The team was gathered around the conference table. Mac and LiAnne on one side, Mulder and Scully on the other. The only empty seats were the Director's and Vic's. The Director stalked down her stairs and dropped a stack of files onto the table. She pulled up a slide on the wall. "This is Constantine Blake. His…"
"Um, ma'am, aren't we missing someone?" Mulder asked. Mac's eyes grew wide at the ex-FBI agent's daring. The Director glanced around the room.
"Not that I can see."
"Where's Kryceck?"
"Where I sent him, I should hope. Now, back to the case." Mac's brain took in the information as his thoughts raced. Worry made him dare the Director's wrath and stay after her dismissal. He knew that as Victor's current lover, he'd probably make it out with his balls intact. He also knew that the others would be waiting for him outside the door. The Director looked at him and raised one brow.
"Is he okay?" was all the young man asked. She was wearing one of the cameos Vic gave her every Christmas, which worried him. She normally wore them when she wanted to get something from the other man. Or when she was trying to comfort a blow.
"He will be fine. It's old business that has to be laid to rest." She sighed. "Pinecrest hospice. Don't be long."
"What room?"
"Just ask the nurse. She'll recognize your description."
*****
"Baby? Oh, my God. What are you doing here, Vic?" the thin man in the bed said. The IV's in his arms and the oxygen tube over his face made his make-up look rather bizarre. He looked wonderful to Victor's eyes.
"China," he whispered. He carefully wrapped his arm around the older man's neck and squeezed. "Love the new eye-shadow." China summoned up a grin as Victor settled on the edge of the bed.
"Well, glitter is all the rage, you know." It came out as hollow. "Does she know?"
"Yes. And Barry too. I couldn't just let them dangle. I gave them my word that if I found you, I'd tell them."
"Heard you were back on the streets for awhile."
"Yeah. Sort of an undercover assignment. There were teens being killed."
"That's my Pretty Baby. Always thinking about other people first." China shook his head. "I don't want you to see me like this."
"Too late, China. Don't try to feed me self pity, okay? I can do that all on my own. I don't need you to help out. It won't be the first time I've sat by someone ill." China sat up suddenly, with more strength than he thought he still had.
"What the fuck happened to your arm!" Victor flinched back. His eyes unfocused for a moment. China was shocked when he didn't recognize the voice that answered him. It wasn't Cory.
"We won't talk about that, China. It's gone. That's all." China slumped back to his pillows.
"Fine. Just let me talk to Victor again."
"Do I have your word, China?"
"Yeah. Who are you?"
"Alex," the man said with a smirk. "You want Cory or Victor?"
"Vic."
"All yours." The eyes faded back to the normal sad hazel. "Sorry about that," Victor apologized.
"Don't worry. I should have guessed it would set you off. Are you okay? I heard about those trumped up charges."
"I'm okay. I've got friends. And a steady job."
"Good. You aren't hooking are you?" China asked worriedly. "And you aren't really hooked up in drugs?"
"No, of course not. You know me. I've never liked that life."
"I know. I’m sorry. I just… I just don't want to loose you."
"Oh, China. Why didn't you call and tell me?"
"I didn't have your number."
"But Vixen did."
"I couldn't face her."
"I know the feeling."
"She doesn't know about your arm yet, does she?"
"No. And if I can swing it, she won't until I can handle it. Which means, at her funeral or when she next corners me into coming over." China shook his head. "You're one of a kind, Baby." "And what have I told you about calling me that?" China smiled at him. Victor grinned back. "So what really happened out there, China?"
"I got hooked," China said bitterly. He frowned down at his arms. "I got caught up by a dealer who said he'd make everything work out if I did a little curior work for him. I couldn't contact the rest of you. And then, the demands just got more and more and I started using more and more and I had to keep working for him or I'd loose my pipeline. You know the drill." Victor nodded. "Then, when I lost too much weight and couldn't manage to hook to make enough to pay him back, he cut me loose. I ended up in rehab. Thing is, I probably should have just suicided out there. Rehab is no treat. And then, I found out about this. I'm dying and there's no way to know how long it's been. The drugs eased the pain. And the cancer's still eating me from the inside out."
"Is it?" Victor asked softly, hand tightening around China's fingers.
"Yeah."
"Shit." A single tear tracked down Victor's cheek.
"Don't cry, Victor. Do you hear me?"
"Sorry," Victor whispered.
"Oh, come here, Baby." China hugged him. "Now be a good boy and get me something to eat."
"What do you want?"
"Chocolate."
"Which he's not allowed to have," the nurse said as she entered the room. "Stop trying to manipulate your visitors," she chided. "He's allergic to chocolate," she informed Victor. Victor's lips twitched up into a Cory sized grin.
"I know."
"I need to take his vitals. If you'd wait outside for a moment?"
"Sure thing." Cory went out into the hall. He saw Mac stalking toward him followed by the rest of the team. "Oh, shit," he muttered. "She told you didn't she?" Victor demanded.
"Yeah. What's going on here? Why didn't you tell me? I'd have come with you."
"She said you have a mission to go on. All of you," Victor said, glaring at Mulder and Scully.
"Yeah, so what? Wouldn't be the first time I ignored her," Mac argued.
"Bullshit, Mac. She'd have you nailed to the wall in her office by the balls if you didn't do what she wanted."
"No, she wouldn't. She wouldn't upset you like that."
Victor laughed. "You don't know me very well, do you? I'd be the one doing the nailing. What fucking right do you have to follow me here. This is personal." His voice was a low hiss and Mulder took a step back. He had a funny feeling he knew what sort of anger that represented. This was Kryceck as he'd first met him, in his god-awful suit and haircut. Victor's eyes flickered towards the profiler. He paused at the expression on his face. "Just go on your mission. We'll talk when you get back." He turned back towards the room.
"If one of those is your lover, bring his tight little ass in to meet me, Baby, or I'll make your life Hell."
"Don't you already do that? And *don't* call me 'Baby.'"
"Fine, Pretty. Come in here."
Victor looked up towards the God he didn't believe in anymore. "Like I need this aggravation? Di, you are dead!"
"So, the Director really is God?" Mac asked eagerly. "Meaning this really is Hell?"
"You don't know the half of it. You heard the man, Mac, he wants to meet you. I'll send him out in a minute. You ladies keep them on the somewhat straight and narrow for me?" Mulder glowered at being left out of the room.
"Sure, Vic," LiAnne smiled.
Mac went into the room. He paused at the appearance of the man on the bed. "Hi. I'm Mac."
Victor shut the door after the nurse. "Mac Ramsey ex-thief, meet China, ex-boy-toy."
"Be careful, Baby, I might get ideas."
"You've already got ideas, but I won't play your games. So, now you've met him and I can send him on to work."
"What kind of work, Baby? Who the fuck are you hooked up with now? Not the pigs. Not the Feebs."
"Government work. Leave it at that."
"Fine. Now, you be quiet and let me talk to your boy."
"Oh, fuck me."
"Later," Mac said absently. "So you're the mysterious China that everyone on the streets was asking about. Nice to finally meet you." They shook hands.
"Tell me, is he happy?"
"As happy as he can be."
"His arm?"
"They thought it would save his life."
China closed his eyes. "Look after him for me, okay? I've been doing a piss-poor job of it. I nearly had him hooking."
"It's okay. You did your best. I'll take it from here."
"Okay. Don't let him bully you, kiddo."
"Don't worry. I can handle Vic. I'd better get to work before he glares a hole into my head though. Maybe I'll see you around."
"I wouldn't count on it," China said softly. Victor winced. Mac nodded.
"Goodbye then."
"Goodbye, Mac." Mac left. He slowly closed the door behind himself. "That was China. The one who helped Vic when he was on the streets."
"Damn," LiAnne swore softly. "The Director will take care of him for now. I just wish he'd told us."
Mac shook his head. "I don’t think he knew before this morning." The team left the hospice.
Victor sat down on the bed and took China's hand. He wasn't afraid of death. He'd seen far too much. And he'd had an alien ride around in his skull for awhile. "I wish you'd called me."
"I couldn't face it, Baby. I won't last out the week according to the doctors. And between you and me, I don't think I'll last out the next couple of days." China smiled weakly. "I'm glad I get to see you again though."
"I'll stay until the end, if you want me to?"
"No. I'll have them contact you. Send me home?"
"To Topeka?"
"Yes. To my sister. There's an envelope in the drawer with the information. She knows I’m dying."
"Then why the fuck isn't she here?"
"I didn't want her here. I don't want her to watch this! And I don't want them to suddenly take an interest in me now that I'm dying."
"But I always took and interest in you. Why didn't you call me?"
"Because I didn't want you to suffer with me. Goodbye, Baby."
"Say my name for once."
"Goodbye, Victor."
"Goodbye, Jimmy. I love you."
"I know. Take good care of that boy. He'll do you good."
"He already has." Victor got up to leave. He could see the pain creeping into China's eyes.
"And Victor? Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Victor made it to his apartment before the tears came. He slammed the door shut and locked it as they started to stream down his face. He slid down the door until he was seated and let himself cry. He didn't even care that someone was watching. He'd gotten over that years ago. The phone rang and rang until the machine picked it up. "Leave a message."
"Victor," the Director purred, "I'm coming over to pick you up for the night. You'll have to move away from the door so I can get in."
He crawled away from the door and sat huddled in the kitchen. The Director knelt down next to him. She wrapped her arms around him, knowing her Victor was asleep right now. She rocked the little boy and crooned a soft lullaby to him. He closed his eyes. A long time later, Victor looked up at her. "Dinner?" he asked, scrubbing at his cheeks.
"I'm buying. Go wash your face."
It was two days later when the phone call came. Victor took care of China's body and sent it home to be buried. Then, he bought a bottle of stoli, called Vixen and Barry and held a proper wake for him. He still had glitter in his hair when he came in for the next team meeting. The Director picked it out as she talked.
FINIS