"All of my life, where have you been? I wonder if I'll ever see you again." Lenny Kravitz, Again

It's one of those beautiful fall days. Full of warm sunshine and cool breezes. I turn my face upward enjoying the light breeze that ruffled the bandana covering my hair. My feet are bare as I make my way down the chilly slate walkway to the mailbox. I pulled the mailbox open and looked inside before pulling out the letters inside. I scanned each piece while standing at the end of the driveway before heading back up the path.

My favorite thing about fall days like this one is being able to sit on the porch, reading my mail. It's not too hot and still not cold enough to send me running for the warmth of my house. I sat down on the top step of the porch and opened the first envelope. It was my cable bill and I quickly set it aside. The next envelope was some junk mail. I set aside a magazine and picked up the last letter. The return address was Arlington, Virginia. I opened it and pulled out the letter. It was from Mulder. After the fiasco in Washington, Mulder and I exchanged addresses.

He's such a sweet guy, even if he is a bit thickheaded. I don't know why Scully puts up with some of the stuff she said he puts her through. I guess its true that love makes you do the wacky, to paraphrase Buffy. And it's so obvious they're in love. Take this letter, he spent a page and a half telling me about the cute things Scully does at work. She would probably kill him if she knew he told me. Oh well. The FBI has stricter rules about things like dating then Fish and Game apparently.

I think he needs to go out, find a redhead and get laid. Wow, that sounded a lot like a certain assassin we all know and Mulder hates. Maybe he just needs to tell Scully how he feels. It's better than flirting with me.

I'll admit it. I kinda look like Scully. Like I could be her little sister or something. But please, Mulder was absolutely shameless. He even kissed me when we left. I can tell you, it wasn't a kiss for a little sister.

My watch beeped, informing me my laundry was done. I gathered up the mail and opened the door to go in. Then I felt the prickling at the back of my neck. It was a feeling I get sometimes when someone is watching me. Turning back toward the street, I looked up and down but didn't see anyone. Shrugging, I went inside, kicking the door shut behind me.

Days like this one remind me how uncomplicated a normal life can be. Normal people worry about whether the laundry is done right and if dinner will be on the table on time. They don't have to worry about going insane by touching other people. Or if the furniture is going to start flying around if they get mad.

I put away the laundry and flopped down on the couch. My thoughts drifted back to Alex. After all that happened, I still didn't understand him. Somewhere between him the kidnapping and my escape, he changed the way he felt about me. For God sake, we made out like a couple of teenagers the night I escaped. I would never admit to it though. I don't think he would either.

Not that anyone who knows him can blame me. Alex is a beautiful man. What was it he called me? Krassivaya. It means beautiful in Russian. Sort of fits him somehow. Those eyelashes alone could melt any woman's heart. Not to mention the eyes hidden by said lashes. Dark green, really, really dark green. He's built; I guess in his line of work, you have to be in good shape. He's just gorgeous.

Talk about being conflicted. I love Darien. Somehow, we fit together. Two lab rats But Alex is like caged leopard. It's beautiful and fascinating but you know it'd rip your throat out if it got free. His green eyes, dark piercing green eyes haunt my dreams. I'm not going to throw away what I have with Darien to be with Alex. His life is much too dangerous. And I need Darien. Goddamn, if I don't figure this all out, I think I'll start screaming. And if I start that, I don't think I'd be able to stop. The phone rang, drawing me out of my thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Mag, how do you feel about dinner?" It was Darien.

"Well, I don't have anything against it but lunch is really my favorite meal." Just talking to him I felt better.

He laughed. "Hobbes and I are going to eat and go over this case. Wanna come with us?"

"Are you going to the diner?" We usually met at a small diner near the Agency.

"Yeah."

"All right. I'll meet you there." Hanging up, I looked down and thought about changing my clothes then changed my mind. It was only Darien and Hobbes. I slipped into a pair of Keds and grabbed the car keys before heading out the door.

I pulled into the driveway, tired and looking forward to a bath and some sleep. This case Hobbes, Darien and I were working on was more involved than we originally thought it was going to be. Getting out of the car, I stretched, raising my arms to the sky and looking up at the full moon. The night was almost perfectly clear. A cold wind came up suddenly and I hurried to unlock the door.

Closing the door behind me, I locked it and tossed my keys on the hall table, kicking off my shoes. The light from the moon streamed in through the windows, bright enough to read by and I didn't bother to turn on the lights, as I made my way upstairs. Just as I entered my bedroom, the moon went behind a cloud cloaking the room in inky darkness. I didn't see the figure until he grabbed me from behind. I screamed and struggled against him but he was much stronger. His hand covered my mouth as I felt his breath against my ear.

"No one's going to hear your screaming little girl but I'm going to ask you not to anyway. It hurts my ears." The voice was familiar as the steel arms holding me loosened. I was turned around as the moon emerged from behind the cloud and looked up at my captor.

Emerald eyes so dark they looked black smiled at me even as the face was still serious. "Hello Maddie."

My mind wasn't working. I saw him but I couldn't comprehend him being in her room. He was supposed to be in D.C. "Alex?"

"Hi angelchra." He let me go and I moved to the other side of the room, out of his reach.

God, I loved it when he spoke Russian. "I'm not your angel." I snapped and reached for the gun I kept in a holster on the back of my nightstand.

"Are you looking for this?" He held up the weapon before tossing in on a chair near the closet. "You should have known I would find it. I'm a professional."

I laughed harshly. "Yeah, I know. Did you come to take me back to your employers?"

"No." He stalked slowly around the side of the bed and stopped, leaning against the footboard of the bed.

I backed up, until my back hit the dresser. "Then why are you here?"

"I couldn't get you out of my head. Your eyes haunted me. I saw you everywhere." He watched me like a hunter watches its prey right before it pounces.

I squirmed, still uncomfortable under his gaze. "What do you want Alex?"

He moved then, quicker than a cat, his arms on either side of me on the dresser not letting me get away. "To apologize." I took a breath as his mouth lowered to mine before I could say anything.

Alex tugged at the buttons of my shirt, Darien's shirt actually. I stole it from him last time I stayed at his place. The thought of Darien was like a splash of cold water. I pushed him away, out of breath. "Darien-" I began but he cut me off.

"Is not here. This is about you, me and what we started in DC." He kissed me again, his mouth ravaging mine in a frenzied need as our tongues battled. The frenetic pace was contagious and I pulled his t-shirt over his head. I wanted, needed my hands on his skin. I pulled away from him and saw the scars on his torso, white lines against the tan of his skin. Tracing them with my fingers, I found the newest one, still pink, high up on his right arm. The one I had given him when I tried to escape. I stood on my toes and traced it with my tongue, letting my teeth scrape the scar. He hissed at the sensation and pulled me away from the scar. His strong hands circled my waist as he picked me up and set me on the dresser.

I sat there swinging my legs, waiting to see what he would do next. "What is this?" He pulled the bandana off, setting my hair free. He buried his face in it, breathing in the scent of my hair.

"It's a bandana. I was cleaning today." I explained, a little breathless. I hated getting my dust and cobwebs in my hair so I usually covered it when I cleaned.

He breathed in again. "Your hair is just like you, little girl. Wild, untamed. I love it." His tongue traced my ear, nipping gently on my earlobe.

"You shouldn't cover it." My breathing sped up as he moved down to my throat.

"I won't." I heard myself say. I ran my fingers through his hair. It was silkier than it looked and I grabbed a handful of it and pulled. He lifted his head and looked at me, confusion in his dark eyes. I stared into the dark green pools, wondering if I would drown in them. Leaning toward him, I let our lips touch before drawing his lower lip between my teeth and biting gently.

Alex growled, turning the bite into a deep kiss and pulled my shirt down my arms. His hands slid behind me and unhooked my bra, sliding the straps down my arms and throwing it to the side. I was impressed, he may have been the first man I'd met who could actually work a bra hook. His hands ran up, over my breasts and he cupped one of my breasts, his thumb brushing over the nipple. My fingers wound themselves in his hair, as his mouth moved down and nuzzled the top of my breasts. A soft cry escaped my lips and he laughed, his mouth still pressed against my skin. The sound was deeply sensual sound that made my body tremble.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him closer. I pressed my hand to his chest, running down to his stomach until I found the waistband of his jeans. "I want these off."

He laughed again and pulled away from me. "As my lady commands." He stepped back, his eyes locked on mine and began to strip out of his jeans. I watched him, chewing on my lower lip, legs swinging, thinking about what I wanted to do to him.

Finally he walked toward me wearing only his boxers. "What wicked thoughts are running through that pretty head of yours?"

I raised an eyebrow and smiled beguilingly at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Shaking his head, he scooped me up off the dresser. I shrieked and fought him good-naturedly as he dropped me on the bed. His hands worked at the button and zipper of my jeans, tugging them down my legs. They landed somewhere on the floor.

He touched the bullet wound on my upper thigh reverently. He'd shot me when I went lost it, right before I escaped. Trying to keep me from killing him I guess. It still hurt like a bitch. The wound was still red and it was going to be an ugly scar. I was lucky he was a good shot and didn't damage anything major.

I looked down my body at him. Alex was still touching the bullet wound. He leaned forward and kissed it gently.

"I'm sorry for this."

"You were just doing your job, right?" It came out harsher and more sarcastically than I'd meant.

His eyes turned cool and he crawled up the length of my body until our eyes met. "You're alive, aren't you?" I felt his fingertips run over my body as if memorizing each line by touch. He reached up and touched my face and I let my eyes close against the sensation. I leaned up and ran my tongue over his lips and he crushed me against him, his mouth claiming mine. I opened my mouth to him and he took my tongue in his mouth. My skin felt hot as if I would spontaneously combust under his touch. When we broke the kiss, we were both breathing hard.

One of his hands made its way down my stomach to the band of my panties. He looked down and laughed.

"What?" I followed his line of sight and looked down.

His hand brushed over the emerald green satin of my panties. "Your underwear matches your eyes."

"I just like to look pretty." I was only half serious.

Alex leaned over and kissed my forehead. "You do. But I think these need to go." He reached down and pulled the green satin down. I lifted my hips to help him and he slid them down my legs. His hands played over my stomach and lower, between my legs, causing me to moan, my body to tighten. I raised my hips unconsciously and he touched me in slow circles as his mouth made it's way up my throat. He pressed one of his fingers into me and I cried out. "Alex."

He smiled as he drove me closer and closer to the edge. "Say it again."

I was confused, not understanding what he wanted from me. "What?" He lifted up, taking off his boxers.

"My name. Say it again." His weight pressed me to the bed as he rolled between my legs, entering me slowly.

"Alex." His name left my lips in a sigh as he began to move, slowly. He moved his hips gently and I met him as we moved together. "God, Alex."

He groaned when I said his name and grabbed my hips. He rolled us over so I was on top. I whimpered as he slid into me further, the angle deeper. I moved above him feeling something building inside me. He intertwined our fingers, palms touching and his emotions rushed over me, triggering my orgasm. I was still shuddering from the feelings when he rolled us back over suddenly, quickening his pace. Alex thrust into me harder, smiling at the noises I was making.

"Open your eyes lyob' emay."

He startled me, calling me beloved. I did open them, looking up into his impossibly dark green eyes. His rhythm faltered and he brought a hand up to touch my face. "What?"

"Your eyes. They're glowing." He was still moving inside me, much slower now almost as if it were an automatic response.

Panting, I nodded. "When I use my powers, they glow. The greater the intensity, the. brighter. the. glow." I finished breathing out each word as he started to move faster again. I cried out as he slammed into me over and over, finally slipping over the edge. He thrust once more into me as he came and collapsed on top of me breathing hard against the side of my neck. After a moment, he pushed himself up onto his arms and looked down at me again. I ran a hand over his shoulder and down his arm. Sliding off me, he pulled the soft comforter up over us.

I was lying on my back, Alex on his stomach, his body half covering mine. His head found its place in the crook of my neck again and he wrapped his arms around me, hugging tightly like he thought I was going to disappear. I made a squeak at the strength of the embrace and he looked up apologetically.

I smiled, only to be interrupted by a huge yawn. "Are my eyes still glowing?"

His hand drifted up to my eye, touching the bone beneath my eye. "A little." He dropped his hand, his eyes staring off into space.

I watched him for a moment. His hair was a mess and the normally hard edge to his eyes was gone, the dark green lightening to a color similar to my own. He looked so young and vulnerable, like some dark fallen angel. My angel of death, that's what Alex is. Yawning, he rolled me so my head was pillowed on his chest. The soft beating of his heart was hypnotic and I let it gently lull me to sleep.

I drifted awake, rolling over and yawning. I'd forgotten to close the curtains and the sun was streaming in. When I reached out to the other side of the bed, it was empty. I sat up and looked at the empty pillow next to me, feeling confused and alone.

"Alex?" I called to him, sliding out of bed and pulling on my robe. I checked the bathroom before going downstairs to look for him. "Alex? Are you here?" The living room and den were both empty as was the dining room. He was gone. I expected as much from him but it still hurt to wake up alone.

I trudged back up the stairs, intent on showering and getting dressed. I didn't even notice the flowers until I opened my underwear drawer and a few petals showered down into the drawer.

A vase of wildflowers was on my dresser top and I wondered how I could have missed them earlier. The bright colors made me smile and I wondered where Alex had gotten them. I was so involved with just looking at the flowers it took me a minute to hear someone knocking on the door. I ran down the stairs and peeked out the side window before opening the door.

Darien smiled when I opened the door. He was holding a white paper bag and coffee. As usual, his gaze wandered from my chaotic hair to my robe and down to my bare feet. "Just get up?" He asked, his voice teasing.

I threw myself at him, hugging him tightly. I needed to feel his strength, his arms around me.

He looked at down at me, his eyes wide in surprise. "Are you okay Maggie?"

"No, yes." I laughed, not entirely sure how I was feeling. "I don't know. Yeah, I guess am." He's here. Darien. I think I'm going to be okay now. What happened with Alex was, as bad as it sounds, tying up loose ends. I let go and let him inside. "Make yourself at home. I'm gonna go shower." I climbed back up the stairs and heard him follow me. I went straight into the bathroom and dug out my daily routine of allergy meds, vitamins and birth control pills. The phone rang just as I turned on the shower.

"Darien, can you get that?" I yelled over the running water.

"Sure."

I quickly showered and dried off, pulling on my underwear and robe. When I went back into the bedroom, Darien was lounging on my bed, eating a danish. He a strange look passed over his face so quickly I wasn't sure I actually saw it. "You better not get any of that on my bed." I threatened. "Who was on the phone?"

"Nobody. Just a wrong number."

I shrugged. If he didn't want to tell me, I wasn't going to ask. Reaching into the bottom drawer, I pulled out a pair of jeans and slipped them on under my robe. Then I dropped the robe in the chair where my gun was still sitting and opened the closet to find a shirt.

"Was it worth it?"

The question caught me off guard. Hidden behind the closet door, I cursed silently before answering. "Yeah, Darien. It was." I leaned around the door so I could see him. His eyes were sad. "But it's done." He nodded so I went back to the depths of my closet.

After a few moments of silence, I heard him clear his throat softly. "So did you have plans for today?"

"Not really. Did you have something in mind?" I found a plain white v-neck t-shirt I'd stolen from Alex and pulled it on.

Darien was standing in front of me when I pulled the shirt down over my head. I hadn't heard him move. "I was thinking we could go to the beach. Take a picnic. Just relax, no thinking about work." His arm slid around my waist and I leaned into him.

Standing on my toes, I kissed him very softly. "I'd like that."

His hand came up to the side of my face, holding me, deepening the kiss. When he released me, I took a step back and looked at him. He smiled brightly at me. Yeah, everything was going to be just fine.