He had seen Paul in all states of death before and it shouldn't terrify him as much as it did right now. It was different this time. Paul had been hit by something intentionally built to kill Mysterons and the man was, for all intents and purposes, a Mysteron replicant.

The nurse had removed the IVs and the red marks stood out brightly against the pale skin. Paul was naturally pale, but this was almost ashen.

And the marks had yet to heal.

Yes, terrified was a good state to be in right now, Captain Blue decided.

There was minute movement as the sedatives were quickly absorbed by Paul's metabolism. His breathing quickened and he started to move, hands twitching, eyes rolling behind closed lids.

Adam curled his fingers around Paul's wrist and for a moment the other man quieted down. Then his eyes flew open, pale blue in a pale face, barely focusing. He had no idea how Paul did it, but the next moment Adam was flat on his back on the floor, winded, his wrists in a vice-like hold, and Paul Metcalfe above him.

Damn, the man was fast if he wanted to be. And strong!

His expression was almost… feral. The eyes burned, lips pulled back from his teeth, and it would have been fitting and not really surprising if he had growled.

He wasn't growling.

Actually, he didn't make a noise at all.

Adam felt something between them rise, like a tidal wave that would swallow him and sweep him away.

He didn't fight it.

He let it roll over him and take him down, tear into him, painless and still so invasive, and he weathered the storm.

Trust me, a voice whispered and he thought it sounded like him. I've got you. You're safe.

And then reality slammed back, with the weight of his partner still on his ribs, the pale blue eyes still primal and cold.

"Aw, fuck, Paul," Adam hissed, drawing air sharply. "What the hell…?"

The blue eyes blinked and the other man's face shifted into a frown. "…Adam…?"

"Yes, you lunatic! Let me up!"

Paul still held his wrists, but the pressure eased somewhat. "What…?"

"You got zapped. Something scrambled your brain," Adam said sharply. "And our knee is digging into my ribs."

Another confused blink. "What?"

"Knee. Ribs. You're heavy!"

A shudder passed through the lean frame. It was like his brain was trying to wrap itself around the facts presented to it and failing.

"Paul," he wheezed. "You're on Skybase. In med bay. Your brain was scrambled, along with the rest of you."

"I…" Suddenly Paul bent over with a soft groan.

"Paul?" Adam exclaimed in alarm.

Scarlet curled an arm around his midsection and sank to one side, sliding off his partner.

"Shit, shit, shit," Adam muttered and got up, scrambling over to his friend. "Gold said you haven't healed all that well. That blast really messed you up. Including your brain. You there, buddy? Talk to me!"

"What do you want me to tell you?" Paul whispered, voice filled with pain. "That it feels like my insides are trying to get out?"

"Not in detail, but yeah. You think you can get up? Into bed?"

Paul's eyes were screwed shut and his breathing was labored, like he was fighting the pain. The muscles in his shoulders and neck stood out sharply and Adam carefully touched one cool cheek.

"Paul," he cajoled. "I need to get you off the floor."

The other man nodded, moving weakly.

It was almost too much and Adam hated to hurt him so badly, but he finally had Paul on the bed, curled up on his side, eyes still screwed shut. Adam carefully touched the arm protecting the injury.

"Let me see?"

Paul let him and he grimaced at the blood on the bandages. Underneath he found a mess of more blood and raw skin. He was about to say something when the edges of the wounds started to glow green and… mend. It was as horrifying as it was fascinating to watch as torn skin became smooth and unblemished, without a scar to show.

"You're healing."

"Always do," Paul whispered, sounding exhausted and still in pain.

"According to Doctor Gold you didn't. You've been here for over a day and that messed up probe really did a number on you."

Paul touched the smooth skin, wincing. "Still feels bad." He inhaled sharply and groaned all of a sudden. "Fuck!"

Adam grabbed his wrist and suddenly Paul held on to him like there was no tomorrow. He helped him ride out the pain, worry doubling again.

"Hey," he murmured when the pale blue eyes opened.

"Hey," was the equally soft reply.

"Still in pain?"

"Yeah. Nauseous. Headache. Not normal."

"Hell, the whole op wasn't normal."

Paul blinked and looked around. "We're alone?"

"Quarantined. You were completely out of it when they got you here. When you were lucid, you fought everyone. Bled a lot all over the floor, too. White recalled me."

"Sorry," Paul breathed, eyes sliding shut.

"Don't. I'm your anchor. He thought I could do some good and I did." Adam smiled and gently squeezed the hand he was still holding, "Get some rest. Gold will be poking and prodding at you in no time."

"Fun." Paul yawned. "Stay?"

"Nothing can get me to leave you now."

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

Adam let Gold know what had happened, that they were both okay, that Scarlet had started to heal exterior wounds but was still suffering from pain.

"I don't expect it to be over just yet, Captain Blue," Gold told him. "You should be prepared for anything."

As usual, he thought, settling down on the second bed he had pushed next to Scarlet's.

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

Gold wouldn't let them leave for the next forty-eight hours. Those hours had Paul throw up twice, suffering a blinding migraine, stomach cramps and a brief, high fever. His memories slipped sometimes. He woke and had no idea where he was, fought against Adam's touch until he recognized who he was, then curled up and suffered through the debilitating pain.

It was agony to watch him and be unable to help.

At last he didn't die.

It was a close call once, though.

Touch helped to ground him, helped him focus, and Adam would just sit on the bed, Paul half on his lap, riding out the agony of what the plasma energy had done to his system.

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

"You look like crap," Paul whispered when he finally woke without a headache accompanying his every heartbeat.

There were no wild lights at the edge of his vision, no acid burning in his throat, and his inner organs seemed to want to stay where they were supposed to be. All in all, he felt great, considering.

"Look who's talking," Adam commented.

He was pale, with dark circles under his eyes, and there was a faint shadow of a beard.

"Hey," Paul protested.

"Nothing but the truth. You still look like a crash test dummy. Still feeling lousy?"

"Yeah, but better than before." He sat up and gladly took the Styrofoam cup Adam held out to him. The smell didn't make him sick anymore, which was a plus.

"Gold said he wants to run an exam on you if you don't fight him again." Adam grinned mischievously.

"After coffee. Lots of coffee."

"Sounds like a plan."

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

Gold came in three hours later, after Captain Scarlet felt a lot more human. In so many ways. His body had apparently finally gotten with the program and he was recuperating at his normal speed. Adam's expression was one of amazement, coupled with relief.

Gold's verdict was a clean bill of health.

"Your encounter with the altered plasma energy seems to have left you with no ill effects," he remarked.

"Aside from the ill effects he had for the past week," Adam muttered.

Paul just shot him an amused look, feeling Adam's hand brush over the small of his back. "I'm fine," he remarked.

"Remarkably, yes, you are. I wouldn't have thought it possible since the weapon was constructed to specifically destroy a Mysteron replicant. Your cell structure was compromised in a way that I believed it impossible for you to recover this completely."

"Has someone ever told you that your bedside manner is lacking, doc?" Adam said, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, the truth is the truth. Now, I believe you have a job to get back to."

"Thankfully," Blue muttered.

Gold gave them a brief smile and left the quarantine room.

"He really is something else."

Paul chuckled. "Spend as much time in here as I do and you get used to it."

"Don't want to. So, ready to blow this joint?"

"More than ready. But before we go…"

The kiss was long, slow, deep. Paul pulled back, looking into his eyes, and Adam smiled as he cupped the freshly shaven cheek.

"You're welcome," he said roughly.

He kept his hands running over Paul's back and sides, just like he had done in the past two days when the man had been wreaked by agonizing cramps.

"You feel good," Paul told him, voice wavering a little, almost filled with wondering realization.

"Hm, I hope so. I think an anchor should."

"He should," his partner confirmed.

Adam pulled him into another kiss. "C'mon, let's leave. I think Skybase is already bursting with rumors. If you keep this up, they'll know something's going on the moment we step out of quarantine." He grinned cheekily.

Paul regarded him, clearly drawn between giving in to the hum between them and slapping his usual shields back into place. He did the latter, taking a step back, and nodded.

Adam nodded back.

Time to go.

x X XX xx X XX xxx x X XX xx X XX xxx x X XX xx X XX xxx x Xx X XX xx X XX xxx x X XX xx X XX xxx x X XX xx X XX xxx x Xx X XX xx X XX xxx x X XX xx X XX xxx x X XX xx X XX xxx x Xx X XX xx X XX xxx x X XX xx X

It was eight months after the anchor had formed fully, after Captain Blue had become aware of his place with Captain Scarlet, his importance to his sanity and well-being, that the rest of the agents aboard Skybase found out.

In the worst possible way.

X X X

Coming around was painful.

Very painful.

Captain Blue's head pounded, his mouth felt dry, his eyes refused to focus. His neck seemed to be one big bruise and swallowing was painful. The rest of his body refused to separate the pain signals, which made him one big bruise.

Instincts came online, flaring, pushing adrenaline through his system, and he finally managed to focus on his surroundings.

Warehouse.

Right.

Old, abandoned warehouse.

Scarlet?

He blinked and before he could his bearings, he was pulled up. He couldn't suppress the groan escaping his lips.

"I wouldn't have thought he would keep you around," Black smiled coldly. "Then again, Scarlet has a bleeding heart. In so many ways." The smile was downright nasty now. "He's so desperate to be human, he even anchors himself to one."

Blue looked up from his kneeling position, hands bound tightly behind his back, feeling every muscle scream abuse from the violent capture.

"Yeah, well, you thought wrong, Black," he spat.

His throat hurt with every word. Getting nearly choked by a massive brute of a man wasn't healthy to one's vocal cords.

"He was always weak," the former Spectrum operative went on. "Too attached. Too emotionally invested."

"Too good?" Blue taunted.

It got him a sneer.

"He got rid of the Mysterons' control, Black. You failed at that. You're still their pawn!"

It got him a gun butt whipped over his face. Adam felt blood pool in his mouth from where he had bit his tongue and pain radiated from his cheek bone. Still he looked up at his captor, defiant, unbroken.

Paul lay in a crumbled heap behind Black, ashen-faced and quite dead. Adam had seen him die, brought down by something alien, something Mysteron, screaming in such pain, he had almost felt it himself. It had been torture, for both men, and when Paul had finally succumbed, had died, it had been almost a relief.

"I still felt him with me," Black went on, voice harsher now. "When I woke. I knew there was another one like me. I was aware of him. Like he felt me. I just knew he was alive, but no longer part of the Mysteron consciousness."

"Don't have that anymore?" Blue laughed, fully knowing it was the truth.

Paul had told him. Ever since he had completed the anchor, Scarlet had lost that faint awareness of Black.

"You think you could have been Scarlet's anchor? Well, too bad. He didn't want you."

This time the goon kicked him in the ribs and he wheezed.

Black went down on one knee, grabbing a handful of blond hair and forcing Blue to look into the inhuman, dark eyes.

"He could have been that, yes. It would have brought him back. But he was too damaged. He was a failed construct. We should have terminated him before now."

Blue glared at him, furious at his own helplessness.

"What did you do to him?"

Black chuckled maliciously. "Showed him who his masters are, Blue. Punished his disobedience. I sadly overdid it. I wanted him to see you die." The grin grew nasty. "That he could experience real pain, feel what it means to get his life sucked out of him."

"You sound like a jealous girlfriend," Adam snarled, almost laughing at that.

Black snorted and rose, letting go of him. Blue sagged back down, his body screaming abuse even more now.

"Jealous? Of this aberration of a consciousness shared? He could have been one of us. He still heard us. Now, with you, he is all but useless."

Adam sneered. "Why don't you get it over with, Black? Stop yammering and just do the deed!"

"I might just want to wait for him to wake and watch now."

There was an explosion outside and the doors suddenly flew open. Black looked up, eyes narrowing.

"Then again…"

And he pulled the trigger.

X X X

This time there was nothing for Doctor Gold to gloss over. Scarlet had been dead when Captains Indigo, Ochre and Grey had stormed the building. They had seen Blue get shot point blank.

Two bodies had been brought to Skybase, everyone in deep shock over the loss of Captain Blue. Scarlet they expected to recover, but Blue was one of them. Human. Not indestructible.

Colonel White stood in med bay, hands clasped behind his back, looking at Scarlet, whose life signs were faint, weaker than they should be, his fingers twitching, face contorted in pain.

On the bed next to him lay Captain Blue. Gold had removed the bullet, had cleaned all the wounds, had taken care of the dislocated shoulder and broken wrist, as if the man was expected to live.

And live he did.

As faintly as Scarlet, with barely a pulse, his heart beating erratically, but he was growing stronger.

"Will they make it, Mason?" White asked quietly.

"Indeed they will, Colonel, but it will take time. Scarlet has nothing left to heal himself. Blue is his priority. It's not a conscious decision either."

White nodded slowly. His eyes were drawn to the bandages wrapped around Scarlet's middle, hiding terrible burn wounds. Like those underneath the additional bandages around his arms and legs.

A soft moan escaped the recovering man and suddenly the pale blue eyes cracked open, feverish, delirious, barely coherent. They closed again before White could even catch them.

"It will no longer be their secret," Gold remarked, straightening from checking on Adam.

"No. Three of my men saw Blue getting shot by Black. They saw him die. I believe it is time to let this particular cat out of the bag, but not until Captains Scarlet and Blue are in any condition to handle the outcome."

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

That night Gold sat with his two patients, recording every twitch, every spike in either man's heartbeat, breathing or pulse. He listened to Scarlet's cries of pain as the energy leeched out of him, refusing his own body to heal, and he lost him twice more.

Each time Gold sighed, curbing his automatic instinct to go for the crash cart.

Captain Blue's vitals stabilized in the early hours of the morning. It was around that time Captain Scarlet showed massive and very fast signs of improvement himself.

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

Adam was the first to wake. He felt dizzy, slightly nauseous, and there was a painful twinge in his chest.

"Easy, Captain," Gold's voice filtered through.

"Paul," he croaked.

"He's asleep. Alive and asleep."

He turned his head and saw the dark, familiar head in the next bed. Adam couldn't make out the readings over the bed, but he didn't really have to. Scarlet was a survivor in every sense of the word.

"Thank god…"

"It was touch and go for the two of you for a while. I didn't think he would slip twice," Gold said, as straight-forward as usual. "His body tried to compensate for the amount of energy you were pulling from him. It was actually rather amazing to watch."

Adam's eyes widened and he tried to sit up. "What?!" Something inside his chest twinged sharply and he groaned.

"I said easy, Captain Blue. Captain Scarlet is perfectly able to restore himself. Just like he healed you."

"At the price of what?" he demanded. "His own death?"

"Scarlet cannot die," Gold reminded him. "You, on the other hand, can. I doubt there is anything in my power, or anyone else's, to stop this process anyway."

Adam touched the reddish mark on his chest, right where his heart was. He had died. Paul had died. They were both alive.

"I advise you give yourself time to rest," the chief medic aboard Skybase said evenly. "Even with the speedy recuperation you went through, you have been shot, Captain Blue. You need to let your body adjust to your partner's donation of energy."

"But he will be all right?" Adam asked.

"Perfectly."

Adam looked at his partner again. He looked almost peaceful. Face smooth, unblemished, just a five-o'clock shadow, eyes closed and looking… at ease.

He smiled.

They were okay.

It was the last the last thought before he fell asleep again.

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

The next time he woke, Paul was sitting up in his bed, a bit pale, face still unshaven, but very much alive and awake. His cheekbones stood out a little too sharply for Adam's liking, but the eyes were clear and filled with life.

"Hey, sleepy head," the dark-haired man called, smiling brightly.

"Look who's talking," Adam grumbled.

He tried to push himself up, but he felt shaky and there was still the sharp pull where a bullet had torn through his chest.

"Whoa, wait a minute."

Paul quickly slipped out of bed and walked over to him. He was dressed in Spectrum issue sweats and looked like he should be getting ready for duty, not lounging around med bay.

Baby-sitting.

Adam grimaced a little.

A cool hand wrapped around his wrist, squeezing it. Paul's eyes were on him, intense and unwavering.

"Help me up," Adam demanded and his partner complied.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said softly.

"Yeah, me, too. Black's a psychopath," the blond growled.

"That's news," was the wry reply.

He chuckled. "I hope it's not his new hobby."

"I won't give him another opportunity."

"What did he get you with?" Adam wanted to know.

Paul shrugged. "From the feel of it, something very bad. I thought someone was trying to tear my brain out and my every cell apart. I heard them again. The Mysterons. And the flashes were worse than ever before."

Adam turned his hand to slide their fingers together. Paul looked at their hands, squeezing the blond's fingers gently. Adam smiled, then turned serious again.

"What did it do to you?"

"Aside from torturing me?"

"Paul…"

"It opened the flood gates. It was like Black tried to overload my brain. In a way he did. I never felt such pain, Adam. Never. Getting all of this crammed into my mind… it felt like I was getting torn to pieces."

Svenson's brows lowered, worry the most prominent emotion rushing through him. "Paul…"

"I'm fine. It was over in seconds. The pain, everything. I was knocked out."

"Didn't look like seconds." He still remembered he screams.

Paul sighed. "Felt like ages," he murmured. "I still get those flashes. Most make no sense." He nodded at the tablet lying on his bed. "Gold made me write down what I can remember or actually put into words."

"Anything concerning the anchor?"

Paul sighed again and rubbed his thumb over Adam's hand.

"Paul? Remember what you promised? No lies, no obfuscation, no secrets."

"The anchor is the first claim I have on you," he finally said, not looking into the dark blue eyes. "That we can expect it to deepen. That my instincts… could get a bit… out of hand when it comes to your safety."

Adam chuckled. "Not really big news. So, deepening connection? Anything I need to know?"

It got him a shrug. "I'm not sure how to translate what I see in my mind. No telepathy. Mysterons aren't telepathic. I'd read this as very much aware of each other. Of where you are, how you are, whether you are okay or hurt."

"Could come in handy."

"It's a breach of privacy that might go deeper, Adam."

"Reading my mind would be," Adam answered seriously. "Knowing I'm okay is vital for you, Paul. And we're partners in the field. Might give us an edge."

Another shrug.

"Hey, we knew, okay?" he insisted, squeezing his partner's hand. "Co-existence, right? Inter-dependence or something. No guilt trips, please."

"Not sure I can stop it. It just happens."

"Yeah, because the world is on your shoulders, Scarlet. You got this self-flagellation down like a pro. You're not to blame for anything that happened. You were a victim and you still are. You made the best of it up until now. Now you got me, too. I'm an adult," Adam repeated what he had said before. "Consenting, informed, whatever. We're in this together, no matter what you Mysteron side throws at you. I'm sure Black will grow tired of poking at the same old wound in a decade or two."

He grinned.

Scarlet rolled his eyes.

"I think he's simply jealous," Adam added. "Of me. And you. He mentioned something."

Paul nodded. "We are the same. He isn't a Mysteron, just a puppet, and he feels his human soul trying to break free, but their power is too strong."

"You managed."

"With your help."

"Yeah. I shot you."

"Like I said, your help."

"I'd gladly shoot him and throw him into a power conduit," Adam offered, tugging at the hand and Paul sat down on the bed with him. "You're not the same. Ignore what I yelled at you before."

"Back then you were mostly correct."

Adam smothered a yawn. His partner's eyes narrowed a little and he chuckled.

"Still human," he teased.

"I know. Get some more rest. After what happened, we won't be getting much after leaving med bay."

"Guess everyone knows by now. It's hard to keep your suddenly resurrection a secret."

"White had no other choice."

Adam shrugged. "It had to happen one day," he said almost philosophically.

He closed his eyes, still holding on to Paul's hand. He felt Paul's touch, a gentle, almost hesitant caress through his hair, and he smiled sleepily.

Maybe it was a dream that he felt dry lips against his forehead. Maybe it was just another step forward in their relationship.

Whatever it was, it was a good feeling, and Adam took it with him as he fell asleep.

tbc...