t draw a straight line."

"I heard that," Walter shouted through the closed door.

"You were meant to...Rip," Fox said, and giggled.

The door opened, and a towel clad Walter stepped out, "What the hell did you call me? Rip?"

"Yeah," Alex said, grinning, "That’s the name the ladies are going to use for you, in their novel."

"You are kidding right," Walter said, as he dropped the towel, and put on a pair of boxers. "Am I to assume that you are also in the book?"

"Meet Lancelot," Fox said, pointing to Alex.

"And Ryder," Alex said, pointing to Fox.

"How did I come to be…Rip…is it?" Walter asked as he climbed into bed.

"We suggested it," Fox said, "Because, every time we look at you, we just want to ‘rip’ the clothes off you," this last was said, with a definite lustful look.

"As much as I would like to delve into that fantasy," Walter said, once again yawning, "You two are too sick, and I am too tired to do much, so for tonight at least, the best we are going to do is cuddle. Okay?"

"Okay," both men said, disappointed, but well aware that neither had the strength to do much, anyway.

"I need to go to the bathroom first, and I need to wear pajamas, so I don’t get Calamine lotion all over you," Alex said, as he climbed over Walter, and headed for the bathroom.

When Alex closed the door, Walter turned to Fox, and asked, "How is he…really?"

Fox, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Sawyer said that the blisters will probably show up soon. When they do, his fever will spike as well, and he’ll be all achy."

"So I guess this weekend will be a quiet…" Walter began, when a high pitched squeal stopped him. He looked at Fox, and a second later they both scrambled off the bed, and rushed to the bathroom.

Pushing the door opened, they were greeted by the rather odd sight of Alex, standing over the toilet, dick in hand, looking devastated.

"What happened? Why’d you scream like that?" Walter said, afraid that his youngest lover had hurt himself somehow, but not being able to figure out how.

"I…I…" Alex said, blushing a deep shade of red, as he realized how he must look.

"What, Alex? What happened?" Fox said, worriedly.

Taking a deep breath, Alex simply said, "I’ve got a blister on my…"