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‘Walter, are you sure about this?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Walter, what if…’ ‘What if what John? Alex goes to the police. How likely is that? And what would be we charged with?’ The former policeman in John took over. ‘Kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault…’ ‘Firstly, Alex is here of his own free will…’ ‘You have him handcuffed to the pipes in our bathroom!’ ‘Secondly…’ John shook his head. ‘When he comes back here out for your blood, what you gonna do then, huh?’ ‘Reason with him.’ Walter replied smoothly. John made an angry sound which woke Fox. Blinking and running his fingers through his hair, Fox leaned up on his elbow. ‘Morning.’ ‘Morning Fox.’ ‘Good morning. Sleep well?’ ‘I had the weirdest dream…’ Walter laughed. ‘You had Alex Krycek at your mercy and you didn’t kill him.’ Fox nodded sleepily. ‘Wasn’t a dream Fox. He’s just across the hall.’ Fox groaned and lay back on the pillows with a thump. ‘We are in so much trouble.’ ‘Thank you.’ John said crossly. Shaking his head, Walter got up and walked across the hallway to the bathroom. ‘Alex, you awake?’ ‘Yes.’ Alex snapped. ‘Gonna try stabbing me with a toothbrush if I come in?’ ‘Try it.’ Alex challenged angrily. ‘One of us, Alex, has a gun. And one of us is handcuffed to a radiator pipe. Wanna bet on the outcome?’ ‘Just get in here and let me up would’ya?’ Alex griped. Walter smiled to himself and opened the door. ‘Fox and John think I should let you leave. Shall I?’ Alex shrugged. ‘No place else to go. At least this beats your balcony.’ ‘Alex!’ Walter said sharply. He still recalled Alex’s face as he realised Walter was going to leave him outside all night. ‘What, leave and miss all the fun you’re gonna have trying to get information out of me?’ ‘What information?’ Alex chuckled. ‘Oh you’re gonna have to do better than that Walt.’ Stung by Alex’s use of his first name, and his shortened first name at that, Walter said smoothly: ‘You have information, you’re gonna give it up Alex I promise you that. We’ll treat last night’s little fun and games as a warm-up, shall we?’ ‘This pipe is heating up. I’m warm already.’ Alex said sarcastically. Not giving in to Alex’s display of temper, Walter said airily: ‘You ready for breakfast?’ ‘Unless you wanna feed me, I’m gonna need my arm back.’ Walter nodded. ‘Anything else?’ ‘I’m ready for some underwear that doesn’t feel like it’s trying to get away from me every time I move.’ Walter reached down, unlocked Alex’s handcuff and jerked his head towards the bedroom opposite. ‘Get in there and I’ll see what I can find.’ Alex strapped his prosthesis on, then pulled on the t-shirt Walter handed him. It took Walter some time to find a pair of briefs small enough to fit Alex comfortably, but he rummaged through their underwear drawers and found a pair of black silk boxers Fox had bought without checking the size and never worn since. *************** Alex ate his breakfast with only Walter for company. Holding him by the scruff of the t-shirt he had found for him, Walter steered Alex into the kitchen. ‘Sit!’ He said firmly. Alex dropped onto the cold white-tiled floor. Deftly, Walter cuffed Alex’s ankle to the table leg, then lifted him into the seat. Alex looked around the kitchen. Evidently John and Fox had gone out. Walter placed a plate of scrambled egg on a slice of toast on a plate and carried it across. He nodded at the food. ‘Eat. You’ll need to keep your strength up.’ He was almost finished when Walter handed him a sheet of paper. ‘Fox and John are concerned you might claim we kidnapped you. Sign this, or you’re out of here.’ Skimming the text, Alex took the pen Walter handed him and signed it immediately. He looked up, staring challengingly at Walter. ‘So, bring it on, Skinner.’ ********** Released from Walter’s tight grip on his t-shirt, Alex pulled it over his head and climbed onto the table and squirmed to get comfortable. ‘What did you tie my arm up with?’ Walter showed Alex the specially-made fur-lined leather bag, shaped like a horse’s nosebag. It fit snugly over his stump, and the straps which went over and under his shoulder clipped to a hook at the top of the table. Alex knew there could be only one reason for having such a restraint. ‘You were expecting me.’ Walter shook his head. ‘No Alex. We were anticipating you. Difference.’ Alex made a sound in his throat. ‘Not much of a one.’ He lay on the table, realising they were still alone. John and Fox were nowhere to be seen. ‘You think you can handle me by yourself?’ Alex asked, lifting his head obediently while Walter fitted the rigid collar to his neck. Walter chuckled. ‘Wait and see.’ He said quietly. Feeling Walter lifting his ankles into the familiar restraints, Alex shivered involuntarily, then realised two things. One, he was excited, not scared. And two, Walter was spreading his legs much farther apart than John had. ************* Walter started gently. The paintbrush in his ears and around his nipples Alex could cope with. He hardly made a sound and Walter was impressed. Clearly the night’s rest and food had had a beneficial effect on Alex. He abandoned the contents of the box he held, returning them to a drawer. Alex stared at the ceiling, hearing the sounds of a drawer being opened, items laid out on a tray, then the drawer being closed. He controlled his breathing, swallowed hard and waited. ‘Alex, why were you watching the house?’ Walter asked, almost indifferently. ‘No way Skinner.’ Walter moved to the middle of the table, stood level with Alex’s hips and reached over him. The sting as one of the hairs on his chest was plucked out with the tweezers Walter held made his eyes water. ‘Alex?’ Alex didn’t even bother replying. He gasped as another hair was pulled, this time from near a nipple, the cold metal deliberately, he guessed, stroked across the sensitive nub before homing in on the dark wiry hair. ‘Well?’ Walter asked, a little more firmly. ‘Is this as exciting as it gets?’ Alex asked, trying to sound bored. Walter moved down the table. ‘Oh no, Alex. It’s early yet.’ Without warning, he reached down and plucked several of the hairs at once. Alex howled and swore as he got his breath back. ‘Bastard!’ ‘Exciting enough for you Alex?’ Walter asked silkily. ‘Not even close.’ Alex snarled. ‘Pity.’ Walter said disappointedly. He gathered another few hairs in the tweezers and pulled until the skin lifted with the strain. Alex breathed hard but didn’t want to give Walter the satisfaction of knowing how uncomfortable he was. Walter turned round suddenly and dropped the tweezers back into the dish. He spent longer than he had to choosing his next item and Alex felt the sweat form and drip off his body while he waited. Return to the X-Files Fic Index Return to the West Wing Fic Index
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