From: dmcintoshtx@yahoo.com   
      
   CHAPTER 6   
      
   The next morning he was awakened by a knock on the door.  He jumped up   
   to answer it, pulling on his jeans and calling out, "Come in".  Mulder   
   stepped through the doorway and he couldn't help the little shiver of   
   disappointment that ran through him and he was momentarily ashamed of   
   himself.   
      
   "Good morning.  I thought I'd stop in and see if you might want to go   
   get a little breakfast?"  Mulder asked.   
      
   "Uh … I could go for some breakfast but I need to clean up first.  Can   
   I meet you?"   
      
   "Sure; when you're ready, just head down the nearest ramp."   
      
   "How many floors down?"   
      
   "All the way.  Just follow your nose.  You can't miss the eating area."   
      
   "OK.  I'll join you there in a bit."   
      
   "Sure.  Take your time.  I'll grab a paper and catch up on what's   
   going on in the world while I wait."  Mulder smiled and headed out the   
   door.   
      
      
   Skinner stared at the closed door and wondered why 'nothing happened'   
   while he was talking to Mulder but every pore in him seemed to come   
   alive with desire when he was talking with Krycek.  He had thought his   
   response to Krycek was purely the result of the drugs he had been   
   given.  Could he have been wrong about that?   
      
   He shaved and dressed quickly, went across the hall and knocked on the   
   door.  He heard Krycek call out, "Come" and opened the door and went   
   in.  Krycek was in the doorway between the bedroom and sitting room,   
   shirtless, with a towel over his shoulder and bits of shaving cream   
   here and there.  He wiped up with the towel then crossed over to his   
   kitchen area and dug around in his refrigerator.  "Good morning.  Did   
   you get some sleep?"   
      
   "Uh huh," Skinner admitted and gladly accepted the glass of orange   
   juice that Krycek offered as he stood there drinking one of his own.    
   There it was again; that immediate surge of heat.  He eagerly drank   
   some juice, hoping it would cool him down.   
      
   "I thought I may as well come over here and have a look around; see if   
   anything looks familiar."  Skinner sipped his juice and looked around   
   the room.  It was basically the same as his with slight differences.    
   He noticed the small photo album on the shelf and nodded to it, "May   
   I?"  He asked permission.   
      
   "Certainly; help yourself."  Krycek walked over and sat down on the couch.   
      
   Skinner picked it up and flipped through the pages.  On the inside   
   were several photos of Krycek with Evie, and several more with him and   
   Krycek together.  On the cover were the words "To My Fiance, Alex".    
   Skinner grinned.  "She's a determined little thing; isn't she?"   
      
   Krycek chuckled.  "That she is."   
      
   Skinner put the album back on the shelf and wandered around.  He came   
   to the bedroom doorway and stopped and asked, "May I?"   
      
   "Go right ahead."  Krycek said but remained seated on the couch.   
      
   The first thing Skinner noticed was that Krycek's bed was already made   
   up neatly.  He walked on through to the bathroom and his eyes went   
   immediately to the toothbrushes on the rack; one red, the other green;   
   the red one still damp from recent use; the green one dry.   
   Back in the sitting room he found Krycek draining his glass and   
   putting it in the dishwasher.  He walked over to the sink, rinsed his   
   out and placed it in the dishwasher next to Krycek's.  They stood face   
   to face for a few minutes then Skinner reached out a hand, touching   
   Krycek's jaw line.     
      
   "You missed some."  He said, wiping the last bit of shaving cream away.   
      
   "I was saving that for you."  Krycek said grinning at him.   
      
      
   Skinner bent down and claimed the smiling lips with his.  He tasted   
   orange juice and tooth paste.  The kiss deepened and he pulled back   
   quickly.   
      
   "No.  I … um … I'm supposed to meet Mulder for breakfast."  He   
   couldn't believe how overcome he was with just one kiss.  The heat   
   between them was undeniable.   
      
   "Mulder?  OK.  That's important.  He's been a big help and he's very   
   concerned about you."  Krycek said and stepped back just a bit,   
   leaning against the counter.   
      
   "So are you and Mulder working together now?"  Skinner asked and moved   
   farther away; needing to put some distance between them.   
      
   "No.  Just this one time.  I was desperate for help and none was   
   available so I went to him.  Once he found out it was you who was in   
   trouble he agreed to help."   
      
   "Why would you want to help me?  I thought you hated me."  Skinner had   
   to ask.   
      
   "I'm a better actor than I thought.  Maybe I should have gone into   
   show business; what do you think?"   Krycek asked as he came back out   
   into the sitting room area nearer to Skinner.   
      
   Skinner eyed him for a minute trying to separate his old feelings from   
   his newer feelings.   
   "I'd better go.  Do you think it would be all right with Smith if I   
   left my room long enough to have breakfast?  Mulder said it was right   
   at the bottom of the ramps."   
      
   "Sure, probably.  Let's call him though and ask."  Krycek pulled out   
   his com link and punched something in.     
      
   "Yes, Alex.  Is everything all right with Walter?"  Smith's voice sounded.   
      
   "Yes; he's fine.  He was wondering if it would be all right for him to   
   join Mulder in the courtyard for breakfast?"   
      
   "Sure.  No problem.  Give him your com link to carry around with him.   
    That way he can walk around and if he gets lost he can call one of us."   
      
   "Good idea.  I'll do it.  Thanks."   
      
   "Have him come by Medical to see me after breakfast."     
      
   "I'll do it."  He snapped the link shut and handed it to Skinner.   
      
   He turned the tiny thing over in his hand admiring it.  It was about   
   the size of a quarter only twice as thick and had tiny numbers around   
   the edge.     
      
   "This is my com link so it has my friends on it.  But if you press '1'   
   you will get Jeremiah.  '2' is Aaron, Evie's dad.  Any of the other   
   numbers will connect you with different friends and if you should get   
   lost or need anything, anyone of them will be able to direct you to   
   where you want to go."   
      
   "Thanks," Skinner said pocketing the device.  "I have a pretty good   
   sense of direction.  I'll count the number of levels going down and   
   I'm sure I'll be able to find my way back."   
      
   "You may run into some people you know; or who know you.  Just go with   
   it.  They all know about your memory loss.  You shouldn't have any   
   trouble."   
      
   Skinner shook his head and headed for the door.  He stopped and turned   
   back; unable to just walk out with out taking one last look at Krycek   
   standing there close by, shirtless.  He could feel his heart pounding   
   and his pulse race.  The last thing he wanted to do right then was   
   walk out that door.  He swallowed hard, fighting for control and   
   walked out.  The door closed behind him and he took a deep breath.  He   
   had to get control of this; he just had to.   
      
   He stopped at the top of the ramp and looked over the railing, amazed.   
    This place was huge!  He wondered where it was; where he was.  He   
   started on down and watched everything he could see.  People were   
   milling around on the different levels and below as well.  By the next   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)