Alex Krycek leaned against the wall of the building, watching the light shining from the upstairs window.

He could feel the cold of the bricks even through his battered old leather jacket. He shivered slightly. *//Winter's on it's way.//* He thought as he stuck his hands deep into the pockets.

He glanced up at the window again, at the distinctive X that was taped on the glass.

He sighed and looked away once. *//Why am I putting myself through this?//* He wondered, and not for the first time. *//Why do I keep putting myself through this shit?//*

Suddenly a twinge rippled through him, a slight burning sensation, one that was becoming horribly familiar now.

*//What do you want from me now, you son of a bitch?//* He thought furiously as he dug his cell phone out of his pocket.

He pressed a button on the speed dial and held the phone to his ear.

A terse voice answered the phone. "Where are you?"

"At home." Alex replied, the lie coming smoothly to his lips.

"Get your ass over here now, I want you."

Alex went cold, he recognized that particular tone in his voice. The one that said, I am pissed as hell and I am going to take it out on your ass.

"Where are you?" Alex asked, striving to keep his voice even.

"At home, oh and Alex...don't keep me waiting." With that, the phone went dead. Alex tucked the cell phone back into his pocket, and taking one last look up at Mulder's apartment window, slowly walked towards his car.

TWO

"It's about time you got here." Walter Skinner grunted at him as Alex walked through the door of Walter's condo.

Alex glanced at him, his face carefully neutral. Walter closed the door, then looked Alex up and down with cool almost detached appraisal.

"You look like shit." He remarked, Alex's lips quirked up in a humourless smile.

"Gee Walter, thanks for the concern."

The Assistant Director moved closer to him, his usually mild brown eyes cold and flinty.

"Where were you when I called?"

Alex resisted the urge to take a step back as the bigger man loomed over him.

"I told you Walter, I was at home."

He watched as Walter's eyes narrow, a cold narrow smile touching his lips. "Don't lie to me boy, now...where were you?"

Alex swallowed hard, unable to bear Walter's gaze any longer, he looked away.

Suddenly he felt his chin taken in a vice like grip. His head was wrenched around and he was forced to face the bigger man's cold angry glare.

"I was at Mulder's...okay!" Alex snapped, his face colouring. "Happy now!"

Walter released his chin and Alex took a step back, resisting the urge to rub the circulation back into his jaw. He was positive that there were going to be bruise marks on his chin tomorrow.

"What have I told you about going over to Mulder's apartment?" Walter asked, his voice deceptively calm.

"I didn't go up there." Alex replied defensively. I was just..."

"I don't care what you were doing boy, I told you that you weren't ever to go near Mulder. Is that clear!"

Alex glared at the older man, helpless rage and cold fear vying for place inside him.

"You can't push me around you balding old fuck." He suddenly snarled, much to Walter's amusement. "I've had enough of you and your fucking..." The words dried up in his mouth as Walter produced a small silver coloured object, something like a hand held game, only slightly bigger.

"Is that so Alex." He replied with a smile. He held the palm pilot up, watching the look on Alex's face.

"Perhaps you need some reminding of exactly who you belong to now boy."

Alex, his eyes still on the palm pilot shook his head. "N...no, no Walter there's no need, I... I..."

He watched, panic rippling through him as Walter's thumb crept towards the key pad on the specially modified computer.

"Please Walter, I'm sorry." Alex whimpered, too late. Sudden and terrible pain ripped through him as the nanocytes sizzled through his blood stream.

Alex bit back a scream as he collapsed on to the carpet, his legs no longer able to support him.

Walter watched dispassionately as the younger man writhed on the carpet, the veins standing out against his skin, turning his body into a cruel caricature.

Finally he decided that Alex had been punished enough. He quickly shut the nanocytes in the ex-Consortium operative's body down and put the palm pilot back into the pocket of his neat dark suit.

Trembling, Alex got to his feet, his stomach still roiling from the surge of nanocytes in his blood stream.

"Now are you going to be making any more little side trips to Mulder's apartment?" He asked.
Numbly Alex shook his head.

Walter regarded the younger man with grim satisfaction. "Good." He replied, convinced that Alex had learned his lesson...for now anyway.

"What did you want me for?" Alex asked, his voice barely above a whisper, he was painfully aware of Walter's scrutiny as he tried to shake off the nanocytes effects.

"I feel like some...company tonight." Walter replied with an almost feral grin. "And since you were available, but then, you are always available these days aren't you."

Alex stared at Walter, his face sullen, all the fight gone out of him now.

"What's wrong boy, cat got your tongue...or should I say nanocytes." Walter chuckled at his own joke. Alex wisely said nothing.

He watched as the older man walked over to the small neat kitchen, he turned and beckoned to Alex, who reluctantly followed.

The table was set for two people. Walter pointed to a chair and Alex sat down.

"I hope you like meatloaf, that's all I had time to cook tonight." Walter said as he carried the dishes filled with food over to the table.

Alex stared down at the food, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and a thick gravy, his favourites but he had absolutely no appetite.

Walter poured a couple of glasses of wine, setting one down in front of Alex, then he held his own glass up in a toast.

"To our new arrangement." He said cheerfully. "And to Spender for making it possible."

Alex glared at him, not touching the glass. Walter took a mouthful of the Chablis, then looked over at the younger man.

"Not joining me in a toast Alex?" He asked lightly, his voice almost mocking.

"Why are you doing this Walter?" Alex asked, his voice strained. "Haven't you had your revenge?"

Walter chuckled, taking his seat. "Revenge Alex, do you think that this is what this is all about? Simple revenge? Oh no little boy, it's a hell of a lot more complicated than that."

Alex closed his eyes feeling the fury boil up inside him, pure white hot fury. For one insane moment he felt the urge to leap across the table and smash the bigger man to the floor. He waited until the urge had passed, after all, Walter still had that fucking palm pilot.

He opened his eyes once more, to the amused look on Walter's broad handsome face.

"What's wrong Alex...feeling a little helpless right now?"

Alex took a deep shuddering breath. "Walter..." He began, but the older man held his hand up, stopping his sentence.

"You know Alex, you should be grateful that I have the palm pilot and not say...Spender, or any of the other Consortium bastards, could you imagine the fun they would have?"

Alex lifted his head slightly, saying nothing.

"So if anything, you should count yourself lucky." Walter lifted a forkful of food to his mouth.

"Yeah, I feel real lucky." Alex muttered. Walter shrugged.

"I don't know what it was exactly that you did to piss Spender off, but whatever it was, it must have been a doozy." He said quietly. "I mean, to choose this way to punish you..."

Alex shrugged. "I was trying to make some extra money on the side." He replied. "What's the harm in that."

"Enough that Spender had you infected with the new improved version of nanocytes, and then gives the palm pilot to me." Walter said with a grin. "And then to give me the antidote to cure me of the nanocytes that I was infected with. I must say Alex that when you piss someone off, you really piss them off."

"Yeah." Alex replied, his voice cold. "That must have made your day when Spender handed that fucking palm pilot over to you. It's must be fucking wonderful, being able to cripple me with one push of a button."

"Welcome to the wonderful world of technology." Walter replied, his voice dripping with irony. "Just like you used to do to me if I recall. And these little guys are even better because I don't even need to be anywhere near you to activate them. I must say, the scientists that the Consortium hire are worth their weight in gold, being able to come up with something like this."

"The new improved version." Alex replied heavily. "You were infected with the first test batch. They were pretty crude, these ones are a hell of a lot more refined." He could not keep the bitterness out of his voice. All this because he stole some shitty goddamed discs and files.

God how he wished he had never been tempted to steal the discs, but he had wanted money, and some way to stick it to that black lunged bastard Spender all at the same time. It had seemed perfect. He had seen his chance, and taken it, only to have it all blow up in his face.

Now he was royally fucked over.

Walter glanced at him coolly. "You haven't touched your meal Alex."

"I'm not hungry." He replied sullenly. Walter put his fork down.

"I don't care whether you are hungry or not, if I tell you to eat, then you eat. If I tell you to jump you ask how fucking high. I own you now boy. Spender wrapped you up and handed you over to me and don't you ever forget it."

"Fine." Alex snapped, grabbing his fork he dug into the now cold food, shoveling it into his mouth.

Finishing the last mouthful, he pushed the plate roughly away, the cutlery rattling as he did so.

Walter raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He finished the last of the wine and then started to clear the table.

Alex watched the AD as he moved around the kitchen, for a big man, he moved with a peculiar grace. Alex knew that one of Walter's favourite pastimes was boxing, and it showed in his lithe economic movements as he stacked the dishwasher and wiped down the gleaming counter tops.

Finally finished, he walked over to where Alex was sitting and grabbing his arm, hauled the younger man up to his feet.

"Now that we've eaten, we should spend some quality time together, don't you think?" He said with the smile of a shark spotting a helpless swimmer.

Alex swallowed hard. He stared back at Walter, trying to feign nonchalance, but failing miserably.

"Yeah, okay, fine...whatever." He muttered. Walter saw the fear in Alex's incredible green eyes and nodded, satisfied. Everything was working out beautifully, life did not get any better than this.

THREE

Alex moaned and gasped as Walter took his cock into his mouth, using his teeth and tongue to tease the ex-assassin's penis into life.

Alex's hands clutched at the covers spasmodically, as the older man ran his tongue up and down the rapidly hardening shaft. His teeth just touching the sensitive organ, causing shudders to run up and down Alex's spine.

Alex groaned, sweating pouring from just about every pore in his body, glistening against his skin. Suddenly he felt Walter's mouth leave his cock and suddenly he was gripped by a pair of strong hands and flipped over onto his stomach.

Pillows were shoved underneath him, lifting his bottom up, presenting it to the AD quite nicely.

Alex whimpered, a lone miserable sound. *//Close your eyes and think of Mulder.//* The thought went through his mind as he felt the cold touch of the lubricant on his anus.

*//It's Mulder behind you, not Walter Skinner.//* Alex cried out as he felt Walter's cock enter him, sliding in, stretching the ring of muscle.

He grabbed at the pillows as Walter's pounding quickened, gasping at each hard thrust.

*//It's Fox Mulder making love to me, it's Fox...//* Alex held onto his fantasy, picturing Fox Mulder smiling down at him, his hazel eyes shining, alight with love for him, for Alex and Alex alone.

He held this image before him, even as his own climax overtook him and he came, shuddering, biting down on Fox's name.

He felt himself roughly turned over and kissed, Walter's hand gripping the damp sable hair.

"Open your eyes boy and look at me."

Alex did as he was told, slowly opening his eyes to look at Walter face, damp with sweat from their coupling.

"Who were you thinking about?" Walter asked. Alex shook his head, fearful.

"No one Walter, no one."

"You are a liar boy." Walter told him, his face stony and implacable. "You were thinking about Mulder, weren't you?"

Biting his lip, Alex nodded, it was no good trying to deny it, not now. Walter seemed to be able to read his thoughts, it was like he had a goddammed window the middle of his forehead that showed everything to the older man.

"I told you boy, you're mine." Walter gripped Alex by his arms and hauled him up that their faces were almost touching.

"You're mine Alex and don't you forget it so you just get any thoughts about Fox Mulder right out of your dammed Russian head, got it?"

Wordlessly, Alex nodded. There was nothing he could do now that Walter had the palm pilot, nowhere he could hide.

He remembered the words that Spender had spoken as he had watched Alex being pinned down to the bed in the Consortium's laboratory.

He had heard the words above his own screams as he had felt the nanocytes enter his body, flow into his blood stream.

Heard them as he watched Spender hand the palm pilot over to Walter, who had watched with cool detachment as Alex had been infected with the cursed metallic demons from hell.

"Turnabout is fair play don't you think Alex? After all, you had your fun with Mr Skinner here, and now he should be allowed to have some fun with you. After all, it's only fair."

Alex had gotten to his feet, trembling with helpless rage and disbelief, how could something like this have happened, how could his ruination come about so quickly?

All because he had gotten greedy, and now he was paying for it. With his freedom, with his life.

*//Turnabout is fair play...//*

But he would find a way to get that palm pilot, no matter what. Then he would be with Fox, his Fox...or die trying.