Title: Caught in the headlights Part Two Although Fox was obviously unhappy about the presence of Alex Krycek in their home, he kept silent, his refusal to offer to help Walter care for Alex making a big enough statement that Walter got the message. He bathed Alex, tended to his obvious wounds, worried about those he could see, more about those he couldn’t see and ended up staying awake the whole night. Walter was always conscious of his own scars – the legacy of a tour in Viet Nam – but Alex’s were more disturbing. Aside from the two bullet wounds he noticed, there were several round scars, pale scars on both his wrists and dozens of what Walter guessed were scars from beatings. Some were still healing. *********** At five am, Fox turned over and reached out. When his hand hit cold pillow instead of warm Walter, he woke with a start and sat up. He could hear Walter still moving around in their spare room. Reluctantly, pulling on a towelling gown, he got out of bed, yawning. ‘How’s he doing?’ Walter shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. He was pretty badly beaten. He’s lost blood, got God knows what kind of internal injuries…’ Walter’s voice tailed off, part exhaustion, part worry. ‘Go to bed.’ ‘I can’t leave him.’ ‘Go. I’ll stay with him.’ Realising that Fox was more concerned about him getting some rest than caring for Alex, he walked to the door, pausing with his hand on the door handle. ‘Check his temp every fifteen minutes. If it spikes suddenly, call me.’ ‘Okay. Now will you go!’ Exhausted, Walter walked into the bedroom, falling asleep fully clothed the moment he lay down. ********** Alex opened his eyes and tried to work out where he was. But the unfamiliar surroundings defeated him and he sat up, reaching for his clothes, dressing quickly. He checked his pockets, found his cell phone, panicked as he tried the other pocket. ‘Looking for this?’ Alex looked up and saw Walter standing in the bedroom doorway, Alex’s gun in his hand. Alex got up, pulled on his jacket and walked towards the door. ‘Thanks.’ Walter frowned. ‘You’re lucky the deer come around so late. We might not have found you in time.’ Krycek shrugged. ‘So?’ ‘Alex, you almost died last night.’ Alex nodded. ‘Not the first time.’ Walter smiled. ‘And probably not the last, hmm?’ Alex managed a half-smile too. ‘Probably not. Thanks for, um…you know.’ ‘Dragging your sorry ass out of a freezing lake in the middle of the night?’ Walter offered, not unkindly. ‘Yeah.’ ‘Whatever they’re paying you Alex, it’s not enough.’ Walter said seriously. Alex sighed, pulling a bundle of notes, tightly wrapped in plastic, out of a tear in the lining of his jacket. ‘I think this is my severance pay.’ As if Alex hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary, Walter said calmly: ‘Breakfast’s ready.’ ************ Without his weapon, phone or any instructions to the contrary, Alex hung around the cabin after breakfast was over. Fox pointedly ignored him, settling down with his laptop and a mug of coffee. Walter went out to the shed and began to work on assembling a chair. ‘Alex, hand me the saw please.’ Walter called across to where Alex stood, leaning on the doorframe. Alex walked across and picked up the heavy saw. He needed both hands to lift it, and he walked slowly, conscious of the sharp teeth inches away from his body. ‘Thanks.’ Walter smiled as he took the heavy tool from Alex. Watching Walter work on the chair seat, Alex dropped onto a low table, apparently half-finished, in the corner of the room. He could watch Walter and the half-open door at the same time from where he was. ‘How long does it take?’ ‘To make a chair? About three days.’ ‘Why bother? You can pick one up in a store.’ Walter laughed at Alex’s comment. ‘Hopefully one of mine.’ Alex frowned, angry at being the butt of a joke he didn’t understand. ‘You could be doing other stuff.’ Walter shrugged. ‘I like doing this. Don’t worry, Fox doesn’t get it either.’ Alex fell silent then, watching Walter assembling the chair. ‘Wanna be first?’ Walter gestured at the chair, the question evidently shaking Alex from his thoughts. Alex’s face creased into a doubtful frown. ‘I could get splinters.’ Sharply Walter said: ‘Not from one of *my* chairs you won’t. Go on.’ Slowly Alex lowered himself onto the unvarnished seat. ‘It’s hard.’ ‘It would be Alex. It won’t be when it’s upholstered.’ ‘You do that too?’ ‘No. I send them off to a friend of mine a few miles away. He takes them to the local shops where they get sold.’ ‘How much for?’ ‘Depends. A table and six chairs, around a thousand dollars.’ Alex’s eyes widened. ‘Wow. No wonder you can afford to live here.’ As he spoke, he saw Walter’s eyes cloud momentarily and realised he had said something wrong. But he had no idea what it might have been and Walter didn’t seem to want to tell him. Breaking the awkward silence, Walter asked: ‘Are you staying for lunch?’ ‘If it’s okay.’ Walter nodded. ‘Go and wash up. It’s dusty in here even if all you do is sit on the furniture.’ Alex smiled shyly and got to his feet. ‘I couldn’t do that.’ He gestured to the workbench, scattered with Walter’s tools and various offcuts of wood. ‘Have you ever tried?’ Alex laughed. ‘Woodwork class wasn’t on my curriculum.’ Walter smiled. ‘Get some food inside you then we’ll see what you can do.’ Alex looked around the shed and saw an enormous bed, almost finished apart from the headboard that leaned against the base. ‘I get to start on something small, right?’ Walter followed his gaze. ‘Yeah. I don’t think you’ll be around long enough to finish something like that.’ He saw the flash of panic in Alex’s eyes, quickly hidden but very obvious. ‘I’ll go now if you want.’ ‘Alex! I didn’t mean I wanted you to leave. But even you have to admit you do have a habit of disappearing without much notice.’ ‘My job.’ Alex muttered. ‘Just promise me you’ll leave a note if you get the urge to leave in the middle of the night, okay?’ Alex smiled. ‘Okay.’ Walter put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. ‘Ask Fox to come out here please.’ *************** A few minutes later, Fox pushed the barn door open. ‘What’s up?’ ‘Sit down Fox.’ Fox sighed. ‘You’re letting him stay, aren’t you.’ ‘Not if you don’t agree. This is your home too.’ ‘He’ll just take off again.’ ‘I don’t think he has anywhere to go. If he did, he would have been gone by now.’ Fox shrugged. ‘I don’t care.’ Lifting Fox’s chin with his fingertips, Walter stared into his eyes. ‘Yes you do Fox. Well?’ Fox closed his eyes. When he opened them, Walter was still looking intently at him. ‘I need peace and quiet to work.’ Walter smiled. ‘I’ll keep Alex busy out here during the day.’ Rolling his eyes, Fox sighed theatrically. ‘O-kay. But I’m not gonna wait on him. He can take his share of the chores.’ Walter nodded. ‘Of course. Anything else?’ Fox got up. ‘No. Actually, yes. Why are you being so nice to him? After what he did to you.’ Walter put an arm around Fox’s shoulder and led him out of the barn. ‘He was just following orders.’ ‘You don’t believe that.’ Fox said flatly. ‘Let’s just say I’m willing to give him a second chance. Are you?’ They were almost at the woodpile before Fox said resignedly: ‘I guess. But the first sign he’s up to something…’ Walter nodded. ‘He’s out. Go on inside.’ ************ The lasagne Fox made went down well. Alex was evidently hungry, and had seconds, then asked for thirds. At which point Walter suggested that he had probably had enough. Immediately Alex put down his knife and fork and sat back in his chair. ‘Okay.’ ‘I’m pleased you like it Alex, but if you are that hungry, then it isn’t a good idea to overload your stomach with so much in one go. Have something in a couple of hours, okay?’ Alex nodded, embarrassed at being chastised. Nervous, he knocked his glass over, and it rolled off the table and onto the floor, shattering. Looking from Fox to Walter, Alex’s face paled to a deathly white. ‘I’m sorry…please…I didn’t mean it…an accident…please…’ He was hyperventilating and even Fox was concerned at his reaction to what clearly *had* been an accident. Walter said gently: ‘It’s okay Alex. Fox, get a dustpan and some newspaper. Alex, calm down. We’re not angry. Breathe Alex!’ Walter’s sudden sharpness interrupted Alex’s panic attack. He took a deep gasping breath and rushed for the door. Sweeping up the remains of the glass, Fox heard the sounds of Alex throwing up and then Walter’s voice, calm and reassuring. He couldn’t hear the words, but he could imagine the scene. He’d been in Alex’s place a few times. He went into the kitchen, filled a glass with water and ice and took it out to Walter. ‘Thanks Fox.’ Walter understood how hard Fox was finding Alex’s presence and appreciated the effort involved in something as apparently simple as bringing the younger man a drink. He wasn’t surprised when Fox went immediately back inside. Alex drank the water. ‘I’m sorry. I’ll get going.’ ‘Why? Because you broke a glass? I told you. We’re not angry.’ ‘I don’t live here.’ ‘Alex, if you want to leave, fine. You don’t need to think up a list of reasons.’ ‘What would I do all day?’ Walter smiled inwardly, recognising the question for what it was. ‘Whatever you like. You could help me or do some work on the cabin. Or just walk and swim.' Alex looked over the lake. ‘I can’t.’ ‘Swim?’ Alex shook his head. ‘Never learned.’ Walter said casually: ‘We could teach you.’ Alex looked doubtfully at the water. ‘It’s freezing.’ ‘It’s not heated.’ Walter conceded. ‘But once you’re in…’ Remembering, Alex shivered. ‘It’s like a thousand knives stabbing you.’ Walter frowned. ‘Okay, maybe not swimming. Can you ride a horse?’ Alex nodded. ‘I rode when I was a kid. I guess I’d remember.’ ‘Well then, there you are. You’ll have so much to do, you won’t remember what being bored was like.’ Alex smiled, a little of the colour returning to his cheeks. ‘Okay, now I just have to get rid of Fox and I can move in.’ ‘Alex!’ Although he was almost sure Alex had been joking, Walter was still angry at the words. ‘If you can’t share the house with both of us, you can sleep in the barn.’ Not at all sure Walter was joking, Alex shrugged. ‘Okay. At least there’s a bed. I’ve spent the night in worse places.’ Walter sighed. ‘You feeling better now?’ Alex nodded. ‘Yeah.’ ‘Then go on back inside. Rest for a while and I’ll bring you some soup when you wake up.’ ‘I can’t sleep. It’s the middle of the day!’ Alex protested. ‘Bed. *NOW*, Alex Krycek.’ Walter ordered. Slowly Alex turned and walked back into the house. Contrary to his assertion, he was asleep within minutes. Will be continued in Part Three - coming soon Home Send me feedback on this fic Return to the X-Files Fic Index Return to the West Wing Fic Index