Captain Blue was declared fit for light duty a week later. Doctor Gold didn't want to draw any kind of attention to the fact that Adam had already healed completely. Colonel White agreed and Blue did the same. He would be eased back into active duty within a month, with light case work, and finally he would be back on normal missions.

White had talked to him already, had been far from surprised that Captain Scarlet had broached the subject and told his partner what had happened.

"I don't mind, sir," Blue told his superior officer. "I can live with it, so to speak." He gave White a small smile.

The colonel's expression was still worried. "You know the consequences, Captain."

"I do. Nothing can be done about it anyway. Doctor Gold said as much. And Paul's tearing himself apart over this already. Enough for two, actually. I know it's not his fault."

"He shoulders a lot of guilt."

"I'm quite aware of it."

White inclined his head. "I'm glad he found an anchor in you, Adam. He needs a friend and you are that person to him."

Captain Blue nodded and rose to leave.

"Captain?"

He turned back to meet the calm expression.

"This makes you both special. I am aware that the closeness this anchor bond means can lead to intense situations. Let me reassure you that you have my full support."

Blue blinked, then nodded almost automatically. "Sir," he managed.

And he walked away, mind whirling.

Shit, he thought faintly. Did White just sanction what I think he sanctioned?

x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX

Remember who you are.

Trust your instincts.

Nothing else.

X

I'm human. Not a Mysteron.

X

But his mind wasn't convinced. Whenever something flashed through him from deep within what was left of the Mysteron consciousness, he would be thrown back into this well of doubt.

He had never let the attraction to Destiny develop into more. She had never made the last step either. A hug. A smile. Nothing else. She had been there when he woke, she had been there for him to talk to, as Paul had tried to keep away from Adam. Stop the anchoring effect to go any deeper.

Look where it got you, part of him sneered. You still connected. Why not let it happen?

Because it might be too much for either man. Paul had no idea how his body would react. He had never gone that far with anyone else.

Because he was afraid.

Because he didn't want to hurt anyone, least of all Adam.

Adam helped him in so many ways already.

Their talks helped.

Adam's conviction that they could do this.

It didn't help that White sent him on a solo mission.

X X X

"Sir, I'm able to go with Captain Scarlet!" Blue protested.

"Officially, you are far from fit for duty, Captain Blue," White said evenly. "You were shot barely two weeks ago. No matter your recovery, the changes between the two of you, or your personal feelings, I am not changing my orders."

Adam stared at his commanding officer, drawn between yelling and just accepting the orders. Paul was very well capable of running the rather simple op, but knowing Scarlet's penchant for trouble, he would need back-up.

"Yes, sir," he only said and left the office, silently seething.

X X X

Of course Paul got into trouble.

Of course he took a bullet.

Actually, he took five and he was a mess when he was brought back to Skybase.

Adam felt sick to the core, knowing that it had been a slow death, bleeding out, and looking at the placement of the shots, the shooter had known it. Incapacitate, no kill shot.

Torture.

But the op had run successfully nevertheless.

Green crawled over the scrapes and bruises, healing, alien and strange and still so normal by now.

When Scarlet's eyes blinked open, Adam was there, smiling faintly. He had been there ever since Paul had been brought in.

"Hey," he said softly. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Had any doubts?" was the breathy whisper.

"Never."

x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XXx X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XXx X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XXx X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX

Paul was… Paul. With a difference. There was a hesitancy there that hadn't been between them before. He was working through the latest change in his life and he was chewing on it. Quite hard.

Destiny Angel had watched him with worried eyes. She approached him a few times, but Paul politely declined whatever she offered.

They were friends.

Nothing more.

And never would be.

She knew that Captain Blue's close call had shaken the other field agent, but that was only to be expected. The two men were close, and lately they had grown closer.

She wasn't blind. She saw Blue's protectiveness, even though he was still recovering himself. A fast recovery.

Something had happened, something bad, and while it was painful for Destiny to understand, it was also the beginning of something like a healing for herself. They were good friends, connected by what had happened to Conrad, to Paul, to them. She still loved Conrad, deep down inside, and she had this surreal, faint hope that he might just be able to break out of the Mysteron's control.

Even if he would remember everything he had been forced to do as their puppet.

Even if he wasn't the man she had close to been engaged to just before the fateful Mars mission.

Destiny smiled a little as she watched Captain Blue, still off active field duty, say something to Scarlet, grinning, and Scarlet chuckled.

Whatever had happened, how bad it had been, it had gotten better and turned into this.

x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX

It was two weeks after the revelation that Adam was his friend's anchor that they found themselves in Adam Svenson's quarters, sharing a drink. Their talks had migrated from the maintenance platform to the privacy of their quarters. Late nights, or throughout the day, whenever they found time.

"I was always secretly jealous of Black," Paul said softly, playing with the label of his beer bottle, peeling off the edges. "Because of Destiny."

Adam nodded. He had known that.

"When we died on Mars… when I came back in this body… Destiny talked to me… about him. All we did was talk. He connected us in some absurd way. I was her link to him, as if I could channel his soul or something. Aside from you, Destiny was the only one willing to spend time with me in the beginning."

Adam was still silent. They sat on the bunk bed, backs against the wall. It was friendly, far from pushy and oppressive, with the option to leave if this got too intense. Adam was ready to go with the flow, wherever Paul decided to take it.

They were in this for the long haul. A very long haul.

"I didn't anchor to her."

"No, you didn't," he confirmed quietly.

"I wanted her close. So many times, when she was there when I woke up. When she got me out of a tight spot, when I returned the favor. When she hugged me. I wanted her close, but it didn't feel right. More like a necessity, but nothing I needed."

Adam watched him quietly.

"I want this with you. And I'm terrified of it. I chose you, Adam," the dark-haired man said, voice low, a little gritty. "And I'm afraid of what this closeness I now want will change."

"Doesn't have to mean a change. Won't change what I always felt for you. You're my best friend."

Paul met his eyes, his own open and vulnerable. The last shields were slowly crumbling.

"I haven't allowed myself this closeness ever since I woke up in this body. I don't know who I am, Adam. I don't know what can happen. All I know is that I'm a weapon. I was created as an instrument of terror and death. I'm more resilient. I can't die. And emotionally… When Destiny offered, I couldn't let myself go… I was afraid, Adam. Of what might happen. Of losing control. Of losing myself. They still talk to me, try to get to me sometimes. They might take over, make me hurt the person I'm with. I might do something… alien. I'm not the man Destiny wanted. I'm not the man you got to know."

Adam watched him, noted the lines of renewed stress and emotional pain. He put down the beer bottle.

"Elysium brought that home quite clearly. I'm theirs, they want control back."

"They can't have you," the blond stated evenly.

Scarlet laughed hollowly. "Who stops them?"

"You. You are in control. They lost you when you fell through the plasma generator field."

"You mean when you shot me."

"You were trying to kill us all, Paul," Adam said with a faint smile.

"Yeah. That. I never thanked you."

"No thanks needed. And I mean what I said: you are in control. That human soul. They have lost you and you have anchored yourself to another human soul. I'm not asking for anything, Paul. You know what I feel. I'll always feel that way about you. I don't want a fuck buddy," he stated openly. "I'll be happy to be what you need: your anchor. Yes, I'm attracted to you. But attraction doesn't mean anything but an appreciation."

"Like Symphony?"

"And Destiny."

Adam held out his right hand and Paul slowly touched it with his left. When he interlaced their fingers, Svenson smiled warmly.

"Sometimes this is enough," he said softly. "Just sharing touch. Like you said, there hasn't been any human closeness for you in almost two years. Your Mysteron side wants someone close. You can't have another Mysteron, so let me be there? I doubt Black will offer," he added with a grin.

Paul grimaced. "Gawd, no! It's enough that I get these vibes from him sometimes."

"So, let it happen? Let's see if this goes any further or not."

"That's not fair to you, Adam."

"I'm an informed, consenting adult."

Metcalfe groaned. "That sounds so bad."

"Only when you think the wrong thoughts. And you know what I told you and what I will repeat till it gets into that stubborn brain of yours: listen to your friend and partner."

It got Adam a little laugh.

And without thinking Adam was suddenly there, so close he could see the lines of strain, of no sleep, of worry and determination.

He reached out, wrapped an arm around the other man's waist.

It was like a jolt to his system and Paul's eyes widened. His face reflected his shock, his surprise, his… hunger. He was still so very much human. So in need of human contact. Adam didn't care whether this body was alien or not; he felt something inside of him react to the soul it housed. He felt this connection, the anchor line, and it confirmed something part of him had been thinking about.

This was them.

It was growing now that the anchor knew what he was, and to whom he was this stability. Adam was ready to give this, to be that person.

And he felt it.

Awareness, knowing about the other, about emotional states of mind, about troubles, about worries, about pain. This was what being an anchor meant. Not sex. Not so simple. It was complicated; and so much more. Care. Worry. Pushing if necessary, leaving it be if the matter called for it. Being strong for both of them, giving in if he had to, but never submit.

They were equals in this.

Adam felt a shudder run through the other man. Like this was what he had needed and had been afraid to ask for.

Support.

Confirmation.

"You shouldn't have to ask," Adam said softly.

"It feels like I'm using you."

"You're not. And you give something back." He smiled a little. "Why can't you believe me?"

"Because nothing good has come out of this mess just yet. Everything the Mysterons have touched, they destroyed."

"Not this time."

"Adam…"

"Stop thinking, Paul."

"I can't." He rested his head against Adam's. Fine tremors were racing through the slender form. "They'll know. They probably already do. They'll use you."

"They use everyone, Paul. They have tried to use me against you before. To trap you. To destroy you. Nothing new there, just that I'll be a lot harder to kill now." He quirked a little smile. "Let it happen. It heals you."

He cupped the dark head and hugged the man tightly against him. He knew physical contact helped. It was one reason why Paul slept so soundly at night.

"You're not giving up, are you?"

"Nope," the blond replied.

It was as if something that had been buried for too long finally rose and took its rightful place. It was a pure sensation, nothing dark or malicious, nothing devouring or overwhelming.

The connection between them, meaning… life… meaning companionship… no loneliness.

"You're not alone, Paul," he murmured, lips brushing over soft skin. "You never were."

Scarlet's fingers dug into the gray sweats with their blue markings and he held on like Adam Svenson was the only real thing in his life.

Maybe he was.

And Adam had no intention to ever let go.

x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX

It was how they slowly eased into this new partnership, with the blessings of Colonel White. The man knew more than he let on. Doctor Gold would ask questions sometimes, updating his files, keeping track of the changes.

"No telepathy, doc," Adam joked.

"Captain Scarlet's humanity makes a telepathic bond to a Mysteron consciousness impossible. It might just enable him to connect to his anchor's mind," Gold stated.

"Not that I noticed."

"You said he sleeps when you share physical closeness?"

"Yeah. Like a log."

"Good."

Gold examined the scarred bullet wound, nodding his satisfaction. "Perfectly healed. I detect no Mysteron energy in you, Captain Blue."

"Not a Mysteron, Doc. Still quite hopelessly human."

"I'm quite aware of that. I'm simply speculating as to what the energy transfer between Captain Scarlet and you might mean for you physically."

"I'm still as human as Paul."

Gold looked at him through his glasses, mouth twisted slightly. "We both know that statement rings only half true. Captain Scarlet is for all intents and purposes a Mysteron replicant. That is a fact that cannot be changed, whatever we wish. The captain and I have been talking for a longer time than you two have been anchored now. I'm quite aware of what he is, what he can do."

"And I'm saying that he is human to me, doc. With a touch of Mysteron. Nothing can change that," Adam stated firmly.

"He is very lucky to have your confidence and support, Captain Blue. I believe his instinctual choice was correct."

Damn right it was!

"You are aware of him," Gold now stated.

"Kinda. Not telepathically. Just, there."

"Maybe that is all that is needed for him and his sanity."

Adam knew it was.

"Should there be changes, please let me know, Captain Blue. I am fully aware of the privacy of what you share, but I am your physician. I need to know, even if it concerns personal intimacy."

He grimaced. Great!

Gold chuckled. "Let me reassure you, it's nothing I don't expect. Sharing many a night talking with Scarlet has given me an insight that you share with him as well."

"Aha."

Gold smiled more and simply nodded, then turned back to his work. That was as good as any dismissal. Captain Blue left the med bay

x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX

Away from Skybase, spending the night in a motel room or a Spectrum safe house, both men slid together, seeking closeness. Scarlet found himself wrapped around his partner every time when he woke.

Which also meant he slept every night, which was rather new to him. When Blue was there, he slept. When they weren't in the same room, he didn't seem to feel that need. He stayed awake, worked on angles and clues and reviewed security videos.

The moment Adam caught on to it, he simply stayed in the room Paul was in for the night.

And he slept soundly.

Adam never said a word, just ran his hands over the other man's back, his neck, sometimes pressed his lips close-mouthed against one temple before he got up.

It was a lot more human contact than in the past twenty-four months, that was for sure. It also got Paul very much acquainted with every beat of Adam's heart, every breath, the sensation of his skin, his very energy.

Nothing else happened.

Just the physical closeness, the awareness of Adam with him, and the reassurance that he wasn't on his own. Never again.

X X X

He only died two times in that time.

Both times Adam was there when he opened his eyes aboard Skybase, with Gold puttering around in the back, their eyes meeting silently.

Both times Adam would smile, squeeze his hand, then return to duty. Nothing new there, but the expression meant more now.

And both times, when he was released, he would find the other man with him at night, both sliding together naturally, and Paul slept like a log. Safe and secure.

x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XXx X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XXx X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XXx X XX xx X XX xx x X XX xx X XX xx x X XX

The first change Captain Scarlet noticed was his persistence when it came to the Mysteron influence. He had heard their voices now and then. They had been in his head, leaving him confused and slightly disoriented for a fraction of a second. One time it had nearly been too long as the R.A.T. had attacked Adam.

Now… now there was nothing but a soft pressure, as if someone was trying to get through, then nothing. He didn't realize what it meant until one of the replicants they were facing snarled and tried to hit Captain Blue with a baseball bat, calling him the aberration.

Adam was like a shield between him and his former masters.

It was… new. It was… strange.

Adam felt nothing. But Paul was quite aware of that shield around his mind.

"Keeping you sane?" the blond captain asked, a teasing smile around his lips.

Paul chuckled. "I guess."

"Good. Can't having a raving lunatic in a Spectrum uniform running around. At least not another one. Black's enough."

tbc...