Wambli-Part 12/18 Summary and disclaimers in Part 1 ***** "Working with these people, it starts driving you crazy, too." Episode 4x22-Elegy ***** Alex Krycek watched as the man before him paced. He was enjoying the show, he had to admit. Watching Spender slowly loose his mind was entertaining, as long as he kept control of himself and didn't follow the bastard over the edge. Which was highly possible with all that had been going on in the last several days. Ever since the Syndicate had discovered that Mulder and Scully were still alive. The last five years had been relatively quiet without the two persistent FBI agents digging around. Not that Monroe and O'Neil weren't good at their job, they just didn't have Mulder's passion or Scully's loyalty backing them up. Mr. and Mrs. Spooky were a hard act to follow. Besides, the new Syndicate didn't have as much to do as the old one did. The aliens they had long ago made a deal with had backed off. Little to no communication had been achieved in five years. They knew the vaccine was out there. They knew an invasion now would not succeed. But with Mulder and Scully back, they, too, might show up and join the party. Damn. Just when life was getting easy. The old man was scared. The Syndicate had not been happy with him after finding out about Fowley. They would be even less pleased now. And if they decided Spender had to die, there wasn't much Alex could do to stop it. Hell, he wouldn't mind helping them do it, despite the fact that Spender had treated him well in recent years. He wasn't just an errand boy anymore; he had some semblance of power. The Syndicate listened to him. They took him seriously. And he knew he would never have achieved that kind of recognition if it hadn't been for the man in front of him. Spender had supported him. Had even seemed to trust him on occasion, which still amazed him. When he had been asked to help fake Mulder and Scully's deaths years ago, he had been surprised; it was no secret he could do without the two agents, despite his admiration for Mulder and his natural attraction to Scully. But he had helped. And he had not regretted it. With Creswell dead, the finger pointing would be directed at Spender. But Spender might incriminate him. Krycek knew he could always fall back on the 'I was under orders' ploy, but even that might not save him. "Alex," the man finally said, stopping his pacing, but not his smoking, to look at him. "I need you to do something for me." "What?" Krycek was no fool. He would find out what the man wanted before saying yes or no, though he instinctively wanted to say no. "The children. I need you to find them." "What children?" Krycek was curious now. "Mulder's children. He has two, but I don't know where they have been hiding since both their parents have come back to DC." Mulder and Scully had kids? Krycek was more than a little shocked by this news. "Why do you want to find them?" He would never admit it out loud, but the thought of harming small children disgusted even him. Spender sighed. "I want you to find them and bring them to me." Krycek opened his mouth to refuse, but Spender interrupted him. "They need to be protected," he said sharply. "If the Syndicate finds out about them, they may be in danger. They know both Mulder and Scully are immune. They will want to know if the children are, too." "And you don't?" Krycek asked. "It doesn't matter to me whether they are or not. I just want them to be safe." "And you really think they will be safe with you?" Krycek stood and walked over to the old man. "What makes you think they won't be just fine right where they are?" "I can protect them," Spender continued. "I need to protect them." His eyes had gone wild. Krycek backed up a step. He wasn't going to ask why the man was so intent on protecting the children; he felt that he already knew. "They will be safer where they are," Krycek said, keeping his voice calm. Trying to get the old man to see reason. "I'll find them. I'll make sure they're safe. And I'll look out for them. But I won't bring them here." Spender stared at him hard for a long moment. Then, with a heavy sigh, he nodded his head. "You do that, Alex. You keep them safe. They are, after all, our future." Krycek was silent for a while. Then he asked, "What about Scully and Fowley?" "They must be protected, too," Spender said softly, and Krycek knew without a doubt that the old man had finally lost it. "I have sent them away. Where no one will find them." "And Mulder?" A wide smile spread across Spender's face. "Mulder. Ah, yes. He is too important for them to kill. I'll make sure they are aware of that. Maybe...maybe, they'll even let him take my place after I'm gone." Krycek had known the man before him for more than ten years now, and never had he seen the bastard this illogical. He knew his life was over, that the Syndicate was about to wipe him out of existence. Yet, he hoped that Mulder, who had been the Syndicate's worst nightmare for over a decade, would become a part of the whole? Krycek knew Mulder had already turned down a similar offer years ago. What would Spender use to entice the man this time? And would it work? ************************************************************ "It comes down to a matter of trust. I guess it always has." Episode 6x01-The Beginning ***** "You know, you have got some nerve! I hope you realize that when Spender finds out about this, your ass will be on the street, bared to the world and freezing!" Scully's eyebrows shot up at Diana Fowley's comment to their guard, but she kept quiet. She had already decided that heckling these expressionless men would do no good. They were automatons, only able to follow orders given to them by specific people, totally ignoring anything anyone else did or said. Fowley obviously hadn't figured that out, yet. "Life as you know it will disappear when he finds I'm missing," the dark haired woman continued. "If you think..." "Miss Fowley," the man said as he walked toward the door, surprising both women. "Mr. Spender is the one who asked that you and Miss Scully be brought here. He says it's for your protection. Now, if you would please just relax and cooperate, I think we'd all be a whole lot happier." With that, the man left the two startled women, locking the door behind him. They had been brought here this morning, to this three room cabin in the middle of nowhere, after having driven all night. Scully had no idea whether they had gone north, south or west, so she couldn't even begin to guess where they might be. But she did know, thanks to the generous amount of food stored here, that they were expected to stay a long while. Diana's shock only lasted for a while. "Protection, my ass! I don't need protection! They already know I'm alive." She walked the length of the long, front room, bending over to look out the small window into the trees beyond. Just as she bent over, an armed guard walked by the window. One of many, Scully assumed. Diana stood straight and glared at Scully, as if it was all her fault. "Why the hell am *I* here?" Scully shrugged and moved over to the old, ratty couch in the middle of the room. "Hey, how should I know? He's your confidant, not mine." Diana opened her mouth to argue, but then closed it. With a sigh, she walked over to the other side of the couch. She looked as if she was about to sit, then noticed Scully's glare. With a twist to her lips, she moved over to an old rocking chair instead, dusting off the seat before sitting on it. "Now what?" Scully leaned her head back against the cushions behind her and closed her eyes. Her whole body ached, especially her head, and all she wanted was to soak in a hot bubble bath, then bury herself under her fluffy comforter back home and sleep, preferably with a certain McCloud County sheriff wrapped around her. She opened her eyes again at the thought of Mulder, and looked at Diana. "You have absolutely no idea why he would want to keep you here?" "No," Diana shook her head. "Like I said earlier, I thought he might be mad at me for not telling him Fox was back, but I am not in any danger from the Syndicate like you are." She turned her head away to look out the window again. "Unless he thinks I..." "What?" "He has been acting odd, lately. Alex is convinced he's finally gone insane." "Krycek? He's still involved?" Diana let out a humorless laugh. "Still? Once involved, you are a part of it for life. I thought you knew that." "Which is why I preferred to be 'dead'." She stood and started roaming around the room with her arms folded. Getting her bearings. "He'll use this against Mulder," she said. "I don't know what he wants this time, but you can bet Spender knows that Mulder will do anything to find me." She glanced at Diana, who was studiously examining her folded hands, which she had placed in her lap. "But once again, the question arises: Why are you here?" Diana's head shot up at Scully's question, her eyes flashing as she recognized the inference that Mulder would not be concerned for her. "Maybe Spender just wanted someone to keep you company," she said, sarcasm thick in her voice. Scully felt her lips curl in a wry smile. "Oh, I'm sure. I mean, everyone knows what wonderful...friends we are. It's not like we would love to rip each others throats out, or anything." "You know, Agent Scully," Diana said as she stood. "I don't think I've ever seen this side of you before." Scully laughed. "You don't know me well enough to have seen any 'side' of me, Agent Fowley," she said. "You don't know me well enough to have any opinion of me, I'm sure." "And yet, you obviously have opinions of me," Diana argued. "What is it, exactly, that you hate me for?" Scully felt her mouth drop open in astonishment. "You're not serious, are you?" she asked. As tired, sore and frustrated as she had been in the last several days, Scully felt she was ready to snap. Diana made the perfect punching bag. "You want to know something, Fowley? I do know you. And you want to know how? Because Mulder told me the whole, fucking story." Diana's eyes widened. Obviously, hearing the saintly Dana Scully swear was a shock to her system. Or may be it was the knowledge that Scully knew about her past with Mulder. "He told you...what?" Diana asked. "We fell in love, we got married, we re-opened the X-Files, I got a job offer in Europe and we broke up?" Scully raised her chin, her eyes flashing fire. "You forgot about Paul Ricardo." Satisfaction poured through Scully as she watched Diana wilt before her. Obviously, she had believed the subject of Paul Ricardo was something not even Mulder had been aware of. "Fox knew?" Diana's voice was barely a whisper. Scully swallowed and nodded. "Yes." Diana sighed, then lifted her eyes to Scully. "I..." A knock on the door interrupted her. The door was unlocked, and one of their guards slipped inside with a small clock radio. "For your listening pleasure," he said sarcastically, and set the object on the table. He turned and left. Scully and Diana just stared at it. Neither of them moved or spoke for a long time. ************************************************************ "What do you want from me? What's this about, Krycek?" "All in good time." Episode 6x10-S.R. 819 ***** Lincoln, SD Kim Gaffney wasn't the first person in Lincoln to notice the handsome stranger, but she was the first to talk to him. Being part owner of Suzy's Place, the only restaurant in the area that didn't serve alcohol or have sawdust on the floors, she felt obligated to introduce herself to the stranger, especially since Lucas had asked her to. He was worried about the man, as he was any unknown person that roamed into town. She knew it had something to do with Ian and Sara's mysterious disappearance, but being South Dakota bred and born, she could see no real danger in the situation. He was not the only stranger to accidentally find their little town and stay a while; Ian and Sara had done the exact same thing more than four years ago. With a menu in hand, she walked over to the table, casually patting down her short blonde hair in the process. No reason she had to look like a hick or something, was there? Smiling brightly, she said, "Hi! Welcome to Lincoln." She handed him the menu, which he took from her with a smile of his own. She felt her heart jump into her throat. "Can I get you some water or something?" "Ah, no thanks," he leaned a bit closer, eyeing her name tag, "Kim. Not right now." "Okay, I'll be back in a moment to take your order." Giving him another smile, she turned away and went back into the kitchen, where Suzy was waiting. "Well?" the brunette asked excitedly. "Is he as cute up close as he is from a distance?" "Better!" Kim gushed. "And his smile is to die for!" She picked up a serving tray full of hot food and prepared to take it out to other waiting customers. "I think I'm going to like getting to know this guy." "I can't believe Lucas actually asked you to talk to him." Kim snorted. "That just proves he doesn't want me. Which is fine by me!" Suzy would know she was lying. Kim had spent the last year trying to get Lucas LittleElk's attention, but the young deputy seemed completely oblivious. Now, another handsome man had come into town, and Kim was ready to focus her attention elsewhere. 'Who knows,' she thought to herself. 'Maybe he's the man of my dreams.' With a grin, she set out to finish her shift, hoping the stranger would still be there when she was done. ************************************************************ "Are you two the parents?" Episode 5x07-Emily ***** Alex Krycek had spotted the young waitress' interest immediately, and knew he could easily use it to his advantage. In a town this small, everyone was probably aware of the location of the Mulder, or should he say Zweifel, children. Unfortunately, a small town would also be very aware of strangers, which was why he had to befriend someone fast. A lovely single woman would be perfect, especially one that worked in the only diner in town. She probably knew all the gossip. Lincoln had impressed him so far. Not the town itself, really, but the fact that it had apparently held Mulder and Scully's interest for four years intrigued him. And it did have a certain class to it, despite the 'middle-of-nowhere' feel. He saw how the residents, both white and red, seemed comfortable with each other, not afraid to look each other in the eye and smile as they passed each other on the street. And more than one old man in a pickup truck had waved to him as he had passed them in his car on the way here. He had a feeling it was like that throughout most of the state; on the minor highways, anyway. He had just finished a passable Chicken Fried Steak when the blonde came out of the kitchen, her apron off. She gave him a shy glance, then headed slowly toward the front door. He hid his smile behind his cup of coffee, then made eye contact with her. She smiled and walked over to the table. "You off?" he asked. "Yes." She stood next to the table, her fingers playing with her purse. "Good. That means you can sit and talk to me for a while." He nodded to the chair across from him. She sat, looking at him coyly. "About what?" "Oh, I don't know. You. Me. Lincoln." She nodded. "Okay. My name's Kim, but you know that already. What's yours?" "Tony," he told her, holding out his hand. "Tony Stewart." "Hi, Tony," she said with a smile as she took his hand in a warm clasp. Her skin was smooth and soft, surprising for a waitress. "How do you like Lincoln?" "I like it. I was lucky to find it." "Yes, you were. It's not really on any well traveled routes. How did you?" Her expression was curious, but wary, too. Ah, so she's not your typical dumb blonde, he thought. Nothing to worry about. "I was heading to the reservation. I heard that one of my favorite movies had been filmed there, and I thought, since I was nearby, I'd check it out. I came out to the area originally to see Mt. Rushmore." She smiled again. "That's how everyone comes out to the area. You must be talking about 'Thunderheart'. That was a great movie. I know a lot of people who were extras in it." "Really? Tell me about them?" With that line, Alex knew he had her. Hook, line and sinker. ************************************************************ "Is it easier to go on believing the lie?" Episode 4x24-Gethsemane ***** Parkview Apartments Number 12 Dr. Megan Northam went home that evening with what felt like a huge weight on her shoulders. Not only was she becoming more and more concerned for Diana Fowley and Dana Scully, who she had been in search of all day, but she was also beginning to question her work more that she had ever done before. The things Dana Scully had said to her yesterday, combined with what Fox Mulder had told her about Dawn, the eagle, not wanting to return to the Center, all combined in Megan's head, confusing her and making her more stressed that she had been since she graduated from medical school. As she unlocked the door to her apartment, she began to wonder what she should do. She truly wanted to help Dawn, but more than that, she wanted to find Diana and Dana; she needed to know that the women were all right. Yet, despite her position in the Center as Nihm Supervisor, no one had answered her questions; they had either truly not known the whereabouts of the two women, or they were very good at keeping secrets. Even the janitorial staff, who seemed to know all that was going out throughout Ft. Marlene, hadn't known anything. She had tried to contact Mr. Spender, but as usual, the man was impossible to reach. Agent Mulder had left not long after their discussion earlier, saying he was going to get the assistance of some friends to help in the search, and that he would contact her later. She had nervously given him her phone number, but had relaxed when he, in return, had given her a brilliant smile. He reminded her so much of her husband, it was almost frightening. She stood in the foyer of her apartment and let her eyes sweep the room. All the lights were off, and it was very still. Obviously, her 'better' half had not gotten home, yet. With a sigh, she moved towards the bathroom, taking off her clothes as she went, starting with the hated low-heeled pumps. She still wished she could wear sneakers with her skirts and dresses. Once in the bathroom, she started up the water to fill the bathtub, making sure it was nice and hot. What she needed to relax, she knew, was a nice, hot bubble bath. Within minutes, that was were she found herself, surrounded by foamy, white suds and near sleep. The sound of the front door opening woke her from her slumber. Had she remembered to lock the door? she asked herself. Was the person or persons who had taken Diana and Dana coming to get her? She was about to jump out of the tub and find something to defend herself with when she heard someone whistling a familiar tune from the general direction of the kitchen. With a relieved sigh, she leaned back again and closed her eyes. After a few busy sounding noises, including the sound of the refrigerator opening and closing, the whistling stopped. There were footsteps coming down the hall toward the open door to the bathroom, but Megan refused to open her eyes just yet. The steps stopped, and a deep voice asked, "Long day?" Megan opened one eye to look at the man in the doorway. "Way too long," she confirmed. "Want to talk about it?" her husband continued, his rich, English accent sending shivers up her spine, despite the hot water she was submerged in. "No," she said simply. "I just want to forget about it... for tonight, anyway." "All right," he said. "I'll make you dinner." He turned to head back into the kitchen. "Jeremy!" Megan called out. "I have a better idea." He turned to her, his dark eyebrows raised in question. "What?" She lifted a hand out of the water and stretched it toward him, her arm covered in suds. "Join me?" With a smile, he began to unbutton his shirt. ***** End 12/18