From: dmcintoshtx@yahoo.com   
      
   Title:   WHY KRYCEK?   
   Author:  dmcintoshtx@yahoo.com   
   Fandom:  X-Files   
   Pairing:   Skinner/Krycek   
   Rating:  R   
   Permission to Archive:  Yes   
   Genre:   Slash   
   Summary:  Alex Krycek finishes his last assignment then retires; with   
   AD Skinner.   
   Warning:   None   
   Disclaimer:  These characters belong to Chris Carter.  They'd get a   
   lot more action if they belonged to me!   
      
      
   WHY KRYCEK?   
      
   "Krycek?  Why Krycek?  I'm sure you must have someone else I could   
   work with."  Walter Skinner was not too happy about his new assignment.   
      
   "I told you you'd be climbing; but you'll be going up as second man.    
   Krycek will lead."  Cassidy informed him.   
      
   "Me second to Krycek?  I think I've changed my mind.  He's the last   
   person on this earth that I'd want to make a climb with."   
      
   "Too late, Skinner; you accepted the assignment.  You can't back out   
   now just because you don't like who you're assigned to work with."   
      
   "But why Krycek?  You must have someone else who can climb?"   
      
   "A mountain, yes; a five story building; no."   
      
   "We're going up a building?"  Skinner was becoming more and more sorry   
   that he had accepted this chance to get away from his desk and take a   
   field assignment.   
      
   "That's right.  Krycek goes up first; he can do that much alone.  I   
   went you going up second to make sure he and the package that he's   
   going up there to retrieve, gets back down.  That's all you need to   
   know.  Be at the air field by 7 pm."  Cassidy stood from the   
   conference table; dismissing him.   
      
   "We make the climb at night?  Of course."  Skinner was getting a bad   
   taste in his mouth about this development.   
      
   "7 pm.  You can leave now, go check out your gear.  Pack for 2 or 3 days."   
      
   Skinner drummed his fingers on the table top and stood to leave.   He   
   stared at her a moment then left.   
      
   "Shit!"  He mumbled to himself.  "Alex Krycek!"  He thought he had   
   seen the last of him; at least he hoped he had.   
      
      
   He snuggled the knit cap down over his ears and shoved his hands into   
   his pockets.  It was chilly and he wished he had taken the time to eat   
   something but he had never made a climb without first checking,   
   re-checking and re-re-checking his equipment.  He had never had a gear   
   mal-function on a climb and he sure and hell didn't want to have one   
   climbing a five story building!   
      
   He reached into his pocket and pulled out a protein bar and nibbled at   
   it.  At least it would be something to make his stomach stop growling.   
    He had just finished it when the truck rolled up.   
      
   Janna Cassidy and Alex Krycek got out; along with two others.  Mulder   
   and Scully.     
   "Oh crap," he thought.  This is going to be one long miserable   
   assignment.  He could see it all now; he would end up playing referee   
   the entire trip!   
      
   "I thought this was a two man job?" he asked as they approached.   
      
   "It is.  A two man climb.  Do you speak French?"   
      
   "No.  I didn't know it was a requirement to climb."   
      
   "It isn't.  But it is for Mulder's assignment."   
      
   "What exactly is Mulder's assignment?"   
      
   "You don't need to know that yet.  I'll tell you when it's time."   
      
   "You're going along?"   
      
   "This one is a delicate situation; a little tact and diplomacy is   
   required.  Something none of you are familiar with."  She led them   
   towards the plane; all of them glaring silently at each other.   
      
   "How'd you let yourself get talked into this one?"  Skinner asked Scully.   
      
   "It was a more-or-less command performance.  She told me Mulder and   
   you were going.  She didn't say anything about Krycek though.  Why the   
   hell is HE going?"   
      
   "Looks like I'm going to be second man on this climb.  He's going to   
   lead."   
      
   "This is a climb?"   
      
   "Yeah.  We're supposed to retrieve some package.  I get the feeling   
   she's worried that Krycek might not bring it back down and that I'm   
   the insurance."   
      
   "This is going to be interesting."  Scully said as they climbed into   
   the plane.   
      
      
   They settled themselves quickly until the plane was in the air.    
      
   "What's your assignment, Mulder?"  Skinner asked.   
      
   "I'm not really sure.  She said something about me being a diversion."   
      
   "You don't need to speak French for that." Skinner said.   
      
   "Yeah, I know.  Maybe we're going into Canada."   
      
   "Krycek!"  Skinner called out.   
      
   "What?"  He answered.   
      
   "You know where we're going?  What this is all about?"  Skinner asked.   
      
   "I'm climbing a building for a package; you're along to help me bring   
   it back down; Mulder's along as a diversion; Scully's along in case   
   either of us falls or some smart-ass creating a diversion takes a   
   bullet.  That's all I know."  He folded his arms across his chest and   
   went to sleep.   
      
   "Why is SHE coming along?"  Scully nodded her head up front towards   
   the cockpit area where Cassidy had disappeared.   
      
   Skinner shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, "Must be a pretty   
   important package."   
      
      
   "You may as well get some sleep.  We got a 12 hour flight ahead of   
   us."  Krycek said.   
      
   "12 hours?  Shit!  Europe!"  Skinner said, more to himself than the   
   others.   
      
      
   They dozed off and on during the flight walking around occasionally to   
   stretch their tired muscles.   
      
   "I thought maybe you were along to look after HIM," Mulder said to   
   Scully as he gestured to Krycek.     
      
   "Yeah, I noticed that."  She answered looking at the bruised and   
   battered face of a sleeping Krycek.   
      
   "Did you do that?"  Skinner asked Mulder as he joined them for a   
   bottle of water.   
      
   "Nope.  Wish I had.  Someone else had the pleasure, I guess."   
      
   "I just hope he's in shape to make this climb."  Skinner said.   
      
   "I'm sure he is, or she wouldn't have chosen him."  Scully said   
   dismissing the matter.   
      
      
    The sun was rising as they landed at a small airstrip outside of   
   Paris.  They disembarked and piled into the back of a truck and were   
   driven to a small farmhouse.   
      
   "Stay close to the house; we'll leave as soon as it gets dark.    
   There's food, or beds if you want to nap.  I'll be back around 7:30."   
    Cassidy said as she dumped the four of them out and left in the truck.   
      
   "Well I, for one, am starving!  Anyone want breakfast?"  Scully said   
   and headed for the kitchen.   
      
   "Not me," Mulder answered taking a seat across from Krycek who was   
   lying down on the couch, "I just ate a pop tart."   
      
   "I could eat the side of this house," Skinner said following her, "I   
   didn't eat dinner last night."   
      
   "You know you shouldn't skip a meal; it isn't good for you; especially   
   right before you're making a climb."  Scully scolded him. "You need   
   your strength."   
      
   The two of them threw together some omelets; ham and eggs and   
   vegetables and offered some to the others; they refused.   
      
   Mulder and Scully decided to take a walk after breakfast and Skinner   
   remained behind with a second cup of coffee.  He sat watching Krycek.     
      
   Krycek got up and got himself a cup of coffee and sat back down.   
      
   "So who'd you betray this time?  Looks like they caught up with you.    
   You must be getting old, Krycek."   
      
   Krycek chuckled.  "Actually it was a BMW and it looks worse than I do.   
    I'll heal up.  It was totaled."   
      
   "You sure you can make this climb?"  Skinner worried.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)