Title: Sweet Surrender

Author: Carla

E-mail: moviebuff001@yahoo.com

Homepage:

Rating: R for language, violence and sexuality

Summary: Alex Krycek and Sandra meet up again, learning more about each other and

     especially Sandra's past.

Notes: This is part of the In a World called Catastrophe series, this is the 2nd one. Read An Ode

to Maybe first.

Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies

So I don't know what's real and what's not

Always confusing the thoughts in my head

So I can't trust myself anymore

            -Evanescence  "Going Under"

Chapter 5 

            Alex Krycek woke to a dull ache in his shoulder, reminding him of what had happened. He quickly opened his eyes, scanning the room, expecting a hospital, instead it looked like a bedroom. In his experience this could be a good thing or a bad thing: it was never good for him to be in a hospital, but nether was being in someone's house.

            He put his hand over where he remembered being shot but there was no bandaging, no hole, just plain, smooth skin. He sat up to take a better look when he saw her lying beside him.

            Alex stared at her sleeping form for a long time, hoping he wasn't seeing things. He touched her cheek with his hand, checking to see if she was really there. Her skin felt smooth and warm, as he was sure, the rest of her body did. Familiar shots ran through his body, coursing through his veins. His vision went hazy, his heart sped up and his stomach turned vivaciously. He had to tear his eyes away from her before he completely lost it.

            Alex manually slowed his breathing and turned his attention to the room around him. He recognized it as her bedroom in the house in Calgary. Slowly, he got off the bed and went down the stairs, the house was dark but he knew his way around. He'd been here more than he should have been and now was no exception.

            He downed a glass of water, then another, wishing for something with a little more bite. For the past six months, Alex had snuck in and out of the city, virtually undetected. He always came just to check on her, make sure that sure that she hadn't been exposed, thought that may have not been the only reason for his visits.

            He missed her, he'd never admit that but the reason he came here to see her was just to see her, even if he couldn't be with her. That hadn't been the reason the first time he came back here though, he had come back to see if she was alive.

            When he heard the gun shot in the other room, those six months ago, he could have cared less what CSM did to him. Let him take his arm, in fact, let him take all his limbs and then shoot him in the head. He'd finally found deliverance and someone he could trust and then it was all gone, all in the matter of half a second.

            When he'd heard a rumor of a girl healing a wounded boy in Canada, he had gotten up there as fast as he could. Had he gotten there any later he wasn't sure if he would have still found her alive.

            The memory of the crowd closing in on her was still fresh in his mind, people clawing at her, their faces carrying no human emotion. It was all about survival...something he knew only too well.

            Alex went back up to the room, standing at the foot of the bed, he stared at Sandra. What the hell was he doing?

            He needed to get as far away as he could, as fast as he could. Yeah, it would be nice to lie back down with her, wait for her to wake up and maybe even for a few hours just completely forget about the rest of world. But he couldn't do that to Sandra or to himself because he'd only have to leave later.

Just as Alex turned to leave, he saw Sandra move, causing him to freeze, something that rarely ever happened to him. Alex held his breath as her dark brown eyes slid open.

Sandra shot to sitting as soon as she saw him, fear mixed with expectancy covered her face.

"Hi," she managed to stutter.

"Hey," he said back.

His voice sent shutters down her spine but she wasn't sure that it was a bad thing.

"So," She stood up, holding her shaking hands behind her back. "How are you feeling?"

They were standing on opposite sides of the room but Alex made no movement forwards, "Isn't that the billion dollar question."

A long silence laid itself between them, both kept there eyes busy with studying every minuet detail of the room.

Sandra was the first to break the silence, "So do you need anything, like water or something?"

"Oh, no, thank you. Actually I should get going." He told her but made no attempt to move from his spot.

"Oh...okay," she tried her best to not look crushed.

"Okay...well, thanks for your help." Why wouldn't his legs move?

Sandra shifted her weight, "No problem."

Alex twitched his lips, it was hardly a smile but at least it was an attempt at one. "So you'll be okay and everything?"

If you call being ditched and left alone to hide in a place where you hardly know anyone and pretty much weren't allowed to know anyone, then yes I'll be just peachy! Out loud she said, "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Alex's legs moved forward without his instruction, "Sandra..." before he knew what he was doing his lips were on hers, his body melding with hers.

Sandra stood in shock for a few seconds, before her body reacted, flames licked her senses, all the air rushed out of her body. But before she knew it, Alex was gone. It happened so quickly that she wasn't even sure if it had been real.

The only thing real she knew at that moment was that she was alone again.