| Primary Characters: | Krycek, Scully, Mulder |
| Rating: | M |
| Spoilers: | Yes |
| Warning: | References to m/m sex, sexual abuse of minor, violence, some strong language. |
| Description: | On her way home from work, Scully gets an unexpected visitor. Krycek says he wants to give her some information.What he tells her is highly surprising. |
The autopsy had dragged on for hours longer than Scully had expected, and she couldn’t stifle a yawn as she rode down in the elevator. She smiled when she thought of Mulder, lying in her bed, waiting for her. It had never felt this way before, when she went home at night.
When she took out her carkey, and was about to turn it in the lock, someone grabbed her from behind, pressing a hand down over her mouth. Scully tensed up, and tried to go limp, so she could roll out of her attacker’s grip, but she was being held so tightly, there was no room left to move. A mouth was pressed against her ear, and she felt someone’s hot breath brush her skin.
“Don’t scream. I’m not going to hurt you. Just hear me out, please.”
The hand eased its hold over her mouth, but remained poised to clamp down again, at any sign of trouble, or so it seemed to her.
“Krycek, what the hell do you want this time?”
Her whisper sounded hoarse even in her own ears. Trying not to appear spooked, she tested his good will by pulling away from him. So far so good. He let her go and she turned and faced him. As always, there was something about him that hit her right at the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t quite sure if it was hate, or desire. Whatever it was, she was determined not to give herself away to him.
“Information.”
“You think I’m just going to tell you whatever it is you want to know? Think again.”
“Wrong. I’m here to give you some information.”
“And what’s the price this time? Isn’t enough that you’re screwing with Skinner’s mind?”
“I didn’t come here to discuss Walter today, thank you. Though I’m impressed you found out about that so quickly.”
“You won’t gain anything by feeding us any more lies.”
“No lies this time.”
-Excuse me for not beliving you. That isn’t much of a surprise to you, I’m sure.
“Ok, just hear me out, then you decide if you want to believe me or not.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Believe it or not, this is a peace offering. I realized that if I was going to wait for you or Fox to make the first move, I’d be waiting forever. So this is my way of saying I want to be friends.”
Scully’s laugh was crisp and cynical. Krycek loved that about her. So cool, so tough. But he knew it was just on the surface. Deep down, she was as vulnerable as the next person, he was willing to bet. He tried not to take offence at her unwillingness to believe him. After all, she did have good reason not to trust him.
“That’s a new one. Thanks, Krycek. I needed a good laugh.”
“Any time. But we don’t have much time, so maybe we should get on with it, much as I love this small talk.”
“Alright. You can have ten minutes. That’s generous, considering I haven’t had any sleep since 5 this morning.”
“And you’re anxious to get back to Fox. Believe me, I would too, if he was waiting in my bed.”
This time she didn’t say anything out loud, but her beautiful eyes shot darts at him. Hands off her man, apparently. Krycek didn’t even know why he bothered baiting her. Old habits died hard, it seemed.
“Ok, I’ll start with the good part. The one I know you’re anxious to know.”
“This had better be more than good.”
“Your sister, Melissa -“
“Yes? Have you come to confess to her murder?”
“No. I wasn’t even the one who shot the woman who was in your apartment.”
“Now what are you trying to pull? Don’t think you can come here and play mind games with me.”
“I’d play any kind of game with you, Dana. Any time, any place, but I’m not playing now.”
“And who was that in my apartment, Snow White or Cinderella, or maybe Princess Leia?”
“The woman you thought was your sister was a clone, who was sent to kill you. We, me and an associate of mine, were sent to kill you. Before you say anything, I didn’t know you back then. My partner was a bit trigger happy, and for a long time, we thought he had killed your sister. I only learned the truth about nine months ago.”
“And where is Melissa, if the person your friend shot wasn’t her?”
“Not my friend. Associate. And I don’t know where Melissa is.”
“You disappoint me, Krycek. I had expected a much better story from you.”
“If you let me finish I could get to the point, before I have to go.”
“Be my guest.”
“She was being held prisoner.”
“By whom?”
“Old stinky.”
“Stinky? Oh, our friend with the cigarettes. Of course, who else?”
“Stinky and his associates. And I’ll tell you another thing. Your sister has about as lousy taste in men as you do. No, I take that back. You have great taste in men, it’s just that you’re so prejudiced. Why won’t you admit that you want me?”
“Because I’m too scared of rejection, naturally. Grow up, Krycek. You were saying about Melissa -? Not that I believe a word you say, but go on, dazzle me.”
Krycek fixed her with that cool sea green gaze, and she almost took a step back. Not that there was any trace of hostility this time. The look was almost unreadable, but there was a force emanating from those eyes that seemed to draw her in. And far worse; his self-centred comment about how much she wanted him wasn’t entirely unfounded in fact. She could admit that to herself, but would have denied it to anyone else. Especially Alex Krycek.
“She’s more attracted to Jeffrey Spender. Can you believe that? The guy has the same appeal as week old jello, and his taste in clothes is even worse.”
“You must be slipping. Jeffrey Spender? He’s been dead and buried for a long time.”
“Not him.”
“Oh, wait. Let me guess. Another clone?”
“Naturally. Old stinky needed his son close to him.”
“So, what did Spender Sr want with his son?”
“Not the same thing William Mulder wanted from Fox, that’s for sure. His interest is more material.”
“What?”
“Dana. Didn’t you think I knew? The question is when you found out. I guess he finally found the courage to confide in you.”
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of even commenting on that. He wasn’t going to get any information from her. When he saw that she wasn’t going to say anything, he went on, while glancing quickly at his wrist watch.
“I heard the tapes. So I’ve known all along. I also heard the tapes of William Mulder with old stinky.”
“Yes? What were they discussing then, that’s so interesting?”
“It’s not what they were discussing that I think will interest you, and Fox. It’s what they were doing.”
“Well? Aren’t you going to tell me?”
“Now I’m disappointed. I thought you’d be quicker in the uptake than that. Unless you’re deliberately trying to be dense. It doesn’t suit you, Dana.”
He loved the way her eyes narrowed, and her lips pursed ever so slightly, when he used her first name, and that of her lover. It was a cheap thrill, but he would settle for that, in the absense of more satisfying ones.
“They were lovers.”
“Spender Sr, and William Mulder? Maybe you’ve missed your calling? You should be writing soap operas instead.”
“What makes you think I don’t?”
The look on her face was even more satisfying. She hadn’t seen that one coming.
“So naturally, it was to his lover that William Mulder turned with his problem. What to do about the little spy who was threatening to spoil his fun. I’ll rephrase, since we don’t have all night, lovely as it would be to spend it with you. Samantha was going to tell her mother, or anyone who would listen to her, about what her father was doing to her brother. Maybe he didn’t have the nerve to kill his own daughter, or maybe he thought it would give him a hold over Fox and his wife, to be able to threaten Samantha’s life if they ever gave him any trouble.”
“You’re saying mrs Mulder knew about -“
She could have bitten her tongue. Giving something away. Krycek didn’t comment, but the way his eyes flashed at her, told her that he knew how she felt about her slip.
“No. I’m saying that Fox had to keep quiet about it, or his sister would be killed. Mrs Mulder just had to keep quiet about what she knew about her daughter’s disappearance.”
“Ok, is that it? What about Melissa and Jeffrey Spender?”
“Ah, yes. I was sidetracked for a moment. She wouldn’t give me the time of day. And I’m so partial to red hair. Hers and yours.”
“I see, I thought you preferred no hair at all?”
“It’s not about the sex, Walter and me.”
“And what is it about then? Playing with his mind?”
“I didn’t come here to tell you about me and Walter.”
“Suit yourself. Melissa -? I can’t wait to find out what you have to say about her.”
“She and Jeffrey became lovers, while they were held in captivity together.”
“Where?”
“It doesn’t matter where. They’re not there anymore.”
“Then where are they?”
“I don’t know. They escaped together, and since I haven’t heard any different, they’re still out there.”
“You’re lying. If Melissa was really alive, she would have contacted me, my mother, all of us. She wouldn’t be staying away for this long.”
“What if contacting you would place your family in danger?”
“Are you telling me, or are you just guessing?”
“I’m guessing. But it’s a good guess. You and Fox are always in danger.”
“From you and your associates.”
“Not from me. Not anymore, but I don’t expect you to believe that.”
“Ok, are you done?”
“No. One other thing: Samantha.”
“I suppose you know where she is buried too?”
“No. I don’t even know for a fact that she’s dead. Superstition isn’t one of my weaknesses. I don’t buy that story about how the spirits came to save her from stinky and his gang. I went to question that nurse, but she was gone.”
“What did you do to that poor woman?”
“Nothing. I told you, she wasn’t there. And don’t look at me like that. What did you think I was going to do to her? Torture her?”
“I wouldn’t put it past you.”
“Look at me, Dana. Yes, that’s right. Do you think I’d need to resort to violence to get a woman to open up to me? Just be honest about it, for a second even. You want me, and she would have wanted me too.”
“But she was -“
“What? Old? That wouldn’t bother me. I’ve had worse. Much worse. Why did you think I wanted to tell you and Fox about all this? I don’t like old perverts who molest little boys. Or not so little.”
There was something about the way he said that. Scully studied him closely. Was he hinting that he had been the victim of abuse, himself?
“Yes. I was.”
She jumped. Had she spoken that question out loud? Could he have read her mind? There was something about this man, that made the idea not quite so ludicrous as it seemed. He laughed at her reaction. Scully didn’t think she had ever heard him laugh before. It wasn’t a happy laugh.
“I was ten. So I guess Fox was lucky to get those extra four years. And don’t worry. I wasn’t reading your mind. Just your face. You don’t want to hear this, but it tells me a lot more than you’d like me to know.”
She was shaking her head, as in disbelief. Was he telling the truth? Despite herself, she thought he was. About his own past at least. And she knew he was right about Mulder’s childhood. But that could simply be because he had had her apartment bugged. It wouldn’t do to contribute any supernatural abilities to him. Whatever else he was, Krycek was a man. No more than that.
“Time is running out, Dana. I just want to tell you that I think that nurse might have removed Samantha herself. To save her from stinky. You’ve met him, you must have sensed the chill coming from him. But I got there too late, as I said. Your coming there to question her must have spooked her. No pun intended. She’s out there too, maybe where Samantha is. At least I haven’t heard any different.”
“Well, all this has been very interesting. Let me know when your next soap airs. I would love to watch it, if I have time.”
“Oh, I’ll be in touch. Don’t worry about it.”
And before she had time to react, he was pushing her up against the car again, and this time, had time to steal a brief kiss. Her own reaction was lightning quick. The knee made contact with a sensitive spot, and Krycek almost went down. His eyes flashed at her, but if anything, he seemed amused, not angry.
Again, he had read her too easily. There was a moment, a fraction of a second, when she had felt herself go weak. What was it about that man that got to her that way? As if reading her mind, he spoke again, while he was painfully regaining his balance. She had forgotten about the arm, and felt a pang of guilt at having hurt him. But that was the reaction he was playing for, making such a show of steadying himself, so she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“I’m no alien, Dana. And no incubus either. If I make you feel anything, it comes from inside you. But, hey, let’s play pretend some more. Whatever works for you. I’ll be going now, but like I said, I’ll be back. It would be nice to meet Fox again. For old times sake. You get this bond when you spend a few nights together in a cold cell. Tunguska, if you remember.”
“I wouldn’t count on it. Mulder doesn’t remember any bond. So I’d take care, if I were you.”
“Oh, how quickly they forget. Lying there together, trying to keep warm, one thing leading to another.”
“Don’t be absurd. Mulder has better taste than that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Positive.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that if I were you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Are you saying something was going on between you and Mulder when you were in Russia?”
Krycek was toying with the idea of letting her think something had happened, but gave it up, reluctantly. He really wanted her to accept his new truthfulness, and something like that, which she could so easily prove wrong would cast doubts on everything else he had told her.
“No. Nothing happened. But that doesn’t mean that one of us, or both, didn’t want to.”
“Dream on, Alex. I still don’t see what you were hoping to gain by telling me these very creative fantasies.”
“Nothing. Like I told you from the start, this was a freebie. Bye for now, Dana. I wish you would appreciate me a little more, like I do you.”
“Bye, Alex.”
He sighed. A thank you would have been nice, but he wasn’t naive enough to expect it. She really didn’t believe any of it, and why should she? Telling the truth was a very new experience to him, and since no one believed him anyway, it was slightly overrated.
When the spy had disappeared into the shadows, Scully remained standing by her car, deep in thought. Finally she snapped out of it, when she remembered that Mulder might be worrying about her, and might even be coming to look for her. On her way home, she called him up on the cell phone, and the fact that he picked up on the first signal told her she had been right. He had been staying awake, waiting for her.
“It’s me.”
“Dana? What kept you so long? I was going to send out a search party of one.”
“Long story. I’m on my way home now. We’ll talk later.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing you need to worry about. I’ll tell you when I get home.”
She wouldn’t risk telling him over the cell phone. Even if Krycek wasn’t listening in, someone else might. The Russian’s story had unnerved her. There was a little too much in it that was true, or at least could very well be true. He had known about Mulder, and his theory about why Samantha was abducted fitted in with her own ideas about it. That was something she hadn’t said out loud to anyone, so it was quite out of the question that anyone had been eavesdropping. Frowning in concentration, she almost missed her turning.
Mulder met her in the doorway, wearing only his shorts and a t-shirt. So he had been in bed. It was 20 past midnight and that seemed to be a very nice place to be right now. After a brief kiss, which startled her so soon after what Krycek had done, she got out of her clothes, and had a cup of tea.
Mulder wasn’t impatient to hear her story. He wanted something completely different, but she wouldn’t be distracted. She had to tell him about Krycek. They got into bed, and although she loved the feeling of his hands on her skin, she pushed him away.
“This is serious. I need to tell you something.”
“What happened tonight? You sounded as if something was bothering you.”
“Yes, something is bothering me. Krycek showed up when I was walking to my car tonight.”
“What? If he hurt you in any way -“
She smiled absently at his protectiveness. It was sweet, and she felt the same way about him, but this was important. If she didn’t tell him tonight, she was afraid she would lose her nerve. So much of what Krycek had told her would cause him pain. But he had a right to know.
“He didn’t hurt me. Though he did try to kiss me, as a matter of fact.”
She was keeping her voice even. But she was hoping he would be amused and not outraged. For a moment it even seemed as if he didn’t believe her. As if he took her comment as a joke. But when he realized that it wasn’t, he didn’t react as strongly as she had feared.
“Who can blame him for trying? But I would have thought that if Walter is his type, you wouldn’t be. The two of you aren’t exactly alike.”
“He said something cryptic about how his relationship with Walter wasn’t about sex. But when I asked him about it, he just clammed up. He seems genuinely attracted to me, but that could be just acting.”
“Yes, he’s good at that. When we were working together, while you were gone, I could have sworn he had a thing for me. So I’m hoping he’s just playing with you.”
Another thing he said tonight was about his childhood. About how he was sexually molested as a child, and that’s why he sympathised with you.
The mere mention of his past caused Mulder to tense up. The set of his jaw told Scully what to expect from the rest of this conversation. But he really needed to know what she had heard. She wasn’t about to start keeping secrets from him.
“He knew about that?”
“Actually, he claimed to have listened to some old surveillance tapes, where he heard the whole thing. Mulder, there’s more. I don’t believe in it any more than you will, but I think you’ll want to hear it anyway.”
“Alright, go on. Can it get any worse?”
But his mind seemed to be on other matters, and she didn’t need to read his mind to know what those were. She took his hand and squeezed it, and that simple gesture did the trick. He was paying attention again.
“He’s a regular story teller, but he says the man with the cigarettes and your father were lovers.”
“What? My father and Cancer man were lovers?”
“I told you. It’s pretty wild.”
“I’ll say. But on the other hand, it could be true. He and my mother were never affectionate together. I don’t think I ever saw any signs of that. It doesn’t prove anything, but judging from what else he did – You know.”
“Yes. That’s what I thought. Mulder, if your father had started molesting you earlier – Before Samantha was abducted. Would she have known about it?”
“Probably, but I think I would have remembered.”
“Would you really? I mean, you don’t remember what happened the night she was taken. What if it did start earlier? And she knew about it. What would she have done? Was she in awe of your father?”
Again, he frowned in concentration. She could almost see his thoughts darting back and forth in his mind.
“No. She would have tried to do something about it. Samantha was much braver than I was. If – If my father had been molesting her instead of me, I don’t know if I would have dared to do anything about it, except maybe take Samantha and run away.”
“And if she had told someone, that would have spoiled his fun, wouldn’t it? So, think back, do you think he could have killed your sister?”
Mulder stared at her in horror. He appeared to be considering her question seriuosly.
“I’d like to think that he wouldn’t. No, he wouldn’t have been able to kill her. I remember seeing him watch her play. He couldn’t have been that cold.”
“Then isn’t it possible, in fact, likely, that he would have called Spender Sr?”
“Yes, they were so closely associated, whether or not they were lovers, that he’s the man my father would have called to get rid of Samantha. So he got that old bastard to kill her? According to our Scheherazade.”
“To take her away. So that you would have no choice but to keep quiet about what he’d done to you. And to keep your mother from telling the world that he had let someone take his daughter away. Maybe to keep her from revealing the nature of his relationship with old man Spender.”
“Spender Sr – does that mean Krycek had something to say about the other Spender too?”
“Yes, according to Krycek, Jeffrey was taken prisoner by his father.”
“And the body that was found downstairs?”
“A clone.”
“I see, convenient explanation.”
“And speaking of clones. He had the nerve to suggest that Melissa too had been replaced by a clone. The woman who was shot in my apartment was supposedly this clone, an assassin sent to kill me. And Krycek and this other man were sent to kill me too. Only they got the clone, masquerading as Melissa instead. And Krycek claims he wasn’t the one pulling the trigger. He even made a sort of apology, about being there to kill me. He said he didn’t know me back then.”
“What was he hoping to gain by filling you up with all these lies?”
“Nothing, or so he said, but I’m not about to take his word for it. On the other hand, he did know about you. And I had been suspecting that Samantha might have been abducted to keep her from telling someone about what your father was doing to you. Ever since you told me about it, I had that idea about her abduction. We were talking about your past in here. There could have been someone listening in on that conversation. But there is no way anyone can know about that theory. Since I never told anyone about it.”
She could see his face turn into that stiff mask again, at the thought of having been spied on while telling her his darkest secret. He frowned, deep in thought.
“Yes, you’re right. Some of that might actually be true. But this crap about your sister, how could he possibly think you’d fall for that?”
“That’s what I told him. After all, Melissa wouldn’t have stayed away this long without getting in touch with me, and my mother. Krycek had an answer for that too, though. He said that we would be endangered if she returned.”
“Easy enough to say, but without any evidence… So she isn’t there anymore?”
“No, I forgot to tell you. Apparently, she and Jeffrey Spender, who are supposedly lovers by now, escaped together some nine months ago.”
“Like you said, a completely wild story.”
“I know. The question is what does he stand to gain by it?”
“Didn’t he have any kind of explanation for this sudden onset of generosity?”
“Yes. He says he’s making a peace offering. Krycek wants to be friends with us, if your mind is capable of such a leap of imagination. Or more than friends.”
“What?”
“Oh, just the usual overt flattery mixed with innuendo. He made this quip about how intimate the two of you got in that cell in Tunguska.”
“Me and Krycek? Charming. As if he stayed in that cell long enough for anything like that to happen, even if there had been any motivation on my part. And while we’re on that subject, the guards didn’t get to me either, in case you’re wondering. They must have been under strict orders not to touch the guinea pigs.”
“That’s what I thought. Anyway, he also kept on making these compliments about me, and Melissa too. So if only a fraction of what he’s saying is true, he must be something of an omnivore when it comes to romance, if such a word can be mentioned on the same day as Krycek.”
“Well, if he really was sexually assaulted as a child, he might be.”
“Oh, I see. Yes, that’s possible, of course.”
“If only we could figure out why he was doing all this, maybe we could actually use some of this information. A pity he didn’t try to back his stories up with some kind of evidence. All this proves is that he has a vivid imagination, and that he’s picked up something about what we were discussing here one night.”
Nothing more was said on the subject of Alex Krycek that night. Scully snuggled up closer to her lover. He put his arms around her, and moments later he had dozed off.
Scully, on the other hand, had much on her mind. She hadn’t told Mulder about Krycek’s ideas concerning Samantha’s fate, and that was weighing on her conscience. He had made her lie to Mulder, or at least to keep something of importance quiet. But in all fairness, Krycek wasn’t responsible for her omission. After all Mulder had been through, she simply couldn’t let him get his hopes up about his sister. If he had laid her shade to rest, Scully wasn’t going to bring it back again. He deserved some peace.
Unfortunately Scully had to agree with Krycek. She didn’t for a moment buy that quaint story about the spirits. Angels sweeping down from heaven to save a traumatized child, simply didn’t happen in Dana Scully’s world. If science couldn’t explain it, then it didn’t exist.
So the theory about the nurse taking Samantha away made sense. Scully decided she would do some digging herself. At least she would go back to that woman’s house and check up on Krycek’s version. If the woman had died suddenly, or if she simply hadn’t vanished at all, then Krycek’s story would be exactly what they wanted it to be. A story. Nothing more.
But what if that too, was true? Then perhaps all of it could be. Scully thought that if William Mulder was capable of molesting his teenage son, he might well be homosexual, not only a pedophile. He could be the lover of old man Spender, who had left his wife when their son was a baby.
And Spender Sr had thought nothing of letting his wife disappear. That couldn’t be the action of a man who loved his wife. Yes, unfortunately, much of what Krycek had told her could be true. But if he really wanted to deceive them, he would be a fool to tell her anything that could be easily disproven.
No, it would take a lot more to convince her than merely the word of a notorious liar like Alex Krycek. Personally, Scully feared, or in this case, distrusted the Russians, or maybe she should say the spies, or the assassins, even when they came bearing gifts.
Quite apart from that, she could well believe Krycek was an abused child. The way he had of always trying to flirt with you, as if it was of paramount importance that everyone wanted him, was consistent with many case studies she was familiar with. It could help explain that enigma. And also why it wasn’t about sex, as he had said, the relationship with Skinner. Was Alex Krycek too, looking for a father figure? Or simply someone who wanted him.
Scully was too sceptic to believe in Krycek’s protestations of good will, but she judged herself well capable of gauging a man’s sexual interest in her, and there was definitely something in the way Krycek was eyeing her.
But Mulder too, would know when someone was feeling attracted to him, and if that was true, how did that square with the rest of the facts? Was Krycek bisexual, or was he simply the victim of early sexual abuse? Not that it mattered. As long as he didn’t hurt Walter. But that seemed to be inevitable in any case, so worrying about it wouldn’t help.
Now Scully had had quite enough of Krycek. It was time to sleep. This night had been long enough already. They would discuss Krycek in the morning. All she wanted right now was to sleep, knowing that Mulder was safe, nearby. On that positive thought, she too dozed off.
Down on the street, Krycek decided to give up his lonely vigil, and go back to Walter’s place. Sleeping in a warm bed, next to someone who cared, would be much more appealing than standing in the street, in this drizzle. The thin jeans jacket he was now wearing instead of the black leather jacket didn’t keep the rain out.
He shivered and turned to go. Half an hour later, he slipped in under the covers next to Walter. His lover didn’t wake up, only moved closer and Krycek didn’t pull away. The warmth was thawing his body out, and within minutes, he too was asleep.
FIN
© Tonica