See Part One for complete notes and disclaimers.
Series: Continued in Part Three
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How does it feel?
To treat me like you do.
When you lay your hands upon me,
and told me who you are.
I thought I was mistaken.
I thought I heard your words.
But tell me how do I feel,
tell me now, how do I feel.
How does it feel?
How should I feel?
Tell me how does it feel?
To treat me like you do.
ORGY - 'BLUE MONDAY'
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
April's reign of terror over the past six months still had not brought Alex home to her.
Flowers and firelight had not been enough. So she had blown up cars, dumpsters and smaller, abandoned businesses. Still the PTB's had not seen fit to send Alex back to Washington. So April changed her strategy; tonight was the first part of her elaborate plan. For sure, after this, Alex would have to be brought home. No doubt about it.
She was in an empty car parkade, across the street from the Washington Public Library. Her view of the building was unimpeded which was why she had chosen the place. She also knew that after he bomb went off, the Feds would search the parkade. And find the *evidence* she was going to leave behind for them. April's 1969 V.W. bug was parked a full block down the street, hidden behind a dumpster. She had a plan that she could not deviate from; her mania was slowly taking over her mind.
So focused on Alex was she, that April had not visited her brother in over a month.
April Turner's every waking thought was for Alex Krycek alone.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
She held the detonator to the powerful, homemade bomb in her latex covered, left hand; her thumb hovered just above the button. With her other gloved hand, she shamelessly masturbated her self. April leaned back against a cement pillar for support while she rubbed her hand frantically over her blood-engorged genitalia. Despite her eyes being wide open, a fantasy that she wished was real, played through her mind. She had visions of Alex before her, performing cunnilingus.
April bet he was good at that and planned to find out for real.
"Alex." She panted. "Yes, right there, yes...yes.... Yes!" Her hands clenched tight as an orgasm ripped through her body. Her thumb squeezed the button down and the Washington library exploded. Sending out a spray of concrete and paper. The brilliant orange flames of destruction had burst into the dark sky in tandem with her body as it unleashed an explosive climax.
Satisfied, April watched the building burn for a few more seconds before deciding that it was time to go. She could watch the rest at home on the TV.
Alex and fire, both never failed to provide pleasure.
She carefully peeled off the gloves; she deposited the one with which she had masturbated, into a small brown paper bag. Along with the DNA laden glove, April left behind a bouquet of 24 long stemmed red roses. Pinned to the wrapper was a note that read:
Return FBI Agent Alex Krycek to the
city and to me or the next time more
than four people will die.
April had meant every word of it too. She had been a quick study in the practical art of bomb building and demolition. And now after practicing on several smaller targets the library was her first real hit. She knew full well that there would be four security guards in the building. It didn't matter; those men losing their lives meant no more to her than if she had stepped on a pack of marauding ants at a picnic.
April's patience had finally run out.
Obviously the dolts at the FBI were not going to bring Alex back from Alaska with out explicit instructions from her to do so. That's why she left the note and the flowers this time, along with the glove that had evidence of her DNA. The agent working the case should be smart enough to put two and two together. April wasn't worried about leaving behind the special items. All that the latex would reveal to *them* was that the bombing had been perpetrated by a twenty something Caucasian female. April ran to where her V.W. was hidden. The ancient black import was cloaked by the dumpster and the darkness. She yanked the door open and climbed in. She could already hear sirens, still faint, approaching from the distance. The old bug complained and protested the cold start by back firing loudly. Scaring the resident of the dumpster awake. The car farted a few more times. "Piece of shit." April swore to the vehicle as she pulled away. A gunshot, that's what the bum though he had heard. He carefully peered over the lip of the large container, just in time to read the license plate of the vehicle. Freddy memorized the number. Not because he though the small German car had just been used in the commission of a crime, but because he liked numbers and letters and he couldn't help but commit them to his memory...never to be forgotten. His attention was pulled away from the departing car toward a bright orange glow in the sky. Fire. Thought Freddy. He didn't like fire so he slowly sank back down into his metal shelter, and went back to sleep.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Four hours after the initial blast, the Washington Public Library was officially out. The initial panic had subsided; the gas was still off and electricity too.
Pulled from his warm but lonely bed, Walter Skinner walked amongst the ruins with the two agents assigned to the case. "This is a federal building making this our crime scene. The local boys are already starting in on the search and canvass. I suggest you join them. I want a full report on what you find on my desk by noon." The time was now 7:30 in the morning. "Four good men are dead and the press is going to go world wide with this." Skinner looked toward a wall of news crew cameras and then all three looked skyward to the two competing helicopters filming the smouldering aftermath.
"We're all over this, sir." Said Dave Madison, the agent who had caught the case. He and his partner had also been working on the other bombings too, but because the targets had been smaller, no link to them had been made yet.
As the agents were about to leave a message came over the radio.
"Got something." Came a generic male voice.
"Where?" Skinner spoke into his radio.
"Parking garage one block down." Came the static reply.
"10-4". Skinner handed the agents the radio. "By noon, agents." Was all he said before leaving.
As he drove to the office, Walter's thoughts wandered from the destruction of the library to Mulder. They had been broken up for six months and in that time, Mulder had only spoken to him a couple of times and only because it was necessary.
Walter desperately wanted Mulder back and had even gone so far as to seek professional counselling for his controlling and abusive behaviour.
He proudly told Fox this, but the younger man refused to soften his stance.
Mulder only replied icily, "Good, maybe you will treat your next boyfriend right."
Mulder's terse reply had angered Walter, but instead of reacting he used what he had learned in counselling and kept himself under control. If nothing else, he was changing and that was good, maybe if he could prove it he thought he had a chance of winning Fox back. He knew that Fox and Krycek were no longer an item. And Mulder and Scully were no longer together either. Walter knew that Mulder had frozen out Scully after discovering her part in the subterfuge that saw Alex Krycek sent packing with his tail between his legs to Anchorage.
Skinner deeply regretted that the two partners had split. But Scully refused to blame him, every thing she had done had been of her own volition. The A.D. pulled into the secure underground parking lot. He was at work now, and it was time to put Fox away until tonight, where he'd come up with another romantic scheme for getting his former lover back.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"The glove found in the paper bag is being rushed through forensics as well as this note." Agent Madison passed A.D. Skinner a photocopy of the note found in the parkade. "It was pinned to a bouquet of 24 long stemmed red roses."
Skinner read the words on the paper, no expression on his face.
'Eight months ago..." Madison spoke as the A.D. read. "...Agent Mulder was working a serial arson case where red roses were found at the scenes accompanied by a note asking as simple question, 'Do you see me yet?' Two months later those fires stopped and the case was put aside. Looks like our fired bug graduated in to making things go *boom*." He handed Skinner a photo copy of the arson notes.
"Well, now we know *whom* the firebug wanted to see." Skinner dropped the copies on top of the parking garage note. "Anything else so far?"
Madison shook his head and closed his notebook. "No. But I think the two cases are related. We should bring in Mulder and Scully and see what they have to say as well as talk to this agent Krycek. I don't know who he his."
"No." Skinner said. "You keep on it, we'll talk to Mulder if we have to and as for Krycek, he is a profiler assigned to Anchorage. So he will be no help."
"Well, Sir," Madison stood up. ".... I suggest you ask the Director to re-assign Krycek to Washington. This bomber is Mulder's firebug, I can feel it." Madison shrugged his shoulders. If the A.D. didn't want Krycek and Mulder or Scully involved then it wasn't for him to say. His job was to investigate the bombing to determine if they were acts of terrorism or not. "I'll keep you informed." Said the agent before leaving.
Skinner re-read the agents report. The connection between the bombings and the fires were compelling. The handwriting certainly looked the same, however, the experts at Quantico would tell them for sure. The trademark roses were similar too, and now, an agents name was attached to everything.
//What a mess!/ / The A.D. thought. "Shit!" He said out loud.
"Kim, get me Director Anderson please." Skinner said into his intercom. He had an obligation to take this to the Director. After all, the bomber mentioned Krycek by name and made a very real threat against the safety of the civilian population. Perhaps he could minimize Alex's connection and argue that Alex shouldn't be called back. The last thing Skinner wanted was that green-eyed home wrecker back in the city, back into Mulder's life.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Skinner knocked on the Director's door and entered immediately after. He was surprised to see Jack Stebbings, the A.D.I.C of the profiling department already sitting there.
"Jack." Skinner said, a false smile forming at his mouth.
"Walter." Jack returned pleasantly.
"Sit down Walter." The Director gestured to an empty chair. "I wanted Jack's input on this very serious case." He looked to the A.D. whom he was talking about.
Stebbings' nodded and said. "I've reviewed both Madison's bomber and Mulder's arsonist and I agree with Agent Madison. I think that it is the same person in both cases. A very dangerous person obsessed with Agent Krycek. Alex probably doesn't even know he has a stalker. What we know so far is that the perp has above average intelligence and his sole objective will be achieving the goal that he has set for himself, whatever that may be. Unsub is completely focused and dedicated to Alex Krycek. I feel we no choice but to bring Krycek back. If his presence is enough to stop this person from hurting more people, than we should do it."
"So what you're saying then is that Agent Krycek's life is in danger..." Skinner stated, pretending to be concerned. "...This stalker might want to hurt him or worse...kill him."
"No doubt Unsub has an agenda that we will probably never fully understand, however, one life for many..." Said Jack.
Skinner cut him off by saying, "I doubt Krycek's grandmother will see it that way."
Jack turned from Skinner and spoke to the Director. "Alex would want to help. Besides, he's been in Alaska long enough. He's more than proven himself. He's closed three cold cases and helped to solve plenty more new ones."
"But..." Skinner started.
"Gentlemen." The Director held up his hands and broke up the discussion. "I agree with you Jack. We should bring Agent Krycek in on this and I want to see what Sean Mathews has to say about the arsonist. He worked up the profile in that case. Make the calls Jack, I want Krycek back and settled by the weekend."
Dismissed the men rose and left the Director's office.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Alex pulled a green apple out of his desk drawer and bit into the juicy fruit. He had been studying the evidence to a murder case and now it was time for a break. He leaned far back in his desk chair so that he was almost in a prone position and stretched out comfortably, unaware of the eyes on him.
The women in the office loved being in the office when Alex took his 'apple' break. Which he did, if possible, everyday at the same time. There was nothing particularly scintillating about his ritual. Alex was fully clothed and in the office after all. But he looked so beautiful and innocent, just lying back in the leather chair, staring up at the ceiling, and eating his fruit.
What the women particularly loved most about Alex was that the handsome agent was so completely unaware of how gorgeous he really was. Every beautiful single girl in town had tried to pick up on him at one time or another. But Alex, always the gentleman, politely turned down the ardent women. He never dated...ever. The lady agents assumed that he had just gotten out of a relationship with a woman back in DC, which was why he came to Anchorage.
They all had created their own special romantic tales of woe for the irresistible agent.
"Krycek...in my office." A.D.I.C. Houghton barked. Startling the four female agents and Alex.
Alex sat up straight. He took one last bite from his apple then dumped the core in the garbage on his way to Houghton's office.
Houghton smiled at Alex. "Well, Agent Krycek you better go home and pack because effective immediately you are assigned to Washington. The bureau needs you back."
Shocked, Alex stared at his boss. He couldn't believe that he was being called back to Washington. Back to Mulder.
//No.// he said to himself, //That's over with, Fox chose Skinner. //
"Sir...Why?" Alex finally managed.
"I would have though you would have been thrilled to go back to Washington to the big city...."
"Oh, I am. Don't get me wrong. It's just that I'm not finished here. There's a couple of cold cases I wanted to keep picking at and...."
"You've done a lot in six months, Alex." Houghton smiled at the young agent. He knew Alex's family was dead but he bet that the young Alex had made the elder Krycek very proud. Alex Krycek was on a fast track to success. Here he was, not quite 30 and already an integral member of the bureau. Krycek had really cleaned up the books for the A.D.I.C., making him look very good. Houghton could tell that Alex didn't really want to be in Anchorage, at first, but the pleasant young man had made an effort to fit it. After his first two weeks, it was like Alex had always been there. James had guessed that on top of being on probation, the green-eyed agent was nursing a broken heart. In the whole six months not once did Alex date. He participated in all of the 'group' outings but never let the others set him up. Smart boy. And they had all tried. After a while of refusing blind dates, Alex told everyone that he had just come out of a difficult relationship and when he was ready to start dating again, he was quite capable of asking someone out on his own.
Jack smiled in remembrance.
"What?' Alex asked the grinning man.
"Nothing." James said. "You have contributed to this office immensely and as much as I would like to keep you here, you deserve to go back to your home. Besides..." Houghton shrugged affably. ".... The Director insists. He phoned me himself."
"Oh." Alex frowned. He wondered what was really going on. "I guess I should go and finish what I was doing then." He stood up. "I'll make sure all my cases are up to date. If I can make a recommendation?"
Houghton nodded.
"I suggest Tom take them over. He has a real knack for some of the forensic work."
"Okay." James agreed. "Give him your files and make sure you're available after work." The A.D.I.C. levelled Alex a knowing look. "I'm sure the others will want to say goodbye.... with margarita's."
"I will." Alex finally smiled. It was starting to sink in that he was going home. As much as he like Anchorage and it's easy going people, it still wasn't *home*.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
The director of the F.B.I. sat in his office with a press spokeswoman. "This psycho has got it bad for Agent Krycek." He passed an 8x10 black and white glossy to the woman seated across from him. "His graduation photo from the academy."
She picked up the picture and studied it. "Well, I can see why." She tucked the photo in her own open file folder.
"We need a small story in the Post. Something to let Unsub know that Krycek is back home."
The press woman nodded and while the Director spoke, she scribbled down notes.
"He broke three cold cases in Anchorage and increased that branches' closure rate dramatically. Krycek is young, good-looking and brilliant. I'm sure you can come up with a suitable puff piece."
She stopped writing. "I've got something in mind." She said, pocketing her mechanical pencil. The spokeswoman gathered up her things. "You won't be disappointed."
"You're the best, Madeline." The Director's phone rang. "I want you to handle this personally."
The middle-aged woman nodded and then left the Director to his call.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Walter flipped page two of his morning edition of the Washington Post. On page three, he was greeted by the smiling image of Alex Krycek. He briefly choked on his toast.
The headline read, The changing face of the F.B.I.
Skinner had forgotten just how beautiful the much younger agent was. He studied the 2x2 photo then read the accompanying text. It blabbed on and on about how well Alex had done in Alaska and about how brilliant and intuitive the 29 year old was. After he finished reading, Skinner closed his paper. All of the old, destructive feelings like envy and anger bubbled to the surface. He had not felt this way in many months.
Walter did not know why, but Alex Krycek brought out the worst in him.
Before, Skinner had contemplated calling Mulder, using the excuse that Alex was returning, but really it was just to get a chance to talk to his former lover again. But after reading the newspaper story, he changed his mind. There was no point in throwing them back together. He would just have to hang back and see what would happen.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
An audible sighed escaped Alex as he sat below a large oak tree in the small employees only park, behind the J.E.H. Building. Between the warmth of the late spring day and the time change, Alex was exhausted. He had moved into his apartment only the day before and had only managed to unpack his clothes and toiletries so far. He had been in meetings with the Director and a couple of un-familiar agents. Jack Stebbings was also there along with a profiler Alex knew well, Sean Mathews. Sean was just a little older than him. They were Jack Stebbings's new shining stars. Sean Mathews was Alex's professional rival, but away from the office, they were friendly to one another.
Alex was having a hard time believing that some one would actually kill four people over him. It brought painful memories of his butchered family to the surface. Alex tried to shut them out, tried not to compare the cases. But somehow he couldn't separate the two.
After comparing the common evidence of the two very different crimes, the roses and the handwriting - which matched both notes - Alex had no choice but to admit to the group about being followed before. He also told about receiving the email pictures of himself. He mentioned both the running photo's and the one showing him leaving the motel.
Alex did not, however, tell them Mulder's name. His superiors had no right to ask him anyway. Alex would only say to them that the person he was with was married; that he was having an affair. He let the group of men seated around the table assume it was a woman that he was dallying with. No one knew he was gay. It wasn't as if he was hiding it, it was just that Alex believed that it was his business alone.
Homosexuality was no longer grounds for dismissal.
The Director frowned at Alex. Not pleased that the agent had showed such poor judgment. But he was somewhat mollified when Krycek assured him the affair was long since over and he was single again.
Alex told the other agents that he had been at the 'Crow's Nest' the day before it burned down with *the married person.*
Jack asked if the stalker could have been the spouse, but Alex was positive that Skinner would not kill others. Maybe Mulder and himself, but not an innocent bystander. "No" replied Alex to the question.
"You piss your lady friend off before going to Alaska?" Sean Mathews queried.
"No. We broke up two hours before my plane took off. We haven't talked or seen each other since then. The parting was painful but not acrimonious."
Many times in the last six months, especially in the last 12 hours, Alex had reached for the phone. He wanted to talk to Fox so badly, but he didn't know what to say or how to start. Alex regretted giving Fox the ultimatum. After all, Fox had had no time to think things through. Who could make a career and life changing decision like that in 30 seconds? Alex cursed himself daily for giving up so easily; they should have tried the long distance thing first. It could have worked out; who was to say?
Sean nodded. "Okay. Well, the DNA says were looking for a twenty something naturally blond female, Caucasian and blue-eyed. Is that the description of your former lover Alex?"
Alex shook his head. He thought about all the female blondes in his life, there were only a few and all of them were barely acquaintances. Alex didn't even think about April Turner, as her hair was now a deep brown. He had already run into her, in fact, since arriving home. He was coming out of a coffee shop, his old favourite one had burned down, and there she was. He had mumbled a hello, then left her in the street. Alex was already late for him morning meeting. "No." He said finally. "I can't think of a single woman with blond hair who would do this. Not one."
Finally Alex escaped the meeting excusing himself for a quick 20-minute break.
He swallowed the last bit of his snack. It was time to get back to the case review. He stood, tightened his tie then left. Unaware that he was being watched by an admirer from across the small park.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Mulder, tired of being indoors, abandoned his desk chair for a shaded bench in the park.
He'd been reading a pathology report; content in the warm air, when suddenly a small voice inside his head told him to look up. Mulder obeyed the silent command, and that's when he saw Alex. He stared at his former lover as if he was an apparition.
Alex was sitting there seemingly untroubled and serene, casually eating a the last of a nectarine. Bits of bright sun made its way through the heavily leafed oak under which Alex was sitting. Dappling the younger man's dark hair.
Mulder smiled, his former lover conjured up a peaceful image of a newborn fawn passing time in a lush glade.
His heart thumped out a speedy tune that played only for Alex. It was then - with in those first few milliseconds after spotting his former lover - that Fox knew that he wasn't even remotely close to being over the handsome young agent. For six months he had been pretending to himself that he was. But seeing his former lover now, only re-enforced the fact that distance and time had done nothing to diminish his feelings.
Mulder still loved Alex. He always had.
He wondered how long Alex had been back. Surely not long or he would have heard through the grapevine already. Or would he have? He rarely spoke to Scully. And when he did, it was only ever about work related issues. Mulder was always pleasant with his former partner, but he was not *friendly*.
He never spoke to Skinner at all anymore, maybe only three times in the last six months. There was no need to. Mulder was having a hard enough time in forgiving Dana for her part in splitting up him and Alex.
And Walter, well, Mulder would never again feel for the older man what he once had. He had violated Alex in the most heinous and vile manner; Fox couldn't forgive him.
No one else knew of his relationship with Alex. So why would any one tell him?
Mulder was a little wounded that Alex had returned and not contacted him. But then again, they were broken up. The younger man certainly did not have to answer to him.
Fox sat in the cool shadows and watched as the love of his life tossed his nectarine pit into the bush. Alex yawned then stood up. Mulder couldn't help but smile again. Alex looked tired, perhaps he hadn't been back all that long after all. Mulder stared after Alex long after the agent had disappeared. He vowed to Alex's distant back side that he would try to do everything in his power to win his former lover back.
Everything.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Alex unwrapped the last of his wine glasses and put it in the dishwasher. He was tired of un-packing. Tomorrow he would call a company to come and finish the job for him. He ran a finger over the top of his built in stainless steel stove top. Maybe he would have a crew of cleaning ladies come through afterwards. The guy who had lived in the place took pretty good care of the expensive apartment. There were no holes in the walls or stains on the area rugs. However, his housekeeping skills seemed lacking. Alex wondered how they got the guy out so quickly.
Chester the cat, pleased because the sleeping pills had worn off, was weaving his way though his master's legs, begging for something to eat, when there was a soft knock at the door.
Alex scooped up the fat cat and together they went to see whom was visiting at this late hour. "How come the door man didn't buzz?" Alex asked the tabby.
He peeked through the peephole and immediately, his heart started racing. It was Fox. Alex couldn't help but feel giddy. Even a distorted image of Mulder made his face flush. The hurt and anger that he had felt six months ago had long since disappeared. Their break-up and the distance between them only made Alex realize how much he did love Fox Mulder. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
Alex greeted Mulder with a shy smile. "Hi, Fox."
Mulder returned the smile with a nervous grin of his own. "Hi, yourself."
"Come in." Alex stepped back and let his former lover enter.
As Mulder passed Alex, he reached out and scratched under Chester's chin. The tabby accepted the affection for half a second then hissed and jumped down.
The ice between the self-conscious men was broken.
Alex laughed. "Gee, I think he missed you Fox." Then he added softly, "I know I did."
Fox walked right up to Alex and put his large hands on either side of his face. He stared into the green pools that were Alex's eyes. " I missed you too." He said. Mulder leaned down and ever so gently, placed his lips upon Alex's.
The kiss slowly graduated from sweet and chaste to heated and lust filled. Their tongues touched, snaking around each other in a ritualistic courtship dance.
Finally, breathless, Mulder pulled back. He wrapped his arms around Alex, unwilling to release the man until he had spoken what was in his heart to him. He should have done and said these things months ago; Mulder was not going to make the same mistake twice.
"I love you, Alex. After all this time, I still love you. Maybe even more now. I missed you so much it was the biggest mistake of my life not going with you. I should have gone to Alaska. I want you back Alex...will you forgive me for being such a selfish ass?"
Alex could see the regrets in Fox 's eyes along with the hope in his handsome face. He kissed Mulder on the mouth, just a quick peck. He stepped back out of Mulder's warm arms and the agent looked at him. The older man was worried that he was about to be turned down. Alex wanted nothing more than for the two of them to pick up where they had left off. However, before they could do that, Alex needed to say something first.
"Fox, I love you too. I thought about you...about what you were doing, every second of everyday while I was in Anchorage. I missed you so much my heart ached. And now, seeing you here, kissing you. I could easily and happily fall back into a relationship with you. But Fox, I need to tell you something first and I need you to understand. I won't be the other man again. I've done that and I can't go through it. I can't. If we get back together, it's just you and me involved this time. No one else. I need to come first with you." He looked to Mulder, no smile graced his face now and Alex was so afraid that Mulder would tell him to take a hike. That he wouldn't leave Skinner for him. Alex had no idea that Mulder was no longer with the older A.D.
"You and me Alex. No sneaking around no clandestine motel fucking. Just us, in the open." Promised Mulder. He couldn't believe that everything was turning out. It was so easy. They both loved each other still, so much so, that another person could not compare to the other.
"So you're prepared to leave him for me?" Question Alex, his tone full of hope.
"Alex. I left Walter hours after you went to the airport." Mulder swallowed hard. He had promised himself already that if he was lucky enough to actually get back with Alex that he was always going to be honest with him; now was the time of truths. "He told me, Alex." Mulder said softly.
Alex's stomach knotted up. "Told you what?" He could guess what Skinner had said.
"Oh baby..." Mulder was so sad for his lover. "After I told him we were through, just to hurt me, he told me that he.... raped you over his desk."
Mulder thought Alex looked like he was going to be sick. But to the younger man's credit, he stood there and listened. Letting Mulder finish. "I hit him, Alex. The thought that he would hurt you that way...I...I lost control. Which was what he wanted. I'm sorry...so sorry..."
Alex 'hmmphed' softly. "No one knows, Fox. No one. I didn't report him." He shrugged his shoulders like it didn't matter anymore, but it still did. "I have nightmares sometimes but they're getting farther and farther apart now." He gave his lover a weak smile. "I just want to forget about it Fox. It's not important anymore. What is important is you and me. Are we going to try again?"
Mulder pulled Alex to his chest and hugged him tightly. "The past is just that...the past. Let's start fresh. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
Alex patted Mulder's back gently and the older man eased up on his embrace.
"I want to date you, Alex. We never really did that before." Mulder grinned. "Tomorrow night, I want to take you out for a nice dinner."
"All right. Dinner, tomorrow night. Your treat." Alex levelled Mulder a lusty glance. "But for right now, I want to take you to bed."
Mulder said huskily, "I know the way."
Then he turned and went down the hall to Alex's bedroom, while his lover turned off the lights.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Fox rolled on top of Alex. He rubbed his erection over the one trapped directly below his own hardness. He grinned and said, "Ready to go another round?"
He was hard and anxious to make love to Alex. Both men had experienced a hot, frenzied orgasm only five minutes before. They had kissed deeply, each tongue challenging for space inside the other's mouth. While kissing, each agent stroked the other off to orgasm.
Both lovers were impatient to get into the other's arms.
Now fifteen minutes later, the older agent wanted to be inside his lover again. He kissed down the side of Alex's taut neck, taking special care to nibble but not mark the heavily corded muscles that stood out.
Alex purred his pleasure.
And Mulder, like a thirsty man led to water, drank his fill of Alex. From the top of his straining neck, to his tender inner thigh, Mulder kissed Alex all over.
Eventually his mouth was drawn to his lover's tight opening. He gently tongued the sensitive flesh, turned on by Alex's response to his tongue. The younger man sighed his pleasure, his voice deep and husky with need.
Mulder snaked his arm out blindly and felt around the pillow until he came across a small squeeze bottle of natural lubricant. He took his time preparing the younger man then rose to his knees. His own cock matched Alex's in that both were weeping. Fox entered his lover slowly, stopping only when he was fully sheathed. He exhaled in satisfaction; Alex's depths were warm and tight...so inviting.
The pair of them stayed like that - attached and perfectly still. Then ever so slowly, Fox began to circle his hips and push in and pull out of Alex at the same time.
Afterwards, as they cuddled together, sleepy with post coital rapture. Mulder said softly, "We're together now. Really together. No one, and nothing will split us up again. If you get transferred again, this time I'm going with you." He squeezed Alex briefly.
Alex gently ran the tips of his fingers over Mulder's lower abdomen. "Or vice-versa, I'll follow you if you have to go." He rested his hand over the middle of Fox's stomach, his eyes shuttered then closed involuntarily. "Nothing...ever again."
The early morning love making session had left Alex feeling more relaxed than he had been in the last six months. Thus, his mood was light, despite the current circumstances. He strolled in to work, late, smiling at everyone he passed in the bullpen. He knew he was grinning like a man who had just been laid, but he didn't care. Though he'd been in D.C. for only a few days, the other profilers greeted him like he'd never been away. As he passed Billie, Stebbing's secretary, she stopped him.
"These are for you, Agent Krycek." She smiled and pointed to a large crystal vase, about 3 times the normal size, holding a bouquet of tall, colourful wild flowers.
"Thanks." He said. Grinning to the young woman. He scooped up the vase and carried it in the crook of his arm to his desk. Once there, he arranged the monstrous crystal piece and its sweet smelling contents in the corner of his desk, then sat himself. Plucking the card from the centre, he opened the cream coloured envelope and read the text.
It said simply:
"Welcome home,
I missed you."
Impressed, Alex smiled and replaced the card. There was no name attached, but he was confident that Fox had sent them. Alex was just about to pick up his phone to thank Mulder when Juan Rodriguez stepped up to his desk.
"Oh, flowers." The good-looking, very married Latino man teased. "...Women are sending 'you' flowers. How pretty. Who are they from?"
Alex blushed; everyone was waiting to hear what he was going to say. "This is a new century Juan. Women 'do' send men flowers you know. If you must know who sent them, I'll tell you. Your wife, she says she missed me while I was gone."
Juan stared hard at Alex for a second then laughed. And Alex joined him. "Well then, maybe you're the father of the kid she's carrying. You can pay the bills for him when he's born."
Alex's eye's shot up in surprise. "She's pregnant again?"
Juan nodded.
"You know, " joked Alex. "They do know what causes that these days."
"Ahh...but you know us Catholics. Birth control begins with old age." Juan grinned. "Welcome back, Krycek." He said, not expecting a reply to who sent the flowers.
Right after Juan had gone, Alex felt the short hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He spun around in his chair slowly and saw that Walter Skinner was standing in Jack's office across the bullpen staring out the window at him intently. The look on the older man's face was inscrutable. So Alex just glared back at him. His stomach turned over and suddenly his hands were cold. Skinner was watching him too closely for comfort.
Finally Skinner winked and kissed the air then he pulled the cord sharply and the metal slat blinds fell close.
Alex stared at the window blinds; he knew that it was bound to happen; he and Skinner running into each other. He just wished he had been more prepared for it. The sudden appearance of his abuser drudged up way too many painful memories. Memories that were so fresh, scabs had barely formed over them yet. Alex tore his gaze away and tried to concentrate on his work. Though he had been interviewed and had discussed the library bombing case extensively, he was not an official member of the investigative team. The bomber being obsessed with him automatically excluded him.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Alex rolled off of Mulder, he was hot and sweaty, just like their lovemaking had been. He handed Fox a plush hand towel. "That was incredible, Fox." He stretched and yawned; Mulder acknowledged the sentiment by agreeing with his lover. "Thanks for the flowers by the way. They really had every one in the office wondering who my mystery admirer was." His smile, cloaked in the semi-darkness of the bedroom night slowly disappeared from his face when memories of the office and the flowers came to mind. He could still see Skinner standing there, just watching him.
The older man's predatory gaze had suddenly claimed Alex's good mood that day.
"I'd like to take the credit for sending you flowers, doll face. But I can't. I didn't send them. Tonight's dinner and dessert ..." Mulder elbowed his lover gently when he said 'dessert'. "...was my way of welcoming you back."
Alex turned his head and looked at Fox.
Mulder met his gaze; their eyes already adjusted to the dim room.
"Then who sent them? Gramma? I talked to her today; she didn't mention them. Who else would send me flowers?"
"Your stalker?" Half-whispered Mulder.
"Shit! I never even thought of her." Alex said grimly. He couldn't believe it. He had been so sure that the delivery had been from Fox that he didn't even consider another possibility. Now he was going to have to turn this little information byte over to Madison. Who would then have to check out the flowers, where they came from, who delivered them...
There were a few seconds of silence between the lovers and, in those moments, Chester jumped up onto the bed and settled himself on top of the blankets, next to Alex's hip. He absently stroked the easily irritated tabby then cut into the quiet by commenting. "You should move in, Fox. You going back to the hotel every morning sucks all the fun out of spending the night together."
Mulder smiled, he had been living in the same large suite at the hotel since leaving Skinner. He was too busy to even find his own apartment. Though if he had, he wouldn't have had any furniture to put in it anyway. "I'd like that." He said. "I'm paid up until the end of the month at the hotel, so I may as well stay there until then. Besides you've not even unpacked yet."
Alex chuckled softly. "I've got people coming in this week to help put things away. Then after they're gone I'm going to have a crew of house cleaners come through and get rid of the rest of the guy who was staying here. He took care of things, but wasn't as clean as I would have liked. It's going to take two days alone to scrub my oven out."
Alex rolled to his side and Fox followed his lover, spooning closely in behind him.
The older agent draped his right arm casually over Alex's slim hip. He kissed the back of his lover's soft neck and then whispered into the darkness, "I'll move in at the end of the month then."
No longer sleepy, Alex patted the back of Mulder's hand that rested on him. "We'll pick out new furniture together and make it our place." He said, remembering that Fox had not really done that before.
"Mmmm. Our place." Murmured the older man, then he was asleep.
Though Alex was tired, he couldn't fall asleep, visions of Skinner and the rape were there, waiting for him every time his eyes closed. In Alaska, he had suffered the nightmares on a regular basis. When he started to fit in at work, the dreams decreased dramatically, only pestering him every once in a while. But as soon as he had returned to DC they'd come back, and this time, with a vengeance. The distorted, violent pictures flooded Alex's brain...
Seeing Skinner today was only going to make things worse.
In the few hours before dawn, Alex's lids fluttered closed, this time remaining so.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Alex pulled into his usual parking space. At this early hour, the lot was almost empty, only a few dark toned sedans sat in the spaces. He stepped out and slammed his door then turned and started toward the security elevator. Alex entered the code into the pad then pushed the up button. He heard footsteps approaching from behind and just as he turned to see who it was, the person was on him just as quick.
Walter Skinner slammed Alex's back against the steel elevator doors.
Alex brought his hands up and grabbed his assailant by the lapels intending to shove the larger man away from himself.
But the AD had anticipated the move and pushed Alex harder into the doors, which absorbed none of Alex's impact, sending a jarring shudder coursing through the younger man.
Skinner pinned Alex so that he couldn't even move. "I see you got my flowers." His breath smelled like coffee and it turned Alex's stomach. He tried to struggle, but he was too firmly subdued. "Did you like them?" he smiled the same predatory grin he had given Alex the day before.
Alex swallowed hard and fought down his fear. He could feel Skinner's erection pushing hard into his lower abdomen. He spoke in an icy tone. "I did like them, when I thought Fox had given them to me. You remember my boyfriend Fox, don't you? He's the man who dumped you for me." Alex sneered at Skinner then, gloating and winning a fleeting moment's worth of triumph.
Skinner scowled, but before he could reply, the elevator doors opened and Alex stumbled backwards into the lift. He stood up straight and once again glared at the big man, who was now smirking at him. "Take the next one; you're not getting in here with me." Alex hastily jabbed the floor he wanted then the door's shut button. His throat was dry and he knew he sounded nervous but he didn't care; he'd had to get away from the menacing AD.
Walter stood back; making no attempt to ride the elevator up with Krycek. He'd really only wanted to freak Alex out; his jealously and lust for the younger man had dictated that he unbalance the cocky agent who had stolen his lover away. Judging by the unsettled look gracing Krycek's beautiful face, he had made his point.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"Here it is, Agent Krycek." The secretary handed a thick, sealed file to Krycek. He took it from the woman and signed her log. Alex said goodbye and left the basement office. He walked further into the bowels of the J. Edgar Hoover building, finally stopping at a remote and silent corner to examine the contents of the file folder. He was in the open-records section of the building, deep underground. The section had floor to ceiling shelves and housed hundreds and hundreds of sturdy boxes packed full with files and ancient evidence to cases too long past to probably ever be solved. Every now and again, an agent would come down to the deserted aisles seeking a connection or more information to a case currently being worked.
Alex had gone there so he could be alone.
He found a chair hidden among some ancient evidence waiting to be entered into the computer system. The file Alex had was of his family's murders. He had read the particulars on his computer, over and over again. The quadruple homicide was entered into the database. However, he had never seen the photos from the crime scene. Lately he couldn't get his sisters out of his mind; their birthdays were approaching. His sisters' death and Skinner's harassment weighed heavily on his fragile mind. Alex wasn't sleeping very well despite having his lover there to hold him close and comfort him during the night. Dark circles were starting to show under his eyes. He knew Mulder was worried about him, but his lover could not control his nightmares.
Add to that a crazy stalker whose identity still was not known and it was little wonder that Alex managed to get the few hours of rest at night that he did. The compulsion to see the 'real' destruction Turner Gallagher's pals had caused finally got the better of Alex. Soon, Gallagher would be ready for yet another parole hearing, Alex planned on being there again to keep the man who spared his life in jail. Though, soon Alex was going to have to give up fighting anyway, Turner Gallagher would be free in fifteen months regardless of Alex and his grandmother had to say. Seeking justice was exhausting work and Alex was tiring from the responsibility but he had promised his grandmother never to let it rest. He hoped that finally seeing the images would renew his spirit enough to keep fighting.
Skinner especially got to him. For the last four days the older AD had cornered him several times startling Alex each and every time. Now, the young agent jumped at every sound loud or soft. He couldn't even begin to fathom why the AD was risking his career to sexually and psychologically harass him. The AD could be fired for it, but the large man was right when he laughed softly and declared that Alex wouldn't dare turn him in. So for now his only choice was to put up with the derisive tongue and invading hands of his superior.
Alex slit the seal over the file with his pen but he did not open it right away. He asked himself first,
//Do I really want to see these?//
His silent reply to himself was,
//No. But I have to. Not knowing is killing me more.//
Finally, he flipped the folder open.
A large colour photo of his family sat on top; the five people in the photo seemed incredibly young in this last, complete picture of the Krycek family. A professional had snapped it only three weeks before the murders.
Alex's eyes welled up as he ran a single finger over the faces of his loved ones. Suddenly he jumped up quickly. "Fuck." He swore aloud. "One fucking picture and I'm already a basket case." He paced around for a few seconds collecting himself. Finally, he sat down in the tucked away cubicle and picked up the stack of glossy photos. He thumbed through the set five times before dropping them to the desktop. He hung his head and buried his face in his hands.
"What's the matter, Alex? Reliving the past?"
Skinner's voice spoke directly into his ear. His deep baritone was not friendly.
Alex jumped. But before he could get up and out of his chair, Skinner's hand had snaked around his throat and clamped down tightly around the delicate skin.
Walter smiled and quietly inhaled the younger man's scent. He smelled of coconut shampoo and men's Burberry cologne. "I was in Vietnam you know, I joined the forces when I was 17. Back in the good old days, they taught a soldier how to kill a man in three moves or less. One twist of my wrist, and you're pushing up daisies. Just like the rest of your family." Skinner darted his tongue out and probed Alex's ear. His cock was hard as he squeezed the soft flesh of Alex's throat. Restricting but not cutting off the younger man's air.
Alex couldn't believe that he had not heard the older man sneak up on him like that. He was even further distressed when he realized that he was sitting with his back to the door. How could he have been so crazy as to sit in a deserted area of the J.E.H to read an old file that no one cared about anyway? And now here he was caught alone with a man who had already raped him once. His heart raced and his chest rose and fell at double time.
//How could one man get to you like this?// Alex asked himself, his answer was, //because he can kill me in three moves or less.//
He didn't doubt for one second that Skinner could kill him, perhaps he would in the end.
Nevertheless, Alex would not simply roll over for this man, no matter what the threat. "Back the fuck off, Skinner!" He whispered angrily.
Still directly behind the seated man, the AD laughed harshly then bent down and kissed Alex's cheek.
"Alex...Alex...Alex...your tone of voice says one thing but your body tells another story. I can feel your blood pulsing through your veins. Any faster and your carotid will pop." Skinner pressed his thumb hard against Alex's artery momentarily rendering the agent paralysed. "I can take you, Alex...whenever I want. Anywhere, any place. Fortunately for you I'm here for a box today, not to fuck." He reached up and grabbed the handle of a small box labelled, 'Winston'. Then he blew in Alex's ear and licked up the side of the green-eyed man's face.
Alex couldn't move, whatever Skinner was doing to him with his thumb was disabling him. The older man's tongue on his skin disgusted him. Finally Skinner released him and Alex listened to the man's retreating footsteps. He turned around finally and stared at the deserted aisle. This was a hard lesson that he'd had to learn. Alex realized that he needed to be ready at all times; he took a good hard look at his surroundings. No wonder he seemed to always wind up the victim. Here he was, a dangerous, obsessive stalker and an equally obsessive superior both trying to get a piece of him and he had made it easier for them.
//Sitting in a remote, cramped dark basement that's good, Alex...real smart!//
Alex cut the argument going on in his brain off. He used to consider himself smart, but lately, he'd been nothing but stupid.
//No more!//
His resolve firmly established, Alex picked up the file and made his way to the elevator, intending on reading the file again at his desk.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Mulder stood silently watching as his lover chewed the sides of a pencil that was perched length wise in his even white teeth. Alex was obviously deep in thought about something. Fox could see a file lying open on his blotter.
He walked through the darkened room. Alex's desk lamp was the only source of bright light. Mulder laid his hand on Alex's shoulder and said, "Hey, handsome, come here often?"
Alex's entire body coiled inward tightly, but an instant later, as soon as he had heard his lover's voice, he relaxed again. He turned in the chair to face him.
Fox saw Alex's wide eyes and despite the genuine smile on his face, the moment of fear was not hidden in the deep green depths. "What's the matter, hon?"
"Fox." Alex husked. His lover was just whom he had wanted to see. For just a fraction of a second, Alex had thought that the AD had sneaked up on him again. The AD's mind games were starting to get to him; he was saw danger lurking in every shadow now. But then his lover's melodic voice broke through the fear. Fox was here; Fox wouldn't let any one hurt him, especially Skinner. "Boy, am I glad to see you." He pulled his lover down to his level and gave him a passionate kiss.
Mulder sank to his knees and rested between Alex's legs. Alex's features changed and now all he could see on the beautiful man's face was lust. Fox grinned and then returned the kiss. He pushed the younger man's body back so that Alex was leaning comfortably in the chair. Fox continued to kiss Alex, uncaring and unworried some one would see them. Everyone in this office had cut out ages ago.
Everyone except for Alex.
He cupped his lover's burgeoning hard on and jammed his tongue further into Alex's eager mouth. Horny, Mulder gave the sensitive balls another tight squeeze then he pulled back and slightly away from his lover. He was still perched between Alex's legs but he was no longer pushing him into the soft padded back of the chair.
"Every time you want to avoid a topic, you kiss me. Not that I'm complaining, mind you."
Alex interrupted..."I just wanted to kiss you, Fox. I haven't talked to you all day. I missed you." He chewed on his lower lip, and gave his lover a sideways glance, blinking his lashes seductively.
Smiling, Mulder knew full well what Alex was up to ... he was still trying to change the subject. "Well, I missed you to. Which is why I kissed you back. But you still haven't answered my question. What's wrong? For a second there, you were afraid. Then you saw it was me and you relaxed." Mulder ran his hands up Alex's strong thighs. "What is it, Alex? Tell me."
Alex chewed harder on his bottom lip, this time unintentionally enticing Fox.
//Secrets...again with the secrets.// He thought.
While Alex contemplated his reply, an unseen observer stood in the shadows. The watcher had been there for a while and watched as the two men kissed passionately then came apart.
April's stared angrily at the two men, her face a mask of rage. She had just come into the bullpen when the door opened behind her almost immediately. She jumped out of the way silently, and observed Fox Mulder as he watched Alex. She cloaked her presence from both men by sliding around the dark side of a large cement pillar. Coming upon Alex this way was for once, an accident. She couldn't believe it, only home a few weeks and that invading vampire Fox Mulder had already moved in on her man.
//When did he appear?// She asked herself.
//I knew he was mind-controlling Alex. Well, time to make Agent Krycek disappear.//
For the past two-weeks she had been refurbishing a room in what was formerly her family's house. April had grown up in the large colonial, but her parents had sold when she left the nest. The aging couple didn't need such a big home.
The current owners of the colonial were away in Europe for six months. They had hired her to watch the place only a couple of weeks before, unaware she used to live in the rapidly aging house.
The room April refurbished was small and tucked away, off of the dark laundry room in the basement. Little more than a glorified walk in closet, it had been used as a temporary hold for illegal whiskey in the hungry thirties. The secret hiding place had a smaller than average toilet nestled between the wall and a minute sink perched atop a claw-footed chrome base. April had purchased a single mattress bed that just fit in the room with only a couple of feet to spare on either end. The room was not that much bigger than a jail cell with a ceiling height of 7 feet.
April slammed the door she had made herself and slid the iron bar she had welded in place. Her mother had told her that men had once hidden out in this secret room. The door was a small opening in the laundry room wall, an entrance way so small, that April could hide it by rolling a large bookshelf in front of it.
"Well..." she said out loud. "...it's going to follow tradition and hide another man."
The young woman honestly believed that she was saving Alex Krycek from Fox Mulder and others like him. She planned on taking Alex and deprogramming him. She thought that Mulder was controlling Alex as if Mulder was some diabolical cult leader. She knew that if she could only have him alone, her green-eyed lover would denounce men, and turn to her. April Gallagher had lost her feeble grasp on sanity. Now she lived only to drag Alex down with her into her own deep dark personal madness.
Soon, April was going to try and take Alex, before the stupid feds figure things out and come knocking on her door. She forced her thoughts away from the fun she and he reluctant lover would have, and concentrated on the here and now...
Mulder and Alex...
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Secrets had always got Alex into trouble; it was time to admit to Fox what had been happening. "It's Skinner, Fox." Alex finally said. He studied his lover closely, worried of how he would react.
Mulder's features clouded over and he frowned, but otherwise, he appeared calm.
"What about him." Came the tight-voiced reply.
Alex hesitated for a second, ashamed to admit that he was beginning to be spooked all over again. "Well, he's really freaking me out. He's...he's...cornered me a few times." Alex didn't like the dark look looming over Fox's face; he hurried out with the rest. "Skinner intimated that he'd do it again...rape me that is." Finished Alex in a whisper. He looked directly into Mulder's eyes, seeking re-assurance. "I'm afraid, Fox, and I'm ashamed to admit it to you." Sighed Alex. He lowered his eyes to his carpet beneath his feet.
April couldn't really hear what the men were saying to each other. But from the looks on their faces, whatever her baby Alex was saying to Mulder, it was pissing him off.
"FUCKING BASTARD!" Roared Mulder. He jumped up to a standing position. "How dare he! He's trying to get under my skin...I'll teach him to...
April smiled, so now Mulder was getting a good dose of what it felt like when another poached on your 'territory'. She watched as her lover jumped up quickly too.
"Fox, No! No!" Alex put his hand on Fox's arm. "I'll take care of this in my own way. This is the reason I didn't want to tell you. You're letting this make you crazy."
The comments froze the agent midway through his growing rage. He suddenly realized that this wasn't about him. It was about Alex and how he was afraid, afraid and ashamed. He berated himself silently and reaching out he pulled Alex to his chest and hugged Alex tightly. "I'm so sorry, doll face."
"I know." Alex snuggled closer to his lover. He felt safe again, with Fox by his side; he'd handle Skinner somehow.
"I can't help but get crazy with jealousy." Mulder squeezed tighter.
"I know...It's why I love you, Fox. For some crazy reason, you think I'm worth the trouble." He tilted his face up towards his slightly taller lover.
Mulder whispered, "I love you." Very softly then pressed his lips to his beloved's.
April watched and her hopes deflated with the passionate kiss. For a few minutes, it looked like Alex might toss his slut lover away but obviously, that was wishful thinking on her part.
Nope, Alex was hers and it was time to bring him home.
//Doll face?// She didn't know if she had heard Mulder right or not. //Hmmm. Doll face...I like that. It suits him.//
She quietly snuck back out of the dark room. Her job was to clean the entire floor tonight, but instead, April walked out in the beginning of her shift. The consequences of her doing so no longer mattered.
"You're not alone anymore, Alex. Together we will figure out what to do about Skinner." Mulder kissed the tip of Alex's nose.
The younger man smiled; the resulting contented grin was full of love for the older Agent. "Let's go to my place. I need a good cuddle." Alex quickly cleared the top of his desk and then locked all of the drawers.
"Well, I'm always up for a little snuggling." Mulder watched Alex as straightened everything left on his desktop. The young agent picked up the garbage can and emptied it into the next desk's can. "Don't you have a janitor who comes in to do that?" He asked.
"Yeah." Replied Alex over his shoulder. "But she's freaky and I don't want her near my stuff."
Mulder shrugged and Alex turned off his lamp.
Fox playfully screamed. "Unhand me you, cad." He said in a falsetto voice.
Alex laughed and grabbed Mulder's elbow, the bullpen was dimly lit and as soon as his eyes adjusted, he said, "Stop fooling around. Let's get out of here before she shows up."
"This place is a wreck." Declared Mulder, not caring that his own hotel suite was in worse shape. Soon, he'd be moving in with Alex and Mulder couldn't wait.
"I know. The cleaning service keeps jamming out on me, they promised to have a crew of maids here tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath." Alex looked around; all his stuff had been unpacked. Unfortunately, the people who had done the unpacking for Alex had left a big mess. Prints on the carpets, dirt on the walls. Alex's apartment needed a good sanitizing.
"Well then, let's go dirty the sheets."
"I do the laundry, Fox, not the cleaning ladies." Commented Alex absently; he wandered over to his balcony doors and looked skyward.
Mulder stared lovingly at the rear view of Alex's form for a few seconds. Then he shut the lights out in the living room and went to his lover. He wrapped his arms around his waist; the two of them were back to chest, standing in the dark. Both gazed out at the view for a few seconds content to be close, but not satisfied with that for long. Mulder bumped his hard-on into Alex's ass. "Come on, doll face, let's go to bed, we both have early starts the rest of this week."
Alex turned around in Fox's arms. "How come you call me doll face?" He asked, curious. "I'm a man, in case you haven't noticed. Doll face is for women." He rested his cheek against Mulder's shoulder and neck and listened to the comforting 'thump' of his love's heartbeat.
"Because my sister had a Ken doll to go with her Barbie. He had deep green eyes, just like yours. Malibu Ken turned me on. It was then that I knew that I liked boys more than girls." He kissed the top of Alex's head and led him toward the bedroom, quipping, "Ken was my first crush."
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"Alex, the phone is for you." Mulder held the kitchen phone out at arms length and shoved in a large piece of English muffin into his mouth.
Alex came running from the direction of the bedroom, putting on his suit jacket as he went.
"It's Dave, the door man." Mumbled Mulder around another bite of his breakfast.
Alex smiled and took the receiver. "Hey, Dave." As Alex spoke, Mulder took the opportunity to straighten his tie, clucking because Alex's sense of centre was so off. The two of them were both running late this morning, the result of staying up all night screwing.
Mulder yawned then satisfied to Alex's appearance; he muttered, "My job here is done." He released Alex's tie.
"No. I'm on my way down. Have them wait there and I'll give her the key then. I want to meet them first." Alex hung up. "The elusive cleaning ladies have finally showed up. Come on let's go, we're late...again." On the way out, Alex snagged a banana for his own missed breakfast.
Down in the lobby, Alex handed over a key to his apartment to the lady in charge. "Leave it with Dave when you're done." He instructed. Then he and Mulder left together for the office.
April was keeping a close eye on Alex's apartment from across the street. She sat a small table in a curb side cafe. She sipped her iced coffee and watched as Alex - plainly visible through the apartment buildings glass front - gave a key to the cleaning ladies. There were four of them. Alex took off with his 'lover' - that word left a bad taste in her mouth.
She decided to stay and see what was going on. Obviously, they were there to clean Alex's apartment. The large pink mini-van was a give-away. The doorman directed three of the women into the elevator. One pushed a giant cart in which mops and brooms and an extra long duster stuck out of colourfully, like a peacock's tail. The other two, carried baskets brimming with various cleaning supplies. The door closed and the women started up. The fourth lady went back to the company van and moved it to a spot in the secure underground lot.
April saw her way of getting into Alex's apartment building un-noticed.
She left the pleasant cafe and quickly climbed into her car and drove across the street, where she loitered near the parking garage. It didn't take very long for the heavy steel barred gate to lift up. Out came a black BMW and April quickly pulled from the side of the road into the driveway. She drove in as the car drove out. The pink van was easily spotted in the visitor parking. April pulled into a spot three spaces down from the garish vehicle. Her bug was dwarfed between a carpet cleaning van and was cut off from view from the street by the cement wall. The crazy young woman sat in her car for a few minutes making sure the coast was clear. She finally got out and went to the van. She smiled; stupid women didn't lock the doors. They probably thought that their van was safe from thieves.
//Well, this will teach them that crime occurs in every neighbourhood.//
April climbed inside the van. When she emerged a few minutes later, she had everything she needed. The resourceful young woman had found a uniform smock and a spare I.D. tag that read, "Express maids employee." There was a place for a signature but luckily a picture was not required. After all, who would imitate a house cleaner? April left her car where it was... she would need it later. After donning the pink smock the young woman steered the cart she had stolen from the van over to her car. She removed a black canvas bag from the hood and squirreled it away on the cart. On the elevator ride, the very disturbed woman studied her apparel in the polished steel doors. She definitely looked like she was part of the cleaning party. The elevator opened up at the lobby, something April wasn't counting on. As soon as the doors opened a camera took her picture. She wasn't counting on that either.
"Hey, the rest of your troupe has already gone up." The doorman said amicably. He helped her out of the elevator and got her into the other elevator that would take her up to the apartments.
"I know, I'm sooo late today. I hope I don't get fired." April smiled at the homely man, who returned the grin.
"I certainly hope you don't either."
As soon as the doors shut, she dropped her smile. April had no intention of getting near Alex's apartment. She stepped off the elevator and quietly pushed her cart to the stairs exit. Safely hidden away, April settled in and waited for the ladies to finish.
Exactly two hours from when they had arrived, the women stepped back into the hall. April, hidden in the stair well, watched them until they the elevator took them away. She could only hope that Dave the attentive doorman did not notice that she didn't leave with the others. April used a key to Alex's apartment that she had come across one night while snooping through his desk drawers at work. It was taped to the top, inside of his middle drawer. Once the door was open April pushed the cart in then followed it.
Fascinated, April walked around the entire apartment touching this and that, gently running her fingertips over Alex's things as if caressing them was somehow the same as touching her precious Alex. She went to pet the large tabby cat perched on a bare bookshelf near a sunny window, but the cat hissed at her and ran away.
"Flea bag." She muttered.
After exploring the whole place, April started to set up. If Alex came home on time, he'd be back at 6:00 PM; however, he could be later or even earlier, it was best to just be ready. She pulled the bag out from the cleaning cart; there was quite an array of toys in her bag. To the apartment she had brought: handcuffs, a black leather blindfold, a ball gag to match, pepper spray, a replica police night stick and a Ziploc baggie.
Inside the plastic was a white cotton rag that had been pre-soaked with her homemade version of chloroform.
April had stuffed the sweater she had been wearing into her bag before replacing it with the cleaning company's smock into the canvass bag and inside the pocket of the sweater was her J.E.H. Building Employee I.D. tag. April left the room to stow the large cart in which she would hide Alex out of sight, on the veranda.
Chester, the tabby, nosed through the black bag his eyes were caught by the shiny plastic laminate tag. He bit the corner of the tag and ran to his favourite sleeping place - a cushioned cat house in the corner of Alex's bedroom. Chester dropped the shiny tag in the centre of his pillow, circled several times, seeking just the right position. Then he dropped down on top of the evidence and settled in for his mid morning nap.
April came in from outside, she had just picked up the handles of the bag when suddenly she heard the slide of a key entering the lock. With her heart thumping wildly, April took off for the bedroom. She hid in the dark depths of the walk in closet and while she waited, the quick thinking girl carefully pulled on a pair of latex gloves and a set of swimmer's goggles. She pulled out the pepper spray and the police stick and held one in each hand. She didn't know who was coming into the apartment It didn't matter anyway; she planned on ambushing who ever it was. To her deranged delight, April saw her lovely Alex come storming into the bedroom, his back was to her and he seemed to be searching through the nightstand drawer.
"SHIT-O-SHIT-O-SHIT! Where is it?" Alex pulled opened his nightstand drawer; he was desperately searching for a file on a serial kidnapper that he was supposed to present to his AD today. After tearing through the kitchen, Alex remembered that he had last worked on the papers in bed last night. There they were, right on top of everything else. He didn't remember shoving the papers into the drawer, but then, he could have; Mulder, horny and demanding, diverted his attention away from the kidnapper. He smiled.
"Alex."
Alex heard a woman's voice say his name softly. He whirled around immediately and was greeted by a thick stream of stinging pepper spray. "Ahhhh..." He screamed.
Despite being blinded by the liquid, he still attempted to draw his sidearm.
The goggles protected her from the pepper spray. She got in close and then forced herself to club her beloved with the baton on the left the side of his head.
Alex felt the burn of the spray and then a bright light exploded behind his lids, but after that, Alex knew no more. His scrunched up eyes relaxed and he crumpled to the carpet in a neat heap.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"DISMISSED." Skinner said pleasantly. All the people seated at the table stood. Alex turned to Mulder and said quietly. "I forgot some paper work at home. I'm going to need it when I meet with Jack later this afternoon. I'm going to take off and get it." He looked at his feet, his discomfort at being in the same room with Skinner was obvious to his lover.
Walter, as the AD in charge of the bombing case, had called the meeting. He had asked Jack Stebbings to send Alex to the meeting at the last minute. The young agent wasn't really needed. Walter just wanted to see him squirm ... Mulder too.
Along with Alex and Fox, Agent Madison and Scully were present too. Madison's regular partner was needed elsewhere. Skinner saw the opportunity for Dana to possibly reconcile with her partner, and assigned her to the case. Mulder worked alone, he preferred it that way. Sean Matthew's, another profiler also attended. He sat to Alex's left and Mulder, sat to his lover's right.
Throughout the briefing, Skinner slowly circled the table of agents.
To Alex, it felt as if the older man was stalking him, a king snake seeking the unaware rodent.
Mulder eyed his former AD carefully; he knew damn well what the man was up too.
Skinner, by continuing to slowly circle, was trying to intimidate Alex. Many people moved around while they spoke during meetings. Skinner's norm however, was to stand at the head of the table and command the audience. His walking around and around would seem like an innocent enough activity to the other agents. But three of them would know better.
Alex tried to ignore Skinner's movements.
He kept silent through out the whole briefing, concentrating on keeping his mind on the progress of the investigation, which meant he put up the AD's annoyingly slow circle of the table.
Mulder however, could not ignore it.
"Okay." Fox said quietly. "I've got work to do here." He glanced to his left, right at Skinner who was talking to Scully. Mulder frowned. "Why is she here?" he asked, still staring at the duo.
Alex spoke and Mulder turned back to him. "Give her a second chance, Fox. You gave me one." He smiled gently.
Fox blinked, his beautiful Alex had such a good heart. "No...it was you who gave me a second chance." He countered, returning the smile.
"Please Fox. For me? Give it one more try."
"Okay, only because you asked me to. I'll see how she conducts herself on this investigation." Mulder finally relented.
"That's my boy." Alex purred softly. It was only he and Fox and Skinner and Scully left in the room. So he didn't care if the two of them heard him or not. "I gotta go. I've got a huge day today. I'll try to phone you later." He kissed Mulder's soft lips, lingered for a second or two, then pulled back and left.
Mulder waited until he was sure his lover was gone before he went over to Skinner and Scully. "Dana." He greeted in a tone just slightly warmer than the chilly one he usually reserved for her.
"Mulder." She replied, in the same manner.
"I need to talk to AD Skinner. Can you excuse us please?" He levelled Scully a look with out even realizing he was doing so.
The former partner understood the look and extended an olive branch. "Sure. I'll phone you later?" She knew that Fox had something personal to say to the AD.
"Okay. On my cell." Mulder smiled then turned his icy hazel glare to his former lover. Scully left, shutting the door behind her.
As soon as they were alone, Mulder said, "Don't you ever lay your hands on Alex again." Mulder didn't shout however, he kept his voice calm and even.
Skinner smiled evilly. "What's the matter, Fox? Jealous? I never even laid a finger on him during the briefing."
Mulder ignored the AD's taunts. "You think I don't know what you're up to? There was only one reason why Alex was here at this meeting today. It was so you could mind-rape him all over again, this time with an audience looking on. You wanted to provoke me...well...you succeeded. I'm telling you I'm not going to put up with it, Walter. Alex told me about you cornering him. The only reason why he hasn't hit you is because he doesn't want an insubordination charge in his jacket on top of the reprimand you managed to stick in there!"
The large man smiled. So Alex was freaked out by being alone with him, but not quite enough to strike out at him. Too bad, he could have made the insubordination charge stick too. Walter stared at Fox's angry face and he wondered what it was that Alex had that Mulder wanted. A year ago, Fox Mulder wouldn't have stood up to him, now he was. That little whore must be really good in bed. Walter wished he could find out; after all, the point to rape was not reciprocation. Well, he'd never have the chance to find out. Because no matter how much he enjoyed terrorizing the young agent, it was Mulder that he ultimately wanted back.
"Touch him again...Or try another brain fuck like today..." The irate agent threatened menacingly, stepping in close to his former lover. Skinner's grinning face pissed him off. "...I'll go to the Director myself and tell him everything. I don't give a shit how I come out of this looking. All that will matter is that you are a fag who bashes around his lover. I'll make sure your career in the bureau is good and dead. And if the Director won't believe me then I'll go to the fucking newspapers. I already warned you about this once. Now, you've had your chance. The next time I won't be talking to you." He stormed out of the briefing room, slamming the door after himself. During his tirade, Walter had stayed silent, his face twisting into a mask of outrage the only indication that Mulder had made his point.
The irate agent was glad that he'd had the satisfaction at least of seeing that bald bastard's triumphant grin slide right off his face.
April couldn't believe that it had been that easy. How lucky for her that Alex had come back for something. She didn't dare to remove the goggles; the smell of pepper spray was still heavy in the air. The obsessed young woman stared at her 'catch' through the acrylic. She dropped her two weapons and squatted down next to Alex. She was afraid that she had hurt him more than she intended to. His pulse was racing and there was a lump forming where she had hit him in the head, but otherwise, he seemed okay. April flipped Alex over to his belly and quickly cuffed his hands behind his back. The activity elicited a groan from deep within the semi-conscious man's chest.
"You're going to be fine." Whispered April as she ran the tip of her finger around the rim of Alex's elfin ear. Knowing that she was going to have to work fast, she reluctantly pulled her hand away from her beloved.
There would be time to linger over his body later, when they were alone.
First, April rolled Alex onto his back and dug the prepared rag out from her bag of toys. She pressed the pre-soaked rag directly over Alex's nose and mouth. The unconscious man had no choice but to inhale the concoction. After a five minutes, she pulled the cloth away.
Her break with reality was almost complete.
April Gallagher, shy young woman hopelessly in love with an unattainable man, had ceased to exist. She was now, just April.... Able to do whatever she wanted. After re-sealing the cloth in the Ziploc baggie, she shoved it back into the canvass bag. Next out was the disposable camera and a sharp bowie knife.
April pulled a chair over from the corner of the bedroom and placed it next to the prone man. Then she stood up on it and took Alex's picture from above. She put the camera aside and removed the agent's expensive suit jacket by cutting it off. Then she got back up on the chair and took another photo. After each item of clothing was removed, the young woman had stood in the same position and snapped a frame. Once Alex was completely naked, she posed him provocatively and snapped another photo.
//That one ought to drive Mulder crazy.// Thought April. She licked her lips at the sight of Alex's maleness. His ample endowment would bring her much pleasure, she could hardly wait.
April took two more items out of the bag and repeated the rituals the same as when she had been undressing Agent Krycek. She snapped a picture when Alex was outfitted with the ball gag and then when he had the blindfold on. The black leather was soft and supple, molding to the distinct contours of Alex's face.
Before putting the gag in Alex's mouth, April bent down and kissed his soft lips. Then she sat back and studied her reluctant lover. He was in her power now, hers alone to control in the games they would play. April's panties were wet just seeing her stud trussed up in such a way. Afterwards, the photo-session completed, April put Alex's black boxer brief shorts back on him. Those, she did not need to cut off.
The pictures she had been taking were meant for Fox Mulder alone. They were her idea of an insult. She wanted to make Mulder insane with jealousy, just as he had her. Despite being crazy, April was still cunning. She knew Mulder would come looking for Alex eventually, and when he showed up here, his only clue to his where-a-bouts would be the pictures. That's all Mulder would ever see of Alex again...she planned on keeping the agent for good.
It was time to go.
April placed the camera on the top of Alex's dresser, it was up to Mulder to notice it. After double-checking to make sure her love was still out of it, she quickly dashed out to the sundeck and retrieved the large cart hidden out there.
It took the petite girl some manoeuvring, but she managed to manipulate the 180lb man into the large cupboard like compartment almost the whole size of the entire cart. As she was shifting Alex, his cell phone shrilled out, April ignored the nuisance and left it where it was in the pocket of the suit. A large garbage can sat at the front end of the cart and various solvents and assorted rags perched atop the cart. April still wore the latex gloves, she didn't want Mulder to find out her name too soon, they would eventually, she didn't care if they did, she just didn't want to help them.
It was time to leave, with one last look around; April pushed the cart into the hall and re-locked the door. She had planned an elaborate lie for the doorman in case she ran into him, but as luck would have it, again, he was busy outside the building helping a pregnant lady into a cab. He didn't even turn around. Even if he did, the doorman would never have guessed in a million years that he was witnessing the kidnapping of a federal agent.
Switching elevators quickly, April was in the underground parking before Dave came inside. At her car, again she used all the strength her slight frame had - which was actually quite considerable - and stuffed Alex into the back seat of the bug. She covered the handsome bundle that was Alex up with a dark grey wool blanket. The she peeled off the gloves and the smock and stuffed them into the garbage can on the cart, which she left behind. April of course, made sure to take her canvass bag with her. She climbed into the bug and started it. The ancient car sputtered to life and she took off.
Back at his desk, Mulder dialled Alex's cell again.
// Still no answer.//
He hung up and started going through the notes from the cop canvas at the scene of the library bombing and the particulars of the fire at the Pirates nest. He noticed that an old version VW was seen near the scenes of both fire and bombing sites.
//Could it be the perp's vehicle. Or just a coincidence?// He asked himself.
Mulder picked up his phone again and this time he dialled Alex's desk phone, leaving a message for his lover there too. Knowing he was being a pain in the ass, Mulder dialled Alex's cell one more time, he swore softly when the call went unanswered. He left a message with the voice mail.
"Hey Alex, where are you? I might be onto something, call me." Mulder tried Scully's phone, which she picked up on the second ring.
"Dana Scully." She said pleasantly.
"Scully? It's me."
"Hey Mulder, what's up?"
"I found a connection with the two cases, other than Alex that is."
"What is it?" She asked, sitting up straight in her chair. Scully could feel the thrill of the hunt setting in.
"An older model black VW was seen across the street from the Pirate's Nest and down the block from the library."
"Well, it's a weak lead, but still very plausible. Have you told anyone else yet?"
"Well, I phoned Alex but he's not answering..."
Scully felt a small pang of envy course through her. There was a time when Mulder would have thought of her first. She regretted her behaviour before she and Mulder split the partnership. But only because it was the root of their separation. She still didn't care for Alex Krycek, but for Mulder's sake, she would tolerate him. Scully didn't think that the sable-haired agent would be going anywhere soon.
"...so then I thought of you." Mulder babbled on, unaware, of course, of Scully's thoughts.
That made Scully smile.
"I guess I better phone Skinner and Madison to let them know. Jesus, Scully, I hope this is the break we've been waiting for."
"Well we won't know that until we investigate." She said reasonably. "You phone Madison tell him to start a re-canvass of the area around the bombsite. Tell him I'll meet him there to help." Scully was all business now. "Is there a mention of who placed the VW at the library?"
Mulder smiled, he'd heard Scully's voice. She was interested in the twice-divorced Agent Madison. Fox conjured the man's face. Craggy, but handsome. He'd give Scully a good run for her money. However, he did not dare speak his thoughts to his former partner. "Yeah, a guy name Freddie, he lives in a dumpster down the block, the exact location of the tin-condo is not named. Mulder couldn't help it he laughed and so did Scully. The thought of Madison and Scully searching through garbage to find Freddie was too much.
Suddenly it felt like old times again.
Scully stopped laughing. "I'll phone AD Skinner if you want." She offered.
"Thanks, that would probably be best." Mulder had other things to focus on now. "I'll check the VW angle. Phone me when you anything and I'll do the same."
After the two had said goodbye, Fox stared at the receiver. Alex was right, he did miss Scully more then he realized. Maybe after this they could talk about partnering again in the serial crimes unit.
He tried Alex's cell again and slammed it down in frustration when he got his lovers husky, recorded greeting. Fox looked at his watch, it was 1:00 in the afternoon already, where had the time gone? As usual he'd lost himself in a case.
//Of course!// Thought Mulder, //Alex is in the office with Jack and the other profilers.//
On Fridays, the profiling department always met and did a case by case review. Sounding out ideas and theories to their peers, often helped with an investigation. Barring an emergency, Alex would be in conference until at least 5:00.
This wasn't an emergency, so Mulder decided it could wait until his busy lover was done.
"Sean, where the hell is Alex?" Grouched Jack. He was pissed off; they were waiting for Alex to show.
"I don't know Jack. He went home for a file. Last I heard; he was coming to the meeting." Sean shrugged; he wasn't Alex's keeper.
"Fine. Let's get started then. I'll deal with him later."
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Madison handed his cell phone to Scully. She dialled Mulder's number and he organized his notes. They had just gotten a very lucky break in the case.
"Mulder. It's me." She said half excitedly. "Freddie turned out to be a homeless guy who's got a slightly diminished capacity..."
"Shit..." Mulder cut in.
"No. Actually in this case it's good news..."
"No I mean shit...the computers just went. I was in the middle of eliminating black Volkswagen owners when the error message..."
"Shut up and listen Mulder." Scully wrested back control of the conversation. "Our guy Freddie, who lives in the dumpster, is a savant. His specialty is number and letter sequences. He likes license plates, Mulder." Her voice was hopeful.
"Get on with it Scully...."
"He gave us the year of the car and the license plate." She recited the particulars to Mulder then finished the phone call by saying, "Go to the third floor. Company geeks will be all over the computer problem. Maybe they can help you run down that plate. Madison and I will meet you back at the bureau." With that she hung up without saying goodbye.
Mulder immediately dialled Alex's cell. He wondered where Alex was when his voice mail answered his call. He assumed that the meeting must have been running late. The recorded Alex finished speaking it was Mulder's turn. "Hey doll face, sorry to be such a pain in the ass with all these messages. I'll make it up to you later...." That made Fox grin, "....any way, Scully and Madison found the plate of a car that was near the bombing. The computers are down so I'm off to find another way to run down the numbers. I'll talk to you later. Phone me."
He hung up and went to find the computer geeks. Once he had, they advised him to go to the cop shop and run the license plate numbers. The main frame wasn't off line, just the building's computer system. Some geek in inadvertently activated a virus while trying to hack into a hacker's personal computer.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Madison, Mulder and Scully ate Chinese food and reviewed their papers. The plate search turned up a name and a face. Elizabeth April Gallagher. Fox mentioned to the other two that her face was familiar to him but not her name. He said that thought she had cut and dyed her hair since she'd had her license photo taken, but he was positive that it was the girl who had worked in the cafeteria. Then she moved on to custodial work. "Now that I think about it. It seems to me that everywhere we went, she seemed to show up. In the coffee shop, the park, even at a sushi bar once. Alex said we saw her all the time because she probably lived in the area, it was a trendy neighbourhood."
"Are you and Agent Krycek screwing?" Madison asked incredulously.
Scully gasped and choked on a won ton.
Mulder sat up straight and looked Madison straight in the eye. "And if I am?" He said quietly.
Madison held up his hands, "And nothing. It's none of my business, but it would have been nice to know that you were the mystery lover at the Pirates' Nest. He should have told us Mulder, you should have told me."
"Skinner and I already knew." Scully defended her former partner. "Krycek didn't want Mulder brought into this if it could be helped."
"But he is involved, you shouldn't be on this investigation Mulder. You're part of it."
Scully looked between the two men. "Listen, Dave, I know this isn't exactly what's in the rule books. But Mulder's name isn't important to the investigation...not really, if it becomes so then I'll kick him off the case." She raised a cinnamon eyebrow and smiled at Mulder.
Never the one to adhere strictly to the rulebook, Madison agreed.
"Now...." Sully said, "....give me that!" She snatched the photo from Mulder's hand. "Jesus, you're right. It's the eyes, they're so...so...dead."
"I don't recall her." Madison piped in. Plucking the picture out of Scully's tiny hand.
"So, where is Agent Krycek?" Madison asked, putting the photo down.
"I don't know. I haven't been able to reach him all day."
Suddenly, it hit all three agents at once. None of them had seen or spoken to Alex since the progress meeting in the morning.
Mulder picked up his cell phone and searched out a number. Once he had it, he pushed the dial button. He was calling Jack Stebbings'. Mulder looked grim throughout the whole one-sided conversation. Finally, Mulder hung up. He squeezed the back of his neck; the nigglings of a migraine were coming on. "Jack says that Alex pulled a no show for today's profiler pow-wow. He hasn't seen or talked to him all day." Fox was starting to really get scared.
"Okay. So no one has seen Alex this morning." Madison said rationally. "Scully and I'll go to Gallagher's place, I'll phone Skinner. The warrants are signed; we just needed a name with which to fill in the blanks. In the mean time, I suggest you try to locate Agent Krycek."
While Madison filled in Skinner, Mulder drew Scully aside. "Scully, I'm worried. What if she's the stalker? What if something has happened to Alex? He usually tells me his movements throughout the day. Him not making that meeting really scares me."
The tiny red head patted his arm. "Alex can look after himself." She reassured. "I mean, he could have been called away out of town for a case. Jack Stebbings' is a good guy, but he's got so much on the go, he could have sent Alex out of town and forgotten. Let's not jump to conclusions...yet."
"You're right." Mulder didn't believe a word of it he was sure something was wrong. "I know that name." He mused out loud. "I'm so fucked up with worry that I can't remember anything right now!" He was frustrated, normally his eidetic memory served him well.
"You need to calm down Mulder, your perfect memory will return then...."
"Scully, let's fly. The warrants are done, all we need to do is pick them up."
Scully turned from Madison to Mulder. "He's fine, Mulder. Keep in touch." She instructed then left with the other agent.
Mulder took a deep calming breath. He cleared his thoughts....and then it came to him. He remembered where he had heard the name Gallagher before. He took off for Alex's desk. Once there, he picked the lock on the middle drawer and pulled out the file Alex had on his family's murders.
There it was. In very small print. The name 'Elizabeth Gallagher.' The much younger sister of Turner Gallagher. She wouldn't have been very old at the time of the crimes. Only ten or so. Her brother was barely twenty-one when he broke into the upscale New York apartment. Alex had only just turned fourteen a few weeks before.
He slammed the desk drawer shut. The bullpen was abandoned. Had Alex realized that the enamoured girl already knew who he was? Probably no or Alex would have said so. Why was she working at the J.E.H? To see Alex? To keep a close eye on the man who had made sure her brother stayed in jail for his whole sentence? Most likely so then somewhere along the way, her focus shifted so that her hobby became an obsession.
Mulder dialled Alex's home number. Impatient for the machine to start recording. "Alex it's me. Were looking for Turner Gallagher's sister. She goes by the name April. If you're home Alex, stay put. I'm on my way." Fox grabbed Krycek's file and took off for his lover's place.
He couldn't stop the panic from creeping in.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Dirty deeds,
done dirt cheap.
AC/DC
Scully used the butt of her halogen flashlight to bang on April's apartment door.
April wasn't answering.
The young woman's last known residence was located in a seedy part of Washington proper. How Mulder could think that the woman lived in Alex's neighbourhood was beyond Scully. Especially with what the bureau would pay the young woman to clean offices at night.
//Stupid idiots.// The agent mused, //So in love they can't see the ugliness of the world around them. //
A pang of longing surged through Scully. It would be nice to be in love again, she gave Madison a quick glance. He certainly seemed like an interesting guy.
An unfamiliar voice spoke to the partners from across the hall; pulling Scully out from inside of her head.
"She ain't home so you can quit pounding."
Agent Dave Madison showed the dishevelled man a picture of Gallagher, "You know this tenant? Elizabeth Gallagher."
"Yeah, she goes by April and she's one Pepsi short of a six-pack..." Snorted the autonomous neighbour, he noted the hard stare from both agents and cleared his throat.. "...Yeah, I know her so what if I do?" Taking on a defensive tone.
Scully immediately crossed over to the man. "You know where she went?"
"What am I, her secretary? I don't know where she's gone! She's like right fucking out of it. Who knows where a space cadet like her would disappear to anyway? I don't know and I don't care. I ain't seen her in two weeks now and it's been the best two weeks I've had in this shithole...."
Scully scowled at the nosy neighbour and ignoring him while he was still speaking, she turned to her partner. "KickitDave." She instructed.
The man pulled his head back into his apartment like a retreating turtle. He wondered what shit the young woman had stepped into now.
Madison braced himself in the frame and one solid kick later the flimsy door gave way.
The two agents entered the apartment and it was obvious to them that no one had been living here for a quite while. The plants were almost dead and the air was stale; dust motes, stirred up by the puff of fresh air made Scully sneeze. The apartment was a complete mess; April had not washed a dish in months. The majority of food in the fridge was spoiled and cockroaches ran freely through the cupboards. Madison shuddered at the sight of the roaches, then he and Scully split up, each slowly, searching through the tiny dwelling.
"Scully." Madison called from the bedroom. "You better get at look at this."
Dana stepped into the tiny room and froze. She stared up at the walls amazed.
Taking up one entire bedroom wall was a mosaic of Alex; created by using hundreds of copies of the same picture of Alex. The large wall size picture was the very same as it's tiny counterparts which made it up. The artwork was astounding; neither agent could believe how life like Alex's grinning face looked from a short distance.
The two approached the wall, and immediately, the effect was lost.
"Wow. It's Krycek." Scully finally breathed, leaning forward to examine the smaller prints.
"Holy shit. This girl is talented." Madison scratched at the back of his head; the accuracy of the effect was miraculous.
Scully pulled her cell phone from her pocket.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"Oh god, what's happening?" Alex murmured once he had finally 'come to'.
His head throbbed and his stomach threatening to eject its contents any second now. The agent was less than impressed to find himself naked, face down on a small, single four poster bed; his head hung partially over the end.
"You're safe now, Alex. I've rescued you." April was in the room with the agent waiting for him to wake. She had been crouching in the corner near the tiny doorway.
Alex fought the restraints; uncaring that the handcuffs bit into his wrists. As soon as he heard the voice speak, he stopped struggling. Suddenly, Alex recalled what had taken place back at his apartment.
//This morning? Yesterday? //
"Rescue me from what, April? Why am I chained? What's going on? Let me go." He tried to keep the anxiety out of his voice and was mostly successful for his effort.
The young woman walked around to the end of the bed. She squatted down right in front of Alex. She smiled and then gently pushed back a lock of hair off her agent's sweaty forehead. "I saved you from Fox Mulder. He's a filthy demon who tried to seduce you away from me. He's brainwashed you somehow and now I'm going to have to de-program you." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Alex's wet forehead, in the very spot she had just cleared of sable brown hair. "I need to keep you chained until I'm sure the demon that exists within you is exorcised." April breathed in Alex's scent. So this was what fear smelled like. Now she knew, the power that Turner had felt....Alex was so pretty, so vulnerable.
"I can't release you, Alex. You're mine; we belong together. I'll get you through this ordeal, I know what's best for you."
"There is no 'us', April. Do you hear me! There is no us and there never will be." Alex's stomach spasmed and he started to heave over the end of the bed. There was an ice cream bucket already there to catch the liquid.
As he vomited, April, who had only moved a little ways out of the path of the waste, spoke. "Chloroform always makes one puke. Don't worry darling, you will feel better tomorrow." She was pleased to see that the swelling lump on her sweetheart's head had gone down some.
His stomach empty, Alex whispered hoarsely. "Tomorrow? What day is it?"
April captured Alex's face in here warm hands. "Today is the first day of the rest of our lives together."
She kissed him again then, on his lips, the man's breath tasted like the inside of his stomach, but she didn't care.
Alex did however, he protested and tried to pull away, but the young woman held him firm. She wanted to taste all of her reluctant lover...what did a little bad breath matter? April forced her tongue into Alex's mouth.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"It's me." Scully said automatically. "Where are you?"
"Alex's place. You?"
"I'm at Gallagher's last known. She's long gone. You better come over here and check this place out."
"Why?"
"Trust me, you have to see this to believe it." Scully was creeped out by the voyeuristic photos of Alex and Mulder that covered the other three walls. "Is Krycek with you?" She asked casually.
"No...He's not here...I don't like it, Scully." Chester arched his back and rubbed his cheek over Mulder's leg. The large tabby kept rubbing and threading his way through the agent's limbs. Fox looked down, watching the cat, as he spoke.
"Don't jump to conclusions." Krycek's giant portrait stared out at her and Madison, wide-eyed and innocent looking. She could understand Mulder's growing concern.
"Well he's not here and I've not spoken to him since this morning and he missed the big meeting. Gallagher is not there...you do the math, Scully!"
"All right. All right. Listen. Check out Alex's place first and, if you think he's missing then you had better call Skinner. He can assess the situation or call Jack Stebbings, he can go to the Director or at any rate, have a team on standby. We don't even know for sure he's missing...."
"I know that Scully. I've got a real bad feeling about this. I better go, I'll see you in a bit. Okay?"
"Don't be long..."
Mulder hung up. He reached down to pet Chester; the cat had never been this friendly toward him before. Though the feline had been slowly deigning to allow Mulder to feed him and let him out.
Chester darted away quickly, but stopped running a few short feet and sat down, staring expectantly at Mulder.
"Silly cat." The agent murmured as he turned away; then Fox forgot about Chester.
He looked around the kitchen, neat as a pin. Same for the rest of the place. The cleaners scrubbed the apartment down. If a crime had taken place here, it wasn't obvious. He went to the answering machine and pushed the play button. All messages were from him.
//God, Alex is going to think that I'm a stalker next. //
He turned and left the apartment. Obviously Alex wasn't there.
In the elevator, Mulder tried Alex's cell again. No answer, just the voice mail.
// Shit! Where is he? //
Ignoring the ringing noise coming from the pocket Chester nosed the abandoned suit, his master's scent was still in the fabric.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"Jesus Christ." Exclaimed Fox. He was standing next to Scully and Madison, starring at the large picture Alex. "It's beautiful." He said finally. "I wonder if it means anything?" Madison said, half-joking half-serious.
"I'm sure it does. We need a head shrinker to tell us what though." Scully replied dryly.
"She's kidnapped Alex." Mulder forced his gaze away from his lover's gigantic eyes. "I know it and there's too much evidence to say otherwise...."
"... And not enough to prove it. Dave and I have been all over this place we couldn't find a trace of Krycek." Scully retorted sensibly.
"We already used our open warrants on this place. So she better be the 'one'." Madison entered the conversation. "But for the record, I'm with Mulder; I think Ms. Gallagher is our culprit too. A forensic team is on the way. If Krycek was here, they'll know it." Just as Madison was talking about the team, they had arrived. The leader of which, knocked and walked in simultaneously.
"O'Reilly." The expert said to Madison. O'Reilly entered the tiny living space. "What a dump." He muttered to no one in particular. He stared at the walls for a second. "If I'm not mistaken that's Alex Krycek's face on the wall." He commented, again, to no one specific.
"Yes it is. Go over this place with a fine-toothed comb. We think this woman is involved with the disappearance of agent Krycek." Madison nodded to the expert, who walked away and started in on the task. He glanced at his watch then reached into his coat pocket and retrieved the Polaroid's that he had taken of the walls using his own camera. Madison gave to Scully who pocketed the snaps.
The older agent turned and said to Dana. "...AD Skinner is aware of the situation. He's going to work the administrative end of this and leave the leg work up to up to us."
"I'm in on this too." Mulder insisted before going back into the bedroom for one last look around. Mulder could not even begin to guess exactly how many photos of Alex and himself there were on the four walls. He supposed that was something the evidence people would find out. "Unbelievable." He said softly.
"I know." O'Reilly had come to stand next to Mulder. He had an instant camera too and began to take more photos.
Mulder spoke to O'Reilly as the man worked. "That bitch. I know she has him. I know it."
"Go back to the office Agent Mulder, we have a lot of work to do. I'll call Madison as soon as we know something."
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Back at Alex's apartment, the three agents discussed the case.
"We don't know that she's done anything wrong Mulder. For that matter, Alex might not even be missing."
"It's one o'clock in the morning Scully. I haven 't seen or spoken to him since yesterday morning. No one has. Where the fuck do you think he is!" Mulder's voice had slowly risen and ended with him shouting at his former partner.
Madison shot Scully a 'don't get him started' look, but she ignored her new partner's glare. "Alex is a grown man, maybe he's out with someone else tonight."
Madison sighed…why the red head would provoke Mulder, especially at a time like this was beyond him. But they knew each other better than he did. Perhaps this was their 'way'.
Madison knew that Mulder and Scully were partners before and that Krycek had somehow come between them. However, that was all Scully would say on the subject, and Dave accepted her words and left it at that.
Outraged, Mulder stood up. "If that's how little you think of Alex, not to mention me... then get the fuck out of here Dana. Right now." Chester took the opportunity to butt his head up against Mulder's shins
"No." Dana replied calmly. "I won't go."
Madison thought that the agent was going to tackle Scully; he looked that angry.
"Some one has to play the devil's advocate Mulder." She glared to Madison, silently calling him a chicken shit. "...Someone has too." Her icy eyes cut into the older man.
"Hey." The grey templed agent said, holding up his hands. "Leave me out of this."
"I'm telling you Scully, Alex isn't out with another man. He's not like that."
"NO?" Dana slowly got up from her chair and stood with her arms crossed, staring up at Mulder.
Madison sat back and waited for the floorshow to start.
"If I'm not mistaken," Scully said her tone smug. "...The guy did start dating you while you were heavily involved with another man."
Mulder's face clouded over. "I don't know why I let Alex talk me into giving you a second chance." He stooped and picked up the cat. Amazed that the portly animal allowed the contact; Mulder looked to Madison. "I want her off this case. Obviously Agent Scully's heart isn't in solving it." He stormed off toward the bedroom, cat still in his arms.
"And your heart is too involved." Dana yelled toward Fox's back.
"Hold on, both of you." Madison jumped up and tried to calm the flaring tempers. But Mulder had already disappeared into the master bedroom. The seasoned agent let him go. He sat down and gestured for Scully to do the same. "Must you antagonize him?"
"Well, some one has to look at other possibilities...."
"...Unless we can come up with something concrete to say one way or the other." Madison cut in.
"Hey, Scully, Madison you better get in here right now."
Both agents exchanged glances then stood and went to where Fox was. Once there, they saw Mulder kneeling on the floor staring at a shiny piece of plastic. He shot a triumphant look over his shoulder at the agents. "See," he said angrily, "I told you Alex was in trouble. I need an evidence bag."
Madison pulled a small clear plastic bag from his suit pocket and went to where Mulder was. He squatted down and stared at the ID tag. "Scully, get on the phone, I want another evidence collection team here right now. It's Elizabeth Gallagher...a.k.a. April, employee of the JEH. She's gotta' have Krycek."
"How do you know?" Scully asked, pulling her telephone out from her pocket.
Madison looked up from the tag. "Because this is her employee credentials I'm staring at!" He snapped. His mind turning to what he was going to have to do to get the missing agent back.
Scully frowned at her older partner but did not other wise comment. She dialled her cell and left the bedroom to talk.
"She's been here, that bitch broke in." Mulder handed the evidence bag to Madison who signed the sealed bag and pocketed it.
"You smell that?" Madison started to walk around the room. He rubbed his eyes; they were irritated.
"What is it?" Mulder asked, looking around the perfectly neat bedroom. He sniffed the air. "Pepper spray? Mace?"
"Something like that, that's for sure."
Mulder stopped sniffing the air, suddenly it came to him. "That bitch… she sprayed him, that's how she subdued him."
"That would be my guess. Forensics will be able to test for it. We should get out of here before we completely contaminate this scene."
Back in the kitchen, while the trio was waiting for O'Reilly to show up, Madison questioned Mulder in depth about the housekeepers and the company that they worked for.
"They were supposed to leave the extra key with the door attendant."
Scully, during Madison's questioning stood off to the side and watched the seasoned agent work. She was amazed at how he had drawn the normally combative Mulder out, put him at ease, and then effortlessly got the answers he needed.
Madison's telephone rang just as he finished with Fox, who was anxious to start kicking in doors searching for his lover. Madison hung up. "That was O'Reilly, he's on his way over with part of his team."
"Good." Mulder said. He looked at his watch it was now 3:30 in the morning. Although he was exhausted, there was no way that he would be able to sleep. Not now, maybe not again until Alex was home again. He wandered over to the balcony and stepped out into the warm summer air. He took a few deep, calming breaths then looked skyward at the stars. Fox's eyes picked out an orbiting satellite and as he watched it streak across the horizon, he wondered what was happening to his lover at that moment.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
Like any hot-blooded woman,
I have simply wanted an object
to crave.
'Uninvited' Alanis Morisette.
April crouched on the other side of the bars, blocking the half door. She had been quietly watching Alex sleep for hours.
After he had puked, she had given him some orange juice that was laced with a commercial sedative. Along with the juice, she also fed him a protein bar. He ate the bland bar then swallowed all of the juice, complaining afterwards about the bitter taste of the liquid. April smiled at her beautiful hostage then, and put a single finger to his lips. "Shhh." She hushed. "It tastes bad because I drugged it."
"Why am I here?" Alex asked between tightly clenched teeth; he was so frustrated and angered by the entire situation.
"Because I took you. You're mine now, its time for you to forget about that whore Fox Mulder. He can't love you the way I do. I'm saving you from all that he does...from the evil that is inside of him. In a few weeks, I will have gently excised him from your body then we can get on with our lives."
"You're nuts April. Nuts! Let me go now, before you get into more trouble. You're not going to get away with this. Mulder will never give up searching for me...."
"Hush, sweetie...I'm smarter than he is...by the time he does find you, you will love me and not him. It's only a matter of time..."
"You mean you plan to try to brainwash me?" The captive man wondered what it was about him that made think that he would ever fall in love with her. "Well give it your best shot, lady, because I will never crack. I'll never love you and I'll never say it."
April's indulgent smile fell away, betraying her displeasure. However, when she spoke she did not raise her voice. "You'll fall in love with me Alex Krycek or you will *die* trying." The predatory smile returned. "Go to sleep now, darling, and in a couple of hours, we will talk again."
Though he fought it, Alex's eyelids grew heavy and the sedatives claimed his consciousness.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"Mulder." Madison called softly. "It's after four am you should go home. O'Reilly is here now. We should both go."
Fox turned slowly upon hearing his name. His eyes searched the living room once he stepped back inside. "Where's Scully?" He asked finally.
"I sent her home like I'm doing to you."
"What about you?"
// Where had the time gone? // Mulder asked himself. He had been standing and staring zoned out for over half an hour.
"Yeah, I'm off too. I need a couple of hours sleep, then I'll be fresh again."
"I can't go. I don't want to go." Mulder said. A gaping yawn escaped his mouth, betraying him. He clamped his lips firmly together; pretending it didn't just happen. "I have to stay in case Alex phones...."
Madison smiled; he'd never felt the kind of love that Mulder did for Krycek. Dana had filled him in on the whole story from the affair to the Mulder/unknown boyfriend split up to Krycek being transferred and Mulder and Krycek parting ways before the one flew off to Alaska. Obviously, Mulder wasn't going to let Alex go without a fight this time.
"Come on, Mulder, I'll buy you a coffee then because O'Reilly wants us out. He's already pissed off that we've stomped all over this place. He's good, Mulder, he'll phone when he has something. But other than prints, were going to have to wait awhile for the results form hair and fibre." He led Mulder towards the front door.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"If you don't get some sleep Mulder, you won't be any good to me or Alex when it comes to this investigation."
Mulder gave the older agent a bleary grin. "So you're going to let me stay on board?"
"Yes. But the minute I think your cracking I'll make you step back. Got it?"
"Got it." Mulder swallowed the last drops of his strong coffee.
"Dana told me the story of you and Krycek." Said Madison softly.
Mulder looked up from his cup, eyebrows raised. "Oh? And?"
"And nothing. It's not for me to say. I've strayed on way too many of my former girlfriends. That's why I'm alone."
"I'd left Skinner mentally, long before I met Alex. I just didn't have the willpower or the sense to leave him physically."
"Skinner?" Questioned Madison....He was pissed off that people were keeping secrets from him...again. He'd have to deal with Skinner later.
Mulder gave Madison a knowing smile. He owed his former lover nothing. "Ahhh...I see Dana only told you half of the story. Trust her to protect that bastard. Here's the rest of it...." Fox proceeded to fill Madison in on the rest of his and Alex's tale of secret love and then, separation. Only skipping the part about Skinner raping Alex.
Two hours later, Mulder was laying on his bed desperately trying to stop sleep from coming to him, but it was no use. Eventually Mulder's body stopped fighting and gave in; his eyes feathered shut.
~~~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~~~
"Alex." April was standing next to Alex's cot. She stared down at the sleeping man and watched as his eyes blinked their way open. She had changed Alex's position when he was out of it; now, he lay flat on his back with his wrists and ankles cuffed to the corners of the metal bed frame.
Alex fought against the biting cuffs; his hands were already numb. He stopped battling the steel bracelets when he noticed that April was standing before him wearing all red lingerie`.
From bustier, to garter and stockings.
Her matching red lace panties were crotchless; the restrained man thought the get up was more obscene than alluring.
"You think dressing like a whore in an Amsterdam window is going to make me want you?" He spat angrily at the young woman.
"No, not really darling. But the lingerie makes me feel sexy. I brought something else to help stimulate you with." She uncapp