Summary: This is an A.U. series featuring Fox Mulder/Alex Krycek. It takes place in Washington D.C. and the premise is that Mulder and Scully are partners in the fictional Serial Crimes Unit of the F.B.I. Alex Krycek is a young, energetic agent brand new to the bureau's profiling department. Walter Skinner is an A.D. with several agents under him..most notably Fox Mulder. However, a chance meeting between Mulder and Krycek leads to an illicit but passionate love affair that could ruin both of their careers. In the halls of an old building, amidst murder and mayhem, two people who only want to be together take a tumultuous voyage through life.
Spoilers: There are no spoilers, as this is an A.U. series. I have no knowledge how life in the police force/ F.B.I really works, there fore everything is made up. From investigative techniques to attending a briefing. It's just easier to make such things up.
Rated: Now,I'd like to take the time to tell you that this series is A for language, disturbing content and sexual situations between two men.
Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters are owned by Chris Carter and 1013 productions; the rest are mine. These story's are just for fun, no money was made for writing the following bodies of work. No infringements on copyrights held is intended.
Beta: I'd like to give my deepest thanks to Sarah for her dedication to making my writing better and for beta reading chapters 1 to 8 of this series. Special kudo's to Ursula for beta-reading this series and for her distinctive wit and the ability to beta read at a moments notice. You're the best! Welcome and much thanks to Bee Lan for coming aboard and helping to beta read chapter 9 and up, her 'ideas' and suggestions are always needed. I'd like to also heap big thanks and glowing praise on Jo. Her advice and her beta skills will one day, I hope, make me a better writer. With out these three, I'd be lost. As always, any and all mistakes are mine alone.
Series: Continued in Part Two, ends at Part Three
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From childhood's hour I have not been
As other were; I have not seen
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone.
Then - in my childhood, in the dawn
Of a most stormy life - was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view.
Alone, Edgar Allen Poe, 1830.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"Scully." Sighed Mulder loudly from across his desk.
Scully turned her head to the side and looked at her partner. "What." She said, her tone on the edge of irritation.
"I'm going to lunch. You coming?" He asked sitting up in his chair properly.
"No. And you're not going either. My informant should be phoning in any minute now." She dropped her pencil on her desk top and looked at him hard.
Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully were partners in the Serial crimes unit of the F.B.I. They had been working together for the past two years and were the units’ best pair of agents, with an absolution rate of about eighty percent. Their desks in the bullpen, comprised of ten or five pairs, sat head to head. The serial crimes unit took all cases that were serial in nature. From murder to arson, it didn't matter, if it was the same person more than once, the unit handled the case.
At the moment, Dana Scully was waiting for a tip from a semi-reliable junkie informant. However he was hours past due from his promised call.
"Listen." Mulder said, his stomach was grumbling and he was fed up with the waiting. "Buck-tooth Benny is not going to call. And I need to eat, it's two thirty already."
Scully frowned, "It's Benny chip-teeth Mulder, and you can bring me a turkey on whole wheat, no mayo no butter back from the cafeteria."
"Buck-tooth, Chip-teeth, whatever...He's not going to phone Scully. He probably mugged an old lady, and is fixing right now.
"I still can't leave the phone."
Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. I'll be about a half an hour." He stood up and smiled at his partner, then walked away.
Mulder paid for his soup and sandwich, then stood in the centre of the cafeteria and searched for a table to sit at. Despite the late hour the cafeteria was full. Unlike many businesses, the J.E.H Building was open for business 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. He scanned the spacious room, then rested his eyes on a trio of men sitting at a round table meant for four people. He recognized the older men sitting there.
Jack Parsons. He was the senior agent in the profiling division.
Mulder's gaze shifted over to the younger man sitting to Jack's left, and for a second, he stopped breathing and just stood still, staring at the man. He was a new agent or so Mulder thought because he didn't recognize him and certainly would have remembered seeing him before.
The young agent had deep sable brown hair that was cut fashionably short and looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. The unfamiliar man was the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. Mulder continued to stare at the agent, who had broken out into a smile at something the third agent with them at the table had said. Visible from the short distance, Mulder noted that the younger agent's teeth were square, even and bright white.
Then suddenly, as if aware of the scrutiny he was under, the smiling young agent looked up from a veil of thick black lashes and stared directly at Mulder. He stopped smiling for just an instant and in that split second of seriousness, a spark of immediate and recognizable attraction passed between them.
The young agent blinked his startling green eyes owl-like at the staring Mulder, then he smiled and turned his attention back to Jack and responded to a question pressed to him; breaking the spell.
Jack Parsons looked in the direction that agent Krycek had been. "Hey Mulder." He called out, then waved him over.
Mulder smiled and nodded in acknowledgment and started for the trio. Pleased at the turn of events; from a quick and lonely lunch to one with an old friend he hadn't seen in awhile.
Alex grinned at Jack's bad, red neck joke. He felt the small hairs on the back of his neck rise, warning him he was being watched. He looked up, straight into the eyes of an agent who was staring at him intensely. And for a microsecond, he eyed the agent back and was mesmerized by his aura.
But mostly by his plain good looks.
And as the agent watched him back, the telepathic information exchanged between the two told Alex instantly that the handsome, slightly older agent was interested...in him. It was all there for him to see in his eyes.
Luckily Jack invited Mulder to join them.
Fox stepped up to the seasoned agent, "Hey Jack." He greeted.
"Mulder. Care to join us?" Jack asked.
"Sure." Mulder looked around the room, he didn't want to seem to eager, then he took the seat next to Jack, sitting across from the younger agent that had caught his eye.
"Fox Mulder, serial crimes, Alex Krycek, profilings' newest genius." As Jack introduced the two, he gestured to each man as he said their name.
Alex reached out and shook Mulder's hand, gripping it tightly. He smiled and said lightly, "Well I wouldn't exactly say, 'genius'."
"Still, I'd put that in your resume. Jack doesn't give out compliments very often." Replied Mulder, meeting Alex's effervescent smile with one of his own.
"So I've noticed." Said Alex.
Both men shook and held hands just longer than what could be considered decent and drew them away slowly. No one else at the table noticed however.
Mulder noticed right away that Alex was not wearing a wedding ring. His stomach danced full of butterflies and the attraction he felt for the young agent was very real. He was sure that Alex was attracted to him also.
The fact that he already had a lover did not enter into his mind.
The truth was, Mulder never once gave a second thought for Walter Skinner, AD. in charge of compliment of everyday investigative agents.
Fortunately, Skinner was neither Alex's nor Mulder's boss.
It had been a very long time since Mulder had felt such a strong, immediate attraction to someone. Even when he had met Skinner, Mulder's body had not reacted in such a way.
He did not yet know Alex Krycek; but he knew he wanted to get to know him.
Darnel Washington, the other man at the table had been on his cell phone when Mulder sat down, Jack introduced the two agents, but Washington still talking, simply waved and smiled, Mulder did the same.
Washington hung up his phone, but before he could say a word to Mulder, it rang again. "Shit." He mumbled "Washington...."
Jack turned to Alex and said, "Would you mind getting me a coffee Alex?"
"What?" Alex looked at the senior agent and raised his eyebrows in silent questioning.
"Humour me." Jack Shrugged. "You're 20 years younger than me. I like my coffee..."
"I Know....black…" Alex said as he stood up, "Agent Mulder, would you like something seeing as how I'm already going."
"Sure, just a bottled water please." He went for his wallet but Alex stopped him.
"No that's okay. My treat." He said. Turning to the other man at the table, who was still on the phone, Alex asked, "Darnel?"
Agent Washington acknowledged Alex by shaking his head 'no' and kept on talking.
Mulder watched Alex as he strolled casually over to the beverage bar.
"Listen Mulder. I called you over here for a reason."
Tearing his gaze away from Alex's rear end, Mulder turned to his old friend and said, "I thought so. What's up?"
"It's about the kid."
"The kid? How old is he?" Mulder saw the look on Parsons face and then said seriously, "What about him." Mulder flicked his gaze back to Alex, who was trying to decide on a brand of water for him.
"He's 28 if you must know. Just a kid in my opinion. But he's been with profiling for six months now. Alex's insight on the cases he's helped with has been invaluable. He's ready to go solo."
"Okay. Why tell me?" Asked Mulder his curiosity piqued.
"Well you know what it's like to be the new kid on the block. No one wants to work with you unless you have a reputation, but you can't get a reputation unless you work with a few agents...same old story. I wanted to ask you to uhm..." The older agent started to waffle.
"Spill it Jack..." Mulder looked back at Alex and watched as the twenty-something female cashier flirted shamelessly with him while he paid for the drinks. Alex smiled and thanked her, but Mulder could tell that the agent was totally oblivious to the girl. //Good// he thought.
Jack watched Alex approach as he spoke. "I want you to ask for Alex the next time you need a profile worked up."
"Okay." Mulder said casually. Thinking that the scenario couldn't have played out any better.
Jack clapped Mulder on the shoulder. "You're an okay guy Mulder. No matter what everyone else around here says."
"What's that supposed to..." Started Mulder.
"Here's your coffee..." Alex said, interrupting the banter. He put the tray on the table.
"Leave it, Jack." Agent Washington cut in pocketing his cell phone. "That was the office, our fax is in and the States Attorney wants us in her office pronto."
Jack stood up and with a shrug of his large shoulders, he said affably, "See you back at the office." Then with a wink to Mulder, which Alex did not see, he walked out with Washington.
"See you later." Alex said. He still had his whole lunch to eat yet as did Mulder. Picking up his sandwich, he took a bite.
Over the course of the next 45 minutes the two agents chatted. Small talk under normal circumstances, but in this case it was more like getting to know you talk.
Alex smiled often and blinked his eyes unconsciously displaying one of his best features. Nature’s way of attracting a mate. He even blushed a few times and ran his fingers through his short-cropped hair.
And Mulder, sitting across the table ate up the younger agents displays with a spoon. He even put a few signals out of his own. Like drinking from his water bottle and running the tip of his ginger around the rim of the opening suggestively and moistening his lips with the tip of his tongue.
Time passed quickly and the conversation took a natural drift from work to more intimate issues. First they discussed alien life and Mulder was very pleased that Alex believed in their existence.
Though Krycek wasn't sure if he bought the hype about them visiting the planet. He leaned toward the very politically correct, "If we're here, why can't something be out there..." stance.
Mulder told Alex of his belief in the extraterrestrials leaving out that when he was a kid, he thought his sister had been abducted by them; turned out that a pedophile kidnapped her instead.
The merits of having a partner as opposed to working alone came up. Which both men had pro's and cons for each scenario.
It was at that point that Mulder asked Alex to look at a cold case. "I've got a case, maybe you can help with. It's been a real difficult one for me....it's been cold for three years then all of a sudden another body shows up."
Alex sat up taller in his chair. "You know, I've not worked a case alone yet." He admitted.
"I know. Jack said. But he says your ready to. Are you up for it?" Mulder said.
"Yeah...I am. Great, you'll be my very first." Alex couldn't believe he'd just said that. His cheeks flamed hot.
Mulder laughed, he really liked Alex. "Now that...I'd like." He grinned and then took a sip of his water. "Anyway, business before pleasure." Mulder said with a raised eyebrow. "I'll put the file together for you. There's a profile in there already but it's ...." Mulder hesitated, the agent who had worked the profile up was still on the job, though in a limited capacity. "...Er...I'd like a second opinion on it." He finished diplomatically.
"Great. Send it over whenever your done." Alex said, trying to will away the pink colour still staining his cheekbones. He couldn't help it, he found Mulder very attractive, causing him to blush at every turn.
"Okay." Mulder paused for a second then working up his courage he asked, "Alex, can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure." Alex's heart began to pound faster.
"Are you seeing anyone right now?" Mulder sincerely hoped not.
"No. I'm unattached. You?" Alex was encouraged by the pleased look that had crossed Mulder face upon hearing that he was single.
Mulder knew he had to tread lightly now. He didn't want to scare Alex off but all the same, he had a right to know the truth.
"Sorta." He said finally.
Alex raised a single eyebrow, he tried not to show his disappointment. "How Sorta?" He asked.
Swallowing, Mulder said, "I've been with someone for two years now, we live together."
Crushed Alex said, "Living together is a little more serious than 'Sorta' agent Mulder."
Mulder leaned forward, "Listen Alex, just so we're on the same page here. I like you...a lot." He was relieved when Alex nodded back.
//Okay,// he thought //so we're both gay then...not an easy thing to discuss with an another agent.//
"I think you're attracted to me too."
"Yes ..but..."
Mulder cut Alex off before the younger man could think things over thoroughly.
"But he and I aren't getting along so great these days. I’d ...honestly Alex, I'd really like to get to know you better. This may sound cold hearted but right now my live-in lover is the last person I want to think about. It's a complicated relationship." Mulder chewed on his bottom lip for a second, "Why don't we meet for a drink tonight and I'll bring the file with me. We can discuss it then,... maybe over dinner even?"
Alex studied the dark haired agent for a few quick seconds. Here was an attractive man who knew how difficult the job could be, asking him out. It had been a long time since he'd been on a date and even longer since he had been laid. What the hell, if Mulder wasn't concerned about his lover, why should he be? Alex was tired of always doing the right thing all the time and sick of not getting what he wanted out of life. It was time to start changing all that. He wanted Mulder; Mulder wanted him, so where was the problem.
Let Fox deal with his lover in his own way.
The file though legit, was a perfect cover for going out to dinner with another. Fine, if the relationship wasn't working then all the more better for him.
Alex thought, //All's fair in love and war.//
He gave Mulder an alluring smile and said, "Okay, a working dinner."
The way Alex said it, with a low voice, suggested to Mulder that there could more than just work involved.
"Great." Relieved that the younger agent had agreed, Mulder was happy that Alex apparently was not going to take his lover's feelings into account after all. "How about 7:00 tonight at the 'Evidence Room'."
The Evidence Room was a pub with great food that was only a couple of blocks from the J.E.H. building. And the perfect cover, because they'd be in plain sight, working on the cold case. Just two agents having a business dinner. Mulder and Scully had done it many times the only difference this time was that he wasn't trying to get into her pants over the hot wings and potato skins.
"It's a date then." Alex said.
From across the room April--the cashier who had flirted with Alex--watched as Mulder and Alex talked animatedly to each other.
She was jealous of Mulder and of the fact that in such a short amount of time of just meeting, he had managed to get the handsome agent laughing and even blushing. She really liked the green-eyed man, in fact, she loved him.
But no matter what she did, he never seemed to notice her.
Low cut blouses didn't help, neither did her usual tight-tight T-shirts. April knew that she and her body were beautiful, many male agents had asked her out, and most of them she did date and screw, but the second that she had set her eyes upon the gorgeous agent Krycek she denied all others her favours. Unfortunately, agent Krycek seemed pleasant, but indifferent to her attentions. She would not give up on Krycek however. And now, watching the two men eat lunch together she knew where she had gone wrong.
Agent Krycek liked men, moreover that cold, unsmiling agent Mulder who never left a tip in her jar at the register. April had noticed that Mulder was normally uncommunicative and distant, neither quality he displayed with her agent Alex.
The young woman was disappointed but not undaunted.
Sexual preference was only a state of mind.
All she needed to do was find a way for Alex to notice her. Hard to do now that he was blinded by Fox Mulder.
"AHEM." Scully cleared her throat, startling both Mulder and his lunch companion. "Mulder, " she said tightly, "You were supposed to bring me back a sandwich over an hour ago."
Alex looked over at Fox and they both burst out laughing. Scully's comment was one cited as a con against having a partner by Mulder.
She scowled at both men. "What's so funny?" She directed this comment to Mulder.
"Nothing. Alex, this is my partner Dana Scully... Scully, Alex Krycek." He introduced the two agents, changing the subject quickly.
Alex held out his hand to shake but she ignored it and sat where Jack parsons had been.
"Benny phoned finally, we have to go." She said.
"I should get going too..." Alex pulled his hand away and stood up. "See you later." He said to Mulder then he grabbed his tray and left. As he walked to the door he wanted to turn around so bad for one last look at Mulder, just to see if the agent was watching him go. He was pretty sure that he was.
Mulder had asked him out that was enough; for now.
He took no notice at all of the young woman who was also watching him leave.
Mulder stared after Alex watching the agent's ass sway pleasantly until the young man put his suit coat on. He was totally unaware at all, that Scully had spoken to him. "What?" He asked, turning his attention back to his partner.
Scully frowned at Mulder knowing exactly what was on his mind. "I said, what's with the agent?"
"Alex? He's new to the profiling department. Jack says he's a genius, so I'm going to give him the Logan River case to look at. A fresh pair of eyes might be all it needs to close it."
Scully shrugged, any help they could get would be great. But judging by the way the two male agents heads were together in the conversation, and by the way that Mulder had watched the agent walk away, she assumed that Mulder was interested in more than just agent Krycek's brilliant mind. "What's going on later?" She asked.
Mulder answered innocently, "Alex and I are going to have a working supper tonight at the ER to review the file..."
"Oh? What time should I join you?" She raised one rusty brow sceptically.
"What? I thought you had plans tonight." Mulder didn't want Scully there tonight.
"I don't think Walter would think of it as a working dinner if I wasn't present."
Suddenly, pissed off that Scully was thinking the worst of him-- though she was correct in doing so-- he said heatedly, "Look Scully, there's a serial killer out there, preying on children, all I'm trying to do is solve it. Agent Krycek wasn't available to review the case until tonight...besides he's a co-worker for Christ sakes! He's a profiler...I'm in the serial unit it's our fucking jobs to get together and solve crimes..."
"All right!" Scully said, interrupting Mulder's tirade.
"Well Jesus, you're starting to sound like Walter now. I've already got one jealous, suspicious person in my life, I don't need shit from my work partner too!"
Scully held up her hands, "Calm down Mulder. Point taken."
"Your welcome to join us you know." Mulder said, hoping all the while that she wouldn't. But he felt like he had to extend the invitation to prove that nothing us up, which of course there was. Both he and Alex knew that this was a date under the guise of work. He had told Scully a white lie when he said that Krycek wasn't free until the evening, but he didn't dwell on it.
"I can't." Scully said. "You know full well that I promised mom that I'd take her to the River dance performance."
Relieved, Mulder changed the subject and said, "Come on lets get going before Benny fixes again and forgets he knows the whereabouts of our suspect...."
Dinner ordered, Alex took a sip of his beer and set the glass back down. He licked the foam from his lips as he flipped the beige folder Mulder had brought open. The men were at a table in the back of the pub, where the commandeered a large booth with good lighting. Alex tipped the waitress to leave them alone until their dinners were ready.
Mulder chose the table for several reasons, one of which was that the crime scene photos were very disturbing, no civilian should ever have to see them. The contents of the file were confidential after all and still an active open case. Another reason was he just wanted to be alone with Alex or as alone as he could be in a pub full of FBI agents and yuppie DC professionals.
Hide in plain sight came to his mind.
Alex picked up and looked at the stack of 8x10 colour photos. He studied each picture closely, one at a time. While he examined the photographs. Mulder talked, not flirting now, but all business.
"Six children three boys three girls ages from 7-9 years old. All kids were stolen from their backyards held for around three days then murdered and left along the banks of the Logan River. Near the lighted jogging paths.
Alex laid pictures of each child out so that they were sitting side-by-side three across, two rows up and down.
"Murdered how?" He asked, not looking up.
"Given an overdose of sleeping pills."
"Painless way to go." Murmured Alex. "Sexually assaulted?"
"NO! Thank god. All six kids were found still fully dressed, in their own clothing, all seemed to be well fed; almost looked after."
Alex, deep in thought, studied the array of children. All of them, boys and girls alike, were similar in features and colouring. "Well, I'm going to want to read through everything carefully of course..." He looked up into Mulder's eyes."...give me at least until tomorrow afternoon to make a detailed report." He frowned for a second, "I have a few preliminary feelings about this case, but I want to go over the evidence and the original profile on my own."
Mulder knew that something was bothering the agent. "What's wrong?" He asked.
"Well...I don't want to discount old Jim's work, but...I..."
"Its just us Alex. I promise nothing you say goes beyond this table."
"All right. I think that Jim was wrong about the perp being a man. I really think you should be looking for a woman. And older woman...that's just a start...I'll give you more tomorrow."
"I knew it." Mulder stated firmly. When Alex gave him a questioning look he said, "Something about this case has bothered me. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but now that you've said it, it makes sense."
"To be honest Fox," Alex said, "there's quite a few elements to this case that don't jibe. You say the last child was found two weeks ago and the victim before him three years?"
"Yep."
"Hmmm." Alex gathered up the photos and tucked them face down into the folder. He put the rest of the papers in with the photos then just as he was locking the grisly file away the waitress brought their dinners and another pair of draft beers. "I'll go over it tonight. I don't want to commit to anything without reading it more."
Mulder and Alex thanked their server and settled into their food. During the meal they spoke about their lives a little bit more. Over coffee the mild flirtation had grown up into full blown sexual innuendo.
"What." Alex asked finally when Mulder kept grinning and staring at him.
"I was just thinking of a way to turn the case into another working dinner. Only I'd like to go some place a little more quieter than here."
"Oh that's easy. Why don't you come for dinner at my place? That way I'll have a few more hours to draw up some definite conclusions." Alex looked down into his cup then up again invitingly.
Mulder's cock jerked to life as he watched the captivating younger agent lick his lips suggestively.
"Great." Mulder said. "8:00 good for you?"
"8:00's fine." Alex took out a business card and wrote his home number and address on the back of it. "You like Italian?" He asked handing it over.
Mulder accepted the card and read the back of it then he flipped it over and read Alex's cell phone number. Committing all of the information instantly to his eidetic memory. He would destroy the card later on as he didn't want Skinner to find it when he went through his pockets. As the older man always did whenever he thought that Mulder wasn't looking.
Mulder was growing tired of Walter Skinner and their un-equal relationship.
The man was dangerous if not a little bit psycho. And Mulder was afraid of what Walter would do if he ever left him.
Walter would either kill himself, Mulder, or his new lover or maybe even all three of them. Mulder couldn't be sure. Lately, Walter had felt like an anchor around his neck. But after meeting Alex he felt rejuvenated, ready to face the world again.
"I guess I should go." Mulder said after glancing at his watch. It was already 11:00 at night. The hours passed by quickly and Fox didn't want to leave but he had to if he didn't want to arouse Walter's suspicions.
"Yeah..." Alex agreed. "I should get started on this." He gestured toward his briefcase.
Mulder dropped some bills on top of the table, Alex went for his wallet, but Mulder stopped him. "No," He said, "...dinner's on me."
"Come on." Offered Alex with a smile, "I'll walk you to your car."
"How about I walk you to your car?" Mulder countered.
In the dark parking lot, Alex unlocked his car and opened the door, but he did not get in to the vehicle. Instead, he turned around so that he was nestled between the open door and the car's steel frame.
Mulder loomed in close, heady with the full moon over head and the warm night air. Alex combined with the freshness of the brisk evening was a heady mix. He stepped in closer so that his body touched Alex's.
Chest to chest, excited groin to excited groin.
Feeling more control than he ever had before, and bursting with anticipation, Mulder kissed Alex softly on his lips.
Alex shut his lids slowly and received the chaste kiss.
Just before the kiss, Alex was feeling nervous, and even a little bit guilty about stepping out with a man who was already spoken for.
But all that evaporated when Mulder's strong arms circled his shoulders tightly, in a passionate hug. Alex opened his mouth slightly and offered his tongue to Mulder, who groaned and sucked it in greedily.
After several minutes they broke apart and Mulder nuzzled at the side of Alex's neck and unable to resist the smooth, sweet scented flesh he sucked in a tiny piece of skin, just below the collar line of his shirt and marked it as his.
Alex groaned in appreciation and leaned his head sideways opening up the access even more.
Mulder kissed up Alex's neck smiling to himself and filing away the younger man's 'sweet spot' for their next encounter. He straightened up and stepped back.
Heavy puffs of warm air hit Alex in the face, and in return, Alex's breath came out heavy and in sync with his suitor.
They stared into each other’s eyes, searchingly. Seeking out the mysteries hidden within the depths.
Eventually, Alex spoke. "You better get going."
"Alex...." Mulder said softly.
"Yesss." Purred Alex.
He straightened up and stepped back. The older agent smiled and stared dreamily at Alex. He couldn't believe that they didn't even know each other, yet Mulder felt like they had really connected as if they were meant for each other, destined to meet in a noisy cafeteria.
He desperately wanted Alex to be a part of his life. The problem was not in starting a new, fresh relationship but in severing the old, stale one.
Walter Skinner did not take rejection or being told 'no' lightly.
Mulder had been going to ask Alex to 'go steady' for lack of a better phrase, to be his boyfriend and to look the other way when it came to dealing with his other lover. But for the time, he kept all that to himself. Not wanting to shatter the incredible connection that was already forming between the two of them.
Finally he said gently, "I'll see you tomorrow night."
"Okay." Alex said huskily. He smiled then and climbed into the front seat of his car.
Mulder shut his door and waited until Alex was out of sight before going to his own vehicle.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"Where the hell have you been?" Accused Skinner angrily.
Mulder hung his coat up. "Working." He said blandly.
Refusing to wreck the perfect evening that he'd had with Alex, by thinking of him and Walter in the same thoughts. He tucked Alex and his handsome face and vivacious presence safely away.
"With who? And on what?!" Sneered Walter.
He was so furious that he just wanted to punch Fox in the face. But he knew that he couldn't risk another report of Fox's medical records. The last time that he'd let his jealousy control him the younger agent had wound up in the hospital with two broken ribs and a cracked jaw.
The dual black eyes ensured that Fox missed three weeks of work.
He took the time off under the guise of missed vacation days. Fox had threatened to leave him, if he ever hit him again... Of course there had been several 'minor' incidences since that time. Little pushes and shoves, forceful grabs here and there, but nothing like the last time.
"On the Logan River case!" Mulder slammed the closet door and sighed wearily.
They were having the same argument they always had; only on a different night. He didn't bother with answer the with whom he had been out with part of the question instead he started down the hall.
Infuriated that Fox was walking away from him, Walter grabbed Mulder from under the chin, on either side of his face with his hand and squeezed. Digging his fingers in painfully.
"With who? I asked. And don't say Scully because I know it wasn't her you were with!"
Mulder winced from the sharp pain, and scowling at Walter he said tightly, "I was discussing the Logan river file with a new profiler to the bureau. Alex Krycek. Jack Parsons asked me as a personal favour to give him a case to go solo on. The Logan file is stalled so I thought an another opinion would be helpful." Fox forcibly pried Walter's hand away from his jaw.
"I'm a federal agent first Walter and your boyfriend second. Your jealousy and controlling ways have got to stop!" He stormed down the hall toward the bedroom, on the way there, he wondered how Walter had known that Scully wasn't with him. Once in the bedroom, he started to take his clothes off.
Skinner stood in the bedroom's doorframe watching Mulder undress, his arms folded defensively across his chest. "You said that you were going to be working late. I don't like being lied to Fox."
Mulder dropped his shirt and tie on the floor, bored with his demanding lover. "I didn't lie to you. I was working on a case and it is late!" He said sarcastically, "How did you know that Scully couldn't make the briefing?" Mulder asked kicking off his pants.
Skinner, for the moment ignored Mulder's tone. "She phoned about half an hour ago to see how it went."
Mulder was careful to keep his features even. He should of known that Scully would phone. She could have waited until morning to talk to him. But he knew that for some reason she did not approve of Alex or at least, that was the feeling he got from her.
"She tried to get a hold of you, but your phone was turned off." Walter was trying to catch Fox 'up to something'. The way his lover was acting, all calm, made him even more suspicious.
Mulder finished stripping and turning, naked, he pulled on his robe. "Do you turn your cell phone on when you're in a meeting with one of your agents?" He asked.
Walter dropped his arms to his side he stared hard at his lover. "No. I don't." He admitted.
"I don't know Walter." Mulder said, rubbing at his neck. He started for the bathroom, needing to shower away this conversation.
"Don't know what?" Skinner said, grabbing Fox by the left biceps, stopping him form entering the bathroom.
"I'm tired Walter." Fox said. "Tired of being second guessed. I don't know if we belong together anymore."
Skinner couldn't believe what he was hearing. Seething, again, he said, "Don't' even think about leaving me Fox. Because I won't let you go!"
Mulder shook his head. "I'm going to shower." He said quietly and putting his hand on Walter's chest he pushed the larger man back and away from himself.
"Alone." He said firmly before slamming and locking the door behind him.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"Krycek." Alex said into his desk phone.
"Hi." Came the husky greeting.
Alex immediately smiled upon hearing Mulder's voice. His posture relaxed and he loosened up his tie as he talked. "Hi yourself." Fox’s kisses from the night before were still lingering on his lips, his passion mark safely hidden beneath the starched collar and sensible tie.
"How goes the battle?" Mulder asked. He closed his eyes and pictured Alex, the way he was the night before, grinning and happy, standing beneath a blanket of twinkling stars; framed by the Big Dipper. In the shower the night before, he'd had an explosive orgasm, using masturbatory visions of Alex on his knees before him, using that beautiful mouth to pleasure him with....
"I'm making progress. I think you'll be surprised with what I've got."
"Good, I love to be surprised." Mulder shook away the fantasy; the office was no place for a hard-on.
"I bet." Alex paused, then asked, "What can I do for you?"
After a sharp intake of breath, Mulder replied, "Pardon?"
The young agent chuckled, "I mean, how come you called?"
"I wanted to see how your profile was coming along." Mulder said evenly.
"It's almost done." Said Alex, his voice low.
"And I wanted to hear your voice." Admitted Mulder.
That instantly brought a smile to Alex's mouth. "Well, you'll be able to hear it tonight." He teased, then he thought for a second, "You are still coming?"
"Yep, eight o'clock, your place. I'll bring the wine."
Relieved Alex said, "Okay....well...I'll see you then." Suddenly he was transported in time back to high school, when you had to hang up the phone but didn't really want to.
Mulder too was reluctant to end the conversation. The night before and Walter were just a distant, bad memory. One he wanted to replace with Alex.
"Mulder." Scully said as she dropped into her chair.
"Gotta go, see you later." Mulder said hastily before breaking the connection.
Alex grinned and shook his head. He stared at the handset of his phone for a few seconds before hanging it up; he had heard Fox's partner Dana call out his name. Alex couldn't wait to see Fox again, he had tossed and turned all night, thinking about the hazel eyed agent.
"Who are you seeing later?" Scully asked before taking a sip of her warmed and sugared milk from the nearby coffee house.
Mulder stalled. "What?" He asked.
"You heard me. Who are you seeing later?" She said again.
Feeling contraire after the crappy night, Mulder said, "Why do you think it’s your business to know who I was talking to?"
Scully had noted the faint thumbprint sized bruised at the back of her partner's jaw. She knew that Skinner could be a volatile man and that the two men’s relationship was volcanic at best, but she couldn't help but think that Mulder brought trouble on himself. She loved Mulder dearly, but his white lies and schemes always seemed to backfire on him. Obviously Walter wasn't impressed to find out that Mulder had gone to dinner with another agent -- a handsome younger agent -- especially since she knew that Mulder had led Walter to believe that she was joining them.
She hated it when Mulder drew her into one of his convoluted plots, and phoning Skinner had been her way of telling her partner that she wouldn't be used that way; any more.
"No need to be a bitch about it, Mulder. It's not my fault...I was just wondering if that call was related to the job."
Mulder looked hard at Scully. "The call was personal." He said in a monotone.
"Judging by the way you're acting that was the young agent Krycek on the other end of the line."
"You're right." Mulder picked up Scully's phone, "You want to call Walter up? Tattle on me to him again? You seem to be really good at that these days."
"Listen..." She hissed, keeping her voice low. "You bring on your own goddamned problems...."
Mulder's phone rang pulling him away from an argument with his partner that he didn't want to have. "Mulder." Suddenly he sat up straight in his chair and pulled a pad of paper over and began to scribble.
Scully tried to read the paper upside down, but Fox's writing was too messy.
"Uh Huh...okay...got it." He levelled a serious look at his partner. "We're on our way...yup....No, I've got a new profiler working the case...okay...we'll bring him too."
"Krycek."
"It's me Alex."
"What's wrong?" Alex didn't know Mulder all that well yet, but the agent's tone had dramatically changed from just ten minutes ago.
"We got another body on the river."
"Shit." Breathed Alex.
"Yeah, no kidding. Meet me on the 2nd level of the parking lot in ten minutes. We'll take you with us to the scene."
"I'll be there." Alex said, and then hung up.
"I'm agent Mulder." Said Fox, flashing his badge at the cop who was keeping people off of the jogging paths. He passed under the crime scene ribbon and Krycek and Scully followed, showing their ID's too.
The cop smiled. "Agent Scully." He said, ignoring the two male agents.
"Officer." She replied pleasantly. The cop was tall and fair with huge brown eyes, a very striking combination. He was handsome, but in a masculine way, and the minute tug in Scully's loins confirmed what her eyes had told her.
Mulder looked between the two, cop and agent and he grinned. "Officer McManus?" Mulder said reading the cop's tag. "Have you been here the whole time?"
"Yes sir. I took the call, saw what we had and immediately set up a perimeter."
"Good work." The agent praised, glad that contamination of the crime scene would be kept to a minimum. "Agent Scully will take your statement in a little while."
McManus grinned, apparently pleased with the notion. "Yes, sir."
The two agents turned away and caught up to Krycek who had gone on ahead of them. Mulder pulled up and stood next to Krycek, in the middle between the two. The partners looked at Alex who was staring at the victim, his face was ashen and his eyes wide with dismay.
"Alex, if you want, you can wait in the.." Mulder started to say but Krycek interrupted him.
"NO. I'm fine." He said firmly, snapping on a pair of latex gloves.
"Agent Mulder?" Called a male voice from the fray of people who were shooting pictures and combing the ground for evidence.
"I'm Mulder. This is Krycek and Scully."
"Hainsworth, from city homicide. Charmed, I'm sure." The officer said with a fake half grin. He sipped at his coffee.
Scully gave Mulder a look, but instead of saying a word about being introduced last, she spoke to the seasoned detective, "What have you got?"
"Come on. I'll walk you through it. We're clear to approach." The group walked up the body and Hainsworth recited emotionlessly, "Girl, Janie Doe officially, but whom you're looking at is little Josie Dupree`, ten years old. The ME has to bring the parents in to officially ID her, but it's her. She went missing four days ago. Snatched from her front yard while her mother was making lunch inside. The mother and father are separated, but have a good relationship. Neither are suspects."
The three agents stared down at Josie, all of them trying to mask their incredible sadness at her death. The detective continued to speak as he watched the ME’s wrap the girl in a sheet of extra thick clear plastic.
"On scene pre-ex reveals no apparent cause for death, no trauma visible, the body snatchers..."
The detective gestured to the two men who were in the process of covering the girl with the hand that held his coffee cup.
"Fuck you, Hainsworth." One of the men said blandly.
"Like I said...the snatchers think that she's been dead about 12 hours. But she’s only been here on the riverbank, exposed to the elements, for about five hours. Probably since just before daybreak. An early morning jogger came across her." Hainsworth pointed to a man who was bent over at the waist and dry-heaving. "The guy who's losing his protein shake over there,....he's the one who found her." He drained his coffee. "She's just like the others. Fully clothed, I'm positive this is the 7th vic of the river bank killer."
Krycek took a deep breath, "I'd say you're right." He said as he squatted down and stared at her. Alex nodded his head and the ME covered up her peaceful face, hiding her from the cold morning sun. Even after the girl was on her way to the morgue, Alex continued to remain squatting. He stared unblinking at the flattened patch of clover that still held the outline of the little girl. His thoughts ran a hundred miles an hour, none of them meeting and none of them very comforting at the moment. He looked around at the serene surroundings and thought, "Who took you sweetheart? Who?"
Mulder watched for a minute as Alex silently contemplated the little girls dump spot then he turned to Hainsworth. "Send everything you got today, photo's, hair and fibre yada...yada...to me at the J.E.H. building A.S.A.P. You co-ordinate it...keep the chain clean."
"Gotcha." Hainsworth was relieved to be handing this case off to the feds. Better to let them deal with the nut job who killed little Josie.
"I'll go talk with the witness." Added Scully, casting a sympathetic glance at the chalky-faced runner who had found the body.
"Okay. I just want to talk to Alex then I'll join you." She nodded then stalked away.
Hainsworth barked out a few orders to his forensics team before he too, left Mulder's side.
Mulder pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialled the office. He made a request for an FBI forensics squad and rattled of the location. He hung up and pocketed the phone while he squatted down next to Alex.
"What's your take on this?" He asked.
"HUH?" Alex turned toward Mulder, not even realizing that there was someone crouching so close to him. He smiled. "Hey."
"You all right?"
"Yep. I was just thinking."
"About what?"
Alex's voice grew very soft and as he stared at the spot where Josie had lain, he spoke, "It's one thing to look at dead people - kids - in a photo...another to see in person."
"Unnerving, isn't it?" Mulder understood perfectly, what Alex was feeling.
"And how. We're going to catch this killer Fox...." Alex shook his head angrily as he raised his eyes to meet Mulder's. "...Before she hurts another child. We are!"
"I know we will." Mulder confirmed. "I guess dinner is out tonight?" He said, feeling like he should try to lighten Alex's heavy mood.
"Yeah...looks that way...now." Alex shrugged his shoulders.
"How about Chinese in the 'war room' later?" Mulder couldn't help but smile at Alex's determination, at wanting to catch the bad guy.
Alex nodded. "Chinese at the office, okay." He stood up and Mulder rose along with him. "What's with these?" He searched Fox's eyes and his latex covered fingers gently touched the quarter sized bruises where Skinner had grabbed Mulder the night before.
Mulder had been ready to blurt out the first lie that popped into his head, but then he had seconds thoughts. Why should he keep lying for Walter? He studied Alex's placid face for a second before answering. "They're from that complicated lover I told you about."
Alex frowned. "He's got no right. I'd never treat you that way..." His voice was quiet, but angry. He was going to say more, but Scully interrupted them.
"Mulder." She called walking over to the male agents.
The men snapped their heads sideways to look at the tiny redhead at the same time.
The moment between them passed and Alex was relieved. After all, who was he to tell Mulder anything? They'd only just met and one heated kiss in a parking lot didn't make them lovers. Though Mulder intended for things to come around to that. He had said as much. Nothing chased away a potential lover faster than telling them that they're living their life wrong.
"Our witness is no help at all. Saw nothing, heard even less. He was wearing a walkman." Scully scowled. The only good witnesses were the ones in the movies. "The runner saw 'her' laying next to the path, and thought she was sleeping. When he went to wake her up that was when he realized that she was dead. He called 911 from his cell. Yuppie friggin' jogger....carries a cell phone to exercise..." She shook her head in disbelief. "...Anyway, I'm going to talk to McManus then find out when the autopsy is, I'll sit in on it when they perform it."
"Okay. We're going to go over the scene ourselves." Mulder easily adjusted to having Alex as a partner. "Then we'll head back to the office and wait for the evidence to roll in."
"In the meantime, I'll put everything together and present it in one of the briefing rooms." Alex added.
"Mulder you can fill me in then if I miss anything. Let's meet up at..." Scully looked at her watch. "...4:30 that should be enough time to get all our ducks in a row."
"4:30 it is." Confirmed Mulder. He tugged at Alex's arm and the men started walking the perimeter.
Scully watched the men go and shook her head. Alex Krycek was bad news all the way around. With those killer good looks and apparently, sympathetic heart, how could Fox not be tempted; the man had no self-control sometimes. She turned away and went to find the handsome cop named McManus.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Three days had passed since the discovering of Josie Dupree`. And since then, Krycek, Mulder and Scully had conferred many times to compare notes and evidence. Finally they felt confident enough to put together a team of agents in an effort to arrest the suspect they had worked so hard to cull out of the files.
Mulder and Alex, never did get together for the private 'briefing' as intended. Both men were for the time being, feeding off of the sexual tension and in-between their hectic schedules they had managed to meet here and there for a few seconds of stolen kisses and a hasty grope.
Mulder thought that though the timing right now sucked, it wouldn't always be so and when he and Alex did finally managed to come together in a truly sexual way, the agent fully expected the earth to shake. But for the moment their private lives had to sit on the back burner. Catching a killer was far more important than his and Alex's sex life, or lack thereof.
Earlier in the day, they had set up everything they needed to in order to fill in the team of agents who would be assisting in the bust of the suspect. The pair was waiting for Scully, four regular duty agents and Darnel Washington from profiling to join them.
Once that was done, they could relax at little bit and catch a bite to eat.
So now, Alex and Mulder sat close together in briefing room #5 eating, once again take-out from Mulder's favourite D.C. Chinese restaurant.
"Pass the almond chicken please." Asked Alex, shovelling in a large mouthful of beef fried rice with his chopsticks. There were several quart-sized containers of food spread over the table. No plates were involved with the meal, Alex and Fox simply dipped their sticks into the container holding whatever it was they wanted to try next.
Scully walked into the room and while Mulder choked on his rice at seeing her so early - it was only 7:30 and the meeting had been called for 8:30 - Alex greeted her amicably, "Hey there....Sit down and pull up a pair of chopsticks." He invited, completely unaware that Scully did not like him.
She really wanted to say no to Krycek, but she was starving and glaring at Mulder briefly she plopped into a chair and attacked a container of shrimp chow mein. As she ate, Scully thought, //How cozy.//
Mulder was at the head of the large table and Alex was sitting to him immediate left. Both men seemed to be very 'comfortable' around each other. Considering they'd only just met a week ago.
"Hey Fox..." Alex rattled off a comment to her partner and Scully couldn't believe that Mulder was allowing Krycek to call him by his first name. Everyone called him Mulder. Even Skinner did most times and especially at work.
//This intimate dinner was probably Krycek's idea too, he's trying to cut me out of my partnership with Mulder...the rat bastard.//
Scully thought jealously to herself, biting viciously into a shrimp.
By 8:30 all the participants for the meeting were seated and ready to get started. Alex would be speaking first, he went to shut the door in order to begin but as he pushed it closed, the door shoved open.
In walked Skinner. He looked Alex up and down and said loudly, "The Director wanted me to sit in tonight." AD Walter Skinner he introduced him self to Alex.
"Sir." Alex gestured toward the table and Skinner took the seat at the head of it, where Alex had been going to sit, between Mulder and Scully. He glanced at Mulder and shrugged.
Mulder raised his brows at Alex, indicating that he should get started. Alex turned away and Mulder glared hard at the AD
Alex turned a large board around and using a black erasable felt pen he started to talk and write on the board.
"Seven children murdered. The seventh child, a girl, was discovered three days ago, on the bank of the Logan River by an early morning jogger." He pulled a corkboard on wheels out from behind the larger board he had been writing on. On the corkboard there were photos of the seven children tacked to it. Under each child, was their name and the date that they went missing and the date that they had be found. "Now I'll let agent Scully discuss the forensic evidence, for now, I'll give you the profile that we've been working with. I can say with certainty that we are looking for a female killer..."
"A woman!?" Scoffed the AD sceptically.
"Yes sir. A woman. She'll be older, early fourties for sure, living alone in the area around the river..."
"What? Dump the bodies in her own back yard?" Skinner piped in again.
Alex briefly wondered what the AD's problem with him was, but he forged on. "Yes. She'll live near the river. There's a new type of profiling to consider. It's called geographic profiling. It focus's in on not 'why' Johnny or in this case 'Jane' committed the crimes but the influence of the environment of 'where' Johnny committed the crimes and where the person responsible for 'said' crimes would live..."
"Sounds like bullshit to me..." Skinner dissented. "Look. Are you up to this task?" He asked. Skinner could see that he was embarrassing Krycek and he was pleased about that. He wanted to show the little bastard who really held his career in his hand. Skinner had come to this briefing because he wanted to get a look at the Profiling department's latest wunderkind. He had heard April, the cashier gossiping to another girls how "gorgeous" Krycek was and he just had to get a closer look at the newest competition. Skinner knew Mulder's eye liked to wander, but this time it was different, he'd always been able to quash any hopes Mulder may have had of breaking away from him. However, now, for some reason, he felt seriously challenged by the younger man. Skinner had to admit that the green-eyed agent was handsome, but he would not succeed in stealing Mulder away from him, he would see to it.
"Perhaps Agent Washington should take over the case." Skinner offered helpfully.
Levelling a look at his superior, Alex stated, "I assure you Sir that I am more than qualified to consult on this case." He didn't want to start a pissing match with the AD but he wasn't going to be humiliated and then back down from the man either. He knew that the way he handled himself in this room tonight would make a reputation for himself. Whether or not it was a good one or a bad one, that was up to Alex.
Agent Washington thought that it was a good time to cut in. "Sir." He said, breaking up the verbal sparring before it could turn ugly. Washington admired Krycek. Young or not, he was standing up for himself. Jack had been right about him but now it was time to back the profiler up. "Agent Krycek's profile is excellent, you will see that once he's allowed to recite it. I'm here only as a back up agent to Krycek, in case he needs an assistant. That's all. Jack and I stand behind Agent Krycek and his evaluation of the unsub."
Skinner smiled. "Very well." He conceded pleasantly. "You may continue." Skinner knew that his point had been made.
Mulder sat there seething, he was so angry at his lover that he could barely concentrate on what Alex was saying.
"Right. As I was saying...Our culprit is leaving the children in a busy area in the wide open. She's confident in her surroundings, she knows them well. And were some one to see her, she would not seem out of place along the riverbank and the running paths. Perhaps a generic lady, sitting on the bench feeding the blue jays. Now, the area behind the paths is quite busy, she seems to know where she is going so it is safe to assume that the woods are familiar to her. Most likely a native of the area; born and raised. She has left the children in the same two-kilometre stretch of bank in the open because she wanted them to be discovered. She is sympathetic toward the kids she had killed. The unsub, whom Mulder will name later, kidnaps a child - the same colouring and age as all the others - and keeps them in good condition then, for some reason kills them by over dosing them on sleeping pills. A painless way for the children to die. I think that the gap between deaths means that for some reason or another she was prevented from seeking out a kid most likely an extended stay in some sort of facility. So, who we're looking for is a white female in her early fourties who lives on her own near the Logan River. She most likely is mentally ill and had her children taken away from her, which is why she snatches both boys and girls. They are probably around the same ages as her own kids. The children she steals remind her of the ones she's lost, she takes a kid and when she realizes they are not hers, Unsub kills them and leaves them where they will be found and returned back to the family...the grieving family.
I also think our unsub feels sorry for what she's done and is trying to atone for the killings by giving the children back. She in all likelihood has not seen her own kids in a very long time. Unsub could possibly be a dual personality though that is stretching it...or a schizophrenic at the very least.
"Why do you think the unsub is a woman." A young female agent asked. "Statistically speaking, most serial killers are male."
"Good question. Because of the lack of violence, the murdered children were nurtured, which points to a woman."
After about another twenty minutes of questions and answers Alex handed the floor over to Scully. He took the empty seat next to Skinner; the one she had vacated.
As the younger agent approached the table, both Mulder and Skinner focused in on him. One was frowning slightly and the other smiling. Alex flicked his eyes briefly over Skinner then turned them on Mulder. He smiled and rolled his eyes at the older agent. Relieved that his part was over with. Mulder understood the look and in return, gave him another small smile; one of silent promise.
Scully related the evidence from the previous killings to the evidence that was found on scene and the autopsy results of the latest murder.
"On all previous six killings there was no DNA, none. But this time forensics managed to pull a single hair off of Josie's angora sweater and preliminary analysis confirms Agent Krycek's prediction that the killer is a woman. The coloured hair is from a woman in her fourties with O positive blood type. The autopsy was typical of the others, all children were well fed, no trauma, sexual or otherwise. Minimal bruising. Prelim tox screen showed that the kids had a crude derivative of chloroform, which is most likely how the unsub managed to snatch the kids in the first place. A lethal mix of Valium and sleeping pills was the cause of death in all seven cases. Both pills, easily obtainable if our perp is somehow diminished in capacity......"
Scully spoke on for another half an hour then she let Mulder take over the briefing.
He talked about the suspect, whom up until then, had been referred to as 'unsub'. He pinned up an 8 x 10 black and white photo of the suspect next to a row of dead children. The woman in the photo was incredibly plain, not ugly, that would be noticeable to, but simply put, plain as unsalted butter. Margaret Miller. Fourty three, divorced with two children, twins, a boy and a girl with a history of mental illness. Her husband took the kids and left her seven years ago after he caught her trying to 'wash' the devil out of their pet Manx by throwing the poor animal in the washing machine. Luckily, he retrieved the cat before any harm came to it. But by then, that was just the last straw in a string of bizarre events. Dale Miller couldn't trust her not to hurt the kids so he left, won sole custody on grounds of her being mentally ill and disappeared. We did talk to him, but it was mostly for background on Miller. He hasn't seen or heard from his ex-wife in seven years, which is fine by him." Mulder sipped orange juice from his coffee mug then he pulled out a detailed map of the area that they were focusing on. Using a long stick he pointed out seven different spots on the map, "Here are the dump sites all apart from the next but still with the same two kilometre perimeter. This is where Margaret Miller lives." He slapped the coloured dot with the tip of his pointer; the distance between all the locations was minimal.
Mulder rattled off the address of Miller and a few more details about the small but heavily wooded parcel of land that she lived on. He gave details of possible ways to the farmhouse and all the entrances into the actual dwelling. He pointed out where he wanted the back up agents to be posted in order to cover the exit roads and the woods. Scully, Krycek, Washington and himself were going to be the ones to enter the house and make the arrest.
"This arrest should be simple, I don't expect any trouble; Agent Krycek thinks that Miller will most likely be afraid of authority figures, therefore she'll come along quietly. You other agents are there 'just in case'."
Alex and Darnel were going to cover the back entrance; Scully and Mulder were going to go in through the front door.
"We're waiting for the warrants to come through, any minute now, then we'll be on our way." Mulder wrapped up.
The same female agent spoke up. "How come Miller was over looked as a suspect before?"
Mulder thought that the young agent, Lisa States was her name, would definitely be going places within the bureau. "Because four years ago, we were looking for a male perp." Was all he said.
There was a knock on the door and a secretary entered the room. "Your warrants Agent." She said, handing the papers over.
Mulder took them and the woman left. "All right Agents you know the drill." the familiar rush of adrenaline starting to surge through his body.
"Okay, let's go." Called out Scully authoritatively. "We'll meet up at the designated spot in half an hour."
Every agent left including Alex. He and Washington walked out together. Skinner stood to leave but Mulder stopped him. "Scully, I'll meet you at the car." He said, his voice tight.
She looked between the two men then replied, "Don't be long."
"I won't." Once Scully was gone Mulder shot an angry, "What the fuck is your problem!?" at his lover.
"I don't know what you mean?"
"Coming here tonight. That's what I mean. What? Are you that insecure now that I can't even run a bust briefing without you present to check up on me? I'm getting tired of this shit Walter..."
"The Director asked me to sit in..."
"Bullshit!" Raged Mulder. "You're fucking jealous of Krycek just because we had dinner once, while we were working, a week ago!"
"Don't you use that tone of voice with me, Fox." Warned Skinner. "You ate with him tonight."
"Who told you? Scully?" Mulder snorted in disgust. What was happening to his partner? Why was she fanning the flames by tattling on him? "What? She phoned you from the lady's room after we ate?"
"No. I phoned her." Admitted Walter.
"Did she leave out the part about her being here for supper too?" The look on Skinner's face told Mulder the answer to his question. "I thought so."
"All she said was that she walked in and you two looked pretty cozy over Chinese take-out"
"Oh. I see. Were supposed to sit five chairs away and shout at each other because you or Scully might get the wrong idea!"
"Listen, Fox. There's no need to be pissed at Scully." Skinner had let Mulder vent long enough, now it was time for him to give his lover a piece of his mind. "That arrogant little prick is putting the moves on you. I know it, and I sure as hell don't like it. He'd better watch his step or else he might find himself in real trouble..."
"Don't you dare threaten him! He's done nothing wrong. Whatever it is that you and Scully think, it's all in your heads." Lied Mulder indignantly. "I've got to go, Walter." Mulder's voice was calm now, but still laden with ire, "Don't wait up for me." With that he marched out of the room, slamming the door behind himself.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"You're awfully quiet." Commented Scully. She was driving the Bu-car to the staging point.
"I'm afraid anything I say will be held against me in the court of Walter." Replied Mulder icily.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Retorted Scully, just as frosty in her tone as her partner had been.
"I'm talking about you and Walter ganging up on Alex and our alleged relationship."
"He's nothing but trouble Mulder. I can feel it."
"You don't know the first thing about Alex Krycek."
"And you do?" Scully took a deep breath to calm herself. "Look, even if you two aren't having a physical affair..."
"We're not!"
She ignore Mulder's outburst, "Well, you’re certainly having a cerebral romance." She looked at her partner hard, while waiting at a red light. "He's going to bring you a whole heap of trouble. Save yourself the pain Mulder and end it now." The light turned and she swung her eyes back to the road.
"Thank-you for your concern Scully. But I hardly think you’re in a position to give advice considering the last serious relationship you were in was with a twice-divorced instructor at the academy."
"Touché`." Breathed Scully softly. The rest of the drive to their destination was done in an awkward silence and 25 minutes never passed more slowly.
"Go." Washington whispered to Alex.
Mulder had given them their signal to enter through the back door. Krycek stepped through the darkened threshold first, and Washington followed him in. The farmhouse was very large and completely dark. A shiver ran up Alex's spine as he passed through the mudroom. The house had an eerie stillness about it as if the building silence was in remembrance of seven dead children. He stepped into the kitchen and swept his small palm-sized flashlight all around. First, he checked the pantry and then the broom closet and even the large cupboards below the sink.
"Kitchen clear." He whispered into the small microphone hanging loosely below his bottom lip. All the agents inside and out were connected to each other via the tiny mike and minute earpieces that fit inside the ear snugly.
"Living room clear." Scully said.
"Bathroom and master bedroom clear." Mulder confirmed. "Krycek, Washington take the basement. Scully finish this floor and I'll go upstairs."
"Copy." Alex confirmed. Just as he was about to step into the hall to go to the door that led to the basement, he heard a gun cock. He pivoted slowly and the second he saw Margaret Miller holding a magnum to the much taller Washington's right side, he shouted, "Drop it!" while aiming his automatic at her simultaneously.
"No. I can't go back again." Miller's voice was soft.
"Be cool Alex. Mrs. Miller...Margaret." Washington tried to appeal to the woman. "Let's all just relax."
"I said drop it!" ordered Alex again. His focused had narrowed so tightly that all he could see was Miller's finger on the trigger and the barrel jammed into the agents’ ribs.
"Where did you come from?" Washington asked, trying to defuse her.
"I was hiding in the bushes. I followed you...." She pushed the gun, "...in."
"Mrs. Miller drop the weapon or I'll shoot you. You are holding a federal agent hostage. The only way out of this is to put down the gun." Alex did not raise his eyes off of the magnum.
During the time of the exchange of words between the two agents and Miller, Mulder and Scully met up in the living room and then crept toward the kitchen.
The duo went to step through the doorframe into the kitchen but then Miller saw and screeched, "GET OUT! GET OUT OR I'LL KILL HIM!"
"Calm down Margaret...were leaving..." Scully and Mulder backed away, out of Miller's sight line. Scully whispered into her mike, "We'll go around back, come up behind her." Mulder warned the other agents guarding the perimeter to stay put.
Krycek and Washington both heard the conversation going on in their ears, but neither one acknowledged the chatter.
"Kill me. Please." Miller implored of Alex. Her tears fell freely and her nose ran profusely, but Alex saw none of that, he couldn't take his eyes off of her hand. I murdered those children. I thought they were mine but when the fog went away I saw that they were strangers."
"We understand. We can help you." Washington, surprisingly was speaking very calmly.
But Miller ignored him and kept on talking; competing with the voices in her head to be heard. "I had no choice. I need to see them again..."
"See who again?" Tried Washington, hoping to form a connection via her children.
"Drop the gun, Miller or I *will* shoot you." Alex warned again. Sweat formed on his forehead and began to trickle down his temples.
"I know you will... that's why I won't drop the gun. I can't go on living..." Margaret Miller wailed. "But I'm not brave enough to kill myself." She gave an ironic laugh at that. "I can kill other people's kids but not my self. God says it’s a sin...."
Washington felt the barrel of the gun move against his ribs and he mistakenly thought that she was about to drop the gun, "Krycek, I think she's going to put the gun dow...."
Alex saw her finger start to squeeze and he fired. In the split microsecond before his bullet struck her in the chest, Margaret Miller managed to pull the trigger, thus sealing not only her fate, but Darnel Washington's too.
Alex holstered his gun as he ran to the fallen agent. He screamed into his mike frantically for an ambulance. "Agent down...repeat...agent down...get the ambo now!"
He kicked Millers firearm away but he knew that she was already dead. He ignored her for now and put his hands over the large hole in Agent Washington's side. The wound bled profusely and in a matter of seconds Alex's clothes were soaked in his co-workers life fluid. Seconds after crying out for the ambulance Mulder and Scully came storming through the back entrance gun's drawn.
The pair froze.
Looking back, over his shoulder Alex implored, "Help him. Please help him." His eyes wide with distress.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Alex stood on his balcony in the cold night air sipping whiskey. All he was wearing was a white cotton T-shirt stained with dried blood and a simple pair of flannel boxer shorts that had Marvin the Martian on them. A forensic technician had taken his expensive work shirt to the lab along with his tie. He had been outside for the last 45 minutes, sipping the Glenfiddish and wondering where he had gone wrong.
When he had first arrived home he had stripped off everything except the stained T-shirt. He stopped himself from tearing it off and instead he stared at it and at himself in the freestanding mirror in the corner of his bedroom.
The blood splatter stood out on the snow white-cotton stark and crimson; it's shape a warped Rorschach inkblot.
Alex couldn't believe how a day which started out so good, Mulder had cornered him in the parking lot of the cafe where they'd eaten a clandestine breakfast and kissed him deeper and longer than all the times before, then, it had turned unmistakably bad.
He still had trouble fathoming that tonight; he had fired on a suspect and killed her. Darnel Washington had died during the surgery and now because of him, a husband and father of three was gone. And because of him a woman crazy with grief and hearing voices in her head was dead too. He had made a wrong assumption when he said that Miller would most likely be unarmed and come peacefully. The first rule of profiling was that with killers, you never could be 100% positive of anything. He had broken that rule and a man had paid the price for his folly with his life. Alex felt like shit.
And now there was a question of whether or not the shooting was justified. In the morning he was to turn in his version of the events. Along with the rest of the agents at the bust.
It was cold out, even colder with bare feet, arms and legs. But Alex didn't care. Darnel Washington was cold, and unlike him, he'd never get warm again. The whiskey filled the hole in his belly but could not take away the ache. As the stood there in the dark watching the headlights of the passing cars go by, Alex contemplated his ability to do the job.
A loud knock at the door pulled him out of his misery, for a second he considered ignoring it but it might be related to work so he went inside. Still holding the tumbler, he peered through the peephole. And with a tiny sigh of relief Alex pulled back the security chain and opened the door.
"Hi." Mulder said softly. "Can I come in?"
Alex stepped back and held the door open for his late night visitor.
As Mulder passed through the threshold, Alex sighed wearily to his company, "It's two am. What are you still doing up?"
" You're still awake." Mulder removed his London Fog coat and hung it up on the nearby rack.
"Because I can't get Darnel Washington out of my head. What's your excuse?" Alex slid home the security chain.
"I wanted to see you. I need to know that you're alright."
Alex gazed into Mulder's eyes. Unlike his, they were clear, free of that tell tale alcohol glaze.
"You want something to drink?" He asked finally, turning away from Mulder's intense gaze, toward the bar. Once there, he added a few more fingers to his own glass.
"I'll have what ever it is that you're drinking." Mulder crossed the living room. He pulled aside the gauzy sheer curtain that was blowing in the wind and shut the door. Then he strolled over to a wall of pictures and studied them. One of the photos was of a pair of twin girls. Both looked to be around 12 years old in the photo. They were beautiful, wavy haired blonds with green eyes.
Mulder thought they were either Alex's sisters, or nieces. "It's freezing in here." His tone was conversational.
Alex spoke from behind the bar and Mulder turned away from the girls.
"I know." Alex said. He added a few cubes of ice to Mulder's tumbler, then held it out for him.
Mulder accepted the glass. "How are you doing?" He was concerned for Alex, moreover, his state of mind.
"Fine. Considering I'm responsible for the death of two people."
Alex touched a lampshade and it shut off, plunging the apartment into darkness. He drew open the sheers covering his balcony doors. And there he stood, bathed in an eerie blue light, staring up at what stars he could see.
With his back was facing his guest's, Alex sipped at his whiskey; the calmness of his movements belying the anguish he felt over the deaths.
"Alex. It's not your fault." Mulder approached the younger agent. He stood just behind him and turned his gaze skyward too.
"No? If not mine, than who's?" Alex's eyes tracked an orbiting satellite.
"Mine." Whispered Mulder. "I was in charge of the operation. I shouldn't have gone in without more agents."
"No Fox. Don't blame yourself." Alex turned sideways and Mulder stepped up to meet his eyes. "You acted on my advice. 'Too many people would upset her; less is better. She'll come quietly' ..." Alex mimicked his own words.
"You couldn't have known." "It's my job to know Fox..." Alex said bitterly before turning away. He went back to studying the celestial entities.
"Crazy people can't always be predicted. And you won't always be right, Alex. You're only human and as much as we hate to admit it, that makes us fallible."
"I doubt Washington's wife will see things your way, Fox." Alex's tone had an edge of bitterness to it.
Mulder reached around Alex's waist and plucked the empty tumbler from his hand. He put both glasses down on a nearby end table. And standing close, so that he was right behind Alex, chest to back, Mulder wrapped comforting arms around the agent's shoulders.
"You took a child murderer down Alex." He whispered. "Saved more young lives from being lost. Agent Washington came on the bust willingly, knowing all of the risks. Dying on the job is a possibility; we all know it. He approved your profile and backed up that Margaret Miller would come quietly. You're not to blame."
"Then how come I feel like I am?" Alex raised his hands and locked his fingers over Mulder's forearm.
"Because you have a conscience." Mulder nuzzled Alex just behind the ear, where sensitive flesh met hair. "Your heart is big,...you feel things...." His eyes were closed as he planted soft, closed mouth kisses down Alex's neck. Gently, he bumped his erection over Alex's flannel covered ass.
The younger agent 'hmmphed.' Unconvinced.
"Well, big heart or not, I feel pretty shitty right now." He tilted his head to one side and Mulder nuzzled at his earlobe.
"I know you do. And you'll feel that way for a long time." He tongued the opening of Alex's ear softly. "But I'd like a chance to make you feel better, if only to forget until morning."
Turning around in Mulder's strong arms, Alex said, "I don't want this to be just a mercy fuck Fox. I want it to mean so much more to you,... and to me." He closed his eyes, savouring the sensations of Mulder's movements.
Fox kept on nibbling Alex's neck while speaking haltingly between breathy kisses. "Oh Alex, this has nothing to do with mercy. I want you...you want me. It's as simple as that. I'm crazy about you. Can't you see that?"
"Yesssss." Murmured Alex. However, by that point he would have said yes to just about anything Fox Mulder had said.
Usually, it was Skinner who had taken control in all of his and Mulder's love making sessions. And with the exception of Mulder's tongue inside his mouth, never once did the AD. allow any part of Mulder into one of his orifices. Now, thought Mulder, it was time for him to take some control over his life and the way he really wanted to make love. He held both of Alex's hands in his own. "Which way to the bedroom?" He asked.
"Follow me." Alex, still holding onto Mulder's warm hand, led him to his bedroom.
Alex touched the lamp at his bedside and the agents were engulfed in dark blue lighting.
Mulder smiled, impressed with Alex's creativity. The younger man's bedroom was painted in midnight blue walls with celestial moon and sun border near the ceiling. His sheets and quilt were the same, plain dark blue as the walls and the down comforter had two fat white stripes intersecting, like a ribbon around a gift. The furniture was simple and made out of blond wood and the large room itself, was sparse in its decoration but yet it still felt comfortable.
The room where one sleeps said so much about a person. And clearly Alex's bedroom decor was of his own taste; simple yet elegant.
The same could not be said about Mulder's bedroom or his entire apartment for that matter. Nothing in his and Walter's place stated, 'Fox Mulder lives here too.' The whole high-rise suite was decorated how Walter wanted it, using colours and objects that he liked.
Mulder had no say in where they would live let alone what it would be painted like on the walls inside. Walter made the decisions, and for almost two years, Fox had abided by them. He'd never had the energy to leave before, but now, meeting Alex, seeing where he lived, the furniture and colour scheme that he liked made Fox yearn for something more.
Freedom.
He didn't want to be smothered by another anymore, which was exactly what Walter was doing to him.
"I like your taste." Fox commented, meaning it.
Alex looked around and shrugged. "Blue walls aren't very original, but I don't like things to complicated. I'm a simple kind of guy." He stepped forward and pulled Mulder to his chest, smiling, his mind was finally diverted from the events of the earlier evening. "Look up." He said.
To which Mulder did. The older agent laughed when he saw a replica of the earth's solar system on Alex's ceiling, done in glow in the dark stickers.
All Mulder had time to say before Alex covered his mouth with his was, "What is it with you and the stars?"
Alex pulled back and replied huskily. "I'll tell you about it sometime. I can't just yet..."
Mulder nodded, understanding the difference between secrets and personal demons.
They started to kiss again and as they did so, Alex undid the buttons on Mulder's shirt. He slid his cold hands slowly over Fox's shoulders. Touching the slightly older man's body with his eyes as well as his fingers.
Mulder reached down and pulled off Alex's blood stained shirt and tossed it aside. Then he commenced with his own explorations of his lover's chest and shoulders. Mulder smiled and watched, looking down as the younger agent sensually, lowered his fly.
Alex's Marvin shorts slid down at the same time as Mulder's pants went down; each man undressing the other.
After their pants, shirts and underwear were gone, all that was left was Fox's socks and those he quickly lost.
Once naked, Mulder pulled Alex to him and the two hugged in a rhapsodic embrace. He pulled back and whispered, "You are so gorgeous."
"No, I'm not." Blushed Alex.
Mulder leaned in with closed eyes and gently kissed Alex on his mouth. "Yes, you are. Come on, let's get comfortable." Mulder escorted his younger lover to the large bed, not at all uncomfortable with taking the more dominant role in an unfamiliar bedroom.
The duo slipped under the thick comforter, Alex crawling in first. Mulder touched the lamp and the blue bulb ceased to give off its mysterious glow. He wrapped an arm around Alex's shoulders and shifted so that they were lying on their sides, face to face.
Moonlight shimmered through the large skylight in the ceiling of Alex's top floor apartment, illuminating the men enough so that they could see each other. "I haven't been with someone for over two years, Fox." Alex, swathed by the haunting indigo moonlight, ran his fingers lightly over the back of Mulder right arm.
"What?" Mulder was astounded. How could some one as striking as the young agent not have even been laid in that long? "Haven't you dated?"
Alex gave Mulder a small smile. "Oh, I've dated, but with you being the exception to the rule, I don't even kiss on the first date. Which is why I haven't had a lot of second dates. Besides the work pretty well takes up all of my time. I don't have the energy to meet another. I haven't been in a serious relationship since my boyfriend broke up with me."
Mulder detected a hint of heartache in his lover's voice.
"Why did you split? It couldn't have been anything you did." Mulder would never have guessed that it was Alex who had been dumped.
"He said I got to serious too fast. Basically I loved him... and he loved having sex with me. He wasn't interested in 'settling down' together. That was the last time I got close to another person...or let some one get near me...except..."
"Except for me." Finished Mulder. He kissed the tip of Alex's small, slightly upturned nose.
"Except for you." Repeated Alex. He closed his eyes as Mulder continued to kiss him all over his face, using tiny, simple pecks.
Alex, having been alone for a long time, soaked up all of the attention that Mulder was paying to him.
"That guy didn't deserve you. His loss is my gain, Alex. If your only fault is that you love too fiercely, then that makes you perfect in my..."
He didn't finish his sentence because Alex had licked the agent's lips, enticing him into another deep French kiss.
Mulder pulled away and encouraged Alex to roll to his other side. He kissed at the back of Alex's neck as he gently worked one pre-cum slicked finger into his small opening.
Alex hissed when Mulder's finger sank in all the way to the third knuckle.
"Uhm...oh...Fox...that ...it's not been...."
'Shhh. I know." Comforted Mulder. "It's the same for me. I haven't been on this side of lovemaking for years either. I imagine we'll know what to do." He bit the top of Alex's shoulder playfully, trying to relax him.
"Mmmm." Alex murmured, easing off on tensing up his muscles.
As Mulder continued to kiss the back and neck of his lover he gently worked in a second finger. Then, with soft, devotional whisperings, he slowly started to finger fuck Alex. As he did this, Mulder thought that next time, he'd have to bring a few things for the nightstand drawer. Lube was at the top of that mental list.
Alex let out a contented sigh and Mulder thought that his young lover was finally relaxed enough to go even further. So he extricated his fingers and quickly replaced them with the head of his weeping cock. Taking the time first, to smear the drops of his moisture over Alex's opening.
"Oh Fox...." Alex moaned. The tip of Mulder's cock had felt huge and his thick shaft felt equally as large when the older man started pushing into him. Alex felt like he was being torn open. But for as much as he wanted Mulder to stop, he also wanted him to push in farther, and take him harder. Alex didn't know what he wanted.
"It's okay, Alex...I'll be gentle. I promise." Mulder could sense Alex's indecision.
Alex made no reply; he couldn't form words. All he knew was that now, he needed to feel more of his lover. So he simply answered by pushing back and downward, piercing himself further.
Mulder relaxed his head back down onto the pillow and finished the last little bit of his entrance. Once there, he took a few seconds to enjoy Alex. The younger man's ass was so very tight, so very warm. He hadn't fucked a man in ages. Mulder didn't know why he hadn't done this sooner.
//Because Skinner refused to...that's why!//
Mulder erased Skinner from his thoughts and turned them back to Alex. Alex, whose body was so inviting.
Sweet, beautiful, tight, welcoming Alex Krycek.
He reached over and tweaked one Alex's nipples, then he dragged the backs of his fingers down his well-defined abdomen. His hand reached down just a little bit further and found Alex's large cock.
Mulder was pleased to feel that the younger man was sporting a generous hard-on. He knew it was because he was slowly rocking the tip of his cock over Alex's sensitive spot hidden deep with-in his constricted depths. Mulder moved in and out of Alex gently, taking up a leisurely rhythm. He wiped away the moisture from his lover's slit like opening and carefully spread it up his hard shaft with his hand.
"Please, Fox." Husked Alex, his eyes were closed. "Make love to me now."
Mulder thrust his hips harder and fucked Alex at a dramatically increased rate. Needing no further invitation, and with his cock and palm together, he drew his lover away from uncertainty to ecstasy.
Both men, within about two minutes, were ready to surrender to each other.
Alex came first and he did so with a cry of pleasure on his lips. His cum jetted out and over Mulder's hand, and as his ass muscles spasmed in response to the erotic stimuli, he milked an orgasm right out of Mulder.
And Mulder in reply, cried out Alex's name and pushed as deep he could possibly get inside of his lover and released his hot seed.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
The clock read 3:15. Both Alex and Mulder had to be up and at the office at a decent time if they wanted to complete their reports in order to hand them in on time.
Both accounts were due by noon that day.
After all of the reports were in, then Alex would have to sit through a full review of the matter. His superiors at the bureau were not taking this incident lightly. Neither was Alex for that matter. In about four or five days, Alex would know of his fate in the shooting. Suspension, official reprimand, or even manslaughter charges, no one would know for sure. ^*
Cuddled up together, luxuriating in the relaxing after glow, Mulder said to Alex. "I think you need to know who my live-in lover is."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"Yes I do. It's A.D. skinner." When Alex said nothing, Mulder asked. "You're not surprised?"
"No not really. I guessed as much from the way he treated me at the briefing."
"I'm sorry about that...."
Alex smiled up at the stickers over his head. "Don't be. Goes with the territory. Besides he helped me to make up my mind."
"Oh." Mulder was curious. "How so?"
"Well, I was on the fence as to whether or not we should stop seeing each other. I felt guilty about stepping out with someone who was already taken." Admitted Alex. "But his bad attitude made me think ... fuck-it. Let Fox choose."
"Mmmm." Mulder kissed Alex on his chest. "I'm glad you decided not to leave me." He hugged the lithe man tightly. "I don't know when, but I promise I'll somehow untangle myself from him. He's a difficult man. I don't even know how I got so wound up with him in the first place. You're who I want Alex...only you." Mulder kissed Alex's chest again. "I just need some time to figure everything out."
"I'll wait for you, Fox, for as long as it takes. I promise, I'll be here when you do leave him." He hugged Mulder tightly. "Do you have to go home now?" Alex hoped not. The lovemaking had been spectacular and he hadn't felt this appreciated in ages.
Alex really just wanted to spend the rest of the night with Mulder.
"Nope. I don't have to leave yet. But I should try to be up and out by eight so I can get home to put on a clean suit. I should be into the office by nine if I want to get that report done."
"I'm worried, Fox." Alex said. "I've never been called into the 'principals' office before. What do you think will happen?"
"Well, I have been to Director Anderson's office. It's no big deal." Mulder patted Alex's forearm in reassurance. "Don't worry doll face. You did the right thing; that was a clean shoot. I would have done the same thing...and I'll say that in my report too."
"Really?" Alex was relieved he had been drowning in self-doubt over his part in the tragedy, but if Mulder felt he was in the right then maybe the Director and the panel would see it that way too.
"Yes, really." Mulder kissed Alex softly on the lips. "Now let's get some sleep." He shut his eyes.
"Mulder?"
"Yes."
"Thanks for coming tonight. I really needed that...needed you."
"I wanted to be here with you too, Alex."
"I'm...." was all Alex managed to say before a gaping yawn swallowed his words. His eyes fluttered closed and he was instantly asleep.
"Goodnight." Whispered Mulder and followed Alex's yawn with one of his own. He set his mental alarm clock for seven am and joined his lover in slumber.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"Hi Agent Krycek. How are you?" April, the cashier bubbled to the object of her desires. She had seen Alex come into the cafeteria with an armload of file folders and never took her eyes off of him as he purchased a coffee and a green apple as a snack. April thought that it was too bad for her that she was working the floor, bussing tables that week; therefore, she didn't have a chance to talk to him when he paid for his stuff, like she normally would.
The help was not supposed to approach the agents at the tables, especially when they were working.
But when the table of agents sitting next to Alex had cleared out, April had found her excuse to approach Alex.
Alex snapped the file shut and looked up. He stared at the girl for a second; he didn't immediately recognize her. "I'm fine... April?" He asked, unsure. The pretty young woman smiled, her love's voice chimed in her ears, as smooth and melodic as a cherub's harp. Shyly, she touched at the ends of her hair. "Yeah. It's me." He smiled at the young woman, even though he was in no mood for company; fighting the urge to brush her off. But his father had taught him to be kind to everyone if at all possible. She couldn't know that his career was sitting on the brink of destruction and his personal life was falling apart.
Alex let none of his real feelings show however. He buried them as deep as they could go and went on with his normal, everyday working life.
"I didn't recognize you there for a second."
April's heart skipped a few beats. He'd noticed her.
"Yeah. I got tired of being a natural blond. I really needed a change." She fingered her hair again.
After seeing Mulder and Alex talking so closely together that day weeks ago in the cafeteria, April had gone out the very next day and had her long mane cut into a very short, pixie type hairdo and then dyed it deep brown. Though the cut and colour did suit her, the only reason she had done it was because her beautiful Alex seemed to respond eagerly to that dour Agent Mulder, and his hair was short and brown.
Agent Krycek, though always pleasant toward her, never really paid her any mind. So she had gone out and done something radical.
She hadn't seen Alex between the day she had done her hair and now, but he'd acknowledged her when she said hi. And he was smiling at her this time. Right then, April knew that it was because of the new style.
April was relieved. She had made the right decision in changing her look so dramatically.
"Well, it suits you." Alex said, not associating her new haircut with Mulder at all. "Ummm...April, I'm sorry, I don't want to be rude but I should really get going. I have a meeting."
"Oh...sure..." She flushed bright red and tucked a short bit of stray hair behind her ear. 'I'll see you around then."
"Okay. Bye." Alex gathered up his files and left, without looking back. He had no patience today for idle chat. The disciplinary review board still had not made a finding in the shooting deaths of Agent Washington and murder suspect Margaret Miller. All of the reports had been handed in days ago.
April watched as Alex left. He'd talked to her; that was good. But she couldn't hold his interest. That was going to have to change.
// Agent Krycek is just shy. He needs a little romancing, that's all. Someone to pursue him, other that sour puss Fox Mulder. Well, I'll show Alex who really loves him.//
Her mind was made up.
First, she needed to find out where he lived. That would take some doing of course, but it wouldn't be impossible. Following him around was the easiest way to go about it. She planned on doing just that on her next day off. Also, she needed to get to know him better and the best way to do that was to get into his office.
It would be easier to accomplish getting inside of his office than into his residence. Which was no doubt, far more secure.
She knew that the janitorial department was accepting applications. April figured that she could try to get on staff with them; they paid less than the cafeteria, but Alex was worth it to her. And once there, she would find a way to get into Agent Krycek's office. She would be free to go through his desk, his private things. From there, April would try to find some other way to get her beloved to pay attention to her.
Her latest scheme could take weeks, even months. But that was okay, she was young and in love; she had all the time in the world.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
The elevator door opened and Alex stepped out. He had returned to the office. He thought that maybe if he quit answering his phone some of his paper work would get done.
Waiting for word from the review board had left Alex a mess.
But added to that mix was the fact that Alex had not heard from Mulder in two days. After their first night together Mulder had come back the next night and the following 3 after that. The lovemaking had been cosmic and Alex swore he felt the earth move below his back after their last, marathon session. He had felt so calm, ready to face anything especially with Mulder there beside him.
But then suddenly, there was nothing.
He had left a message on Fox's cell phone, but only one. Alex was anxious to see Mulder again, but didn't want it to appear so. The younger man knew that he was growing too close too soon, to a man who at this point in time was emotionally unavailable.
Alex berated himself all the way to his desk. After all, what did he expect? Mulder had a lover and he knew it. Naturally that lover would have to come first.
He was Mulder's dirty little secret.
And Alex had agreed to all of it. Willingly and with full knowledge, but, knowing just where he stood in Mulder's life did not make it less painful. Coming last to everyone and everything else in Fox's life hurt Alex deeply. Yet, he could not find the strength or the will to stay away from the handsome older agent.
Alex knew that he would accept whatever Mulder had left over to offer him.
He sat at his desk and flipped open the file he had been studying over his lunch before April had interrupted him.
Before long, the small font on the page began to blur as he tried to read it. He shut his tired eyes and roughly rubbed at them. Then he opened his drawer and pulled out a Walkman, thinking if he shut out the office then maybe the cold case he was working on would start making sense again. Though he was a mess on the inside, on the outside, one would never guess it. Alex was doing his job and answering his phone, interacting with others just like normal.
He pressed play and his homemade tape began midway through a song. Hole's 'Violet'.
Courtney Love railed at him:
You should learn when to go...
You should learn how to say no...
//Maybe Fox will phone tonight.//
They get... what they want...and they never want it again...
//Then again maybe I won't hear from him, maybe not ever again.//
Go on take everything - take everything... I want you too.....
//Fuck! I am such a fool....//
Alex snapped the tape off, frustrated. The last thing he needed was prophetic words from a scream queen.
"Krycek."
Alex removed the earphones. "What?' He asked.
"The panel wants you in Director Anderson's office in 15 minutes."
"Okay." Alex said calmly. "Thanks, Jack."
Jack Parsons turned and left. Darnel Washington's funeral had been the day before and he knew that Krycek felt guilty for the shooting. Whether the review board would discipline over the matter or not, Jack did not know. But he felt that the young agent was already punishing himself enough for it. Jack could not be any help to Alex in this matter. He had submitted a positive review to the board; his evaluation of Alex Krycek highlighted all of the young man's abilities and even his faults. But acting rashly was not one of his weak points and Jack had told them so.
"Come in."
Alex entered the Director of the FBI's office for the very first time in his one-year career with the bureau.
He had left high school, placing in the top five percent of his graduating class. From there, he attended N.Y.U. and graduated from the university with a degree in Criminal and Forensic psychology. From university, it was straight to the academy; he was accepted after his first try at the entrance exam. He had scored the top mark out of the whole group that had taken the test that day; and had one of the highest scores ever in the history of the bureau. Then it was six months of rigorous training meant to cull out those who did not suit the bureau's high standards. After that, the overworked profiling division had immediately snatched Alex up.
Alex Krycek--FBI agent- had never been 'out' in harm's way on a case before. The Miller case was his first and it had turned out badly. He had only ever drawn his gun in simulated situations and on the shooting range.
"Sit down." Director Anderson gestured toward an empty seat at the end of a very long oak table. The Director sat at the opposite end and to his right was A.D. Emily Marshall and to the Director's left was A.D. Walter Skinner. There were four empty chairs between Alex and the A.D.'s.
Alex frowned briefly before sitting.
In front of the three was a stack of files. The reports on the incident Alex assumed.
"Agent Krycek..." Anderson started.
"Sir."
"We have a few questions regarding the details of your report."
"Okay." Alex was nervous and he wondered if Mulder, Scully and the four other back up agents had sat in this very same chair to answer 'questions'.
"According to your report, you heard the click of the gun and then turned around only to see Margaret Miller holding a 357 magnum on Agent Washington?"
"Yes sir."
"How were you able to see that? By your own admission, the house was dark."
"I my flashlight and my weapon were piggybacked. So while I was aiming, Mrs. Miller and Agent Washington were well lit."
"Uh...huh..." The director scribbled something down on the paper before him.
Skinner spoke. "One of the reports stated that Agent Washington had told you to 'relax'. The account also stated that by the tone of your voice you were 'panicked'.
Alex frowned. "No...not panicked, but I was frightened for the agent's life."
Skinner kept on. "The same report also quotes you as saying, Drop the gun Miller or I will shoot you."
"Yes but..."
Skinner cut Alex off, not letting him speak to explain his words. 'According to another, Mrs. Miller begged you to kill her."
"NO...YES...I..." Alex didn't know how to respond to that.
"Agent Krycek..." AD. Marshall cut in. "...have you ever been in a hostage negotiation or a hostage situation before?"
"No ma'am."
"Have you ever..." Alex thought that A.D. Marshall seemed angry..."...confronted a person holding a gun for purpose of menace...other than in a bureau simulated situation that is?"
"No." Confirmed Alex dejectedly.
"So what your saying then Agent Krycek is that you were in over your head and when push came to shove, you panicked, shot first, and didn't worry about having to ask questions later. Is that correct, Agent?"
"No!" Alex shouted. He stood up. Angered by their false assumptions and accusations.
"Sit down, Agent Krycek." Director Anderson said blandly.
Alex did as he was told. "With all due respect Sirs and Ma'am. I tried to make the best of a bad situation. The rest of the agents could only hear what was happening, but I was living it. Margaret Miller was determined to die, no matter what. All I tried to do prevent her from taking another life with her when she went. I failed Agent Washington. I know that. I tried to talk her out of the situation but I saw that she was squeezing the trigger anyway, giving me no choice but to fire. And a fraction of a second later she pulled...."
"One agent felt that your shooting Miller caused her muscles to constrict and that's why the gun went off." Skinner broke in.
Of course he didn't mention that most of the negative information was coming from the same report submitted to Skinner by an agent eager to climb the bureau ladder.
Lisa States, the agent who had asked all of the questions at the briefing the night of the shooting was the one who had written the report showing Alex in a negative light. She turned in a damning and doctored review of the situation and in return, Skinner approved her transfer back to her hometown of Seattle and tucked a commendation into her 'jacket' for when it was time to go before the promotion board.
Krycek grimaced. "I don't believe that to be the case...Sir..." What else could he say? It seemed that no matter what he said, they would find the bad in it.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
The Director cleared his throat. "Agent Krycek." He began. "It is the finding of this review panel that though the shooting of Margaret Miller was justified. However, your inability to follow agency protocol cost a fellow worker his life. You will be placed on probation for six months starting today. You will be allowed to work out in the field as needed, but you will not be intentionally placed into stressful situations. This slap on the wrist will be entered into your permanent record. That's all."
Director Anderson and A.D. Marshall left the room. Skinner waited until they were gone before he approached the still sitting, somewhat stunned Alex Krycek.
"You're lucky, Krycek." Skinner menaced above the agent. "I argued to bring you up on manslaughter charges."
Alex snapped his head up and stared defiantly at his superior. He said nothing; his scowl spoke for him instead.
The A.D raked his eyes over Alex's beautiful face. "Oh, I get where Fox sees the attraction. But hear this pretty boy..." Skinner grabbed Alex by his short bangs and forced the agent to look up, into his eyes while he spoke.
"Fox Mulder is mine. And mine alone. Stop flirting with him or I'll find another way to fuck you over."
Alex sighed inwardly, relieved. Obviously Skinner had no idea that he and Mulder had progressed well beyond the flirtatious stage.
Though Alex had no doubt that Skinner could and would screw him up royally were he ever to find out about the affair; he still could not give Mulder up.
Now more than ever.
//Where are you Fox?// Thought Alex while Skinner threatened him.
Skinner released Alex. "I mean it. Prove what a smart boy you are and stay the hell away from Fox." With that he stalked out of the Director's meeting room.
Alex hung his head. Six months of good behaviour or else. And a permanent black mark against his name. As rotten as that was, he knew that he had gotten off lightly. Like Skinner warned, it could have been a lot worse.
"Ohh...Fox." He said aloud. "Why won't you call me?"
"I thought I'd find you up here." Mulder stood next to Alex's prone form, staring down at him.
Alex was up at the top of Isolation Point, just outside of the city.
To get to where Alex was, you had to park in a lot, then hike for about ten minutes through the bush to reach the top. After that, the point was fairly easy to reach. It was the best place for one to gaze at the stars, where the lights of the city did not interfere with the spectacular view.
Alex had told Mulder once, that when he needed to think, he loved to spread out a blanket on the grassy hillside and stare up into the night sky.
Mulder wisely assumed that it was the most likely place to find Alex when he didn't want to be found. Which was why he, on a hunch, had come up to the point. When his lover did not answer his cell phone, Mulder had looked to the sky. He saw that it was a clear night and then set out for the desolate viewing point.
He had just arrived back into town after being incommunicado for a few days. Jack Parsons had filled Mulder in when he phoned Alex's desk earlier. The agent regretted that he was unable to be there for Alex when the verdict came down.
Alex was situated comfortably on an old thick quilt with his hands tucked beneath the back of his head, resting on a thin, uncovered pillow.
He looked up at Mulder and gave him a lopsided smile, "Hi." he said, melancholy colouring his tone.
"Can I join you?" Mulder asked.
Not waiting for an answer, he dropped down next to Alex and settled his head on the soft pillow right next to Alex's. Their temples touched but the farther down their bodies, the farther apart they were. They were angled away from each other so that their feet rested in opposite corners of the quilt. Looking down from above, the positions of their bodies resembled an upside down 'V'.
"I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in a couple of days." Mulder grasped Alex's hand and squeezed it.
The squeeze was returned. "That's okay."
"No. It's not." Mulder laced his fingers through Alex's. "You must have thought I was a real jerk. Just leaving you in the dark like that." He watched the stars as he spoke; the sky was crowded with the sparkling entities. Their beauty amazed him. In the city you could see only the brightest stars, about one fourth of what was visible from this high point.
There was something to be said for nature, mused Mulder.
"Actually, I thought the problem was me...that you'd reconsidered, after screwing me a few times. I was starting to cling again. I thought that I'd given you what you wanted and then you had moved on."
"Alex...do you really think I'm that much of a bastard that all I wanted was to fuck you. To make a conquest out of you then forget about you?" Mulder tried not to sound angry, but he did anyway.
"No. I didn't believe that, that's what you were about. I didn't even want to think it...but it sure felt that way. I'm sorry I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."
Mulder sighed heavily. "Don't worry about it. What are you supposed to think when your lover disappears for days without saying a word or calling." He smiled. "Scully and I were babysitting a witness in the 'Weaver' case. A threat came in on his life and we had to move him to a new location. He won't be testifying for a few more months yet. We couldn't tell anyone for security reasons. By order of the Director."
"Is the witness safe now?" Alex knew better than to ask for the details. The security surrounding the witness would still be tight.
"Yah. He's fine. It took two days for a new team to come down and sit on him. No phone, no pagers - blah, blah blah...you know how it is. I missed you and I wanted to talk to you so badly, but I couldn't break the protocol and risk calling you. You understand, don't you?"
"Yes." Alex replied softly.
Mulder leaned over and kissed Alex deeply. He tasted apple and alcohol on the younger agent's breath when he probed his mouth with his tongue. He went back to the position in which he had been laying. "There. That's better." He said.
"Mulder." Alex smiled. He was relieved that the agent hadn't abandoned him after all and silently berated himself; he was an idiot in more ways than one. "The disciplinary committee met today." He said casually.
"I heard. Jack Parsons told me. I tried to find you the minute I landed." Mulder turned his head and looked at Alex who, returned the gaze. "I'm glad it was only probation and a swat on the ass. It could have been worse."
"I know it could have. Skinner told me so."
"Walter? What did he have to do with it?" Mulder was genuinely surprised.
"He was on the panel along with A.D. Marshall and the Director himself." When Mulder let out a low whistle, Alex said, "I know. Three big guns against me. I thought I was a goner for sure."
"I wonder why Walter sat on the panel. That's not usually his thing. He didn't even mention it to me."
"Well, I would imagine it was because he wanted to send me a message."
"About what?" Suddenly Mulder was afraid that Skinner had found out that he was cheating on him with Alex.
"Someone from that night turned in a report showing me in a bad light. He made sure I knew it."
"Who?...." Mulder wondered who would have done such a thing to Alex.
"I don't know. But I came off looking like a complete fool in the eyes of the Director and A.D. Marshall. After they passed the sentence, the two of them left. Skinner stayed and told me that he tried to have charges brought against me. And that I'd gotten lucky this time. He also warned me to stop flirting with you and to stay away or else he'd find another way to mess me up. He doesn't know about us...yet." Assured Alex.
"Alex. I'm sorry. That jealous bastard. He's got no right threatening you. Especially when all he thinks is going on is that you're flirting with me. I don't know how I'm going to leave him. He frightens me. He could kill us, Alex, if he ever finds out."
Mulder was serious and Krycek knew it. He clung to Mulder's hand. "I'm not afraid of him Fox." Alex said bravely. "I can't see him really harming me. But he could hurt you and that scares me. Especially if he thinks you're going to leave him. Take your time in figuring out what to do to get away. In the mean time we'll just have to be extra careful. I'm going to have to learn to not be so insecure. I come last. I have to get used to that."
Alex's words hit Mulder hard. It was true. His lover did come last. Had to...for now. Mulder needed to appear normal or else Skinner and even Scully would suspect that something was up. "Babe. It won't always be like that. Does it help to say you're the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last at night?"
Alex groaned softly and crawled on top of Mulder. "Yes." Leaning down, he kissed Mulder again.
As they shared their tongues, Alex's hand crept between their bodies, which were pressed tightly together and undid Mulder's pants. His lover's hard cock and cold weather tightened balls sprang free and Alex fondled both at the same time. He broke the kiss and said, "I missed you too." Then he shifted so that he was kneeling between Fox's spread legs. Alex licked the tip of Mulder's erection, drawing an appreciative moan from the man below him. Swallowing down as much of Mulder's eight inches as he could, Alex used his hand to fill in the gap between where his lips left off and Mulder's balls. He sucked up and down the shaft; pumping his hand up and down faster than the pace of his mouth.
"Alex..." Mulder said, on the verge of orgasm already. "Come here. I want to taste you too."
Alex swung his hips around and straddled Mulder's face without interrupting what he was doing.
Reaching up, Mulder quickly undid his lover's jeans and pushed them down just enough to free the confined cock; aching with need.
It was far to chilly out for them to actually remove any clothing. So the men in their eagerness to please the other simply concentrated on orally satisfying each other.
Mulder ever the expert at giving good head, sucked Alex into a frenzy while working at his delicate ass with two chilly fingers. The younger man moaned when the cold digits met his warmth and he pushed back, harder, on Mulder's fingers. Mulder groaned, his mouth still wrapped around Alex cock and then shot a hot stream of cum down his lover's throat.
Alex felt the first spurt hit his tonsils then careen down his chords. He swallowed all of Mulder's essence that he could before releasing his own liquid into Mulder's hot mouth.
Afterwards they lay close together on the quilt, the comfortable silence settling easily between the contended men.
"Is it midnight yet?" Alex asked, rupturing the peaceful stillness of the night time sky.
Mulder pushed a button on his watch, the roman numerals lit up. "It's 12:15."
"You asked me once, Fox." Alex said, the melancholy back in his voice. "What it was with me and the stars."
Mulder nodded wordlessly.
"I'm ready to tell you if you still want to hear."
"Yes." Mulder replied softly. "I want to know." This was the first time Alex was offering