Just Another Christmas Carol
by DeAnna
Disclaimer: not mine, didn't get squat for it so don't sue me CC. Only change to Canon is Krycek isnt dead.
Author's notes: This is my Secret Santa gift for Angelfish to keep to herself or share with the list. It's up to her since it is her special gift. Enjoy, Angelfish. I dont usually write, so I hope this is ok. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I. Pre-Visit Party December 24, 2005 745pm
Hoover Conference Room
The sound of champagne corks popping wasn't loud enough to cut through the laughter and happy chatter. No one had ever felt relief like this before, and the participants weren't sure exactly how to deal with it. Nervous laughter, and a few tears here and there, were frequent occurrences in this small room full of people -- very important people -- people that wouldn't be mentioned in the history books but who had played such an important part in saving mankind....too bad no one would ever know how close the earth had come to becoming a lifeless rock once again.
"A toast to world peace." World peace was murmured throughout the crowd as their glasses lifted and the champagne inside was consumed.
No one heard the knock or noticed the door open to admit two more party goers. The elegant blonde and her equally handsome companion had a few people staring and a few more outraged as they walked across the room. Nonetheless, the two quietly sat aside, talking to no one but each other, until the appropriate time had passed for their appearance at the farewell party, and they could make their escape, hopefully just as uneventful as their arrival.
No such luck.
"Agent Mulder! Why don't we go around the room to find out what everyone's plans are now that the war is finally over?" Several agreements passed through the crowd as the leader of the group walked to the head of the room.
"Good idea Sir, let's start right here. Monica, what will you be doing now?"
"Well, I've thought a lot about it lately. John and I are getting married, so I guess I'll probably quit and start a family. At least now I know my kids will have a future."
Mulder smiled and nodded, "I predict that you'll have 6 kids. 5 girls, one boy, and by the end of next year you'll be selling crystals, lawn gnomes and those hideous gazing balls out of a little craft store. John can do the heavy lifting."
Monica laughed. "Ok, Mulder you're next. What will you be doing?"
"I'll probably do the same, get married and have lots of kids." He smiled warmly at Scully, who was smiling back, but with a nervous, trapped look on her face that practically screamed not now, we'll talk later.
Monica stopped him. "Right, like we all believe that. No, we predict you'll probably write a bunch of Sci Fi novels and become a millionaire. That sounds more your speed."
As everyone laughed, enjoying the game, the two outsiders decided it was time to go. Just as they'd made it to the door, Mulder's voice was heard above the crowd.
"Marita? I didn't know you were here."
An uncomfortable silence fell rather quickly; almost all chatter stopping. Most everyone was focused, not on Marita, but the man standing beside her, looking as if he would love to just fade into the woodwork rather than be noticed by anyone there.
"We just stopped by to say hi and have a glass of champagne to celebrate, but we must be going now." Marita once again turned to leave but was stopped by Mulder's voice.
"Before you go, it's your turn to let us know what you'll be doing, now that this war is over." Mulder looked at her expectantly. He was not going to let her off the hook that easily.
"Alright, most likely I will move to LA. I have family there and have been offered a position with the Governors office."
Mulder shook her hand lightly and smiled. "Ok, but personally I think that's too perfect not to be unbelievably full of shit. I predict you'll retire to some remote tropical island with half the consortium's money and live as a billionaire the rest of your life."
Marita laughed and backed once again toward the door. "Oh, if it were only true, I'd do that in a heartbeat. Thank you again for a nice evening, but we really must go."
Just as she touched the doorknob, it happened. Marita closed her eyes and sighed to herself. Oh please, don't let this be too bad.
"Krycek, I'm surprised to see you here." The cold tone in Mulder's voice quieted the room immediately, and every pair of eyes became focused on the handsome man in black leather. I figured you'd have crawled back under whatever rock you originated from. Oh wait, I forgot; these days you've become quite adept at being Marita's valet. It's the only way someone like you could get into a place like this."
"Hello Mulder. It's nice to see you're still as warm and friendly as ever. Thanks for the drink, gotta go, have a nice life." Krycek turned to leave, but as he opened the door a fraction, it was slammed closed again by a hand very close to his face.
"You can't leave yet, Krycek. We haven't asked about your future plans yet. So, what do worthless, lowlife rats like you have to look forward to these days?"
Krycek looked a bit shaken but recovered quickly enough for only a couple of people to notice something was wrong. "I hadn't thought about it much -- probably nothing. What does it matter to you anyway?"
"It doesn't. I was just playing the game. So here's my prediction for Krycek's future. I think Alex here will go home, pull out a large bottle of frozen vodka, watch some lame Christmas shows on TV and reflect on his life. He'll sit for a couple hours thinking about the people he killed or screwed over. Then he'll spend a couple seconds thinking about the people that love him. That shouldn't take long, since there probably isn't even one person he can come up with that gives a rat's ass if he lives or dies. This revelation will devastate him so much so that he'll end up taking out his Glock and blowing his brains out on Christmas morning. My, my, what a wonderful Christmas present that would be, Krycek. Just what I've been asking Santa for these past 4 or 5 years."
This statement momentarily rendered Alex completely speechless. He knew Mulder hated him but he hadn't known he was quite so cold and heartless. After a couple of seconds composing himself and trying to come up with a snappy comeback, he realized that Mulder was right, and it scared him; he had to get out of here.
"Well, maybe Santa will come through for you this year. Good bye Mulder."
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
II. The Warning
Apt 42 Hegal Place 1145pm
Mulder entered his empty apartment with a lot less enthusiasm than he left it with, just a few short hours ago. He was angry and sad, but mostly angry. Definitely mostly angry. How dare that little bastard make him feel bad on the most important day in his life? The day of victory should have been one of celebration, but, after Krycek had left, the tone of the party quickly descended, and people had started heading home to be with their families. A select few had voiced their opinion of the harsh way he'd treated Alex and even went so far as to suggest he actually go talk to Alex and, heaven forbid, apologize to him. When hell freezes over!, I'm not apologizing to that worthless piece of shit.
He did, however, feel a slight twinge of regret at the reaction his prediction had brought out in the traitor. He'd fully expected a lively vocal sparring match with his nemesis; he actually looked forward to them. Alex took arguing to another level. You had to be on your toes with him as he was much smarter than most of the people Mulder dealt with on a regular basis. It was actually fun as a rule, but this time it had felt different. Not fun. It had felt like kicking an injured puppy. Why should I care? I don't. He could die tomorrow, and I would be the one to order the champagne.
Suddenly there was a bright flash, and everything began shaking. Just as quickly as it started, it was over, and all was quiet again.
What the?
"Hello Fox."
"SHIT!" Mulder nearly tripped on the couch, he'd backed up so fast. There in front of him was his sister Samantha. She was just standing there, smiling at him.
I can't be that drunk, I only had 2 glasses of champagne. This has got to be a dream.
"No Fox, this isn't a dream, and you aren't drunk."
"How the hell did you do that? I didn't say that out loud. What are you doing here? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"
The apparition smiled patiently and tried to explain. "I am a kind of spirit. A vision of what you believe me to look like. In truth I am simply a messenger, with much to say and little time in which to say it. You may believe me, or you may think me a hallucination, but I will be heard."
Mulder sat down heavily on the couch, a little stunned and out of sorts. "Well, ok... what do you want to tell me?"
"Don't laugh. This may sound a little corny, but here goes. You will be visited by three spirits tonight. They will attempt to…"
"You mean as in Scrooge? A Christmas Carol? Charles Dickens?"
Samantha sighed and rolled her eyes. "Don't interrupt, Fox. I don't have much time. They will attempt to show you how important it is to forgive. To forgive yourself as well as others. I held on to resentment and hate, and look where it's gotten me. Purgatory. I have since learned to let go of anger and give the forgiveness my soul has sorely needed."
Mulder looked puzzled. "I don't mean to interrupt, but who do you need to forgive? It was Dad's fault they had to choose; Mom's fault you were chosen, and my fault I couldn't prevent your abduction. You have nothing to forgive. We let you down and don't deserve forgiveness."
"That's where you are wrong, Fox. I forgave Dad his stupid mistake. I forgave Mom for her tough decision, and I forgive you for not keeping me safe. It's too late for Mom and Dad, but not you. It's time you forgave yourself and learnt to forgive others for their own stupid mistakes. Wouldn't it devastate you, if I refused to forgive you for your mistakes that night? You've been trying to make up for it your whole life; it would render your search worthless. If the roles were reversed, would you forgive me?"
"Of course I would, Sam." Mulder reached for Samantha's hand, but she stepped back with a triumphant grin.
"I'll remember you said that. Right now I need you to listen to me. This is the most important part, and you must listen and remember. It is vital you understand this completely. It is not too late. No matter what else you choose to remember or accept, you must above all else remember this -- it is not too late. It is not too late. Remember this when this night is over. It will become clear to you in time. Now I must go. The spirits will arrive one each hour starting at 1am. Good luck, big brother. I love you, and I forgive you. Remember – it's not too late."
And with that, Samantha vanished before Mulder's very eyes.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
III. That Was Then
He didn't have time to comment' or even take a breath' when the clock struck one, and Mulder's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach.
Nothing.
Mulder chuckled to himself. "I'm really losing it. I seriously need some sleep."
"No time for sleep, I'm afraid."
Mulder jumped at least a foot off the ground and fell flat on his ass.
"Oh hell, Byers, you scared the shit out of me!"
"I'm sorry, Mulder. I was under the impression you were expecting me."
"You? Why would I be... wait! You are the first spirit? Christmas past, right?"
Byers folded his hands behind his back and nodded. "That is affirmative. I am to show you Christmas days from the past and then bring you back here in time to meet the next spirit. We have little time and lots to see, so I suggest we get going."
Byers touched Mulder's hand, and in an instant they were no longer in Mulder's apartment, but now they were in his childhood home in Martha's Vineyard.
Little Fox and Samantha were hiding in the hall and peeking around the doorway to see if they could see their parents as they argued.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY SAID NO?"
"Teena, for Gods sake calm down the kids will hear."
"What do you care if they hear? You don't love them. You don't care about them; you only care about yourself. You're nothing but a worthless lowlife. I would continue the description, but I can't think of anything low enough to call you! How dare you act like this is just another day at the office?"
"Teena please, we can fix this. The final decisions haven't been made; maybe I can try to reason with them, and maybe they'll…"
"Shut up Bill! Just shut up. I'm sick of hearing you talk. You're a liar, a traitor and the lowest form of life on the planet. Actually, you don't even deserve life. If you loved me you wouldn't make me choose. If you loved me you wouldn't take one of my babies and give it to those maniacs. How could you do this to me? How do you think this will look to everyone? They'll suspect me of disposing of my own child! That is unacceptable."
"There isn't anything I can do about it. That was the deal, one child per family. I can't undo it and I cant go against it!"
Teena fumed and got in Bill's face, "You could if you tried! But they won't let you quit, will they? You could always… Sometimes Bill, I just wish you'd… Never mind. Just get your worthless hide out of my sight."
"Can't you even begin to forgive me? I made a mistake and I'm paying for it. I will try to make it up to you for the rest of my life."
"Bill, I'll forgive your sorry ass when hell freezes over."
Geez, I knew mom was cold but this is ridiculous. "Hey, Byers, are we done yet? I'm sure there are more important Christmas days we could be visiting. The threeway with Phoebe and her friend comes to mind." Mulder waggled his eyebrows and gave Byers a lecherous grin.
Byers just sighed. "Yes Mulder we can go to another day now since you obviously didn't get anything out of seeing this night."
"What?"
"Never mind. It defeats the purpose if I have to actually explain it to you." Byers touched Mulder's hand, and instantly they were in another place.
The profiler's mind began to work without conscious effort, Type of structure, property inside and workers' attire leans toward a hospital or clinic. Doesn't appear to be very modern… unable to determine the current year… has a foreign air… I don't think I've ever been here… "Byers, where are we? I don't remember this Christmas. I've never even been here."
"Oh you've been here alright, just not inside this building."
Mulder looked around again and watched a somewhat distraught nurse quickly walk to meet a man who had recently arrived and was shedding a mountain of coats, scarves and gloves.
"Thank you Father for coming on Christmas, I am sorry for interrupting your celebration."
The portly priest smiled sadly. "No need for an apology; this is what I was put on this earth for, to minister not only to the healthy but to the sick... and the dying. You said it was urgent, where is the young man?"
Mulder and Byers followed the nurse to a room in the back of the hospital. Mulder mind knew this was a memory and wasn't really happening, but he couldn't shake the strange sensation. He thought he could actually feel death in the room.
The priest and nurse approached and whispered over the sickbed. "How long?"
"He has been here for several weeks, and he doesn't seem to be getting any better. In fact he's getting worse, and I fear we will lose him before morning. That's why I sent for you to perform his last rites."
Mulder turned to Byers and opened his mouth but was quieted, when Byers put his finger to his lips, indicating Mulder just watch and not speak.
"He looks pale and drawn, what has happened here?"
"Same as the last three."
The priest shook his head slowly. "Do you have enough pain medication to keep him comfortable until he expires?"
The nurse looked as if she was about to burst into tears and whispered, "No. We have been out of pain medication for over 2months. There is nothing I can do for these people, when they come here. Someone must put a stop to these butchers, I can't take it anymore. They scream and beg for relief. I have had thoughts of killing them, to end their suffering. Please forgive me father, but I don't know what else to do. The others willingly participated in this barbaric ritual, but this one, his wounds are different -- as if he fought back. I called you for help because this one didn't speak of revolution or revenge. He keeps saying the same thing over and over. He is hallucinating and is disoriented but from what I can decipher, it sounds like some sort of code. He is worried about an escaping fox or something similar. It doesn't make much sense, but what comes out roughly translates that he loves the fox and is asking if the fox has escaped unharmed. I didn't know what to tell him, so I said, ‘yes the fox has escaped unharmed.' I must have said something wrong, because, when I said the fox loved him too, he began to cry and fight the restraints, saying he loves the fox, but the fox could never love him. I can't even make him comfortable in his last hours. I'm so tired, please help me."
The priest embraced the young nurse and tried to comfort her as best he could while she cried. He then began to perform last rites over the patient.
Mulder noticed the patient open his eyes and stare up at the priest. His eyes filled with despair and tears as he realized all hope was being abandoned, and he was being prepared for death.
Byers stepped back as Mulder ran forward and yelled, "STOP! Stop, he can hear you! If you kill his will to live he really will die! What's the matter with you peop…" Mulder stopped dead in his tracks and felt his heart slam into the bottom of his stomach. He recognized the man dying in the hospital.
Butchers… ritual…l escaping fox… love… LOVE? What the hell?
"Krycek! What's going on, Byers? This didn't happen; Krycek didn't die. I saw him tonight, and he was alive and well. What kinda fucked up Christmas Carol experience is this anyway?"
"Calm down Mulder. Just because you saw Alex, doesn't mean this didn't happen. It did happen, however obviously Krycek survived and made it safely back to the US."
"So what happened, why is he in the hospital? Did he get shot?" I hope! "Or did the Russian cops finally catch up with him and give him what he deserved?"
Byers got into Mulder's face and whispered viciously, "No, it was the police. And he did NOT deserve this, no one would ever deserve this ever. It's time to go."
Just before Byers touched Mulder's arm once more, he saw the nurse pull back the blanket to check his wound. Mulder gasped and felt very sick to his stomach as he saw what was left of Krycek's left arm, but before he could draw breath to speak they were back in his apartment.
Mulder bombarded Byers with questions, most of them beginning with the word why. Byers stood patiently listening then put up his hand to silence the barrage of questions.
"Mulder, I was just to show you those Christmas days in the past; I am not given any insight as to why these things happened, nor am I given any of the answers you seek. I know what you know; I saw what you saw. If you want to know what Krycek was thinking, then why don't you just ask him? Don't do it while beating the shit out of him. Just sit down and calmly talk to him. You will be shocked at what peace and forgiveness will accomplish in both your lives."
Then just as suddenly as he appeared, Byers was gone.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
IV. This Is Now
The clock striking two nearly gave Mulder a heart attack.
Nothing.
I seriously need to calm down if I want to survive the rest of this night.
A strange cylindrical beam of light slowly appeared, getting brighter and brighter. It would have been comical, if Mulder's heart had been beating in a normal rhythm. It almost looked like a transporter beam from Star Trek. But that was just too corny for words. Or was it?
"Langly?"
The beam vanished, and Langly stood pouting at Mulder.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Oh, just a hunch. So you're the spirit of Christmas present?"
"Uh, yeah. That's me. No time like the present, I always say."
Mulder rolled his eyes and smiled. "It's good to see you."
Langly smiled back. "You too. But we have some serious stuff to deal with tonight. I hope you're ready."
"Bring it on, dude."
Langly touched Mulder's arm, and both were beamed to another place. This time they were at Scully's apartment. The atmosphere was warm and cozy, almost romantic. Scully emerged, wearing a sexy red silk nightgown and matching robe. Mulder was momentarily speechless as he tried to tell himself he was jealous.
"You're not jealous dude, you're just mad she's got a hot boyfriend, and you don't."
"Scully's got a boyfriend?"
"Well duh... she's only been dating him for the past year. What planet have you been on? Everyone knows."
Mulder was trying to remember who Scully could have been dating, when he saw A.D. Skinner walk out of the bedroom holding a champagne bottle and two glasses. Neither of them looked happy.
"Walter, I told you there isn't anything going on between me and Mulder. I swear it. I don't know why he looked at me, when he said he wanted to settle down, but he couldn't have meant he wanted to marry me. He's gay for heavens sake."
GAY? How the hell? I never told her, I never told anyone!
"I'm not accusing you of anything, Dana, I just wanted to know if he had approached you about starting a relationship and maybe he misunderstood or something. I could never be able to compete with what you two have together. I'm not trying to start a fight with you, but I need to know if you want to end this." Walter looked scared and a little sad.
Scully turned around, surprised. "End? Is that what you want?"
"I only want what you want, Dana."
Langly turned to Mulder and whispered, "Everyone knows Skinner has been head over heels in love with Scully for months now. He was going to propose to her tonight at that party, but someone put a damper on the mood by being rude to another guest."
"Damn that bastard, Krycek; he ruins stuff no matter where he goes."
Langly looked incredulously at Mulder, then shook his head. "Krycek isn't the one that ruined the party, Mulder."
"Whatever, shhh… I wanna hear this."
Mulder walked closer to Scully and heard her mumble under her breath, "I want you, Walter." But she didn't say it loud enough, and Walter didn't hear it. After a long and heavy silence, Walter gathered his coat and walked out without saying goodbye. Mulder stood and watched his lovely partner crumple to the ground and sob her heart out.
"Get me outta here. Let's go back home so I can call her and tell her to run after him. Damn it, Langly, he didn't hear her! Look at her, she loves him! Why are you just standing there?"
"Because we have one more place to go tonight, Mulder."
"NO! We have to go back now! Right now! I have to call her -- or him, I have to call someone right now. Take me the fuck home right now."
Langly stood with his arms crossed for a minute. He looked heavenward and sighed. "Ok, I'll give you a hint, since you're the densest man on the planet. But no more freebies, this is the only one you get. Later you'll have to figure it out on your own, there won't be anyone there to help you. You ready? Remember what Sam told you?"
"Yeah, so?"
Langly looked as if he could strangle Mulder with his bare hands. He took a deep breath and counted to 10. "What did she tell you?"
"She said to remember its not too late."
"10 points for Mulder, he was paying attention in class today. No matter what we do in the next five minutes, after we return you have to keep in mind there is another spirit to visit you, and there isn't any way you can contact anyone, until the visits are over. But it will be ok. And why is it going to be ok?"
Mulder felt as if someone had just hit him over the head with a shovel for the light bulb to finally come on. "Because its not too late to fix it."
"Very good. Now, on we go." Langly grabbed Mulder's arm, and they were beamed to another apartment, neither as cozy or as warm as Scully's. This home had nothing on the walls and had very few pieces of furniture. Just the bare necessities for everyday life a couch, TV, bed, dining table and two chairs.
The door to the apartment opened, and Mulder saw Marita and Krycek enter.
Mulder instinctively ran to attack Krycek and felt nothing but cold air as his fist went through Krycek's body.
"Dude, you gotta stop doing that every time you see him. Besides, it doesn't do you any good now, since he can't hear or see you."
Mulder stepped back and tried to calm his racing heart. Only Krycek could get his blood up so quickly. Only Krycek got him this hot… um, mad. Mad, not hot. Definitely not hot.
"You know I would stay and talk, but I have this thing at my brothers house for Christmas. I don't want to leave you like this, after what happened, but I need to go. Are you going to be ok? Alex? Hey, talk to me."
"I didn't know he hated me that much."
Marita closed her eyes and sighed. "He was just showing off in front of everyone, you know that. Everyone was expecting you two to fight. You two can't not fight when you're in the same city, let alone in the same room together. He didn't mean it, Alex. You worked together to defeat the colonists, and I'm sure he appreciates your help. He was just drunk and probably hurt by Skinner marrying Scully. That's all. Don't take what he said to heart, please. I have to go. I will call you later to see how you're doing. Maybe well all go out for drinks later. I'll introduce you to my brothers neighbor, he's really cute and he can't stop talking about you." Marita smiled and hugged Alex for a long while. Alex just stood there, then walked Marita to the door. She didn't really notice he hadn't spoken again. She also didn't notice the resigned look in his eyes. If she had, there was no way she would have left him.
Alex closed the door quietly and put his hand on it for a minute. "Goodbye, Marita," he whispered.
Mulder watched Alex disappear into the kitchen and come back with his arms full of stuff. One by one, Alex set down pen, paper, glass, bottle and gun.
He then sat down, wrote three lines on the paper, turned on the TV, poured a drink and began cleaning his Glock.
Mulder walked slowly forward and looked down at the paper.
Dear Fox,
Merry Christmas
Love, Alex
As if in slow motion, Mulder looked up, in time to see a single tear run down Alex's cheek. He reached out as Langly touched his arm, and they were beamed back to his apartment.
Before Mulder could react, Langly grabbed both arms and shook him hard. Mulder calmed down a bit and looked up. "Remember, Mulder. You can't do anything about it right now."
He let go, and Mulder slid to the floor in stunned disbelief.
He won't do it, he's too much of a coward. He's just doing it for attention. There's no one there, genius, whose attention was he trying to get?
"He won't…" Mulder looked up to talk to Langly and realized he was suddenly all alone.
The clock struck three.
Nothing.
Still nothing.
Mulder sat, nervously waiting.
There was a knock on the door. Mulder got up and opened the door. Frohike walked in, "Sorry I'm late, man. No questions, lets go."
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
V. And This Is What Will Be
Frohike touched Mulder's shoulder, and they were suddenly in a small apartment. The furniture looked familiar; it looked a little like Scully's but this wasn't her apartment. Just then Scully walked out of the bedroom, carrying two cats.
"So you're trying to tell me Scully becomes some sort of spinster cat lady?"
"Well, yeah I guess you could say that. She and Skinner drifted apart when she dropped everything in her life to take care of you. She quit her job and moved into the apartment next to yours, so she could be near in case you needed her. She went so far as to propose to you. But by then you were....well, you'll see. Everything will become clear after you've seen all I'm here to show you."
Mulder stopped suddenly and turned to Frohike, "What do you mean take care of me? What happened to me?"
"Chill out; I said, you'll see, later. Now it's time to leave here. I was only to show you two places, this last one might be a bit...um, disturbing. I won't be able to answer too many questions, because I don't know much, but I'll give you all the info I have....you ready?"
"Oh, I get it. This is the part where you take me to a creepy cemetery, and I see Krycek's neglected grave marker. According to Dickens, that is supposed to scare me into changing my ways. Well, I have a news flash for ya, Fro, it ain't gonna work, dude. I could still care less right now."
"Yeah, right now." Frohike touched Mulder's arm, and, in an instant, they were no longer in Scully's apartment. However, they weren't in a cemetery either.
"So we came back here for a nightcap? Did we miss the bus? Why are we back in my apartment? I thought we were supposed to be at the creepy gravesite?"
Frohike just stared at Mulder for a long minute then slowly pointed to the front of the apartment.
There was a knock at the door.
Mulder moved toward the door to answer it, but was stopped dead in his tracks by the sound of his own voice coming from across the room.
"Come in." The door opened to admit a young man. He promptly closed the door and stood in the entryway awaiting instructions.
Mulder couldn't move, but he wasn't staring at the visitor. His eyes were glued to his comfy leather couch. There, reclining naked on the black leather was....Mulder. Mulder number 2 was both the same as himself and yet different. Mulder number 2 was thinner, with longer hair, and a bizarre wild look in his eyes, bordering on insanity.
Mulder number 1 stared at Mulder number 2, until the apparition on the couch spoke. If he hadn't thought he could be scared into changing his ways before, what happened next certainly started the ball rolling.
"You're late. I don't have all day to wait for you. I do have other things to take care of. You know the drill, money's on the table, clothes are in the closet. I want you showered, dressed, cologne on, contact lenses in and on your knees within the next half hour or no bonus.
"Yes sir." The visitor quickly ran into the bathroom to comply with Mulder's wishes.
"He's getting lax. You think maybe we should find someone else? Yeah, we can give him another chance; he is the best so far. Don't yell at me; I wasn't mean to him. I just don't want him taking advantage of the situation. He can't get the idea he's more than an employee."
Mulder slowly backed up, until he was standing next to Frohike once more, "Um… who the hell is he talking to?"
Frohike smiled sadly at Mulder, "I will be able to answer your questions as soon as it is time. There is more you need to see first."
A short time later the young man walked out of the bathroom and walked into the light.
It was about this time that Mulder's world came crashing down around him.
Slowly making his way toward the naked man on the couch was what some could arguably say appeared to be the spitting image of Alex Krycek; black leather jacket, green eyes and all.
The Mulder on the couch's demeanor changed immediately upon seeing the imitation of his nemesis. His eyes softened, and he smiled sweetly, "Hey baby, you're home late. I missed you today. C'mere so I can show you how much I missed you."
Fake Krycek sank to his knees in front of naked Mulder to embrace him warmly and receive his welcome home kiss. Frohike and fully-dressed Mulder fidgeted around a little, trying not to stare at the two men making out in front of them but finding it impossible.
"You know what to do," Mulder whispered as he lay back on the couch. The young man leaned forward, began kissing his way down Mulder's chest to bury his face in his lap. "Ohh, yesss, Alex."
Frohike glanced to his left to see the color drain out of his friend's face. The stunned Mulder turns to him. "What is going on? I don't understand."
"I'll tell you, if you really want to know. It a long story and not a very pretty one, so you might as well sit down and brace yourself."
Mulder attempted to take his eyes off his double writhing on the couch but watching himself yelling Alex's name was too mesmerizing to just ignore.
"After Krycek shot himself, guilt consumed you, followed by a bizarre obsession with finding out every aspect of Krycek's life. Long story short, you found evidence that Krycek was brainwashed and trained to obey, but when he met you he rebelled and started to fight his programming. You were his light in the darkness. He fell deeply in love with you, but he realized he could never have you. Especially since you let him know how much you despised and loathed him rather loudly, every time you were in the same room together. You tended to destroy him little by little, tearing his heart out, until he just couldn't take it anymore. It took about two months of your research before obsession slowly turned to love. The deeper in love you fell, the more you became separated from reality. You want to know who he's speaking to? Well, I'll give you two guesses. Yup, you guessed it, Alex. I know it's hard to see, but, if you look through the doorway to the bedroom, you will see the dresser, and on top of it is a small metal urn containing Alex's ashes. When Scully asked why you wanted to keep his ashes, you replied that it was so you could be together forever. Dude, you even sleep with the urn in your bed next to you. So then your mind split, and sometimes you think clearly and other times you live in a dream world, where you can bring Alex back anytime in the form of look-alike rent boys that fit his description, who look and sound like him as well as fit into his actual clothes."
"You get a few pleasurable hours with the fakes and then cry yourself to sleep wrapped around the urn. This obsessional love has ruined your life. You don't take care of yourself any more, eat, or even bathe and dress. You only live for the days when the Alex imposters show up to perform and collect their paychecks. You even say the same thing night after night, year round to that damn urn like some sort of ritual - "Goodnight my love, I forgive you, Merry Christmas" then cry until you can't cry anymore. Actually you were on your way to becoming an alcoholic but couldn't put forth the effort to get up and get the bottle. I'm sure you'll die on that couch someday, and as much as Scully loves you, she secretly thinks it won't be a moment too soon. You aren't the same person anymore. The Mulder we all loved died the night a rat put a Glock in his mouth and pulled the trigger. I know this was a lot to take in at one time, and it is a bit of a shock to see yourself like this, but the whole point of this visit is to show you how much this man means to you and to let you know how much he loved you. It's time to go back to your apartment now. Just remember this night next time you open your mouth to insult Krycek. Remember that there could be a time when you fall in love with him, but it will be too late to do anything about it."
After listening to Frohike's story, Mulder was filled with an odd sort of panic. He started to grab Frohike's coat and get him to listen to reason. "This hasn't happened yet, I won't let it happen. I won't fall for Alex, this isn't me. Even if I do admit I am attracted to him at times, that doesn't mean I'll waste away like that. Right? This isn't written in stone, right? RIGHT? Damn it, Frohike, answer me! I can fix this; it doesn't have to end like this. I can make it right, I swear, just tell me... tell me, damn it! Tell me this isn't my certain future! Frohike, tell me I'm not going to lose my mind! FROHIKE!"
Suddenly Mulder felt as if everything was different. He looked around and the couch was empty, but so was the rest of the room. He was back. Home. In his own apartment.
For just a second he was frozen in place. Then, Samantha's words flooded his mind.
It's not too late.
"Oh my God, it's not too late to stop Alex! It's not too late to save Scully and Skinners relationship. Sam sweetheart, I hope you're right about it not being too late."
Mulder was out of the apartment and halfway down the stairs when he finished dialing Scully's number. It really wasn't too late. Skinner was still there, and they hadn't had their big fight yet.
She was a bit surprised when Mulder announced, "Scully, trust me and listen. Don't ask any questions, just listen. I know this sounds crazy, but I had a... um… dream. It seemed so real. I dreamed you and Skinner were having an argument, and he asked you who you wanted in your life, me or him. You said it was him, but he didn't hear. You said it too quietly, so thinking you couldn't make up your mind, he left and never came back. I know this sounds insane, but maybe it wasn't a dream. Just humor me and do me one favor. If you two do talk about your relationship, and he asks you that question, please, Scully, please turn around and look into his eyes, when you tell him you want him and not me.
"Mulder…"
"No questions. I know it's a dream, but I couldn't live with myself, if you two split because of me. He's a good man and you deserve the best. I have to go now. Merry Christmas, Scully."
Walter was watching her bizarre facial expressions, and when she hung up he couldn't help but ask, "What was that all about? He needs you, doesn't he? We need to talk, Dana, I need to know a few things."
Scully looked surprised then smiled at the phone as she whispered, "Thank you, Mulder."
"What did you say Dana?"
"Nothing important, Walter. I have something I need to say to you, and I want to make sure you hear it, loud and clear."
Mulder was in his car, before he had disconnected with Scully. He quickly dialed Alex's cell number and found it was turned off. He tried his home number, and it was busy as if maybe it was off the hook. He tried to keep panic from setting in by repeating over and over to himself, "It's not too late; it's not too late; it's not too late."
He was out of the car before it came to a complete stop. Racing up the steps he stopped abruptly at Krycek's door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked loudly. Then knocked again. Repeating his mantra again and again, the panic started in the pit of his stomach, and he was then banging on the door and yelling for Krycek to open it up.
Alex stood at the door looking through the peephole at a most bizarre sight. Mulder was desperately banging and yelling on his doorstep. He might as well let him in, or the neighbors would call the police or something. That's all he needed tonight, the cops coming and ruining a perfectly good sulk. Fine, I'll open the damn door.
Alex unlocked the door and slowly opened it. "What do you want Mulder?"
Mulder pushed his way into the room looking on the coffee table in front of the couch. There lay the bottle, paper and Glock. The bottle was open and half empty, but the paper was blank. Mulder stared. Then Mulder smiled. He closed his eyes and slowly threw his head back.
Thank you Sam, thank you. I won't let you down.
Mulder turned to a very confused Alex Krycek and began to confuse him even more. He wrapped his arms around Alex and hugged him close. "I'm so glad you're ok, Alex. I've been so blind. I'm so sorry."
Alex was speechless and couldn't quite grasp what was happening. It had to be a joke, some sort of horribly cruel joke. It had to be; there was no other explanation. Was there?
Mulder took Alex by the hand and led him to the couch. "Alex, I have lots of things to say to you, and it may take a while, but believe me, you're gonna want to hear this. Oh, and by the way, this isn't a joke. Let's just say the spirits of Christmas have held a mirror up to my face, and I have taken a long hard look at myself. I didn't like what I saw, but I can change it. I was told that many times tonight, so I'm here to tell you. It's not too late Alex. It's not too late."
Mulder smiled and took Alex's hand as he began to tell him the story, which was just another Christmas Carol, but right then an important one to both of them.
The End
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
| Alex Annex | Characters | Stories/Alpha | Stories/Author | Home |