CHAPTER 3
System #2
"Earn her trust," they'd all insisted. "She's the key to finding the leak."
Yeah, right. That was assuming the paranoia princess even possessed the ability to
trust someone. Just being the dutiful partner wouldn't win him an instant place in
her little heart.
But, Alex Krycek was willing to concede, they made the decisions, not him--yet. His
role in the organization was still pathetically small.
For now, he was just the Dutiful Partner.
Grinning at the joke only he understood, he gathered all the papers scattered across
his desk, careful to not leave any out. ("Paper trails are the worst kind to leave
behind," he remembered hearing somewhere.) He put them in a folder and
dropped the folder into his briefcase just as someone walked in the X-Files office.
*Well, speak of the devil.*
"Hey, Sam," Krycek acknowledged as he nonchalantly snapped the briefcase
closed.
"Working late, Alex?" she smiled . . . deliberately?
Krycek stiffened. *Does she know?* He made a conscious effort to avoid glancing at
the briefcase. There was an uncomfortable pause.
"Well," Sam tried to fill the pause with a light joke, "maybe you're just trying to
get the rest of us fired."
Krycek relaxed a little.
In that instant, however, the genius in him invented a way to solve all his problems
in one scene. Though sensing triumph already, he made himself stiffen again.
"Well, what--what about you?" he tried a clumsy retort with an uncertain smile.
"Trying to get everybody fired by working late, I mean. I mean, not that you'd
purposely do something like that--to get people fired and everything--I'm just
joking, and . . ." Krycek twisted his face so he seemed to wish he were anywhere
but there. "I think I'll shut-up now."
"Alex, what's up?" a concerned Sam asked.
*More than you know . . .*
"I've just--just had something on my mind lately." Krycek dropped his eyes to the
floor.
"Alex," she said sympathetically as she pulled-up a chair and sat in it, "you can tell
me. It's all right."
"No," he said abruptly. "No, I can't. I'll be fine. I just have to keep it out of our
work. It'll pass . . . eventually."
"If you think it might get in the way of our work, you ought to tell me. In fact,
there's a series of cases that I've wanted to review with you for a while," she said as
she held up some folders she'd carried in with her, "but if you don't feel up to it, I
don't mind taking care of them myself."
Realizing her attention was reverting back to work too much, Krycek stopped the
game. "I--I'd like to . . . uh, do you think you . . . Are you doing anything Friday
night?"
Though he doubted he'd ever forget that look on her face, he truly regretted not
having a camera with him.
After a moment, she recovered, and put the files back in the filing cabinet to signal
she was leaving. Finally she said flatly, without looking at him, "Agent Krycek, I will be
extremely busy this Friday."
*Well,* Krycek consoled himself, *at least she shouldn't be as suspicious of me,
anymore . . .*
Just as Sam reached the door of the office, she turned around, and quietly added,
"Try again next week. I think I might have some free time then."
Now it was his turned to be shocked--sincerely shocked. He recovered more quickly
than she had, though. "I'll be sure to do that, Agent Mulder."
Had she not left, Sam might have seen the sinister smile of victory on Krycek's face.
**********************************************************************
Well, I couldn't help myself; I just had to put a little humor in this chapter. Did
you love it? Hate it? Confused about it? Review it! Thank you! :)
System #2
"Earn her trust," they'd all insisted. "She's the key to finding the leak."
Yeah, right. That was assuming the paranoia princess even possessed the ability to
trust someone. Just being the dutiful partner wouldn't win him an instant place in
her little heart.
But, Alex Krycek was willing to concede, they made the decisions, not him--yet. His
role in the organization was still pathetically small.
For now, he was just the Dutiful Partner.
Grinning at the joke only he understood, he gathered all the papers scattered across
his desk, careful to not leave any out. ("Paper trails are the worst kind to leave
behind," he remembered hearing somewhere.) He put them in a folder and
dropped the folder into his briefcase just as someone walked in the X-Files office.
*Well, speak of the devil.*
"Hey, Sam," Krycek acknowledged as he nonchalantly snapped the briefcase
closed.
"Working late, Alex?" she smiled . . . deliberately?
Krycek stiffened. *Does she know?* He made a conscious effort to avoid glancing at
the briefcase. There was an uncomfortable pause.
"Well," Sam tried to fill the pause with a light joke, "maybe you're just trying to
get the rest of us fired."
Krycek relaxed a little.
In that instant, however, the genius in him invented a way to solve all his problems
in one scene. Though sensing triumph already, he made himself stiffen again.
"Well, what--what about you?" he tried a clumsy retort with an uncertain smile.
"Trying to get everybody fired by working late, I mean. I mean, not that you'd
purposely do something like that--to get people fired and everything--I'm just
joking, and . . ." Krycek twisted his face so he seemed to wish he were anywhere
but there. "I think I'll shut-up now."
"Alex, what's up?" a concerned Sam asked.
*More than you know . . .*
"I've just--just had something on my mind lately." Krycek dropped his eyes to the
floor.
"Alex," she said sympathetically as she pulled-up a chair and sat in it, "you can tell
me. It's all right."
"No," he said abruptly. "No, I can't. I'll be fine. I just have to keep it out of our
work. It'll pass . . . eventually."
"If you think it might get in the way of our work, you ought to tell me. In fact,
there's a series of cases that I've wanted to review with you for a while," she said as
she held up some folders she'd carried in with her, "but if you don't feel up to it, I
don't mind taking care of them myself."
Realizing her attention was reverting back to work too much, Krycek stopped the
game. "I--I'd like to . . . uh, do you think you . . . Are you doing anything Friday
night?"
Though he doubted he'd ever forget that look on her face, he truly regretted not
having a camera with him.
After a moment, she recovered, and put the files back in the filing cabinet to signal
she was leaving. Finally she said flatly, without looking at him, "Agent Krycek, I will be
extremely busy this Friday."
*Well,* Krycek consoled himself, *at least she shouldn't be as suspicious of me,
anymore . . .*
Just as Sam reached the door of the office, she turned around, and quietly added,
"Try again next week. I think I might have some free time then."
Now it was his turned to be shocked--sincerely shocked. He recovered more quickly
than she had, though. "I'll be sure to do that, Agent Mulder."
Had she not left, Sam might have seen the sinister smile of victory on Krycek's face.
**********************************************************************
Well, I couldn't help myself; I just had to put a little humor in this chapter. Did
you love it? Hate it? Confused about it? Review it! Thank you! :)
