Title: Aphrodite, Chapter 14, Part 1 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: February 23, 2004

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: First they fight, later they love.

NOTE1: This first part has arguments, and discipline, but no actual sex. That will come in the next part, when the boys (all of them) celebrate Valentine's Day.

NOTE2: Thank you to Ursula for the terrific beta job. You are the best.

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Aphrodite (Goddess of Love)

CRASH!

"WALTER! God damn it!"

Fox Mulder sighed, took off his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had been trying to put the finishing touches to his second book, but he couldn’t concentrate with all the noise in the house.

Alex and Walter, had been at odds for the last two days, and their constant bickering were driving him to distraction.

He could understand how both men were feeling. Walter was trying to get used to his retirement, and was having a hard time adjusting. Alex's problem, if you could call it that, was that he had been so frightened by Walter's recent health crisis, that he was going overboard with the mother-hen routine, which in turn made Walter even grumpier. Fox felt like monkey-in-the-middle, trying to keep peace between his lovers, and now it seemed that he was being called into action again.

Making his way downstairs, he silently prayed that the crash he had just heard didn’t mean one of his lovers was laying on the floor covered in blood.

"What the hell is going on down here," he said as he walked into the kitchen.

Blood was not exactly what Alex was covered in, but he was certainly covered in something.

Trying not to smile at the look on the younger man's face, Fox asked, "Alex, honey, what happened? Why are you covered with flour?"

Alex was breathing hard, trying to regain some control, as he pointed to Walter, who stood to one side, looking abashed. "He…he…he…I…"

"Walter, maybe your vocabulary is more expansive," Fox said, turning to the older man.

Before Walter could open his mouth, Alex said, "He rearranged the kitchen…for the third time. I reached to get a glass, and this…this…happened."

"I said I was sorry, Alex," Walter said.

"Sorry is not good enough," Alex said, "You have been a pain in the ass to live with the last few days. Nothing we do makes you happy, you complain about everything, and you don’t take care of yourself."

"What do you mean? I take care of myself," Walter said angrily.

"But you admit you are a pain in the ass," Alex said, smirking.

"Okay, enough you two," Fox said, putting his hands up to stop the argument. "Walter, Alex is right, you haven't been taking care of yourself, or at least you haven't let us take care of you. You are overdoing it with all the housecleaning, the rearranging of furniture, the…"

"I get it, okay, I get it," Walter said, his eyes blazing, "You don’t appreciate having me around the house all day. Fine, I'll go find something else to do," he added as he headed for the garage.

"We didn’t say that," Fox said, with a sigh, "Walter…Walter…come back here, we aren't done talking yet."

"We are as far as I am concerned," Alex said, as he tried to dust off some of the flour, "He wants to have a heart attack for real, let him."

"Alex! You don’t mean that," Fox said, shocked.

Alex, looked up at him, and shrugged, "Of course I don’t, Fox. It's just that…retirement should come with a warning."

Fox smiled at the comment, and stepped forward to hug Alex, "It'll be alright. He just needs some time to adjust. He is just bored, honey. He thought he had one more week of work, and all of a sudden he finds himself at a loss."

"What are we going to do about it?" Alex asked.

Fox, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Other than keeping him in bed, sexually sated for all eternity, I don’t know. We could find him stuff to do."

"As much as I like the keeping him in bed idea," Alex said, smiling, "I think the second option is better. What about all the plans he had, you know teaching at Quantico, doing stuff in his workshop."

"Retirement is one of life's major moments," Fox said, "Walter is going through it a lot earlier in his life than most people. He just needs sometime to adjust, and we, as his lovers have to do everything we can to help him."

"Okay, I'll play nice," Alex said, as he stepped out of the embrace, "But he better not pull any more stunts or I'll tan his ass."

Fox, grinned and said, "Uhm…that threat would probably carry a little more weight, if you didn’t look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy."

Looking down at his flour covered body, Alex frowned, and then looked up at Fox, and said, "Not funny, Foxlet, not funny."

"We are not going, and that is final," Chris Newman said, as he stared down his very angry lover. "It is not safe, and we are not chancing it."

"We always go up to the cabin this time of year," Cooper Donovan said, his arms crossed over his chest. "I thought that now…this is our first year as lovers…I thought we could…"

Softening slightly, Chris said, "I know Spud, believe me I know. Don’t you think I want to have sometime alone with you, but the drifts are too high. This is one of the worst winters we have had in a long time, you know that. We can take a chance of getting stranded in a storm on our way there."

"You just don’t want to spend time with me," Cooper said angrily, "You have made a point of staying away, for the last couple of weeks…"

"We've been short three men, Spud, you know that," Chris said patiently. He wasn’t sure what was bothering his lover, but he aimed to find out. "We both had been busy."

"You haven't been too busy to go into town," Cooper said, his green eyes blazing.

"We needed supplies," Chris said, "What the hell is going on with you Cooper? What's is this really all about?"

Cooper looked down at the floor for a moment, and when he looked up again Chris was surprised to see tears glistening in the eyes he loved so much.

"Spud? Spud, what is going on?" Chris said, taking a step towards the younger man. He was taken aback, when Cooper took a step back.

"Leave me alone," Cooper said, "I know what you have been up to."

"What are you talking about?" Chris said, totally baffled, "What have I been up to?"

"I am not going to tell you, if you don’t know," Cooper said, turned around, and fled the room.

Rosie Sandoval, their housekeeper, came out of the kitchen, and frowned at him, "What did you do?"

"Hell if I know," Chris said, shrugging his shoulders in helplessness, "I supposedly did something, but he wont tell me what?"

"Well, you better find out, and soon," Rosie said, wagging her finger at him, "You know I don’t like when you fight."

Chris sighed, and nodded, "I know Rosie, I know. I don’t like it either, but most of the time, I know what we are fighting about." Looking at the older woman, and seeing she was waiting for something, "Yes ma'am, I'll fix it."

Smiling, she said, "Good boy."

"I won't have that woman in my house," Giancarlo Calabrese said, trying to keep his temper under control.

His lover, Lucca Sebastiani, looked at him with an eyebrow cocked, and said in a calm, clear tone, "That woman, as you put it, is my mother, and as far as I know this is our home, not yours alone."

"I am sorry," Gianni said apologetically, "I shouldn’t have said that, but I still don’t want your mother to visit, and you should have told me first."

"I am telling you now," Lucca said, as he sipped his cocktail, "Fabiana called, and said she would be in town, and wanted to drop by."

"And naturally you jumped at the chance to see her," Gianni said.

"Why not," Lucca said, taking the olive out of his martini, and popping it into his mouth, "It isn't as if she comes here often."

"That is my point," Gianni said, "She only comes when it suits her, when she needs something from you. She is like a leach."

"So that makes me what? A son of a leach?" Lucca said, smirking, "I don’t know why this bother you so much. She hardly notices you when she is around."

"That is not the point," Gianni said, running a hand through his dark hair, "I don’t like what it does to you… what I have to do when she leaves."

"And what pray tell, do you have to do?" Lucca said, his eyes going hard.

"I have to pick up the pieces," Gianni said softly, "She destroys you, Lucca, she destroys you, and I have to pick up the pieces."

Lucca frowned as he set down his drink, not wanting the sudden shake of his hand to cause a spill. He took a step towards his lover, and stopped, his hand fisting at his side, as he tried to control his anger. "Then it is fortunate for you that I will leave, and meet her at the hotel instead of here. You will not have to bother to pick up any pieces, as it is such a hardship on you."

"Lucca…please," Giancarlo said, moving towards him.

"I do not wish to hear it," Lucca said, his chin jutting defiantly, "Whatever relationship my mother and I share it is none of your business."

"I am your lover, damn it," Gianni said, angrily, "I love you more than life itself, and it kills me to see you after she gets done with you."

"I appreciate your concern…and your love…but…" Lucca said, suddenly at a loss for words.

"You appreciate? Appreciate my love?" Gianni said, dumbfounded. "You don’t appreciate love, Lucca? It's not the use of a car for the night, or twenty dollars for a meal. Love is to be cherished…not appreciated."

"First let me say, you can't get a meal in Monte Carlo for twenty dollars," Lucca said, resorting to humor to avoid the discussion, "And…"

"I can't do this, Lucca," Gianni said, putting up his hand to stop him, "You can take it as a joke if you want to, but I can't do this anymore." Gianni picked up his coat from the chair, and began moving towards the door. Turning around, he said, "You can stay here, I'll go to the hotel. Call me…if you want…when she is gone. I…I'll be there for you…if you want."

Lucca watched in stunned silence as his lover left the room. He hadn't expected Gianni to be the one to leave. He had been prepared to be the one to make the dramatic exit, filled with righteous indignation over the attack on his mother's character, but who was he kidding? It wasn’t the fact that Gianni had left that hurt. It was the fact that every word his lover, and he hoped Gianni was still his lover, had spoken were one hundred percent on the money.

"Here," Gabriel Wolff said, as he placed the telephone in front of his lover.

"What is this?" Sawyer Sullivan said confused.

"Well, that explains a lot," Gabriel said, glaring.

To say that Sawyer was surprised by Gabriel's demeanor was an understatement. His lover was always so even tempered that up to that moment Sawyer had thought nothing would make Gabriel angry, but angry he appeared to be.

"I'm sorry, Gabey…I…" Sawyer began, but was cut off.

"Don’t you Gabey me, Sawyer Sullivan," Gabriel said. Pointing to the telephone he added, "This is a phone. It has been around for quite a long time. It is something people use to call people they claim to love, to let them know that they are not coming home…"

"Shit! Gods, Gabriel I am sorry," Sawyer said apologetically, "I forgot to call you."

"I called the hospital, and they told me you left an hour ago," Gabriel said, cutting off the apology, "We live fifteen minutes from the hospital. Do you know what thoughts went through my mind? It is snowing like crazy out there. I thought you had an accident."

"Honey, I am sorry," Sawyer said, "You are right, it is snowing like crazy. It took me fifteen minutes just to get out of the parking garage, traffic was a nightmare."

"You should have still called," Gabriel said, not appeased in the slightest. He had been worried sick, and he wasn’t about to let his lover off the hook. "You do have a cell phone don’t you?"

"I said I was sorry," Sawyer said, tired of his apologies being ignored, "What is the really the matter? Why are you being so difficult? It's not as if I did it on purpose."

"And that makes it all better," Gabriel said, "Not good enough. You can sleep on the couch. Good night," and with that he went into their bedroom, leaving a befuddled Sawyer behind.

"What the hell just happened here?" the doctor said to himself.

"Hey, sweets, how you doing?" Fox asked Alex, as the younger man came into his office.

"Tired," Alex said, yawning, as he flopped down on the couch, "Walter's tossing, and turning kept me up all night. Didn’t it bother you?"

"I slept like the dead," Fox said as he stood, and walked over to the couch. Pushing Alex forward, he slipped in behind him, and wrapped his arms around his younger lover. "I finished the book, and sent it out last night, by the time I got to bed, I was so beat I couldn’t see straight."

"Congratulations on finishing the book," Alex said sincerely, "Maybe now you can help me. I am getting tired of running behind him, trying to keep him from overdoing it."

"He is lucky to have such a pretty nursemaid," Fox said,

"I'm not a nursemaid," Alex said, pouting as he ran his finger gently over Fox's hand.

"But you sure are pretty," Fox said, nipping at the back of Alex's neck.

"Fox, that tickles," Alex said, twisting his neck, "I am really worried about Walter."

"I know you are," Fox said, "If he keeps this up, we'll have a heart to heart with him, and set some rules."

Alex, turned within the confines of Fox's arms, until he they were he was facing him, "Can I spank his ass, if he doesn't behave?"

"Of course," Fox said, grinning, "Let's give him a little time, okay."

"Sure," Alex said, and then chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" Fox asked.

"You are going cross-eye looking at my mouth," Alex said.

Fox, couldn’t help but grin at having been caught, and said, "Can you blame me. I could eat your lips up…"

"This from the man with the world's most irresistible lower lip?" Alex said, and leaned forward, intent of nipping at the aforementioned lower lip.

He was almost at his goal, when a clanking sound from outside stopped him.

"What the hell is that?" Fox asked, turning to look towards the window.

"Whatever it is, it's sure a mood killer," Alex mumbled, and rolled off Fox, then helped him to his feet.

Both men walked to the window, and looked outside.

"What the hell does he think he is doing?" Alex exclaimed, as he saw Walter propping the ladder against the side of the house.

"I don’t know," Fox said, "But if he falls, and doesn't break his neck, I'll break it for him. Come on."

Both men rushed out of the office, and headed outside. By the time the reached their lover, Walter was half way up the ladder.

"Walter, what the fuck do you think you are doing?" Alex said angrily as he stared up at the older man.

Startled, Walter slipped, but quickly righted himself. Looking down, he was surprised to see the two very angry faces of his lovers glaring up at him. "Jezzus, Alex, you almost made me fall. What's the matter with you?"

"We should be asking you that?" Fox said, "What the hell do you think you are doing? It is three degrees out, its starting to snow, and you are climbing a ladder up to the roof."

"The drain pipe is loose," Walter said, as if it explained everything. "With the storm coming, it will bang against the house all night, and keep us up. I thought I get it taken care off, before it got dark."

"As considerate as that is, Walter, this is not the time to do it," Fox said, "Get down. Now."

"Fox…" Walter began, but saw that his lover was serious, so he sighed, and said, "Okay, I'm coming down."

Alex and Fox stepped away from the ladder, and watched as their lover made his way down the ladder.

When Walter was about two feet of the ground, his foot slipped, and he fell backwards with a startled yelp.

Alex, jumped forward in an attempt to catch him, but only managed to be knocked on his butt for the effort.

"Walter, are you alright?" Fox asked, as he helped the older man sit up.

"Yeah…yeah…I think so," Walter said, as he rolled off Alex.

"Alex? You okay?" Fox asked, his younger lover.

"No," Alex said, frowning, "My ass hurts."

"Here, let me help you up," Fox said, as he and Walter took Alex's arms.

"Shit, oh Gods…" Alex said, trying to stifle a scream.

"What! What is it? What's wrong," Walter asked worriedly.

"I think…I think I bruised something…" Alex said, reddening considerably. "My…backside really hurts."

Fox, tried not to laugh at the look of embarrassment on Alex's face as he said, "Come on the, lets get you to the hospital."

"No. No hospital," Alex said, shaking his head, "It's too embarrassing."

"A boo-boo on your booty?" Fox said, grinning.

"I am so very glad you think this is funny," Alex growled, not noticing that while they had been talking, his lovers had steered him towards Fox's SUV.

"Come on, Alex, get in," Walter said, gently helping him climb onto the back of the vehicle. "Lay down on your stomach, you'll be more comfortable. I am really sorry about this."

"We'll discuss this further, when we get home," Alex said, glaring at him over his shoulder, "I won't be the only one with a sore butt."

Walter, at least, had the good grace to look ashamed as he said, "Yes, Alex. You are right; this is all my fault"

"Let's go," Fox said, as he pulled the car out of the driveway.

"Morning, Jake," Chris greeted one of his workers as he entered the stables. "Looks like the storm is going to be a bad one."

"Yep, this has been one of the worst winters we've had in a spell," the lanky cowboy said, "Coop must be crazy to go out in this weather."

Taken by surprise, Chris said, "What do you mean? Where is Cooper?"

"Took off about an twenty minutes ago," Jake said, "Said he was going up to the cabin. Looked mighty upset."

"Upset," Chris said, "Upset is what he is going to be when I get my hands on him…of all the hair-brained ideas."

"Don’t be too mad at him, Chris…" Jake began, and then stopped.

"What do you mean, Jake. Do you know why Coop was so upset?" Chris asked, and when Jake failed to answer, added, "Jake, Coop is out there in a coming storm, because something happened to upset him enough to leave. You better tell me what this is all about."

"Okay, I'll tell you, but you aren't going to be happy," Jake said, and took a deep breath before continuing, "The other night, Coop and I were outside the bunkhouse fixing some of the tack, and we overheard some of the new men talking."

Not liking where this was going, but knowing he had to listen, Chris bit his tongue, and waited for the other man to continue.

"Well, you and the Spud know that none of us…the old timers I mean, have any problems with your relationship. You were up front with us, and it is not like you flaunt it or anything…but the newer guys… they were making some comments."

"What comments," Chris managed to ground out between clenched teeth.

"One of them said, that you were probably spending time in town, cuz Cooper was not good enough in bed to keep you satisfied. He said, that he had seen you in town hanging with Clem Jarvis, and that you two made a better couple than you and the Spud. Coop was upset, but he didn’t say anything, just dropped the tack, and went into the house."

"Damn it, why didn’t he tell me," Chris said, taking off his Stetson, and running his hand through his hair. "He is out there feeling sorry for himself, and probably not paying attention to the weather. He is going to be caught in the storm. Damn it all to hell."

"I'm sorry I didn’t tell you yesterday," Jake said apologetically, "Coop looked okay, so I thought he took it as a joke, and that it didn’t really bother him. I was going to tell you about it this morning, when I saw him leave, but couldn’t find you."

"That's okay, Jake. You are a good friend…to both of us," Chris said, sincerely, "I am going to pack a saddlebag with some warm clothing and food, and then take off to look for Cooper. Can you handle getting the rest of the animals taken care of before the storm?"

"Sure thing, Bossman," Jake said, smiling, "I have a couple of workers in mind to do the job."

Leaving his friend, Chris took off for the house, and as quickly as he could put some supplies, and clothing in his saddlebags.

"What is going on?" Rosie said, as he came rushing down the stairs.

"The Spud took off for the cabin," Chris said, "I have to make sure he either makes it there, or back here in one piece, so I can wring his neck."

"As long as you are together," Rosie said, smiling, "Just be careful."

"We will," he said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Caro mio, what are you doing up so early," Fabiana Sebastiani said, as she came out of her bedroom.

Lucca looked up, and smirked as he said, "Mother, it is nearly noon."

"And your point would be, darling," she said, as she took a seat at the dining room table.

"Well Mother, what was so important that you had to cut your vacation short to come, and see me?" Lucca asked, as he sipped his coffee.

"What do you mean? I was scheduled to be in Monte Carlo, and of course I wanted to see my baby boy," Fabiana said.

"Your baby boy," Lucca said, "We both now know that is not true don’t we?"

Fabiana's blue eyes narrowed for a moment. She took a deep breath, and said, "I wondered when you would get to that?"

"Is that why you are here?" her son asked, "To tell me the truth…finally. Or are you here to rope me into helping you with another one of your money-making schemes. Really, Fabiana, how much money can you possibly need."

"My darling, there is never enough money to be had," Fabiana said, smiling, "And I don’t recall you ever having any problems helping me with my…uhm…projects."

"I never had a choice," Lucca said, coming to his feet, "I either helped, or you would dump me with the closest nanny you could hire."

"I did the best I could for you, Lucca," his mother said, taking on an air of indignation. "It wasn’t easy for a woman alone…after your father died…"

"He wasn't my father, and you are not my mother," Lucca said angrily, "So don’t bring him into this. Why are you here, Fabiana?"

"If you must know," Fabiana said, "I was…unsettled by your call…regarding these men who claim to be your brothers."

"Not claim…are," Lucca said, "We are identical…all four of us, and there are 2 more out there if their story is true. I need to know how you fit into that picture."

"We…your father and I…adopted you when you were small," Fabiana said, "He couldn’t have children and it was his fondest wish, so we hired a lawyer, and then you came into our lives."

"And where did he find me," Lucca said, trying to keep his voice calm, "Not on a cabbage patch I presume. Were did I come from?"

"We were not told," Fabiana said, "And we didn’t want to know. All we knew is that we had the most precious baby boy there was, and that was enough for us. No matter what you think, I do love you Lucca, and your father loved you too."

Lucca, turned around, and walked towards the large windows facing the gardens, "Well, you do have an interesting way of showing it."

"Damn it Lucca, I did the best I could," Fabiana said, tears springing to her eyes, "When you called me, and told me about those men, I knew the truth would finally be revealed. I wanted to be here, and tell you in person."

"It's been over month, Mother," Lucca, "What was so important that you didn’t make it here before that?" When she was silent, he added, "What…no answer? I wonder why? Could it be that one of your paramours took precedent over me…again."

Jumping to her feet, Fabiana said, "You ungrateful little…"

"Careful, Fabiana," Lucca said, turning back to face her, "You don’t know my mother, so calling me a son of a bitch may not be accurate."

"Why are you doing this, Lucca?" Fabiana said, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I know I have not been the best mother in the world, but I do love you."

"You love what I can do for you," Lucca said, "So what is it this time…really. You didn’t come here to spill your guts about my parentage, so what is the real reason you are here."

"Nothing that I say will make you believe me," Fabiana said, "So there is no reason for us to continue this conversation." With that, she turned, and all but ran out of the room.

"Good, Mother, always true to form," Lucca said to himself, "Run when it gets too tough. Run, and leave me behind."

"I am sorry, but Doctor Sullivan is on rounds at this time, would you like to leave a message?" the hospital operator said.

"No…no message, thank you," Gabriel said, and hung up.

He had called Sawyer to apologize for his behavior the previous night, but had not been able to get a hold of him most of the day. He knew he had behaved badly, and what was worse he had no real idea why he had overreacted.

He knew he was feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened to him. One moment he is dying in the Mexican mountains, and the next he is making a home, and a life with a man he hardly knows. He had no doubt that he loved Sawyer, and felt pretty sure that Sawyer did love him, but it was still mind boggling, and he was beginning to feel out of his depth.

"I need to go for a walk," he said, rubbing his face with his hands, "This is silly. He loves me, I love him, it'll be alright."

Standing up, Gabriel reached for his coat, and walked out of their apartment.

"Gentlemen, we need to stop meeting like this; people will talk," Doctor Robyn Brice said, as she entered the cubicle, where Alex, already in a hospital gown, Fox and Walter were waiting. "I am surprised to see you here," Robyn said, "Why didn’t you contact Doctor Green, or at least Sawyer. Why come into the ER?"

"He didn’t want them to know about…his injury," Fox said, trying to keep from smiling.

"Oh, I see, and what injury would that be," Robyn said, looking at her patient again, "I don’t see any blood… you are standing on your own two feet…"

"It would be the sitting on his own two che…OW!" Fox began, just to get an elbow to the stomach from Walter, who glared at him.

"I see," Robyn said, smiling, "There is nothing to be embarrassed about Mister Krycek. Tell me what happened?"

"I fell from a ladder," Walter mumbled, "About two feet…landed on Alex."

"Very well, lets get you on the gurney, and I'll take a look," Robyn said. She waited until Fox and Walter, had helped Alex get onto the gurney. "Would you like them to wait outside?"

Looking over his shoulder at his two lovers, Alex said, "No, that's all right, it's not as if they haven't seen my…oh Gods, I can't believe I just said that."

Patting his shoulder, Doctor Brice said, "Don’t worry, pain makes you do strange things. Okay, let's take a look," she added, as she pulled down his boxers. "Injuries to the coccyx, or tailbone, are common this time of year, with people falling on the ice. I doubt…sorry…I doubt that it is broken, just bruised."

"OW! Sh…heck…that hurts," Alex said, squirming as she pressed at the base of his spine.

"I am sorry," Robyn apologized, "I know it hurts, but I am almost done…there…all done," she added, as she took off her rubber gloves. "Okay, it is just as I suspected, a bruise."

"How do we take care of it," Alex said, "I mean, what do we do."

"There is not much to do, actually," Robyn said, "I'll prescribe some acetaminophen, and a stool softener. You will need to sit on a special cushion for a few days, so there is no pressure on the area…and sorry, but no anal sex either for a few days, it would be too painful." This time, all three men blushed. "I'll send the nurse in to give you the acetaminophen. Don’t get dressed yet, I am prescribing it in suppository form."

"Can't I just take it orally?" Alex said, not looking forward to remaining unclothed any longer than necessary.

"You could, but this will work faster," Robyn said, "If the pain persist after three days, come back, and see me. Hopefully the next time I see any of you, it will be under non-medical circumstances."

As she left, Walter said, "Alex, honey…how do you fell?"

"Don’t you Alex honey me, Walter," Alex said, "You are in such deep trouble, that you are going to need the special cushion to sit yourself."

"I haven't been that bad, have I," Walter said, looking sheepish.

"We'll talk about it at home," Fox said, as the nurse came in, "Hey…Suzanne isn't it. You were the nurse that discharged Walter a few days ago."

"Nice to see you all again," Suzanne said, and glancing at Alex's bare buttocks, added, "All of you."

"Gods, kill me now," Alex said, and buried his head under his arms.

"Oh, Mister Krycek, it's not that bad," Suzanne said, smiling, "I see a lot of bare…assets…in this job, and you have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Maybe you should say em-bare-assed," Fox said, and received another poke in the stomach, "Oh come guys, lighten up."

"Want to trade places, Fox?" Alex said, glaring over his shoulder at his lovers.

"Okay, okay, that's enough gentlemen," Suzanne said, putting up her hand, "Let's get this done. I know you probably want to be out of here as soon as possible."

"Yes, thank you," Alex said, and lay back down.

"This won't hurt," Suzanne, said, "I'll be very gentle." She parted his cheeks, quickly lubricated his anus, and then slipped the suppository in. "There…all done. Give it a few minutes, and then you can get dressed."

"Thank you, Suzanne," Alex said, his face still buried in his arms.

"Well, I'll leave you for now," Suzanne said, "Press that button if you need anything," she added pointing to a call button on the wall, as she left the room.

"I know you guys are looking at my ass," Alex said, not looking up, "Can you help me close this stupid gown… I am getting a draft here."

"Too bad, I kind of like to look at the goosebumps on your bum," Fox said, as he closed the back opening of the gown. "Don’t you think Alex has a great butt, Walter?"

"Of course," Walter said, still on the other side of the room.

"Don’t even try it, Fox, I am mad at him," Alex said, glaring at both men over his shoulder.

'Oh boy, this is going to be a fun couple of days,' Fox thought to himself, as he watched Walter frown and stare at the floor.

"COOPER! COOOOOOPER!" Chris yelled as he spotted his lover in the distance, "Damn that boy," he muttered to himself when he saw Cooper stop, turn, and after a moment kick his horse at a gallop.

Cooper had heard Chris call, although he was a good ways away, and his first instinct was to stop, and wait for him, but remembering why he had left in the first place, decided he didn’t want to see his lover. The snow was too high to really make much headway, but that didn’t prevent him, from urging his horse to go faster. Turning the gelding towards where he knew the shortest path to the cabin was, Cooper kicked him one more time.

"Cooper, wait," Chris yelled, as he continued to follow. He knew that Cooper had heard him, and was actually running away from him. After his conversation with Jake, he knew that Cooper had a right to be upset, but not giving him the chance to explain was making Chris angry.

Cooper, finally managed to get to the tree line, where there was less snow on the ground due to the tree cover. He kept glancing over his shoulder, trying to gauge how far Chris was. It was during on this backwards glances, that he missed the low hanging branch until it struck him across the face, knocking off his horse.

"Shit," was all he managed to say, as he landed on the frozen ground, and began to roll down a small incline.

"COOPER!" Chris yelled, as he saw his lover's accident. It took him almost ten minutes to reach the spot where he had seen Cooper fall. Jumping off his horse, he searched the area until he found the tracks Cooper's body made as it slid down the embankment. It took him a moment to spot the younger man, as Cooper was now covered by snow, which had been knocked off the trees during his descent.

Making his way slowly down the embankment, Chris reached Cooper, and said, "Coop…Cooper, are you all right? Answer me…damn it."

"Chris? Owww…my head," Cooper said, as he opened his eyes, and looked into his lover's concerned face.

"Come on, buddy," Chris said, helping him sit up, "Take it easy…how you doing? That's a nasty bump you've got there."

"It hurts," Cooper said, as he reached a shaky hand towards the throbbing area above his left eye.

"Let me help you up," Chris said, doing just that, "I need to get you home…"

"No! I…I don’t want to go home," Cooper said, pulling his arm away from Chris' grasp, and almost falling again. "I want to go to the cabin…it's closer."

"You could have a concussion, Coop," Chris said, patiently, "I think going home is best."

"And you always know what is best don’t you," Cooper said, sulkily, "I am fine, I don’t need you…woah…"

"That's it…I am taking you home," Chris said, as he reached over to steady him.

"No…please…I want to go to the cabin," Cooper said, "I am fine…really."

"Okay," Chris finally conceded, "We'll both go to the cabin, and then we will both have a very long talk about running away."

"I didn’t run away," Coop said, but let the older man help him up the small hill, "I am an adult…I wanted to go to the cabin, and you had no right to tell me not to."

"Spud…I know…Jake told me…about what you overheard," Chris said, as he helped Cooper get on his horse.

"I don’t want to talk about it," Cooper said.

"We are going to talk about it," Chris said, with finality, as he climbed his own horse, "And after we talk about it, I am going to warm your bottom for you."

Swallowing hare, Cooper looked at him, and said, "You have no right…"

"Oh, little boy," Chris said, smiling, "I most certainly do. Let's go…you lead."

"Lucca? Lucca…are you here?" Giancarlo called out, as he entered the house. It was already dark, and all the lights were out.

He walked towards the bedroom, and opened the door slowly. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they did he noticed the lump on the bed.

"Oh, Lucca," he whispered as he approached the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed, and watched his slumbering lover for a moment. Noticing the empty vodka bottle on the night stand, he shook his head, and said, "My poor boy…what did she do to you…"

"Gianni?" Lucca mumbled sleepily, as he rolled towards his lover.

"Yeah, baby, I'm here," Gianni said, as he pushed a stray lock of hair off the younger man's face. "You okay?"

"Yes," Lucca said around a yawn, "Tired…so tired."

"I am going to turn the lights on for a second, okay?" Gianni said, and did just that. "Lucca…what did you do!" he exclaimed as he saw the bloody towel wrapped around Lucca's hand.

Lucca blinked at the sudden brightness, then lifted his hand, and looked at it, as if it didn’t belong to him, "I…uhm…I don’t…remember."

"Let me take a look," Gianni said, and unwrapped the towel, "Lucca, some of these are deep cuts…what did you do?"

"Mirror…I…think…I put my hand through…didn’t like…what I saw…" Lucca said, still groggily.

"Come on," Gianni said, and pulled Lucca to a sitting position, "Lets get you to the bathroom, so I can get a better look at this." When he had Lucca on his feet, he picked him off the floor, and carried him in his arms. He sat the younger man on the closed toilet seat, and looked at him more closely. "Want to tell me what happened?"

Shaking his head, Lucca said, "No. Nothing to tell…you knew before you left here, how it was going to end."

"Doesn’t make me glad, if that is what you think," Gianni said, as he dabbed at the cuts, "I can't believe you did this, Lucky," he added, using his lover's nickname.

Chuckling humorlessly, Lucca said, "Not so Lucky, I guess, not with my Mother anyway."

"Take it didn’t go well," Gianni said, "She didn’t tell you what you wanted to know about where you came from?"

"How…how did you know, I was going to ask her," Lucca said, surprised, "I thought you said, she was here to pull me into one of her cons."

"I know you, sweetheart, more than you think, and more than you want me to," Gianni said, re-wrapping the injured hand with a clean towel, "These don’t look like they need stitches, but we need to get it bandaged properly. I'll call the doctor to come first thing in the morning."

"Very well," Lucca said, nodding, "Giancarlo…are you angry with me…you know…for what I said before?"

"I am not happy, but I am not angry with you, baby," Gianni said, as he guided the younger man towards the bedroom. Flipping over the covers, he helped Lucca get in. "We'll have a serious discussion about this in the morning, when we both are more clear headed."

"Discussion? Are you going to spank me?" Lucca said, looking like a little boy for a moment.

"I think hurting yourself like this, warrants a very serious discussion," Gianni said, as he undressed, and slipped under the covers, wrapping his body around Lucca. "We'll talk about it in the morning. I love you, Lucky."

"I love you too," Lucca said, as he closed his eyes.

"Thanks…call if you hear from…wait…hold on, there is someone at the door…yes, it's him. Thanks, Fox, I'll call later," Sawyer said, as he finished his conversation.

"Hi," Gabriel said, as he entered their apartment, "Was that Fox?"

"What? Yeah…that was Fox," Sawyer said, staring at his lover, as he stood by the still open doorway. "I called him when I got home, and couldn’t find you."

"I went out for…a walk," Gabriel said, closing the door behind him as he limped towards the couch.

"What's the matter? Why are you limping?" Sawyer asked, immediately concerned.

Gabriel grimaced as he sat down, "I fell, slipped on the ice, and landed on my knee."

"Why didn’t you leave me a note or something," Sawyer said, as he went to the kitchen to get, "I get home, and can't find you. I was worried."

"I'm sorry," Gabriel said, meaning it, "I just wanted some fresh air, and time just got away from me."

"Take off your pants, so I can look at that knee," Sawyer said, and helped Gabriel take off the pants. "It looks like it will swell up…here put this on it," he added as he placed the ice pack on Gabriel's knee.

"Do you hate me?" Gabriel asked suddenly.

Looking up at him, Sawyer said, "What? Why, would I hate you? I was worried about you, baby. I came home and…well…I thought."

"You thought that I left you?" Gabriel said, his voice cracking slightly.

"No, not really," Sawyer said, as he sat next to him, and pulled him into a one-armed hug, "Can you tell me what that was all about yesterday…the tantrum."

Gabriel sighed, and said, "I…I am sorry about that. I guess I was just overwhelmed with everything."

"With what exactly?" Sawyer asked, as he gently ran his fingers through Gabriel's soft hair.

"A few months ago I was in a Mexican jungle, fighting to help the rebels, and almost dying for my effort. Then Alex, and Cooper find me, bring me here, and I get adopted into the Skinner family, we go to Hawaii, I meet, and fall in love with you…"

"I like that part best," Sawyer said, smiling, "Sorry, continue."

"We move in together…and…and I don’t know," Gabriel said, "It's just happened so fast."

"But that is not all, is it?" Sawyer said, pushing him a little to get a better look at his face, "What are you not telling me?"

"I feel…I feel that I don’t contribute to this relationship, and to…to life in general," Gabriel said, his voice cracking further. "I was helping people, and now I am…I feel like a damn housewife."

"Oh, baby," Sawyer said, wrapping his arms tightly around him, "You are nothing like that, we just haven't found something for you to do yet. We just moved in, and even thought the apartment is small, it still takes a lot to get it straightened out. I am sorry you feel like you have to do everything…"

"It's not that," Gabriel said, wiping at the couple of tears that had slid out of his eyes, "I don’t mind, it's our home…but I want to do something else too."

"We'll find something," Sawyer promised him, with a kiss to the top of his head, "Let's get you to bed, and make sure that knee is taken care of."

"Are you going to spank me?" Gabriel asked, suddenly.

"What? Why would I?" Sawyer asked surprised.

"I was a total brat yesterday," Gabriel said, looking at his hands, "I wouldn’t let you talk, and I wouldn't tell you what was wrong."

"Do you want a spanking?" Sawyer asked, as he gently pulled him to his feet, and wrapped his arm around Gabriel's waist to keep him steady.

"I…don’t want one…but I think I deserve one," Gabriel said, leaning into his lover, "I love you, and I didn’t show it very well yesterday."

"Okay then, but we will take care of it tomorrow," Sawyer said, "After we check your knee, okay?"

"Thank you," Gabriel said, sitting on the bed, "What were you telling Fox before, when I came in?"

"I thought maybe you went to see Alex," Sawyer said, as he slipped out of his clothes, and climbed into bed next to his lover, "They had just gotten home from the hospital…"

"Hospital? Is Walter okay? He didn’t have a relapse did he?" Gabriel said, worriedly.

"No, not Walter," Sawyer assured him, "It seems that the clones are clumsy today."

"What do you mean the clones…Alex…Alex is hurt too?" Gabriel said, his eyes widening.

"Seems he fell on his…backside, and bruised his coccyx, his tailbone," Sawyer said, smiling. "Fox said Alex is spitting mad. I guess you will not be the only one with a sore bum tomorrow."

"Glad you find it funny," Gabriel said, scrunching his nose, "I'll tell Alex that tomorrow."

"Don’t you dare," Sawyer said, quickly, "Your brother scares me."

"I'll tell him that too," Gabriel said, with a giggle as he settled further into his lover's arms, "I love you, Sawyer."

"Love you too, brat," Sawyer said, sighing happily, "I love you too."

"You are not the boss of me," Alex said, his lower lip protruding.

A raised eyebrow.

"You are not…" Alex tried again, the lip now caught between pearly white teeth.

Eyebrow a little higher.

"Fuck me," Alex said, with a put upon sigh.

"Not while you have a bruised coccyx," Fox said, grinning. He loved the power one quirking eyebrow had over his tough as nails lover. "You are coming downstairs, and we are going to talk to Walter, before his punishment."

"I don’t wanna," Alex said, lip starting its outward trip.

"Stick the lip back in, Alexei," Fox said, and put out his hand. When Alex took it, he pulled him to his feet, "Come on, let's not keep the Big Guy waiting."

The two younger men walked out of the bedroom, and down the stairs, where their lover was waiting in the living room.

"How are you feeling, Alex," Walter asked with concern.

"I'm okay," Alex said, as he put the inflatable cushion he was carrying on the couch, before taking a very careful seat.

"Walter," Fox said, "We are worried about you. You haven't been yourself for the last few days, and we are concerned."

"It's nothing," Walter said, "It's just that I am having a hard time getting used to the change…"

"It's not menopause for God's sake, it's retirement," Alex said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"ALEX!" Fox said in reprimand, "We've talked about this. Retirement is not an easy change, why are you being such an ass."

Taking a deep breath, Alex said, "I guess I thought it would be different…Walter's retirement I mean. I thought we would hang out together, do stuff…instead he became this growling, snarling, Mr. Fix-it."

"I am sorry," Walter said, "I didn’t realize I was being such a pain."

"We'll work it out," Fox said, rubbing Walter's back in comfort, "Won't we, Alexei?"

Noting how sad Walter looked, Alex's anger finally fled, "Of course…I am sorry I was so hard on you, Walter."

"No, you had the right to be," Walter said, and stood up, hands fumbling with the button of his jeans, "I know I deserve to be punished."

"You won't get an argument from us," Fox said, "But I want you to stand in the corner first, and think about what is really bothering you about the retirement, then we will talk, and take care of business."

"But, I told you why…it's just a hard thing to get used to," Walter said.

"I think there is more to it, so do as you are told, and don’t make this harder on yourself," Fox said, guiding him towards his corner, patting him on the back, he added, "Half hour, then we'll come get you."

Turning to the still seated Alex, he said, "Come on Alex, let's go get breakfast ready."

"Can't I just stay here, and look at Walter's ass? It's so pretty," Alex said, grinning up at his lover, and smiling when he heard Walter's chuckle.

Fox, returned the grin, and said, "As pretty as it is, he needs to concentrate, and knowing you are watching him, with dirty little thoughts, is not going to help him. Let's go."

"Spoilsport," Alex said, and stuck out his lower lip again.

Exactly thirty minutes later, they returned to the living room, and called Walter out of his corner.

"Well, Big Guy," Fox said, "Any thoughts you want to share with us?"

"I don’t know what you want me to say, Fox," Walter said, "I don’t know why this bothers me so much."

Sighing deeply, Fox said, "Okay, maybe you'll think of something while I'm tanning your ass. Get your pants, and boxers all the way off."

Walter did as instructed, and then carefully draped himself over Fox's lap. Fox was sitting on the large couch, so that Walter's weight would be better supported. Alex sat on the loveseat next to them.

Fox, took a deep breath before asking, "What is this spanking for, Walter?"

"I have been impossible to live with," Walter said, and grunted as the first spank, "I didn’t talk to both of you, and I was short, and mean…owww…Fox…damn it…it hurts."

"What else?" Fox said, not changing the strength behind the spanks, "Why has it been bothering you so much that you have been acting out?"

"I don’t…fuck…I don’t know…" Walter said, squirming as he felt the heat begin to seriously rise on his bottom, "I wish I knew but…owwww…owwww…don’t know…"

"Think about it…what worries you the most," Fox said, landing another flurry of spanks, with each word of his question.

"Come on Walter," Alex said, not relishing the pain, his lover was experiencing, "Think."

"How the hell can I think…fuck…owwww…owwww…I think when…shit…when I am in…stop…please…" Walter sobbed, not really trying to maintain his composure.

"Come on baby, you can do this," Fox said softly, "Tell me…"

"I'm scared! Oh Gods…I'm so scared," Walter wailed, and slumped boneless over Fox's lap.

Fox stopped the spanking immediately, and began to rub circles on Walter's back trying to comfort him. "That's it baby, let it out…we are here for you…that's it…"

Walter continued to cry for a few more minutes, and then felt himself be rolled off Fox's lap, and onto his knees. He had not noticed that Alex was now sitting next to Fox, and that both of his lovers were petting him, and whispering words of love, and support.

"I…I…I'm sorry…I lost it like that," Walter said, hiccuping as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Walter," Alex asked softly, "Why are you scared?"

Looking up at the concerned faces of the two men he loved more than life itself, Walter said, "It…it looked so simple…retirement I mean…but…but retirement is for old people. I am just…just fifty…"

"Retirement has nothing to do with age, Walter," Fox said, "I retired from the FBI, and I am younger than you. I just found something else to do."

"And I retired from the spy business," Alex said, "And I found something else to do, and you, and Fox helped me find it. We'll help you."

"You will?" Walter said, sniffling.

"Sure will," Fox said, leaning forward, and enveloping Walter in a hug, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up, have some breakfast, and then make some plans. We only have five days."

"Five days? Five days for what?" Walter asked, as he rose to his feet.

"Valentine's Day…or first together," Fox said, and smiled at the look of surprise on both of the other men's faces. "You forgot didn’t you…both of you."

"I had other things on my mind," Walter admitted, "But now that you mention it, doing Valentine's Day sounds really nice."

"Me too," Alex said, "I've never done it before though, so you'll have to help me."

"Oh, I'll help you all right," Fox said, and nipped at Alex's earlobe, making the younger man giggle.

"That tickles," Alex said, as he batted his lover away.

The sound of laughter carried up the stairs, as the three men headed for the bedroom.

"Stop…it hurts," Cooper said, batting Chris' hands away.

"Cooper, sit still," Chris reprimanded, "I am just trying to make sure this cut is clean…now stop fussing."

"I just want to sleep…please…I am so tired," Cooper said, frowning.

"I know you are, babe," Chris said, replacing the bandage on Cooper's forehead, "But you know why I couldn’t let you sleep last night."

"I know, but it is morning, and I want to sleep," Cooper said, not meeting his lover's eyes.

"I much rather talk about why you ran away," Chris said, sitting in front of him.

"I didn’t," Cooper said, still averting his eyes, "I wanted to come to the cabin, you didn’t, end of argument."

"What about what Jake told me?" Chris said, and put his finger under the younger man's chin, and lifted his head so he could look directly into Cooper's beautiful green eyes, "Do you really think I would have an affair…and with Clem of all people."

"What was I supposed to think," Cooper yelled suddenly, "You were in town a lot…and…and the men said…I heard them…and…and…and they said you, and Clem…"

"Spud, calm down," Chris said, standing up, and simultaneously pulling him up, and into his arms, hugging him hard, "Do you really think I could love anyone more than I love you?"

"I…I don’t know…I heard that…and I thought…maybe," Cooper said, leaning into the hug.

"Oh, my silly boy," Chris said, as he pushed him to arm's length, and smiled, "Honey, do you think that I was straight for over forty five years, fell in love with a man, and then decided to try other men for the hell of it. Do you think I am that shallow? I love you, you and only you. If I didn’t have you, I'd go back to women, not search for another man. You are it, kiddo, so you better get used to it."

Cooper's face scrunched up, before he wailed, "I'm sorrrrreeeeeeeee."

Pulling him back into the hug, Chris rubbed his back comfortingly, "Sssssh, that's all right, that's okay baby…sssssssshhh."

Cooper cried for a few minutes, then regained some of his composure, and said, "I…I know you are mad at me…"

"I am not mad," Chris interrupted him, "I was worried about you, and you did do a pretty stupid thing, trying to get to the cabin on your own with a storm coming."

"But…but…you should be mad," Cooper said, sniffling, "I did something stupid, you should…pun…punish me."

"And I will…after you get some sleep…I think it's safe now," Chris said, and began guiding Cooper towards their bedroom.

"No…no…I want you to do it now…I couldn't…I mean I will not sleep if…if I know it's coming," Cooper said.

"Are you sure? You have a lot of bruises, and probably have a humdinger of a headache," Chris said, looking into the tear filled eyes.

"I'm sure…please…I don’t this hanging between us," Cooper said, "I want a clean slate…please?"

"Let's go into the bedroom," Chris said, "That way, when it's over, you can go right to bed…okay?"

Cooper simply nodded, and walked to the bedroom beside his lover.

"Come on, Spud, let's do this," Chris said, taking a seat on their bed, and patting his lap, "It'll be over soon."

"When…when we are done," Cooper said, as he moved to stand at Chris' right side, and pushed down the sweat pants he was wearing, "Will you go to bed with me?"

"Of course I will," Chris promised, as he helped Cooper get settled comfortably, and pulled the boxers down, "No need to ask what this spanking if for, since we both know, so…"

"Just get it over with," Cooper said, and shut his eyes in anticipation of the first spank. When it finally landed, it sill caught him by surprise. "Oooh."

Chris really didn’t like to spank his lover, but felt that Cooper needed it to feel forgiven, so he continued to lay a pattern of blows over the younger man's formerly unblemished backside. Not until he heard Cooper begin to cry in earnest did he bring the punishment to an end. Cooper's bottom was a bright red hue, and it looked painful. It took Chris a moment to realize that maybe he had spanked a lot harder than he thought he was, but he figured the fear of almost loosing the love of his life had caused him to not pull back the spanks as he had planned.

Cooper was crying uncontrollably, so Chris pulled him up until he was sitting on his lap, his sore bottom clear of any pressure, and hugged him hard. "It's over, honey, it's done…you are okay…"

"Do…do you…forgive…me" Cooper sobbed.

"Of course," Chris said, kissing the top of his head, "I love you so much, Cooper, don’t ever scare me like this again…okay?"

"Okay," Cooper said, nodding, "I pro…promise."

"How about some sleep now, uhm?" Chris said, rocking back and forth gently, "How does that sound?"

"Uhm," Cooper said, his head cradled on his lover's shoulder, "Sounds good."

Grinning, Chris said, "Thought so…come on…let's get you into bed."

"I like it here," Cooper said, snuggling into the embrace.

Chris laughed as he said, "Yeah, I bet you do, but I am an old man, and can't really sleep sitting up."

"You are not old," Cooper argued, but stood, and let Chris help him into bed. He rolled onto his stomach immediately, and said, "You sure spanked me hard."

"Too hard?" Chris asked with concern, as he slipped under the covers next to his lover.

"No," Cooper said, settling into Chris' arms, "It hurts…but I deserved it…so it's okay."

"All right," Chris said, "Go to sleep now, we'll talk more in a few hours."

"'Kay," Cooper said around a yawn, "Love you."

"Love you, little boy," Chris said, and kissed the back of the ear closest to him.

"Thank you, Doctor," Giancarlo said to the doctor as he walked him to the front door.

"My pleasure, Signor Calabrese," the older man said, "He will be fine. The hand is just badly bruised, but not broken. It will be painful to use for a few days, but no permanent damage. I gave him a shot for the pain. Are you sure that you'll be okay with the next shot? I can send a nurse."

"No need," Gianni said, "My mother had diabetes, I helped her with the shots."

"Well, good night," the doctor said, "Call me if you need anything."

"I will," Gianni promised, and closed the door behind the departing physician. Returning to the bedroom, he smiled at the sight of Lucca scowling up at him from the bed. "What's that look for?"

"You let him give me a an injection," Lucca said, trying not to pout, "On my backside."

"And I will be giving you another one in about four hours," Gianni said, as he sat on the bed, and removed his shoes.

"You are not," Lucca said, his mouth hanging open with surprise.

"Watch me," Gianni said, as he scooted up the bed until he was sitting next to his lover, but over the covers.

"It hurts," Lucca said, trying for sympathy.

"Not as much as the spanking you are going to get," Gianni said.

"You cannot be serious about punishing me," Lucca said, in shock, "I don’t see why…"

"You put your fist through a mirror," Gianni said, cutting him off.

"Oh," Lucca said, "I…I was upset."

"Want to talk about it?" Gianni asked.

"No…not really," Lucca said, "You know everything there is to know. I just wish she had been up front with me, and told me more about where I really came from."

"I know she hurt you, baby, but that is no excuse for hurting yourself," Gianni said, "And if you wanted to know where you came from, all you had to do was ask me."

"Uh?" Lucca said, confusion robbing him of his usual expansive vocabulary.

"Well, you see, when a boy really likes a girl he gets this funny feeling in his…uhm…middle section…" Gianni began, trying to keep the smile off his face.

"You are just so very droll," Lucca said, punching him on the shoulder, "I am a clone remember…there was only a boy with a test tube…and I am not even sure that is how it works in cloning. I just wanted to know if she knew how I came to be with her…where her lawyer acquired me. God's I feel like a piece of furniture."

Wrapping one arm around Lucca's shoulder, Gianni pulled him into a hug, "Caro mio, I don’t really care much about where you came from, just that you are here. Couldn’t that be enough?"

Sighing deeply, Lucca said, "For now…but I really would like to know."

"I'll help anyway I can, you know that," Gianni said.

"So…uhm…are you going to do it…now," Lucca said.

"What? Help you?" Gianni said, playing dumb.

"No, you know what I mean," Lucca said, frowning, "Are you going to…uhm…punish me?"

"Isn't your bottom too sore from the shot?" Gianni asked.

"Yes, but…I want to get it over with," Lucca said.

"Okay," Gianni said, and pulled away slightly, "Get out from under the covers…that's it…now lean over here. Are you comfortable?"

"That's a really strange question to ask under the circumstance," Lucca said, looking over shoulder.

"This is about punishment, not torture," Gianni said, "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Lucca said, and them promptly yelled as the first spank landed, "OUCH! Damn, you hit hard…owwww…ouch…oooooh…stop."

"I haven't even started," Gianni said, "Those were just a warm up."

"NO! No…no…stop…please…please…I'm sorry…I…I…aaaaaaaawwww…I changed…my mind…stop…owwww…" Lucca sobbed as he wiggled wildly over Gianni's lap. "Please…Gianni…please…I'm sorry…I wont do it again… I'm…sorreeeee."

"What are you sorry for, Lucky?" Gianni asked, not missing a beat.

"I…I shouldn’t have…hurt…myself…owwwww…ouch…please…I'm sorry…I punched…punched…the mirror, I wont do…do it again…" Lucca cried, as the heat on his bottom grew in intensity.

"Okay, that's enough…we are done," Gianni said, bringing the spanking to an end, "It's done…it's finish… you are okay."

"I'm sorry for…crying…" Lucca said, as Gianni pulled him up, and around until he was settled against him.

"You don’t have to be sorry for that," Gianni said, "It's okay to cry. I know it hurts."

Looking up, Lucca smirked, and said, "How would you know, it wasn’t your bottom that just got beaten up."

Gianni chuckled, "I guess you are right. Why don’t you get some sleep now?"

Lucca yawned, and said, "Remind me to call my…Misters Krycek, Donovan and Wolff, when I wake up."

"What for," Gianni said, surprised.

"For putting the lovely idea of a discipline relationship in your head," Lucca said, snuggling in closer.

"Oh…I have wanted to spank your bratty ass for far longer than they've been around," Gianni said, and grinned at the look of disbelief on the other man's face. "Now go to sleep. I have to give you a shot in three and a half hours."

"Oh, joy," Lucca said, "Like that is going to make me fall asleep faster."

"I could spank you some more…get your tired enough…that's what I thought," Gianni said with a chuckle as Lucca closed his eyes, and made exaggerated snoring sounds. "Good night, baby," he added, as he snuggled further down on the bed, until he was comfortable. "Good night, sweet baby."

"You can't stand on the corner, and you can't sit on a chair either, so I guess the couch will have to do," Sawyer said, as he helped Gabriel maneuver into the house.

Gabriel's knee was badly sprained, and they had just returned from the hospital, where they had put a temporary brace on it, to help with the swelling.

"Okay," Gabriel said, as he hobbled to the couch.

"Wait," Sawyer said, "We better get the spanking over with first."

"Okay," Gabriel said again, his eyes downcast.

Bending down so he could meet his lover's eyes, Sawyer said, "You okay with this, Gabey? You said you wanted it. I thought you'd want to just get it over with."

"I'm sure," Gabriel said, nodding, "I…I'm just so sorry I was mean to you."

"Oh, babe, I know you are sorry," Sawyer said, "I'm okay with it…we talked about it. I swear, I am not mad at you. This spanking is for you to feel better…not for me."

"Thank you," Gabriel said, lifting his head, "So how do we do it? I don’t think I can lay over your lap."

"I though you could just lean against me," Sawyer said, "And then I could just do it."

Gabriel smiled for the first time, and said, "Okay, Nike, just do it."

Sawyer grinned back, and said, "You are such a brat, you know that Wolff?"

"Yes, I know, Sullivan," Gabriel said, "So how…I mean…uhm…should I drop my pants?"

"No, let me," Sawyer said, and unsnapped the button of the slacks his lover wore. Hooking his fingers on the waistband of both the pants and underpants, he pushed them down, until they were pooled just above the knee brace. "Okay, now lean forward, and brace yourself against the counter…that's it…I'll anchor you with my arm, so don’t worry…you okay?"

"Yes," Gabriel said, and closed his eyes. He felt six spanks land, three on each buttock, and then nothing. Opening his eyes, he looked over his shoulder, and asked, "What's the matter?"

"All done," Sawyer said, and began pulling up Gabriel's pants and underpants.

"What do you mean? That was nothing, I hardly felt it," Gabriel said, confused.

"I don’t feel you needed a spanking, you felt you did, I figure this was a good compromise," Sawyer said, shrugging his shoulders, "That okay by you?"

"Yes…thank you," Gabriel said, "I love you."

"I love you too," Sawyer said, and pulled him into a hug, "Now…let's get you settled on the couch. Just because the spanking was short, it doesn’t mean your punishment is over. I want you to lie on your back so we can prop up your knee, and to think about how else you could have handled telling me what was on your mind. Okay."

"Fair enough," Gabriel said, "I guess I deserve it."

Once they had settled Gabriel on the couch, Sawyer draped a quilt Walter's mother had given them as a house-warming present over him. Kissing Gabriel on the forehead, he said, "I love you, Gabriel, don’t you ever forget that."

"I won't…I promise," Gabriel said, "I love you too…with all my heart."