From: dmcintoshtx@yahoo.com   
      
   Title:  KRYCEK'S CHRISTMAS GIFT   
   Author:  Donna McIntosh   
   E-mail:  dmcintoshtx@yahoo.com   
   Fandom:  X-Files   
   Pairing:  Krycek/Skinner   
   Rating:  NC-17   FRAO   
   Disclaimer:  These characters belong to Chris Carter, not to me.  I   
   just let them have a lot more fun.   
   Summary:  Krycek receives an unusual Christmas gift and takes it   
   straight to Skinner.   
      
   KRYCEK'S CHRISTMAS GIFT   
      
   Krycek stood looking out the window, one finger holding back the aged   
   drapes.  The street below was a blur of activity; decorations hung   
   from every possible point; storefronts were all decorated; people   
   wandered back and forth on the sidewalks carrying armfuls of gaily   
   wrapped packages.  He hated Christmas; hated it with a passion.    
   Christmas held only one memory for him and that was losing both his   
   parents on Christmas Eve when he was just a boy of 8.  The chill from   
   the window told him it would snow for sure tonight as he watched a   
   young family working to tie a Christmas tree to the roof of their car.   
    The children danced around eagerly trying to help while their parents   
   wound the twine round and round.  Soon enough they were off to enjoy   
   their purchase.   
      
   He remembered his parents as they decorated their last tree.  It was a   
   tiny thing; just big enough to sit on their side table in the living   
   room of their old duplex.  He was startled by a sound outside his   
   room.  He drew his gun and stepped back into the shadows.  A red   
   envelope was slid under his door and he listened as foot steps walked   
   on down the hall.  He went to the envelope and picked it up.  There   
   was no name on it, just his room number.  He held it up to his nose   
   and sniffed it; no scent of anything explosive.  He tore the end off   
   and pulled the contents out carefully.  It was a Christmas card from   
   the management wishing him happy holidays.     
      
   "Jesus!  Can't everybody just let me the hell alone?"  He hurled the   
   card into the trash.   
      
   The phone rang and he checked the caller ID.  Nothing he recognized.    
   He lifted the receiver and said "What?"  A telemarketer began his   
   spiel and Krycek slammed down the phone.  With a deep sigh, he grabbed   
   his jacket and headed out for the nearest bar.     
      
   He took a table in the back; away from most of the crowd and ordered a   
   beer.  He didn't like to drink very much.  It dulled his senses and he   
   had to stay alert to stay alive.  He nursed the beer for nearly an   
   hour and was about to finish it and go back to his apartment when an   
   old man dressed in a Santa suit sat down opposite him.   
      
   "Mind if I sit for a minute?" he asked settling his considerable   
   weight in the creaking wooden chair.   
      
   "As a matter of fact I do."  Krycek glared at him.   
      
   "OK.  I'll leave in just a minute; soon as I catch my breath.  Would   
   that be OK?"  The old man answered with a wheeze.  "I'm exhausted.    
   I've been at the mall all day; handing out candy and little presents   
   to children; he heaved a tired sigh.   
      
   "And I thought my job sucked!"  Krycek couldn't help but grin at the   
   old man.   
      
   "I just got one present left."  Santa reached into his pocket and   
   pulled out a small red ball.  "I can't figure out who I'm supposed to   
   give it to.  I think it belongs to you."   
      
   "Looks like a ball to play jacks with."  Krycek said.   
      
   "Oh, it's not a jack ball.  No siree.  It's magic!"  The old mans eyes   
   twinkled under his thick white eyebrows.   
      
   "Magic?"  Krycek scoffed with a chuckle.   
      
   "Yes, indeed it is.  It's a time machine."  The old man held the ball   
   in one hand and stroked his snow-white beard in the other.   
      
   "A time machine?  Who are you; H.G. Wells?"   
      
   "I thought you knew; I'm Santa Clause."     
      
   Krycek laughed out loud.  Whoever this guy was, he was certainly amusing.   
      
   "You don't believe in me?"  He asked, all blue-eyed and innocent.   
      
   "Look, buddy.  You're funny as hell but I'm really not into this   
   Christmas shit.  So why don't you just move on to another table?"   
      
   "First I have to show you how this works.  Magic is a delicate thing   
   and can be dangerous if not handled carefully."   
      
   Krycek sat and stared at the old man.  Not knowing whether he was just   
   some harmless old coot or someone that need careful watching.   
      
   "Let me show you how it works then I'll be gone."  He held the ball in   
   his hand and squeezed it.  When he opened his hand again, the ball   
   gave off a bright red glow.   
      
   "Hey, that's cool.  How'd you do that?" Krycek asked, his interest peaked.   
      
   The old man placed the ball on the table and it returned to its   
   original coloring.  "Now you do it.  If you're the one who's supposed   
   to get this gift of magic, the ball will glow even brighter than that.   
    If you're not, it won't glow at all."   
      
   Krycek decided to go along with the old man; he seemed harmless   
   enough.  He picked up the ball and squeezed it then opened his hand.    
   The ball threw off a brilliant red light; giving the entire room a red   
   glow.  He sat the ball back down quickly and stared at it.   
      
   "I knew you were the one the minute I saw you.  This gift is yours."   
      
   "Now wait a minute here.  Whatever this thing is, it's not magic and I   
   don't want it.  Go give it to someone else."  Krycek said and shoved   
   the ball towards the old man.   
      
   "That's because you think it's all just a game; a scam of some sort.    
   It's not, you know.  It's for real.  With this little ball you can   
   travel back in time to any year you want.  Or maybe you'd rather go   
   into the future?  It can be done.  Isn't there some thing back in the   
   past you'd like to see?  Maybe the building of the pyramids; or the   
   fall of the Roman Empire?  Or maybe something with a little more   
   action; like maybe witnessing the gunfight at the OK corral?  Or   
   watching Hitler in his final hour in his bunker?  It's all here; all   
   you have to do is think of a time and you'll be there.  You can   
   experience it all; watch it as it actually happened, be a part of it   
   if you want."   
      
   Krycek drained his bottle and chuckled at the old man.  "I'm outta   
   here."  He said and started to stand up but the old man stopped him   
   with a hand on his arm.   
      
   "Please; just one more moment."   
      
   Krycek sat back down.  "Look old man, whatever you're selling; I'm not   
   buying."   
      
   "No, no, no.  I'm not selling this; it's yours!  It's your Christmas   
   gift.  I must give you one warning though.  If you go into another   
   time, you must come back before the hour is up or you will be stuck in   
   that time with no way to return."   
      
   Krycek gave the old man a look that would whither most men; it had no   
   affect.  The man was smiling a gentle affectionate smile at him.  "Go   
   on.  Take it.  It's yours."   
      
   Krycek picked the ball up and squeezed it.  The entire room took on a   
   red glow.  He glanced around at the others in the bar but no one   
   seemed to notice the red.  He put the ball back down and the red glare   
   was gone; and so was the old man.     
      
   "So, you want another beer?"  The waitress was standing at the table   
   asking him.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)