From: dmcintoshtx@yahoo.com   
      
   Title:   SECRET WITNESS   
   Author:  dmcintoshtx@yahoo.com   
   Fandom:  X-Files   
   Pairing:  Skinner/Krycek   
   Rating:  NC-17   FRAO   
   Warnings:  Explicit M/M sex scene   
   Disclaimer:  These characters belong to Chris Carter.    
   I make no money off them.  I just take them out and   
   play with them once in a while.   
   Summary:  Krycek shocks Skinner by asking him to move in with him.   
      
   SECRET WITNESS   
      
   Walter Skinner stood in the shower letting the   
   steaming hot water pound down on the back of his neck.   
   He'd been in court all day, testifying against one   
   C.G.B. Spender; the smoking man himself.  They had   
   finally gotten enough against the old man; and with   
   the help of some secret witness that had  been   
   testifying all month long, it looked like they had   
   enough to put him away for good.    
      
   He stood there until the water turned cool and got   
   out, dried off, dressed in jeans and Henley and went   
   down stairs barefoot.  His only plans for the rest of   
   the evening was to find something in the fridge to eat   
   and sit down and put his feet up and do nothing!  He   
   had found the makings for a sandwich and downed that   
   with a bottle of beer.  He had just sat down on the   
   couch, put his feet up on the coffee table; something   
   he knew that Sharon would have hated so he did it   
   often; when the door bell sounded.   
      
   "Shit!"  He groused; got up and yanked the door   
   opened, fully intending to bite the head off whoever   
   it was.  He was in no mood for visitors.  There stood   
   Alex Krycek!   
      
   "What the hell do you want?"  His hand went to the   
   back of his neck; tension starting to grip him again.   
      
   "I knocked.  I could have been sitting on the couch   
   waiting for you when you got home!" Krycek smiled at   
   him.   
      
   "What do you want, Krycek?  I've had a long day and   
   I'm in no mood for this."   
      
   "Five minutes of your time.  That's all I ask.  Let me   
   have those five minutes, then I'll leave if you still   
   want me to."   
      
   "Oh Christ!"  He ran his hand over his bald head and   
   stepped aside, allowing Krycek to enter.   
      
   He closed the door behind them then turned on him.   
      
   "I don't know what games you have in mind, Krycek, but   
   I'm not playing.  In case you haven't heard, I don't   
   answer to your boss anymore."  He stood, hands on hips,   
   facing Krycek.   
      
   "No games, I promise."  He took a few steps into the   
   middle of the room and waited to be asked to sit down.   
   The invitation to sit didn't come.   
      
   "Say what you came here to say and then leave."    
   Skinner said.   
      
   "It's a long story, I can't tell it all in five   
   minutes but I can give you the outline and if you're   
   interested I can stay longer and fill in the  blanks."   
      
   "OK.  Get on with it.  Once upon a time...Tell me   
   whatever fairy tale you have in mind so you can leave.   
   You now have only four minutes."   
      
   Krycek chuckled and began.  "You've been testifying in   
   court against Spender; so have I."   
      
   "You haven't been anywhere near that courthouse or I'd   
   have heard about it."  Skinner sneered.   
      
   "You hear anything about a secret witness?"   
      
   There was no way he could have known about the trial;   
   it was being held in strict secrecy.  Skinner eyed   
   him, and for the first time, made note of his unusual   
   appearance; nice suit, tie, shiny shoes.   
      
   "You're telling me YOU were the secret witness?"   
      
   "One in the same.  Do I have your attention now?"    
   Krycek faced him in the same position; hands on hips,   
   staring face to face.   
      
   "You have it.  Let's hear what you have to say."    
   Skinner listened, but he was skeptical.   
      
   "OK then.  First of all, the most important thing   
   before my time runs out.  I've been working for   
   Cassidy from the beginning.  She's known every step I   
   took, every move I made, since I was in Quantico."   
      
   "You're full of shit!  You're telling me that you've   
   been undercover for eight years?  This is a fairy   
   tale!"   
      
   "Why would I lie about something that would be so easy   
   for you to check out?  Pick up your phone and call   
   her.  She'll confirm everything that I'm saying."   
      
   Walter stood stark still in the middle of his living   
   room floor and knew it was the truth.  He could tell   
   by the look on Krycek's face, he wasn't lying.  He   
   could and would check up on this story as soon as   
   Krycek left; they both knew that.   
      
   "Go on." was all Skinner could think of to say at the   
   moment.   
      
   "Here it is, short and sweet.  I'm retiring as of   
   today.  I'm no longer with the Bureau.  I started   
   doing odd jobs for Cassidy when I first started at   
   Quantico so my time began then.  Two years there, then   
   the last eight, make ten years undercover.  Any   
   undercover time counts as double time and double pay.    
   So that means I've got my twenty in and I'm eligible   
   for full retirement pay and benefits..  I've also been   
   saving almost every penny I've made.  I'm out of the   
   Bureau, the Consortium is out of business, and I'm a   
   free man.  I agreed to stay on until the trial was   
   over and it's all over now but the sentencing.    
   There's no way he can get off with anything shorter   
   than life. Your testimony today during the punishment   
   phase assured that."  He took a deep breath and went   
   on.  "The rest is personal.  I think my five minutes   
   is up.  Do you want me to continue, or do you want me   
   to leave?"   
      
   Walter went to his liquor cabinet, poured himself a   
   stiff drink and drank it half down.  The burn in his   
   throat and down to his stomach gave him a moment to   
   think.     
      
   "What personal information are you talking about?"   
      
   "Do you remember the day we met?" Krycek asked, hands   
   in his pockets and leaning back against Walter's desk.   
      
   "Yeah, I do.  Fourth floor break room.  You were   
   pounding on the snack machine."  Skinner answered.   
      
   "Well, the machine took my money and didn't give me   
   my candy bar!"  Krycek smiled and defended himself.   
      
   The smile caught Skinner off guard.  He wasn't   
   expecting it; and he wasn't expecting his own reaction   
   to it either.  He remembered that day all too well;   
   had thought of it often and wondered how that   
   fresh-faced young agent could have been turned so   
   easily.  He pushed away any other thoughts he had had   
   about that young man eight years ago.  He never let   
   himself become involved with anyone at the Bureau, no   
   matter how attractive they were.  He had made that   
   decision years ago; back when his marriage had begun   
   to fall apart and he began seeking "comfort"   
   elsewhere.  Never with anyone at the Bureau; never.    
   Still, he couldn't control his thoughts and his   
   thoughts did often wander to that young man with the   
   green eyes and the long thick lashes.   
   He sipped his drink.   
      
   "You came over to me and showed me how to hit the   
   machine just so and out the candy came.  You   
   introduced yourself and shook my hand."   
      
   "Ok, Ok. Enough of the trip down memory land.  What   
   are you getting at?"  Walter said in his best AD   
   voice.   
      
   "There was something there, that day.  I felt it; and   
   I think you did too."   
      
   "I don't know what you're talking about."  He lied.   
      
   "I think you do.  I'm leaving tonight.  As soon as I   
   leave here.  Why don't you come with me?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)