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Title: Non Sequitur Summary: Can Krycek save the life of his remaining family in time? Or will his signifigant other stop him dead in his tracks? Writer's Memo: This is my first try at fanfic, so go easy on me will you? Dedicated to all those folks in RAD and everyone else at the Alex Krycek topic. I think that he's the most interesting and dangerous character on the 'Files. (Plus the fact the he can generate such pity for himself. I mean, who couldn't feel sorry for the poor guy? First he's trapped in the silo, then he gets his arm amputated!) If you think about it, we really know nothing about him. Shoot, we know more about CSM than Krycek. This is my chance to give him a family and some power. Anyway, enjoy! Archive anywhere, just give me credit. "Midway the path of life that men pursue I found me in a darking wood astray, for the direct way had been lost to view. Ah, me, how hard it is a thing to say, 'What was this thorny wildwood intricate whose memory renews the first dismay!' Scarcely in death is bitterness more great: but as concerns the good discovered there, the other things I saw I will relate." -The Divine Comedy, by Dante International Airport Republic of Georgia Sunday, May 24th, 1998-9:00 p.m. The airport terminal was bustling with people, but as they passed an automatic path appeared to be made. He nodded to them as they made their way to gate 1121. She laid her duffel bag and backpack down at the customs desk and watched as it went through. The alarm sounded and the guard asked her to step aside. His hand moved to unzip the bag, but another hand grabbed his wrist and he looked up. The color drained from his face as his eyes widened in fear. The guard gave an apologetic look to the girl and waved her through. The man shot the guard a warning look but said nothing. He placed his arm around the girl and walked her over to the chairs. A voice sounded over the PA system-"Flight 111 from Georgia to Washington DC is now boarding," She picked up her backpack and started down the terminal before a hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Are you sure you want to go? You can stay if you want." "No, I want to do this. You said that the apartment was already furnished, I've already exchanged my money to dollars, and I have everything I'll need." "Now you're sure that you'll be okay?" "Hey man, you're getting a little overprotective-you're acting like-well, like Dad." "I have been "Dad" for the past three years, Claudia-when I could. It's hard to let go. You've always been around to keep me company," He forced a smile, but continued. "and now you aren't even going to be here for the wedding. Dolores wanted you to be a bridesmaid," He was getting married in two weeks. "Ah, yes. I hate to disappoint the ditzy blond you're marrying because you're too scared that you'll never find someone else. Please relay my apologies." "Claud, you know that she thinks of you like her own sister. It's not fair for you to treat her like that." "I'm sorry, I just think that you can do better than a-a-does she even have a job, or has she just been leaching off of you for the past six months? Look at you. You have power. You could probably have any girl you want-look over there. There's two practically drooling over you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch. Call me later. I believe that you know the number," She picked her crutches up from the chair and continued to walk toward the gate. "Claudia..." He began. She turned. He was going to make her miss her flight! "What now?" she sighed. He hugged her tightly. "I'm going to miss you." "I'm going to miss you too. Don't worry. It's not like I'm losing complete contact with my family. I'm just moving on." "Without me." "I've got classes to start in a few months-that is, if I don't get mixed up with your "friends"." "That's going to be inevitable once you're there." "Thank you for the show of confidence. Now, I'm going to miss the plane. Let me go." He released her from his embrace and watched her disappear amidst the flood of people boarding Flight 111. "Goodbye Claud," He whispered. Alex Krycek watched as his kid sister's plane took off and she left his life to start her own. Apartment 31 Claudia Krycek turned up the volume on her stereo. How she loved modern rock. At least that's what she thought it was called. The DJ's called it that, but Claudia had always considered it alternative music. There was that song on-'The Freshmen'. She walked into the kitchen section of her studio apartment to check on her lunch that was warming in the microwave. Leftover Hamburger Helper. It still wasn't warm yet. She placed it back in the microwave and turned around, looking at her apartment. Alex had done a good job furnishing it. There wasn't that much furniture there, but how much did one person really need? <I wonder how long he had it planned?> The entire package-the apartment, enrollment in college- had been a birthday present for her, given to her on her eighteenth birthday. Alex spoiled her and she loved it, but she decided that it was time for her to take care of herself. Being independent was wonderful-indescribably wonderful, but homesickness still reared its ugly head once in a while. Maybe it was because she hadn't heard from her brother since she had moved. He was probably married now-him and Dolores having the time of there lives-he had probably forgotten that about her. No, probably not forgotten- temporarily misplaced. He was a busy man, after all. Claudia's ears picked up the sound of tires screeching and metal crashing on the pavement and turned to look out her window. Indeed, there was a car accident outside but that didn't worry her. What worried her was the van. She had seen it parked in the same place since Wednesday and now it was beginning to scare her. A white unmarked van. She was so high up that she couldn't tell if there were any occupants of the vehicle. The phone rang and the microwave went off at the same time. The noise brought her back to the real world. She picked up her black portable and pressed 'talk'. "Hello?" She wedged it between the side of her face and her shoulder and took her food out of the microwave. It was hot. She bit her lip and quickly set it down on the counter. "Hi Claudia!" It was Alex. She went to turn down her radio. "Alex! It's great to hear from you! How's the happy couple?" "We're doing fine. Dolores is at home. Congratulations. You're going to be an aunt." "She's pregnant?! Already? Are you nervous? Nah...you shouldn't be. You already took care of me-you'll be a great father! I'm so happy for you!" She was grinning stupidly. Alex could tell by the sound of her voice. "How's America treating you? Any problems? Is everything at the apartment the way you want it?" "Everything's fine. Ow, ow, ow," She had picked up her lunch and it was still hot. "What's wrong?" "Nothing. I'm just fixing my lunch," She looked back out the window. "Did you move in okay? How's the ankle?" "It's much better now. Didn't the doctor say it would be about four months? I only have about two weeks left." "No problems at the airport?" "Actually, no. I had some trouble getting my bag in the lobby, but there was a real nice man who picked it up for me and called me a cab. Never found out his name, though. I guess not everybody here is mean." "I never said that they were. Everything else okay?" "Yeah, I guess so..." her voice trailed off. "Claud, I know that tone of voice. What the matter?" "There's just one thing that worries me." "What?" "You see, there's this-this white van that's been sitting outside my building for the past two days. It hasn't moved." Alex thought for a moment. "Claudia, stop drinking the water." "Why?" "It's drugged. I'm almost sure of it." "With what?" "LSD probably." She giggled. "Wow...look at all the pretty colors." "That's not funny. Have you been out of your apartment?" "Yes, of course. I landed a job, you know." "No, I didn't," He thought he heard a click. "Claudia, hang up the phone." "What? Why?" "I think that your phone has been-" Crash! The door to her apartment flew open and a white man with a mustache walked in. Alex could hear what happened next: "What the-" Claudia's voice was cut off and the phone hit the floor. He had to put the receiver away from his ear. He heard a gunshot, but had no idea if it had hit her or not. "Claudia!" He screamed into the phone. The man heard it and picked it up. "She can't come to the phone right now, Alex," He hung it up. Alex looked at the dead phone in his hands. So they knew. They knew. He started panicking. <What are they going to do to her? I knew that I should never have let her go. Why did I let her? She's going to be-what are they going to do? Kill her? Ransom? I doubt that. Why did they want her? I know. ME. They're trying to get to me.> "Rachel! Come in here!" He stood up and started walking out of the room when his secretary appeared in the door. "Yes, Comrade Krycek?" she asked. "Walk with me. Got your notebook? Good," He started walking faster down the hallway. "I'm going home right now, call the airport and have a round trip ticket to Washington DC waiting for me. Anything else that I'm forgetting?" "You have the board meeting at two tomorrow." "Cancel it. I don't know how long I'm going to be gone. If any other meetings or matters which require my attendance come up while I'm gone, please give my apologies for my absence. Tell them that it's personal." "May I inquire why you're leaving sir?" "No," He walked out to his car and drove home in record time. Once he made it to his house, he flew through the door and into his room. "Dolores? You home sweetheart?" He changed clothes, not bothering for a response. "Alex? What's wrong?" Dolores stared at her new husband. He had never acted this way before-before he was cool and confidant, now he was in a complete panic. She looked at what he had changed into, he had never worn those clothes as long as she could remember; he said that they were part of another life. Alex was stuffing his wallet, his cell phone, and some more T-shirts into a black knapsack. "Something's wrong with Claudia. Someone has her and I have to get her out." "Let the American police handle it, you stay, please." He looked at her in shock. "What did you say? What did you say?! I have to get her. She's still my responsibility." "Not anymore, Alex. She's eighteen. Let her take care of herself. She doesn't need you anymore." "SHE's IN TROUBLE! How can I make you see this? Never mind-I'm going," He walked out the door and gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head. "I love you." Dolores stared after him as the door slammed shut. So even after she had convinced Claudia to move to America, that bratty teenager was still taking her assignment away from her. How could she keep an eye on him? A jealous rage welled up inside of her as she walked towards the phone to make a call. "He's headed your way," She said. Then she told them everything. Washington DC He stood in front of the FBI Headquarters, staring at the front door, deciding whether or not to go inside. They were the only people who could help him-if he could get inside. He placed his hand under his chin. <I need to shave.> Walking around DC all night certainly took its toll on a person. He had gone into numerous bars and had been stopping people on the street, showing them her picture and asking them if they had seen her. No one had. He pulled out his wallet and took out his old FBI badge. <You can get in. You have to.> Straightening his shoulders, he walked in and was cleared through without any problems. Then guard had even said "Have a good morning Agent Krycek," It had made him chuckle to himself. <Agent Krycek. I haven't been called that in a long time.> Alex knew the risks of coming here, there were surveillance cameras everywhere. If he could just talk to them before he was caught. He prayed to God that they weren't on assignment. Before long he was standing in front of a door marked 'The FBI's Most Unwanted'. <Do I really need to do this? There are others who could probably help me fight the syndicate-but no others who want those men as bad as I do.> He swallowed his pride and knocked on the door, once, twice. "Come in." Alex stepped into the room and Mulder immediately flew towards him. When he was only about three inches away, a hand rested on his shoulder and stopped him. "What are you doing here, Krycek?" Mulder yelled at him. "Mulder," Scully said. She looked at their visitor. "Sit down Krycek," Her voice was soft and gentle. She saw something Mulder didn't in Krycek's face: vulnerability and worry-it was the same look Mulder had whenever someone mentioned Samantha. He sat down and watched Mulder call AD Skinner's office to ask him to come down. Skinner was there in a matter of minutes-when he saw Alex he stopped and looked at him in amazement-everyone had assumed that he was dead. He wasn't dead, as Skinner saw, but he was missing an arm. "What is he doing here Agents?" "I don't know sir," said Mulder, drawing his gun. "but I intend to find out." "Put the gun down Mulder," Scully demanded. That was the third time she had kept Mulder from shooting Krycek. Why she felt protective of this man, she could never understand. "Now, Krycek-Alex, what do you want?" He hung his head low; he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes. "I need your help with a kidnapping case," He mumbled. "What?" "My sister's been kidnapped," He showed them the picture. "I've seen that girl," Mulder said. "She was trying to get her bag at the airport, but because she was on crutches, she was having a hard time so I got it for her and helped her get a cab. If I had known that it was your sister, I would've busted her other leg. What did you do Krycek? Beat her?" Alex's right hand formed a fist. "I've never hit her, Mulder. She was kidnapped. I heard the whole thing on the phone. We were talking and-and-" "It's okay Alex," Scully said. Two more seconds and that man was going to fall apart at the seams. "We'll help you find her. Do you have any idea who would take her?" "The men that you chase after time and time again." "The ones responsible for you being imprisoned in the missile silo?" He nodded. "The same. I don't know why they'd want her. I gave back the tape," He couldn't tell the three of them the truth-that he was one of the most influential men in the world. It was imperative that his true occupation be kept secret. Let them think that he was a rogue assassin. Mulder looked at her. "Why would we help him Scully? He killed my father!" Skinner stepped up to Mulder. "Because, Agent Mulder, kidnapping is a federal offense and we're obliged to help." "It's not going to be easy. If you mention any of it to the media, they will most likely kill her without a second thought," Alex piped up. They all turned to look at him. "All right Krycek," Mulder told him. "tell us what you know." New York City The meeting had begun, but there was one man missing. Not surprising. He was always late or else he refused to attend. He folded his hands across his lap and opened his mouth to speak. As he did, the door opened and the man waltzed in as if he owned the place. He gave them all a cocky smirk and then lit a cigarette and sat down. "You're late." "I was busy." "Your insubordination causes us to doubt that you take your position amongst us seriously." The man gulped. "There were some matters of utmost importance at Langly Air Force Base." "What type of matters?" "Information dealing with the salvaged foo fighter that was stored in North Dakota." "Have the public found out?" another associate asked. "Of course not. It's being taken care of." "Now, on to more important matters," He set his glass on the coffee table. "Our intelligence sources have been delayed in relaying us some very important information," He glared at the man with the cigarettes. "How well was your background check on your assassins?" "Flawless." "Well, there was a flaw. Do you remember the name of the individual whom-you assured us-died in a car bomb explosion?" "Yes. Alex Krycek." "Alex Krycek," He repeated. He turned to the group. "Alexander Krycek alias Alexander Arntzen," Men gasped. Everyone had heard that name before-no one had ever seen him. "Which is his true name?" one asked "It is Krycek. Arntzen is the name used to confuse enemies. The point is, our friend here has tried to kill the most powerful man in the world. And failed. He knows all about our group, and we all know him-as an American. Not his true self. But that is not all. In the latest turn of events, his sister has enrolled in classes at a DC college. Yesterday, she was kidnapped with the efficiency of one of our pawns. This situation could cause the third World War. An overprotective older brother who has the power to annihilate an entire country is not something that we wish to deal with. Now, I must know. Who gave the orders to capture this girl? Which one of you was senseless enough to give the command?" No one spoke but all heads turned towards the cigarette smoke. He looked back at them calmly. "I have nothing to do with it. Obviously it was someone outside the group." The others looked at him, doubt clearly written across their faces. "Even if you didn't, this must be amended-she must be found and returned." "But," deduced the man with the Morleys, "isn't her disappearance what we need to get him back on American soil?" He knew that he others thought that Krycek would attempt to kill whomever he thought responsible, but he knew better than that. When Krycek had first come to him asking for the job, he had seemed reluctant to kill someone, but after a while he started feeling guilty. He knew that Krycek had morals-too many. But, if his sister was to die, he wouldn't have anybody. Krycek's wife was ready to come back-she was a great spy-so he wouldn't have anyone, and as he always said, the greatest enemy is the man who has nothing left to lose. Therein lied the dilemma. "He still has the connections, he could still cause much trouble before we even get a good shot at him," the associate said. "Drastic measures must be taken." NASA He walked through the doors of the experimentation lab, leaving his cigarettes in his car. The technicians in the lab turned towards him. "How is she doing Dr. Pierce?" He was hunched over the keyboard. "You were right. The creature-or as we've come to call it around here-the Oilian has merged successfully with her DNA. Although, we don't know how long she will be able to survive after exposure to such high levels radiation, we estimate her to be able to live at least a week-longer than we'll need to gather all the information that we want. "Good, good. When she dies, dispose of the body in an easily visible spot, somewhere near the FBI Headquarters in DC," He looked at Claudia. "Shame that such a pretty girl has to die in the interest of science. It's just her DNA we need. Pity." "Sir? We were just about to begin another round of tests if you'd like to observe. There's a chair over there." He sat down and looked through the window. Through the intercom, he could hear groaning. Pierce leaned over and pressed a button. "We need more tranquilizer," An orderly cautiously stepped into the area and gave her a shot. The groaning stopped as she slipped back into unconsciousness. "Now we're ready," Pierce said. He flipped a switch causing her entire body to convulse slightly. Suddenly, there was a blinding light filling the entire room. As suddenly as it began, it stopped. "Reading?" Pierce looked at the computer screen. "450 rem." "Rem?" "Roentgen equivalent man. It describes the expected effects from radiation exposure on human soft tissue. Normally, 300 rem will kill a person, but it appears that this organism doesn't want to lose it's host." "How did you make it do that?" he asked. "It's quite simple, really. From the information you gave us, we decided to try to stimulate her adrenaline glands. The hormone produced mixes with the physiology of the Oilian and the radiation is produced. What it is about the physiology that causes it to occur or why it can expel the radiation outside the body, we still can't tell. We hope to find out but right now, I don't think we'll ever know. Would you like us to let her go now?" "No! Keep testing her until she dies. We can't risk it." "When she dies, what do we do with the Oilian?" "Contain it! It already has the potential to become America's greatest weapon." Claudia's Apartment Mulder stood up. They had been dusting for prints for over an hour-nothing had magically appeared to give them any hint as to Claudia's whereabouts. Scully walked over to Krycek. He was sitting on a Futon with his head in his hands. "Do you know of anyone else who she might have been able to relay her problems to? A job? Boyfriend?" "She told me on the phone that she had just got a job-then I heard the crash. She never got around to telling me where." Skinner walked in. "Neighbors didn't see anything. No one said they heard anything either, which I find surprising since the door is forced open and you said that you could hear it over the phone." Mulder walked over to the cabinets and opened them. There were three bottles of vodka and a carton of cigarettes. He pulled them out. "Looks like your sister had a mild wild side, Krycek." Alex looked at him and at the bottles. "She always said she wanted to try it-I wouldn't let her have any." Something caught Scully's eye under where Krycek was sitting. "Stand up Alex," He did and she reached under the mattress, pulling out a composition notebook. She flipped through it-everything was written in Russian. "Can you read that?" she asked him. He took it from her and started reading to himself. It started from the day she had moved to the day before yesterday. Somewhere near the beginning of June, she wrote about having a job interview at the Headless Woman's Pub, she was going to be a bartender-with the help of a fake ID. Alex relayed the information back to the two of them and Scully's face went white as if she had seen a ghost. "Mulder, that's where Pendrell was shot." "I know. Let's go see what we can find. Buy you a drink?" Headless Woman's Pub The three of them walked in-Mulder, Scully, and Krycek. They approached the bar. "Excuse me, bartender?" Mulder asked. The man turned. "Can I help you?" Mulder showed him the picture. "Have you seen this girl?" "Yeah. That's Claud. She's supposed to be working tonight, lazy kid." "She's been kidnapped," Krycek said quietly. He looked surprised. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. You guys having any luck finding her?" "None so far," Mulder said. "Do you know if she had a boyfriend or anything?" "She was awfully friendly with one of our regulars-that's him over there," He pointed towards a man in a suit with blond hair. "I think his name's Charles Scott or something like that. He's a lawyer." "Thanks," Mulder said. He motioned for Scully to come with him. "You stay here Krycek." Alex sat himself down on a stool. He ordered a white Russian and watched Mulder and Scully talk to the man. <He's too old for her. If he was flirting with her right now, I'd make sure he ended up drinking his own blood. Who am I kidding? I haven't been able to fight anybody since I lost my arm. I'm useless. I can't help them.> His fingers gripped the glass tightly, then he let it go and walked out of the bar into the street. Mulder and Scully thanked Charles for his time and walked back towards the bar. There was an empty glass, but no sign of Krycek. He ran. He ran down the street trying to clear his head, but it didn't work. Everywhere he looked, he saw things, but he didn't see them. His mind was too busy worrying about Claudia. What were they doing to her? And where was she? He leaned his back up against a brick wall and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw him-his old boss; the one who had tried to blow him up with the bomb. His hand flew out and punched the man across the jaw. He looked surprised. "There's more where that came from," Alex snarled. He started ramming the mans' head against the wall. "What did you do to her? Did you kill her?!" he screamed. A cop came up and pulled him off of the other man. Alex turned to look at him- it was the same man. "What?" he moaned and dropped down on the sidewalk. His vision cleared and the man disappeared leaving behind one bruised and bloody policeman and one very angry partner. "Okay, man, you're coming with us," He shoved him into the police car and drove off to the precinct. Washington DC Police Department 10:48pm "Let's go, psycho. You've been bailed out," The guard opened the cell door. Alex looked up and walked out. "What? By who?" Mulder was waiting for him outside. When he saw him, he punched him right in the stomach. "What's the matter with you? We try to help you, then you go pick a fight with a cop?" Krycek was doubled over in pain. "Huh? I saw him Mulder, I saw that man with the cigarettes!" "You didn't see him, Krycek! Your imagination is running wild." Scully helped him off the ground. "When's the last time you had some sleep, Alex?" "I don't remember. Three days?" He stumbled and Scully caught him. "Alex, come on. You can stay at my apartment. You need to get some sleep. We'll start trying to find anything that will help us in the morning." Dana Scully's Apartment Alex woke up with a start. <Where am I?> Then he remembered everything-Claudia was gone. It made him feel sick to his stomach. He looked around for a bathroom and he saw one. He ran into it and started throwing up. The noise woke up Scully and she walked over to the bathroom and knocked on the door. "Alex? Are you okay?" He opened the door and walked out. "I don't know. I had the worst nightmare-I could see Claudia and talk to her, but I saw her being killed slowly and I couldn't do a thing. I couldn't stop it. She died anyway. I'm scared." "We're meeting Mulder for breakfast. Hurry up and get ready-I will too," Before she left the bedroom, she turned to look back at him. "Alex...we're going to find your sister," She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked into his green eyes. "I promise." They met Mulder at a outdoor café. Krycek got a cup of coffee and sat by himself. Mulder kept an eye on him; they didn't need a repeat of last night. "So Scully, how's your new roommate?" "Mulder, he's about two steps from going insane. We have to get some kind of lead on this case, or he's going to go on a killing spree." "Scully, we've tried everything-our avenues have almost been completely exhausted." "You haven't said anything about your sources. I don't think you want to find her. You're already in his shoes Mulder-this is equal to your losing Samantha, you know that. I try to help you when I can. You should help him-even with what you say he's done." The waitress came up to ask them if they wanted anything else and handed them a manila envelope. "Oh, and a lady gave me this to give to you," She left. Mulder opened the envelope. There was an 8x10 glossy black and white photo of an experimentation lab. There was a stretcher in the middle of the room and there was the faint outline of a human. He grinned at her. "You were saying Scully? Let's get this enhanced at the photo lab. Krycek! Come here and look at this." FBI Headquarters Video Production Unit-11:30am "This her?" the lab technician asked. Alex looked at the screen. "Yes. That's her. Where is she? Do you know? DO YOU?" "Krycek, calm down. Hanson, is there anything that could tell us her whereabouts?" Mulder asked. "Sorry, Agent Mulder. I can't find a clue." Mulder picked up the original photograph. "Thanks anyway. Come on Scully, Krycek let's go," Lone Gunmen "Mulder, I think we've found something," Byers called him over to his console and brought up an enlarged section of the picture. "See this blur right there? I E-mailed it to a contact of ours." "You have contacts?" Scully said in disbelief. Frohike looked at her. "So, who's the kid?" "Come here Frohike," Scully motioned for him to come to the window. She pushed back the blinds and showed him their car. "Can you see who's in the car?" "No, who is it?" "Alex Krycek," Byers said. "Stop gaping Langly. Yes, it's him, and if anything happens to this girl, America could be in very big trouble." "What are you talking about?" Mulder looked at him quizzically. "You didn't know? Alex Krycek is one of the most powerful individuals in the known world-he's head of the KGB." "The KGB is out of service." "That's what they want you to believe," Langly said. "He could launch a nuclear war if he wanted too." "Alex Krycek?" Mulder said, "'Head of the KGB?' You've got to be kidding me." "I don't kid with stuff like that." Scully looked back out the window. "Do you want to meet him? He's about to go mental if we don't find her." "Bring him in. For a while back , we thought that he was just a myth-someone that powerful." Scully left to get Krycek and Mulder turned his attention back to the screen. "So, who's this contact?" "Remember the 'Thinker'? The appears to be his protégé. Whoever the person is, they can do almost anything with their computer. They took this blur and enlarged it. It's the NASA emblem-I think that they're using her as a guinea pig." "Who's using her? And what for?" Scully had come back in with Krycek. The three stared at him. So this was 'the man'. <Uh oh> Byers thought. <What do you call someone like him?> "Uh, um, Comrade Krycek, NASA has a hold of your sister. Do you know what they would want her for?" Alex looked at them. "What did you call me?" <If they've told Mulder what they know, he might stop helping me-he can't. I have to find her.> Byers gulped. "N-nothing." Mulder stared at his enemy. <Krycek is one of the most powerful men in the world-you've got to be kidding me. He's about to snap.> Krycek stared at the computer screen. "What's that?" He asked and pointed to a computer monitor in the picture. There was typing on the screen. Byers zoomed in on the area and enlarged it. He started reading the screen out loud. "Results, four hundred fifty rem. Test subject one-oh-one-three-three-one-six. They're running radiation experiments?" "Radiation," Krycek repeated. <It's not me, it's the-the thing.> "What about it Krycek?" Mulder said. "Remember Hong Kong Mulder? The alien entity that was quite possessive?" "The radiation exposure..." it was all coming back to him. He had put that case behind him a long time ago. "I don't know why I survived. They must be testing it with genetic similarities." "How are we going to get there Mulder?" Scully asked. "Which NASA is it at?" "Where's the closest one with those kind of resources, Scully? It's Hampton, Virginia, but first, I want to make sure of it. Let's go apartment hunting," Krycek looked at him-he knew what Mulder was talking about. "How do you plan on getting past security? His place is guarded all the time," "Who guarded it?" "Me and Louis Cardinal," "Cardinal is dead-you're not there. Who does that leave? Let's go Scully. Want to come Krycek?" "No. I've got other plans. I promise that I won't get into anymore trouble-I need to go to New York City and talk to an old friend," "I'm not letting you-" Scully looked at him. Mulder sighed. "Go ahead Krycek-but if you get caught again, this time I'm not bailing you out." New York City There was another meeting-Krycek knew that there had to be. <Experimentation at NASA, no clues, it has to be them.> He moved quickly through the hallway of the apartment building and stopped at the corner. He pulled Scully's spare gun out of his pocket and cocked it. They would know. He could hear a faint rumbling-it sounded like they were arguing. Prefect. They would probably be willing to point fingers. That's what he needed. The carpet kept his feet from making any noise-that was a good thing. He went up to the door and listened. "-seems to be going well." "That's bull and you know it! There's no way she could do that-she belongs to us!" <BS!> He busted down the door and went straight for the smoking man. "What have you done to her?! Where is she?!" "Who?" "TELL. ME. WHERE. SHE. IS. NOW! If you've hurt her, you'll pay. Just ask the cop that I thought was you." The other members were trying to get out of the room. Let him kill-they didn't care. Alex did. He fired a bullet into the ceiling. Bits of plaster fell down onto his face. Didn't bother him. "Nobody move!" he yelled and waved the gun. "You know where she is. Tell me, or I'll kill you all. I used to work for you and I know where each of you live. Or I could just bomb New York. Maybe I should just bomb the whole country, but why take out my anger on innocents? But I will find her." "You're bluffing." "Am I? AM I? Do you want to find out? Tell me the truth!" "I thought that you said that there was no truth. She's dead," He lied. "You have nothing-not your wife, not your sister, not your child." "What about Dolores? What have you done to her?" he was getting worse now. The idea of starting a nuclear war was seeming better and better. "Her name is not Dolores-it's Marita Covarrubias. And you are no longer married." "What? Of course I am!" "No, Alex. Turn around," It was her. He turned. "Dolores," He breathed. "No, Alex. Marita," She was holding their marriage certificate. She grabbed it with both her hands and ripped it down the middle. It sounded like a thunderclap in his ears. His life-the best part of it anyway-fluttered to the floor, soundlessly. "Why?" he asked. "It was my assignment, Alex. You know about assignments, don't you? It was hard to relay my information, you had people keeping an eye on me all the time, but I finally finished." "I guess this means that you're not pregnant." "Oh, no. I am, but I'm not keeping it. Claudia is dead, Alex. Something about your genetic similarities protects you from radiation for a while. Your family needs to be studied. And since you're not going to be around...well, let's just say that the child will be an orphan and handed over to the state," She stared at him and walked closer, pulling out a gun of her own. <Claudia was right. What have I done? It is my fault. But I have to find her. I have to do this. Can I? Yes.> He aimed his gun at his wife-no, not his wife, he didn't know what she was-and fired. The bullet hit her directly between the eyes and she fell to the ground, a look of surprise on her face permanently. Krycek turned and put the gun back to the back of the smoking man's head. "I know you didn't think that I'd do that, did you? You're lying about her being dead, she was lying-I think that she wasn't pregnant and if she was, oh well," His eyes were glowing with hate-he didn't fully grasp what he had done, even as her blood seeped down the floor and went under his shoes. "Do it, Krycek, and you'll never know where she is-if she still exists." Alex lowered the gun. "That's too quick for you-remember, I used to work for you. I know where you live, I know what your license plate number is-I can find your car. How would you like to escape a bomb within seconds? It can be arranged, but I swear, if she is dead, I will start something. And, if you try to kill me, you will be the one to cause something-I have my own spies," He turned on a dime and stormed out the door. The other members of the syndicate stared at him. Finally, one spoke. "You lied." 900 West Georgia St. Mulder easily unlocked the door without a sound. Scully looked at him, surprised. "How do you know how to do that, Mulder?" He grinned smugly at her. "What are they teaching now at the Academy?" "Ha ha." "Shhh, Scully," He turned the knob and slowly opened the door. "Mulder, you do realize that this is a felony." "That's what makes it fun," He walked in. There was a guard. He was passed out drunk on the couch. They both stared at him. "Mulder, that's th-the man who killed Pendrell," She drew her own gun. "For shame, Scully. What was all that about me not killing Krycek, and now you want to kill this man?" He pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his trench coat pocket. "Mulder, I really don't want to know but, what are you doing with those handcuffs?" "You never know when you'll need a pair. Oh, get your mind out of the gutter Scully!" he laughed and handcuffed the man. The guy was so drunk that he didn't even move. "Now, let's browse." They looked around carefully, making sure not to disturb anything, but all they could find were a few short stories, some ashtrays, and a bunch of old war movies. Mulder knew that there was one more possible clue. He walked over to the phone and looked-his number was posted. 555-3661. Smiling, he jotted the number down. "Scully, let's give this guy to Skinner gift wrapped," They both picked up the drunk and drug him out of the room. FBI Headquarters "So, did you like our present, sir? Scully most definitely did." "Agent Mulder, you know that the way you found this man-by breaking into someone's apartment-is illegal. We can't prosecute him through the court system." "But sir-" Scully began. "Let me finish, Agent Scully. We can't prosecute him through the court system, but I think we'll skip the system this time," They started grinning. "Pendrell was a good man, I think I'll allow some leniency on how to put this man in jail. I can pull some strings. Oh, don't looked so shocked." "Thank you sir. Pendrell was a good friend to me," Scully said. "I realize that," Then he changed subjects abruptly. "Mulder, I came by to give you this. It should tell you what you want to know," Skinner walked out. "What is it Mulder?" Scully tried to look over his shoulder "A record of all calls made from our smoking friend's apartment, and lookie here-four calls in the last two days to NASA at Hampton. I think we can find her, Scully, I really do," He was getting excited-after a while, he had begun thinking of this case as if it was Samantha who had been kidnapped. "Why the sudden change of heart?" "I took your advice-I actually think that I'm starting to feel sorry for the guy Scully-'cause of his sister, and his arm. Did you see that?" "Yes, I did. It took me by surprise when he first came in, but now, I guess I learned to deal with it, same as he did." "So, are we still going to arrest him after we find Claudia?" "Mulder, I don't think that we can. From what Byers told us, he's probably under diplomatic immunity." "Don't you remember the car crash in '97? If it's bad enough, he can be put away far a long, long time-plus, we have extradition on our side. But seriously, do you really think that he could launch a nuclear war?" "I don't know what to think, but I'm not going to be the one to ask him-it seems that he's gone through a lot of trouble to keep that fact quiet if he is what they claim him to be. Where do you think he is right now?" "Still in New York would be my guess. Didn't he give us his cellular phone number? Let's head over to NASA in the morning." "Mulder, we should start over there right now, not wait for morning-if they are running radiation tests on her, we had better get her before she gets too much exposure." "Yes ma'am!" Mulder said playfully as he started out the door. "I'm not kidding Mulder. And I have something else to ask you-how are we going to find the correct building? NASA's a big place." "And, like I said before, that's why they put the 'I' in FBI. I'm tired. You wanna drive?" Central Park Alex Krycek sat on a park bench, thinking. So far, he hadn't done anything significant to help find his sister other than add on to his American rap sheet, scare an old man, and murder his own wife-oh, no. The full force of his actions hit him. Dolores-Marita, he could care less about her, but if she had been pregnant, he had killed his own son-or daughter. <How could I have done this?> He thought. <My own kid. I would've loved to be a father.> He hung his head low and saw a shadow pass over the ground in front of him. "Hey," the guy said. Alex looked up and saw a teenager-a boy Claudia's age holding a gun on him. "Let's see your wallet." Alex didn't say anything, and his eyes pierced into the thug. "Go away." "Look man, I don't need no smart-mouth from some extra from 'The Fugitive'. Hand it over, nice and slow. Now!" Krycek jumped up and swiped the kid's gun with his right hand. "Now, what is it you wanted?" The mugger backed off; they were all cowards if they didn't have their guns. "N-nothing. Have a nice day, man," He turned and ran. Sitting back down, Alex examined the weapon. <I could end it right now. I could.> He could imagine himself putting the gun to his head, and pulling the trigger. <Forget it. I have to find her-then maybe I could, but for now...> He tossed the gun down on the grass, got up and went to get a ride back to DC. NASA Scully parked the car and leaned back in her seat. <Whew! All this driving will give you highway hypnosis. Not to mention that Hampton has some of the most confusing streets that I've ever driven on.> She reached over and tapped Mulder's shoulder. He mumbled something and moved his head in the opposite direction. "Mulder! Get up!" she hissed. "What? Samantha?" His eyes flew open and he looked around quickly. "Oh. It's you." "Yes, it's me. Mulder, we're here," They both got out of the car at the same time and headed for the main building. As they were walking through the door, Mulder said, "Scully, I'm surprised. You can drive pretty good." "Thank you." Mulder and Scully approached the information desk. The woman manning the desk was abut twenty-five and had purple hair. It threw Mulder for a loop for a second. "Excuse me, ma'am?" "What?" He showed his badge. "Agents Mulder and Scully, FBI. Can you tell us which building conducts radiation experiments?" "Huh? I don't know. You might want to talk to the guys in security. It's right down the road, in a toll-booth looking thing, Can't miss it." "Thank you," They left. When they got back outside, Mulder stopped Scully. "Hey Scully," he said, grabbing a lock of her hair. "why don't you go for the purple look? No, better go with blue." She slapped his hand away. "Hey, I had blue hair when I was thirteen. It doesn't go with my complexion." "You're kidding." "When we get back home, come over to my apartment. I have pictures. Get in the car. Let's see if we can find security." They found the booth with no problem. After the guard waved them through, Scully pulled the car over to the median and parked it. Then she and Mulder walked back up to the guard who was sitting inside the booth. "Sir?" "Yes?" "Can you tell us which building houses radiation experiments?" Mulder asked. "None. They don't do that type of stuff here-too close to people. There's the entire city of Hampton, and Langly Air Force Base to watch out for. You're wasting your time." Mulder thought fast. "Has anything suspicious come through in the past two days? Military trucks? Anything like that?" "Like I said, no radiation experiments," The guard replied, ignoring the question. "I was on duty two days ago. Nada." "Something came this way, two days ago-a teenage girl has been kidnapped, and I think that you know why," He made a big show of reaching for his gun. "Tell us why." The guard's eyes widened. "Now that you mention it, I think that I did see a teenager asleep in the back of a car that came through here on Friday-they went straight and made a left turn-after that, I don't know." "Thank you," Mulder said. "Straight and to the left? Let's go find Claudia, Scully," The guard watched them leave. Once they were out of earshot, he picked up the phone-it was a direct link to the lab. "Pierce, get out of there. The FBI has found you guys out. The project is over, ready or not. They'll be there in about fifteen minutes, if they can find the right building. Leave the girl or kill her, but get out! They got back in the car and drove off in the direction that the guard had said. Mulder pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Scully. "Call Krycek. Tell him to get here as fast as he can-if he's in NYC, it's going to take a while," Scully dialed-no answer. "Nobody's home." Mulder hit the steering wheel with both hands. "This is starting to annoy me." "Calm down, Mulder. There's the turn." "I think that I can see that, Scully," He turned the corner only to meet about five or six cars headed in the opposite direction. "Looks like someone told," He could see the empty parking lot and pulled in. "Gee, Scully, do you think that this might be it?" "Looks like it," She hopped out of the car and pulled her gun from its holster. They opened the front door-nothing suspicious. The floor was carpeted in a soft gray and the walls were white. Doors were lined up and down the hallway; Mulder opened each one while Scully was more intent on finding out what was behind the door at the end of the corridor. The door on the end had a small window. It was eerie-the entire building was devoid of people. Scully left Mulder behind and ran down the hall. "Scully!" Mulder shouted, once he realized where she was going. She tried the door handle-locked. "Mulder, help me," He came up beside her and together, they managed to knock down the door. "Ladies first," He motioned. They both walked in and stopped. This was the room in the picture. The floor was cold white tile, the walls, an icy blue. There were about ten computers-all on. Scully promptly went toward the largest one and began typing. Directly in front of the computer was the observation window-inside, was Claudia. "Mulder, we've hit the jackpot." "So it seems, Scully. What are you doing?" "Trying to get some evidence, Mulder. Get the girl." Mulder looked at Claudia through the plate glass. She was strapped down to the stretcher. He couldn't find any way into the room so he picked up a paperweight and chucked it through the window. The glass shattered into a million pieces. "Mulder," Scully said. "Yes?" She walked over to the opposite side of the room and opened a door. "Ahem." Mulder blushed. "Oh. I just felt like being destructive," He stepped over the wall border that had been at the bottom of the window. His wing-tipped shoes crunched on the broken glass as he walked over and started to loosen Claudia's ties. She moved slightly and her eyes opened a little. "Alex?" she asked, sounding about ten years younger than she was. Mulder started loosening the restraint that was across her torso. "No. My name's Fox." She eyes opened wider until she could completely register his face. "Oh, you're the-the nice man," Her voice faded as her eyes closed again. Mulder scooped her up in his arms and carried her back into the console room, but he tripped on a chair leg. The jolt jerked Claudia back into conciseness and she moaned. "Put me down. Put me down." "No." "Do it Fox," Her voice was clear and dull. Mulder was startled and did as she said. "Now get out. Both of you," They just stood there staring at her. "Get out. As you value your life, leave. NOW!" They didn't waste any time. Scully dropped the computer disk and headed out the door, closing it behind her, but not moving any further than to the point where she could still see through the window in the door. She could see Geiger counters that had been installed in the walls moving wildly. The room seemed to be brighter and her ears started ringing. Both she and Mulder shut their eyes and clasped their hands over their ears. Claudia Krycek let out a howl of undeniable pain as 9,000 rem ripped through her central nervous system, placing her on the line between life and death. Soon she was enveloped in a white light-she couldn't move, and couldn't breathe. The light died down and the scream subsided. Scully took a chance and opened her eyes. The Geiger counters were still moving wildly and Claudia was lying in a heap on the floor. <What's Alex going to say now?> As she watched, she could see that Claudia was breathing, but just barely. Mulder watched the figure on the floor carefully. If he remembered the case correctly, he should be able to see the alien. Sure enough, as he watched, a black substance began flowing out of her eye and mouth cavities. Watching it made him feel sick to his stomach. The creature slid into the middle of the room and an indention formed in the middle of it. They both saw the Geiger counters slowly move back down to zero and the alien slide under the computer console and disappear. He opened the door again and he and Scully stepped back inside. The room had been completely demolished. Computer keyboards had melted and the keys had fused together. Monitors had exploded, papers had turned into ashes-the disk Scully had was now just a mass of twisted plastic. She picked it up. "We have no proof Mulder." Mulder picked up Claudia again. "What do you call this?" Scully pried open Claudia's right eye. "A drugged eighteen year old who probably has more tranquilizer in her than a polar bear. We need to get her to a hospital. I think that there's one at the base." They hurried back to the car and sped off to the hospital-and arrived there within minutes. The emergency staff quickly put her in an isolation room and put her on a respirator, and attached other numerous life support systems to her. Scully tried Krycek again. This time there was an answer. "What?" "Alex-it's me, Scully. We found her." A weight felt as if it had been lifted from his shoulders. "Is she okay?" "I'll be honest-no." The weight was back. "What's wrong?" "She's been exposed to extremely large levels of radiation, and countless amounts of triazolan." "Triazolan?" "It's a barbiturate-I think she's been knocked out the entire time she's been gone. Maybe what you heard wasn't a handgun going off, but a tranquilizer gun." "What's her condition?" Scully turned to look at Claudia, then spoke. "Alex, she's on every type of life support available and she's comatose. You should get here as fast as you can. Where are you?" "I just got back to DC." "We're in Hampton, Virginia. It's a three hour drive and the closest airport is in Norfolk, but that's about forty-five minutes away." "I'm on my way," He hung up and Scully sighed. <Now I really feel sorry for him.> If she was a gambling person, she would bet twenty dollars that Claudia Krycek wouldn't make it through the night. Langly Air Force Base Hospital June 15, 1998-1:00am Alex Krycek raced down the ER hallway towards the information desk. "Where's Claudia Krycek?" he demanded. Mulder happened to be coming back from the cafeteria and he saw him. "Krycek!" he waved him over. "Mulder, where is she?" "This way," He led him through a maze of corridors and into the elevator. They went up to the fifth floor and got out. Mulder guided him past seven doors until he stopped at one-the door was closed and Scully was no where to be seen. Krycek looked at Mulder. "She's inside," He opened the door and stood back so Krycek could see. Scully was sitting in a chair next to the bed reading her chart. "Scully," Mulder said. She looked up and saw them. Alex looked like a walking disaster. She stood up and walked towards him. "Thank you," he whispered. Then he moved to the empty chair and sat down. Mulder didn't leave, but Scully tugged on his arm. "Let's go Mulder." "I'm not leaving him alone. He's going to be placed under arrest," He was staring to hate the man again. Krycek had his sister, but he still didn't have his. "Maybe," Scully said. "but for now, let them be alone," She pulled the door shut and turned to leave, but Mulder stayed and pressed his ear against the door. Alex looked at his sister and started talking. "This is my fault, isn't it? If I hadn't let you go...but I've always made bad choices haven't I? You could always see things for what they were. Like Dolores. I went to New York City to try to find out where you were and what I found out was that my wife was a spy. I killed her. I think I might have killed my child too. I don't know if she was lying or not about being pregnant. I almost shot myself yesterday after I realized what I had done, but then I remembered that I had to find you. I didn't even find you-they did. I don't deserve to be called your brother. Maybe I should just tell Mulder that you're Samantha and let him take care of you. I don't deserve you. Look at what my pranks have gotten you into," He fell quiet, then brushed back a small lock of hair that had fallen in her face. "But I do love you. I hope you know that," He leaned back in his chair and soon was fell asleep to the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. Mulder walked away from the door, surprised. A knock on the door woke him up. "What?" he hadn't even realized that he had fallen asleep. "Who is it?" Mulder walked in. "I brought you some coffee," He handed him a paper cup. "Thanks," He took it but made no move to drink it. "How's she doing?" he asked, looking at her. "Same. Different. I don't know." "You know, when we found her, I went to pick her up and the first thing she asked was if I was you." "Really?" "Yeah. I wish that I knew my sister as good as you do yours." Alex didn't say anything, but he looked back at his sister. That's when Mulder noticed his right hand. "You married, Krycek?" He looked down at his hand. He had forgotten that he had even had the ring on. He pulled it off and threw it in the empty metal trash can. It made a loud ringing noise. "Not anymore. She was a spy-Covarrubias." Mulder walked out, surprised again. Scully was waiting for him. "Well, I'm glad I didn't bet on that," She said. "What?" "I was going to bet twenty dollars that Claudia'd be dead by now. Guess my doctor skills need some refreshing," A doctor was coming down the hallway-Scully recognized him as the resident on call. "Dr. Pierce? Any new developments?" "Well, judging from the information you've told us, we've been scanning for radiation residue or cancerous cells and finding nothing. All we've found are heavy doses of triazolan and CNS damage, but no cause," He was lying through his teeth. Claudia had cancer beginning in almost every organ in her body, but he was to let her die-it was his assignment. "The next few days are crucial, but I seriously doubt she'll make it," He walked off. "Thank you. Mulder, let's forward that," She took a deep breath opened the door. Alex was holding his sister's hand with his head lowered. Mulder was shocked. He had never figured Krycek to be the religious type-not after what he'd done to people and families. <But, just because he looks like he's praying doesn't mean that he is.> He reminded himself. <Looks can be deceiving.> "Alex," Scully called him. "We just talked to the doctor and he told us that-" Alex jumped up. "Did you see that? She squeezed my hand. She knows that I'm here. What did the doctor say? Does he know when she's going to wake up? When?" "Krycek! Sit down," Mulder ordered him. "As Scully was saying, I know you don't want to hear this, but...she's not going to make it. I'm sorry," <God, did I just APOLOGIZE to Krycek?!> He was back on his feet. "You're lying! She IS going to make it! You're just jealous because I get my sister back and you never will!" Mulder slammed him up against the wall. "Why would I lie, Krycek? I'm not like you, I have morals! Face it! Your sister is basically dead!" Alex's eyes grew dark. "Get out. GET OUT!" He shoved Mulder and sent him flying into the door. He sat back down and grabbed his sister's hand. Scully pulled Mulder off the ground and looked at Krycek. "Alex, I'm sorry, but what he said was true," Then she dragged Mulder out of the room. Weeks passed. Mulder and Scully went back to DC to file a report and Mulder tried his hardest to convince a judge to issue a warrant for the arrest of Alex Krycek, but, try as he might, he couldn't get even one. It was depressing, but soon Mulder stopped thinking about him. Scully did too. That's when her cell phone rang. "Hello?" "She's awake," Then he hung up. Scully was in awe. "Mulder, let's go back to Hampton." "You go. I can't face him since I can't arrest him. I couldn't even get one for officer assault. Life's not fair Scully," He looked at her sadly. "I know it's not, Mulder. But what happens if you ever see him again?" "I'll take him to a dark, secluded area and kill him. I swear." "I doubt you'll ever see him again if you don't come, but I'll find out what really happened, I promise." "You can try Scully, but the truth is too hard to find." She looked at him strangely and left. Langly AFB Hospital Scully knocked on the door. "Come in." She opened the door and looked. It didn't seem like anything had changed, except that he had removed her from the respirator. "Are you sure she's awake, Alex? You shouldn't have taken her off the respirator." "She opened her eyes. She can't talk with that thing in her mouth." She sighed. "Alex, that could have just been a reflex. Just because she opened her eyes doesn't mean that she's conscious. But she may get better. Frankly, I'm surprised that she's managed to stay alive this long." "You are no help. She's awake!" He looked back at Claudia. "Claudia, sweetheart, show her that I'm not wrong," He kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open. "Alex? Is it you, not Fox?" she asked pitifully. "It's me. I knew that you were awake. I've always known that you would be okay." "You lie," She smiled. What's wrong with her?" Her head turned and she looked at Scully. Alex looked too. "Scully, here, sit down. You look pale." "I-I'm shocked. She's supposed to be dead." "Supposed?" Claudia coughed. "I'm supposed to die?" "No, I didn't mean it like that-it's just that..." "By all medical reasons, you should've left me weeks ago," He finished for her. "But I didn't. Aren't you happy?" "More than you can imagine. How do you feel?" "Oddly, enough, not bad. Just one thing," She began. "What?" "I can't feel anything below my waist." "Y-you can't? Scully? What's wrong with my sister?" "Come here, Krycek," He walked over to her. "She's been exposed to too much radiation which can cause serious CNS damage." "How long is it going to be before she gets the feeling back?" "I don't think she will, but I was wrong about her before." "That's right. You were," He turned. "I'd like you to leave," Scully could see the old Krycek coming back. The arrogant one. "But you called me and-" "I believe my brother told you to leave," Claudia called from the bed. Scully was offended but she bit her tongue and left. Fox Mulder's Apartment His phone rang. "Mulder." "Mulder, it's me. You were right. I'm not about to get anything from either of them, but she is alive. She just woke up half an hour ago and is suffering from paralysis below her waist. Alex-I mean Krycek kicked me out of the room. Looks like I was right Mulder-we have nothing. How do you think Skinner will react?" "I meant to tell you Scully. Skinner's on vacation. He doesn't even know that we won't be able to prosecute Krycek." "He's what?!" "I went to his office and they said he decided to take the rest of the month off. I tried calling him at home, but I didn't get an answer." "What about his wife? Does she know where he went?" "Tried. Seems her and Skinner are on thin ice again. Do you think it has something to do with Krycek?" "I don't know Mulder. I'll be back in a few hours." "Hey Scully. We've both had our share of bad days lately. How about I take you out to dinner when you get back?" "Dinner? Sounds good to me. I'll drop by your place around eight." "See you then. Oh, and Scully...one thing's been bothering me," "What?" "I doubt you can find out now, but when Krycek first saw his sister, I noticed that he had on a wedding band. I asked who to and he told me that she had been a spy-and her name was that of my informant. He said he killed her, so if she's dead, who sent us those picture's of Claudia in the lab?" "I don't know. Maybe you have another friend in the FBI," "I hope so. I think I need one. No offense. Bye," He hung up and began filing the case. As far as he was concerned, it was over. AFB Hospital Krycek was pacing back and forth in the hallway. "Ready to get out of here? I know I am," Claudia was wheeling her way towards him and smiling. "Yes. There's a private jet waiting at the airport to take us home." "Us? Private jet? What for? I just need to go back to my apartment. What are you talking about, Alex?" "You are coming back to Petersburg." "Oh no I am not. I like it here. This whole thing wasn't my fault. I can take care of myself." "Yeah, you sure proved that. You are coming back with me and that's final." "No! I don't want to go back there. It's boring," She knew she was taking a chance insulting him like that. "Well, maybe boring is better than this. I can keep an eye on you there. You can work for me," his tone softened. "Please Claud. Maybe I'll let you come back, but for now." "You're upset about Dolores." "Her name wasn't D-" "I know." "How?" "You told me. Are you scared of going back to an empty house?" "I'm not scared of anything. Except car bombs," He smiled. "So, you are coming." She sighed a sigh of defeat. She didn't feel like arguing with him. "Alex, I'll come, BUT just for a little while so you can get back on track. You know I don't want to." "I know. Thanks," He bent down and hugged her. "I'll try not to keep you there for the rest of your life. Even if you don't realize it, I CAN tell that you like it here. Now let's be off," He started to push her. "Alex," she cautioned him "let me handle it. I'm a big girl now so I should be able to do it myself." "You've always been stubborn," His smile broadened. "Welcome back," Manhattan General Hospital "Excuse me, but there's no smoking allowed in the neonatal unit," the man said nothing but removed the cigarette in his mouth, threw it on the floor, and grounded it out with his foot. He walked through the glass doors to see a solitary crib. He looked in. "Miss Mulder," He called. She appeared behind him. "Yes?" "Look inside. This is your charge," The baby gurgled happily as she picked it up. She looked at its eyes. Icy blue. His hair was a dark brown. "How did he survive?" "Miracles of modern medicine. Immediate care once removed from his mother's body." "Who are the parents?" "It is of no concern. You are to take care of him. Now, he's your son." "I-I don't know what to say." "We will go back to your quarters. Everything you will need is already in your room." "Thank you sir. What's his name?" "Call him Fox. After your brother." "Sir, speaking of Fox, when can I see him?" "You will see him when we tell you that you can see him, but don't get your hopes up. It won't be for a very long time," He walked out, leaving Samantha Mulder seething. He didn't know it, nobody did, but she had already seen and helped her brother and she WOULD talk to him. Not now...but soon. -the end (of all of it)- Author's note: I realize that what Alex tells his sister when she's in the coma can be taken in two ways, so let me clear the air here. Alex and Claudia are blood-related. Claudia IS NOT Samantha and has no blood connection whatsoever with Mulder. Sorry if it caused any inconvenience. Well, what did you think? Should I write more with this last turn of events? Send replies and _constructive criticism_ (flames will be used to housebreak my dogs)to <icefox@rocketmail.com>. Thank you for reading! [:-) "Hey, you go underground, you gotta learn how to live with the rats," "I'm sure you had no trouble adapting." -Krycek to Mulder "Tunguska." "The truth, the truth...there is no truth. These men, they make it up as they go along." -Alex Krycek "Tunguska" Can anyone tell what my favorite two-parter is yet? *g* And will someone tell me what the AXTC is? I see it everywhere! ThanX, Sphinx
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