From: xf_emily_sim@yahoo.ca   
      
   Title: S.N.A.F.U.   
   Author: Emily Sim   
   Headers: See Part 1   
      
   Chapter 36   
      
   Alex stuck the key in the lock, alarmed when there was   
   no   
   resistance. He took a moment to pull out his gun   
   before   
   slowly turning the knob. Crouched down as he eased the   
   door   
   open, he was poised and ready for whatever he found on   
   the   
   other side.   
      
   The apartment was silent.   
      
   He crept quietly, keeping his back against the wall as   
   he   
   came around the corner, right into the barrel of a   
   gun.   
      
   "Are you looking for someone?" A man he knew only by   
   voice   
   held the gun steady and stepped closer.   
      
   "Funny, I don't think I left the door open."   
      
   "Let me have the gun, Alex." The man didn't wait and   
   in a   
   deft move had it in his hand with the clip emptied   
   before   
   Krycek could react.   
      
   "Well, this certainly is quite the welcome home."   
      
   "Where are they?"   
      
   "You've been here longer than I have, you tell me."   
      
   "Just answer the question, Alex."   
      
   "What the fuck is this? I thought we were on the same   
   side?"   
      
   "And which side is that?"   
      
   "I don't need to stand here like some two bit lackey   
   and   
   put up with your shit. Whose dirty work are you doing   
   this   
   time?"   
      
   "My loyalties are not the question here, Alex. Perhaps   
      
   yours should be?"   
      
   "Mine are where they've always been."   
      
   "Yes, I can see that." He made a small gesture to the   
   bedroom at the back.   
      
   "Look, this is a little tiring. Can you get that thing   
   off   
   of me?"   
      
   Krycek was surprised when he not only lowered his gun,   
   but   
   also handed his own weapon back. "My orders are to   
   retrieve   
   the child, not kill you. Where is she?"   
      
   "Tell me who sent you."   
      
   "That is no concern of yours, Alex. Where is the   
   child?"   
      
    "Look, Bob or Dan or whatever name you're going by   
   this   
   week, I had an appointment. They were here when I   
   left; I'm   
   guessing that they're not here now. So fuck if I   
   know."   
   Krycek tucked the empty gun back in the waist of his   
   jeans.   
   The man before him may have been given orders not to   
   shoot,   
   but a physical attack was a real possibility. He   
   wasn't   
   about to be caught with his hands occupied if it came   
   to   
   that.   
      
   "My name is of no consequence. However, turning up   
   empty   
   handed is." The movement was quick and Alex was glad   
   he'd   
   taken time to free his hands. The blows landed on his   
   arm   
   and he was able to use his prosthetic to return at   
   least   
   one awkward punch before a powerful blow to his   
   abdomen   
   doubled him over.   
      
   "This doesn't relieve you of your obligations you   
   realize.   
   You are still expected tomorrow night."   
      
   "Wouldn't dream of missing it," Krycek managed to get   
   out.   
      
   The clip to his gun was tossed down as the man landed   
   another blow to the back of his head. Alex felt it   
   connect   
   and then everything went black.   
      
   ***************   
      
   "Mulder?"   
      
   He leaned against the wall next to her door, his phone   
   in   
   one hand and the key to her place in the other.   
   "You're   
   good, Scully. You should see if you can peddle your   
   services to the local police station, give the   
   Stupendous   
   Yappi some competition."   
      
   "Why didn't you answer my calls earlier?"   
      
   "My phone's been off. Look, can I come in?"   
      
   "It's the middle of the night, Mulder. Can't it wait?"   
      
      
   "I'm right outside your door, Scully."   
      
   "What time is it anyway?"   
      
   "Late?"   
      
   He could hear the resignation in her voice. "I'm   
   coming."   
      
   "Just stay put, I'll use my key. You're supposed to be   
      
   resting."   
      
   "Resting, right." She hung up on him.   
      
   Mulder entered to find her apartment dark and   
   seemingly   
   deserted. "Scully?"   
      
   "Just a minute." Her voice came from down the hall.   
      
   He turned on the light in her living room, suddenly   
   tired   
   of all the dark. A moment later, when he saw her face,   
   he   
   wished for it back. It was obvious from her puffy, red   
   eyes   
   that she'd been crying. Would he ever be the cause of   
   anything other than grief in this woman's life?   
      
   "God, Mulder, you smell like a bar. I hope you didn't   
   drive."   
      
   "Skinner would agree with you. I took a cab."   
      
   "What's so important that you had to come here at this   
      
   hour?"   
      
   He handed her the white envelope. "This." And a   
   meeting   
   you're not going to like, he added silently.   
      
   She turned it over in her hands before lifting the   
   flap. He   
   laid a hand on hers stopping her from pulling the   
   papers   
   out.   
      
   "I thought -- could I use your shower while you take a   
   look   
   at that?"   
      
   "Knock yourself out. But Mulder…"   
      
   He stopped at the clipped tone of her voice and turned   
      
   around to face her.   
      
   "This doesn't mean I'm not mad," she added.   
      
   "Okay." He headed down the hall, grabbing a towel from   
   the   
   closet on his way by. He turned on the water, then   
   stripped   
   down. God, his clothing reeked of sweat and alcohol.   
   He   
   balled them up and tossed them into her hamper,   
   realizing   
   as he did so that he had forgotten his overnight bag   
   in the   
   trunk of the car. He hoped Scully had something of his   
      
   hanging around that he could wear. Stepping under the   
   spray   
   of hot water, he ran his tongue over his teeth. Make   
   that   
   an extra toothbrush as well.   
      
      
   *************   
      
   Mulder rummaged through the vanity cupboard looking   
   for a   
   toothbrush. Scully always had spares of everything. He   
      
   found what he was looking for in a small basket at the   
   back   
   that held an assortment of extras, including an opened   
   box   
   of condoms. He tried not to think about what that   
   could   
   mean as he squeezed out a liberal amount of   
   toothpaste. He   
   brushed his teeth relishing the feeling of being clean   
   and   
   mostly sober. Nothing like an old flame to run the   
   alcohol   
   right out of the system. He hesitated only a moment   
   when he   
   was done, wrapping the towel securely around his waist   
   and   
   opening the door a crack.   
      
   "Scully?"   
      
   "On the floor, Mulder."   
      
   He looked down to discover clean sweats and a t-shirt   
   neatly folded and sitting outside the door. "Thanks."   
      
   He scooped them up and ducked back into the bathroom   
   to   
   change. After giving his hair another quick rub with   
   the   
   towel, he folded it neatly over the towel rack. There   
   was   
   no need to aggravate Scully further. Taking a deep   
   breath,   
   he exited the bathroom. He couldn't hide in there   
   forever.   
      
   He found Scully curled into the corner of the couch   
   with a   
   blanket over her, apparently dozing. She opened her   
   eyes   
   and sat up when he stopped in front of her.   
      
   "I'm really sorry I woke you up, Scully. Why don't you   
   go   
   back to bed? We can do this tomorrow."   
      
   "You're here now, Mulder. And it is tomorrow."   
      
   "Yes, but it's…" He craned his head to read the clock   
   on   
   her mantle. "Almost two a.m. It can wait a few more   
   hours."   
      
   "Whatever."   
      
   "What's that supposed to mean?"   
      
   "Nothing. It doesn't have to mean anything."   
      
   "Look, I didn't come here to fight."   
      
   "What did you come for?"   
      
   "The picture Skinner gave me, and this other --   
   thing." It   
   was a toss up which of those two pieces of evidence he   
      
   wanted to discuss least. He wearily sat down.   
      
   "I'm not going to fall apart, Mulder." Her voice   
   became   
   softer, losing the angry edge. "You didn't create   
   those   
   children, they did. I don't know what to think or do   
   anymore. It's all, so -- so -- God, Mulder. They   
   didn't ask   
   for any of this; they're just children."   
      
   Mulder was acutely aware of the one word she left out   
   in   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)