R8-Jo-p1

Cape Fear
Friday, August 13,
3:30 a.m.

Krycek kneeled on the rough concrete sidewalk beside the abused body of his erstwhile lover in the early predawn hours. A nearby street lamp illuminated Mulder's body in a dim pool of light. Krycek seethed with anger over the deep welts marring his former lover's lovely flesh. In a few places the skin had been broken and blood wept from the wounds and sand and dirt had become embedded in them. Krycek had to get Mulder inside and tend to his injuries, he hoped that he could prevent them from scarring. Mulder already had enough scars on his body and soul. He smoothed the bangs off Mulder's forehead and bent to study his face, sadly brushing his fingertips over the tear-dampened cheeks. Krycek didn't want anyone to see the agent in such a state, he knew that such an indignity would be too much for Mulder to endure.

Alexander floated in the nearby shadows; he had used too much energy having sex with his lover and carrying him into town, that now, he was unable to stop his corporeal double from helping Fox. Alexander had wanted Fox's humiliation, he wanted to break him, bend him to his will, but instead he watched helplessly as the assassin carried Fox's limp body slung over his shoulder back to the motel. The spirit needed a blood sacrifice to regenerate himself quickly, he hated this weakness and watched the powerfully built body of his double with longing.

Krycek carefully held Mulder, staying in the shadows as he crept down the street. He would kill anyone who got in his way, even if it was his own flesh and blood -- his rage was so great. He awkwardly opened the door to Mulder's motel room and entered, then he kicked it shut with his booted foot. When Krycek had Mulder arranged comfortably on his stomach, he grabbed the empty, plastic ice bucket from the dresser and carried it into the bathroom and filled it with warm soapy water. He carried it and a washcloth back to the bed and set it on the nightstand. Krycek sat next to Mulder then gently started to clean his wounds.

Mulder slowly drifted back to consciousness and a whimper escaped his lips. He heard a soothing voice whispering assurances to him before it went back to humming softly, his nose picked up the distinct smell of leather and the heady scent of musk. Krycek. "Alex," he said in a weak, frightened voice.

"Ssh, Fox, don't talk. You need to save your strength."

"Don't want Scully or … Skinner … find out," Mulder said in a voice barely loud enough for Krycek to hear.

Krycek combed his fingers lovingly through Mulder's damp hair. "Don't worry, Fox, Scully's in Raleigh-Durham for the next three days. SAC Morgan has corralled her into doing some autopsies in that mall shooting they had yesterday, and she still needs to finish her research with Agent Piquet." He stood, then bent down and kissed the side of Mulder's mouth. "I need to run down to Scully's room and raid her medical kit for some antiseptic and Tylenol for you, I'll be right back, lover," he said.

Alexander watched the scene through the mirror over the dresser. If the assassin hadn't looked exactly like him, he'd have killed Krycek for trespassing on his property. Alexander looked at Fox's back and realized that he had gone too far, he hadn't meant to do such physical damage to his beloved. He had only wanted to teach Fox his place.

Krycek came back, and applied the ointment over Mulder's wounds, he noticed that the agent had fallen to sleep again. He picked up the washcloth and rinsed it out and started to clean Mulder's abused anus, cursing Alexander as he did so, then he applied the ointment to the area. The telephone rang and he glanced over at the clock, who'd be calling at five o'clock in the morning?

"Mulder," Krycek said as he answered the phone. He had spent months learning how to impersonate Mulder's voice.

"Fox, it's Walter, are you okay?" Skinner asked concerned, he had just woken up from a nightmare about his lover.

"Walter, it's five o'clock in the morning!" Krycek whined, while smiling over at Mulder who stirred restlessly on the bed.

"I'm sorry, babe. I had this disturbing dream about you and I needed to hear your voice." Skinner leaned back against the headboard. "Fox, Fred Stark never showed up are you sure he was coming to see me?" he asked, not wanting to end the call just yet, the dream was still too vivid.

"Walter, the man was a psycho. Who knows what someone like that is going to do," Krycek sat on the bed and started playing with Mulder's hair again.

"Fox, Stark may decide to go after you again, maybe I should send a couple of agents to watch your back."

"Don't you dare! Walter, I can certainly take care of myself where Agent Stark is concerned." Krycek smiled brightly, he thought he just nailed indignant Mulder perfectly.

"Don't forget that rat-bastard Krycek is down there, too. Who knows what that asshole wants, I don't like it," Skinner growled.

Krycek eyes narrowed, Skinner would pay for that one. "You only have the Spender's word that Krycek is here. I find that pretty unlikely." Mulder moaned and started to wakeup. "Look, Walter, it is early and I'd like to get a few more hours of sleep."

"Sorry, babe. I'll call you later. Take care of yourself," Skinner said.

"You too." Krycek smirked and placed the phone back in the cradle.

Mulder turned his head and stared dazed at Krycek. "Who was that?"

"No one, Fox. I have some Tylenol that I want you to take. We need to get you back on your feet before Scully returns from Raleigh-Durham." Krycek went into the bathroom and came back with a glass of water and helped Mulder sit up enough to take the tablets.

"Why, Alex?"

"I should be asking you that, Fox. Why Skinner?"

"He trustworthy, loyal, and …"

"Fox, a dog is trustworthy and loyal."

Mulder glared at him. "I love him. That should be enough of a reason."

"Love! The man is a stuff shirt, a fucking desk jockey! How can you love someone like that?"

Mulder sank down and buried his face in the pillow. "That really isn't any of your business, Krycek. Get the hell out of my room," he growled through tightly clenched teeth, the pain in his back was so severe it was clouding his thinking. Why was he even allowing Krycek to touch him?

"No. Not until you're able to stand on your own two feet. Besides you need someone to put ointment on your back for you. Unless you want Scully to look after you. I'd love to see you explain to her who horsewhipped you and why. I'll call her if you want?"

"No, please, don't call her. I don't want her here."

"Then be a good boy and let me look after you. I'll see if I can have Scully delayed longer."

"Keep her away, Alex, I'll do whatever you say. Just keep her … away," Mulder pleaded as he felt consciousness slipping away.

Krycek petted Mulder's head affectionately, smiled down at his sleeping face. "Of course you'll do anything I say, Fox, get use to it."

A noise came from the direction of the dresser. Krycek looked up, right into the eyes of Alexander who was staring at him on the other side of the glass. "I'm allowing you to take care of my Fox. Make him well for me."

Krycek stared at him angrily. "Fuck you! Look what you've done to him! You damn spook! You don't deserve someone like Fox Mulder anymore than Walter Skinner does!"

The ghost chuckled with delight, he could see himself in this ruthless, angry young man. "I'll give you four days to get Fox back on his feet. Then I expect you to deliver him to me at the plantation. And, Alex, there is no escape from Cape Fear unless I allow it." Alexander's image faded from the mirror.

"Fuck." Krycek wiped at his brow, he had to find away to get Mulder away from here, he wasn't about to let some ghost have him. Mulder was his and his alone. He covered Mulder with the sheet careful that it would not stick to his wounds. Then he stripped out his clothes, placed his gun under the pillow, and climbed into bed next to Mulder.

***

Cape Fear
Friday, August 13,
10:30 a.m.

Krycek awoke to a pounding on the motel door and Mulder wrapped around his body. The sedative he had slipped Mulder with the Tylenol was still working. He reached under the pillow for his gun just as the door was forced open. Sheriff Dmitry Kriuchek stood there was his mouth hanging open.

"Alexander. I didn't know, you … " the Sheriff stopped when he realized the figure was too solid to be his long dead relative, and that the ghost never held gun before.

"Cat got your tongue, Dmitry?" Krycek growled, throwing back the sheet and easing himself away from Mulder's clinging embrace.

The sheriff glared at Krycek's nude body, then his eyes narrowed at the sight of the whip marks covering Mulder's back. He had heard from Ivan that Alexander had forced him to brutally horsewhip the agent. Alexander, Dmitry knew, was teetering on the verge of insanity, he had been for decades according to his grandfather who remembered when the spirit was gentler. It wouldn't do for Alexander to kill Mulder before the sacrifice, for that would defeat the purpose and prevent an end to the curse.

"Who are you?" Sheriff Kriuchek asked.

"Don't you recognize your own cousin?"

Recognition slowly came to the young sheriff's eyes, he had only been eight years old when his fifteen year old cousin had come to visit Cape Fear with his family. "Alex Krycek. Yes, I remember now. You look exactly like him, you know, it is rather spooky. Alexander will kill you if he finds you with Mulder. I suggest you get out of town while you can," Dmitry said.

"Alexander already knows about Mulder and I, he has asked me to stay and take care of him," Krycek said smugly, seeing the sudden flash of outrage on his cousin's face.

Dmitry seethed inwardly. He was to be the one to sacrifice Fox Mulder during the ceremony, while he was having anal intercourse with him. But if Alexander had chosen his cousin, this Krycek, then Dmitry would never be able to have sex with Fox. The sheriff needed to get Krycek out of his town before the full moon ceremony.

Krycek dressed, while keeping his eyes on the sheriff. "Agent Mulder will need something to eat. Dmitry, be a good boy and have the diner send over some broth and toast for him and a cheeseburger and fries for me," he demanded casually.

The sheriff was going to tell the arrogant bastard that he wasn't an errand boy, when he noticed Alexander's face floating inside the mirror. "Would you like anything else, … Alex?" The ghostly face faded with a smug smile on its face.

"I need some things from the pharmacy, I'll have a list for you when you get back with the food."

After the sheriff had left, Krycek went to refill the ice bucket with warm soapy. Mulder started to come out of his drug-induced sleep as Krycek was cleaning his wounds. "Ssh, relax, Fox. No one is going to touch you while I'm here taking care of you." Krycek didn't know how he would prevent Alexander from continuing to molest Mulder after he was well enough.

Mulder lifted his head and looked fearfully at Krycek. "Alex, why did you have me whipped? You've never raised a hand to me before … I thought you loved me?"

The confused innocence in Mulder's tear filled eyes let Krycek know right away that this wasn't his Mulder.

"I'm not Alexander, Fox. Can Mulder hear me or are you totally in control?"

"I hear you, Krycek. Can I have some water," Mulder mumbled his mouth felt like cotton.

Krycek went into the bathroom and came back with a glass of water and some more Tylenol. He skipped the sedative; he wanted Mulder to eat first. Krycek helped Mulder sit up and handed him the tablets.

"Don't want 'em." Mulder dropped the tablets on the bed and reached for the water, which Krycek held out of his reach.

"Take the medicine, Fox, it isn't up for debate," Krycek growled.

Mulder glared at him ready to tell Krycek where to go, but the painful throbbing in his back had him picking up the tablets instead.

"Good, boy," Krycek said, holding the cup for Mulder to sip out of. "Lay back on your stomach, Fox, I need to put antiseptic ointment on your wounds."

"Would you stop calling me that, Krycek," Mulder grumbled.

"No. Live with it." Krycek started humming again as he applied the ointment, and his hand lingered as he rubbed the stuff over a welt on Mulder's firm, round buttock. He remembered how much pleasure he had with his cock buried between those soft, ivory mounds. Their affair had ended too quickly, immediately after the smoker had found out about it. Krycek realized afterward that he had fallen in love with Mulder. A love that he knew in his heart that Mulder would never return, so he would force Mulder to accept him back as his lover.

Mulder moaned; Krycek's fingers had always had a way of making him feel good. He hated to admit to being weak, but Krycek's presence made him feel safer. Mulder felt guilty for having those feelings, he was in love with Walter. However, he didn't want Walter to know what was happening to him in Cape Fear, and he didn't want Walter to come down here. Alexander would kill Walter.

***

Hoover Building
Monday, August 16,
11:00 a.m.

Skinner closed the report he had received by email from Mulder on the investigation. The report was terse but to the point, a change from the agent's usual style of writing. They seemed to be making good progress now, with Scully uncovering records on the Kriuchek clan in Raleigh-Durham, they had been able to link several murders over the past decades to the family. Now all they needed was to find a connection with the present Kriuchek family and the present murders. It disturbed Skinner that the sheriff in Cape Fear was also a Kriuchek.

If it weren't for the long conversations he'd been having with his lover in the evenings, he'd be tempted to go down to Cape Fear himself. He didn't like Fox being alone in that town. To make matters worse, there had been no sign of Fred Stark. If Stark didn't show up for work when his vacation was officially over, then Skinner would have to officially investigate his disappearance.

***

Cape Fear
Tuesday, August 17,
11:00 a.m.

Mulder allowed Krycek to help him on with his clothes. He was feeling a hundred percent better. The welts on his back had diminished greatly due to Krycek's around the clock care. Krycek had communicated to Mulder how important it was for him to play the invalid because Alexander was watching them constantly, and the moment Mulder was fit enough. Alexander would insist that the agent go back to the plantation to pleasure him sexually.

"Are you sure that you are up for going to the diner to eat, Fox?" Krycek ask, tying Mulder's sneakers. His mechanical hand had proved invaluable over the last four days of caring for Mulder.

Mulder feigned a dizzy spell as he caught sight of Alexander in the mirror watching them. He closed his eyes and spoke softly. "I'm going stir crazy, Alex. Just to the diner then you can take me back here so I can rest."

"Okay, Fox, just to the diner." Krycek stood and helped Mulder to his feet, leaning in he whispered in Mulder's ear. "You're getting very good at acting, we'd make a great team."

"Dream on, Ratboy," Mulder whispered back, leaning heavily on Krycek for support as they left the motel room.

"Foxy, you are always a part of my dreams. Particularly the wet ones."

"I'll bet," Mulder grumbled.

They entered the diner and the whole place went dead quiet at the sight of them. Then three of the waitresses all rushed over to the door. "Agent Mulder, we heard that you were sick. It's so good to see that you are feeling better," Marie babbled. "You can sit in my section, I have a really nice booth for you and ah … your friend."

"Thank you, Marie."

As Mulder and Krycek sat waiting for their order. The townspeople stopped at their table to check on Mulder's health and to give him their best. Mulder was getting flustered as the fifteenth well-wisher left. Then Marie came out with an extra large lunch for them. Marty had thrown in two large pieces of chocolate cake for free.

"They seem to like you here, Fox," Krycek observed.

"No kidding?" Mulder said as he picked at his lunch. He was starving after four days of mainly broth and soups to eat, but now, he could barely force himself to eat with the whole diner watching his every move.

"We can take it back to the motel room, if you'd be more comfortable?" Krycek offered.

"Yeah, thanks, Alex," Mulder said with a defeated tone of voice.

Krycek flagged the waitress and ordered her none-too-kindly to package everything to go, and have someone bring it to Agent Mulder's motel room. Mulder really did need his help on the way back to his room. Krycek couldn't ever remember seeing Mulder so downtrodden and defeated, except for the time Scully was abducted. He briefly thought that he should call Skinner for help, but squashed that thought as quickly as it came. He had to find a way to kill … exercise Alexander's spirit.

They entered the room and Mulder immediately laid down on the bed and curled himself into a ball.

***

Cape Fear
Wednesday, August 18,
9:00 p.m.

Mulder sat quietly in the car beside Krycek as the triple agent drove toward the Spender Plantation. "I'm sorry, Fox, … I wish that I could get you out of this situation, but I haven't been able to figure out how! DAMN!" Krycek swore slamming his hand on the steering wheel. "I feel so fucking helpless! Fox, you said that Fox Spender usually takes over when Alexander has sex with you, is he there with you now?" Krycek asked as he stopped the car in front of the manor house.

"He doesn't want to come out, Alex. He's more afraid of Alexander than I am." Mulder sat there staring at the house alive with lights, music was drifting out the opened windows. "Scully is going to be back from Raleigh-Durham tomorrow morning, so you'll need to make yourself scarce."

"Yeah, I know. I'll still be close, Fox."

Mulder looked sadly over at the beautiful young man. "They're going to kill me aren't they, Alex?"

"Fox … " Krycek laid his hand on Mulder's arm.

"I feel like they're fattening me up for slaughter. Everyone in the town is involved … they all know what Alexander is doing to me. I can see it on their faces," Mulder said softly. "Alex, promise me that you'll protect Scully. I don't want her hurt, she's been through too much because of me."

Krycek's heart pounded loudly in his chest, he needed to find away to fight back. "I promise," he whispered, looking at his hands on the steering wheel, he couldn't bear to look at Mulder as he climbed out of the car and headed up the steps to the manor house. If he couldn't find someway to stop Alexander, Mulder would be sacrificed in eight days from now.

***

Nicole it's all yours.