Summary: Deslea's rec: "This Krycek/Other love story is a little sweeter than my usual tastes, but it meshes with a strong mytharc-based intrigue. Well-developed almost-original character and a nice balance of schmoop and angst. Mulder is a strong supporting presence."

FINAL TRUTHS BY LEXY TORELL AND PSI FI PART 3 OF 4
FOR HEADERS SEE PART 1


TITLE: Final Truths (2/2)
AUTHOR: 'Lexy Torell & Psi Fi'
EMAIL ADDRESS: lexytorell@qwest.net
ARCHIVE: Please! Just let me know where! :-)
RATING: PG
CATEGORY: TR
DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately, these characters don't
belong to me. Although, it would be nice if they
did, cause then we would be very rich women, instead
of having to write all these stories for free! They
belong to Chris Carter and 1013 Production.
KEYWORDS (CONTENT WARNING): Krycek/Other
SPOILER WARNING: Entire Mytharc and Samantha
Storyline up through Millenium
SUMMARY: A mysterious woman appears in Fox Mulder's
life and he investigates to find out who she is.

FEEDBACK: lexytorell@qwest.net and
strytlr1572@aol.com PLEASE!! This is our VERY first
joint attempt at fan fiction. So please be
gentle! Any constructive criticism or any other
pointers you can give would be GREATLY appreciated!
I really hope you like it!)

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Alex sauntered into Andrea's rooms, his eyes alive
with mischief.

"Andrea. I have a job I want you to help me with."

"Where at? Doing what? Do I have authorization to
leave?" she threw the questions at him with a slight
smile.

Krycek smiled, too, but his expression was oddly
blank.

"You'll see. Yes."

Andrea's brow furrowed as she retorted, "Alex, I am
not just packing up and leaving unless I know what
this is all about."

Krycek frowned, slightly, a little surprised that she
was not cooperating and was willing to talk in her
rooms.

"We're going on a mission, Andrea. To obey orders
like good little soldiers. We're doing a job for my
employer. It's all been cleared and authorized."

"*Your* employer...as opposed to *my* employer?

Andrea stared closely and noticed with trepidation
that he was smiling his cold "killing" smile.

"He is authorized to put you on jobs..."

Andrea nodded.

"Understood...so, cold or warm clothes?"

"Warm. We're going to Nevada."

"Nevada?" she mouthed at him as she moved into her
room to pack.

Krycek nodded, smiling sharply. Andrea quickly packed
a small bag and rejoined him in her living area.

"I'm ready."

Krycek turned back to her from the window, smiling.

"Well, I guess I should tell you what our mission
is..."

Andrea smiled and glanced over at him as she moved out
the door.

"It would be nice. You come in and whisk me away
saying we are going to Nevada. You're going to make
me think you're going to try to get me to marry you in
Vegas."

She grinned at her joke, watching for his reaction.
Krycek laughed, making Andrea stare, briefly. The
laugh was the most genuine sound imaginable. His
amusement shone from his eyes, turning them the color
of summer grass; it made him look young.

"Hey, if I thought I could get away with it, you'd be
in trouble. Unfortunately, this is official
business."

"All right," she gave a mock sigh. "What is it then?"

"We're going to retrieve a file on Samantha Mulder.
Fox has been causing problems and violence and
forceful coercion has't worked. So, my employer
decided it's time to use a carrot instead."

Andrea gazed over at him with a thoughtful smile.

"But that means we'll have a chance to read it...and
it might have some information in it that we don't
have already. And they think this file will help, eh?
Somehow, I wouldn't bet on it."

Krycek smiled.

"That's right...my employer wants to offer the file in
exchange for his helping the rebels. Plus, he
suspects that your father is keeping secrets from the
rest of the Consortium. He wants to know what
happened to Samantha Mulder."

They drove in peaceful silence to the airport, both of
them wanting to be somewhere that was relatively safe
from bugs, before discussing their mission in depth.
Once they were safely in their seats, Andrea asked a
question that was bothering her.

"How did you manage to get me in on this assignment,
considering who he believes I am? What if the file
divulges my real identity?"

Krycek sighed, not sure how to explain.

"I'm not sure why he allowed it...he's sort of been a
mentor to me, so maybe he's trying to show that he
trusts me. And...I think we can trust him with your
identity, considering how he wants to use it...to
unite you with your brother. The knowledge could
really hurt Spender's standing in the Consortium."

Andrea glanced at him sharply, her hidden anger coming
out a bit.

"Don't you think I should be the one to make that
decision? You have a funny way of taking that
information and using it for your own purposes, when
and where you will, you know."

Krycek glanced at her.

"Maybe you're right. I'm sorry, Andrea, but I've been
this way for a long time, using whatever scraps I
could to survive. It's defined my life, but...I'm
trying to be respectful of your wishes and use the
information in ways you would want...well, mostly, anyway.
I agree with Mulder. Spender's got to pay...I owe him."


Andrea's eyes darkened at the mention of her "father"
and his crimes.

"I believe I get first dibs on that right now. As for
revealing who I am...that will come in time. But I'm
not ready to make that decision right now, okay?"

Krycek nodded, understanding.

"You're absolutely right. Andrea, we're not talking
about a general announcement. The knowledge will be
kept to my patron, me, and Mulder. My employer
emphasized that himself. In fact, I think he already
suspects...our mission ended rather suspiciously."

"Yeah, I suppose it did," she agreed, glancing out of the
window at the clouds.

"I know that, but I will decide when and where it will
be divulged and to whom."

"No one's rushing you to admit it to anyone. The only
people who are likely to find out either already know
or strongly suspect."

"I know that, but I'm still coming to terms with it
all. How can I expect anyone else to accept it yet?"

"Never mind anyone else, Andrea. Let them deal with
it or not. Who cares? You and Mulder know the truth
and that's all that matters! Anything else is just
business."

Andrea looked at him, a wry smile twisting her lips.

"I know," she agreed, dryly, and then paused. "You
know, I haven't totally forgiven you for hiding this
from me for so long."

Krycek sighed, a tired and exasperated sound.

"You damn Mulder's never forgive me for anything!"

Andrea smiled with sympathetic understanding and laid
her hand on his arm.

"That doesn't mean I won't. It just means I'm still
angry that you didn't tell when you first found out
about it...regardless of how much you felt you were
protecting me."

Krycek smiled, a softer expression coming to his eyes,
and he laid his hand on top of hers.

"You'll forgive me eventually? That's different. I'm
sorry...I didn't do it because I don't have a high
opinion of you...I just...you didn't have any reason
to believe me..."

Andrea nodded, remembering their early relationship.

"I know, but I should have been given the choice of
believing you or not."

"Okay, I can understand that," he agreed, then smiled
charmingly, with a sweetness that was perhaps too sincere.

"I'm sorry, Andrea."

She squeezed his arm lightly, not at all fooled by the
show of repentance.

"I know."

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Krycek paced up and down in front of the terminal
gates, trying to burn off his nervous energy.
Mulder's flight was just arriving and Krycek knew he
was going to be furious. Krycek was so busy worrying
and fuming that he didn't see Mulder coming. Mulder
stared; he knew Krycek and he was not the type to pace
or fidget. Those tendencies had been burnt out of the
rat by the rigors of his job. Blinking away his
surprise, Mulder approached Krycek, who stopped his
pacing once he spotted Mulder. Krycek stood up
straight, preparing himself for what he knew was an
inevitable confrontation.

"Mulder."

"Krycek...what's going on? You said there was a
problem with Andrea. What happened?"

Krycek took a deep breath.

"She's disappeared. Directly from her hotel room;
though there is no exact proof of that fact."

Mulder growled low in his throat, a horrible suspicion
growing as he recognized what Krycek was describing.

"What? Exactly what are you telling me, Krycek?"

"Mulder, calm down," Scully advised. "Let's go to the
hotel room and look around."

She turned to Krycek, her expression cool, but calm,
with one eyebrow raised.

"Are you sure she didn't get mad at something and go
home? She's been under a lot of stress."

"I'm telling you that she is gone...she went into her
room and an hour later was gone," Krycek insisted,
appearing agitated as well. "I called you
asap...figured both of us could find her easier than
just one. No, Scully. We were sharing a two bedroom
suite. She was exhausted and went to bed early. I
stayed up reading in the living area. I heard
something in her room, went to look in on her, and
couldn't find her. She was nowhere to be found."

"She's gone again," Mulder mourned, sounding sick and
in despair. "I just got her back and she's gone. Why
weren't you protecting her?"

"I did my best, Mulder. I can't be with her 24/7!
Believe me, if I could, I would."

"Mulder, calm down. We'll find her," Scully soothed,
running her hand lightly up and down his arm.

"I'm sorry. You just...neither of you can really
understand. I want to see the hotel room," Mulder
requested.

Krycek nodded.

"That's where I figured we would go first."

Scully nodded firmly.

"Let's go. What were you doing in Nevada, Krycek?"

Krycek glowered at Mulder. He didn't understand.
He'd just lost the woman he loved, but he refrained
from speaking, knowing that now was not a good time to
antagonize the federal agent. He jerked his head
towards the exit, indicating for them to follow.

"We were sent here to find some files," he explained
briefly, moving towards the exit and his waiting
rental car.

Mulder glanced sharply at him.

"What files?"

"I can't go into that just yet, Mulder...but, soon."

Mulder slowed his pace, so Krycek stopped, turning to
face him.

"Listen, Ratboy, if we're going to work together, I
expect honesty. You and your Consortium secrets have
cost me and Scully to much already."

Krycek held Mulder's gaze steadily, ignoring the small
trickle of guilt that Mulder's words created.

"You have my honesty in this, Mulder. But right now,
the identity of those files doesn't have any bearing
on what is going on, so we can discuss them later.
I'm sure you'll get a chance to look them over."

"Anything connected to the Consortium is our business,
since it might help us bring these men to justice for
innumerable crimes," Scully disagreed.

"Let's just get in the car and get out of here, shall
we?" he inquired, glancing over his shoulder. "We can
go into specifics later."

"Damn rat," Mulder muttered, following angrily, "can't
answer a simple question without double talk and
secrets."

Scully stared in disapproval at Krycek and walked with
one hand on Mulder's arm, hoping that this encounter
wouldn't dissolve into violence as past encounters
had.

"Get in the car, Mulder," Krycek commanded firmly,
opening up the driver's side door and looking over at
him. He glanced past Mulder's shoulder at the airport
crowd. "You, too, Scully."

Mulder glared with icy sullenness, but obeyed, getting
into the back seat. Scully climbed in next to him.

Krycek watched the street in the rear view mirror,
noticing the men following him quickly get into a car
and follow. Mulder noticed the movements of Krycek's
eyes.

"Who's back there?"

"A couple of faces that I just realized I've seen too
much of since being here."

Krycek sped up as he left the airport proper and moved
onto the Vegas streets. He watched as the car behind
them sped up as well, swerving around cars to catch up
with them.

"Ever get tired of the 007 lifestyle and just want to
be a janitor, Krycek?" Mulder deadpanned with his
unique humor.

"Tried that already. They said I was overqualified,"
Krycek claimed, grinning evilly back at Mulder.

"Too much competition for the other rats, Krycek?"

Krycek glared at Mulder, not answering, and swerved
abruptly into the other lane, causing Mulder to lose
his balance in his seat.

"Sorry about that, Mulder. I didn't mean to do that."

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Alex opened the door to his apartment and stepped
inside before turning the light on.

"What the...?!?" he exclaimed, angrily, pulling out
his gun.

The suite was completely trashed, with furniture
strewn everywhere and torn up. Clothing had been
thrown every which way.

"Looks like some cats came by to play with you,
Krycek," Mulder observed with dark humor.

"Later, Mulder," Scully interrupted. "Krycek, were
they looking for the files?"

"Probably, yeah," Krycek confirmed, grimly. "This has
to be Spender's doing...he wouldn't want those files
to get into the wrong hands."

"I thought the Consortium had arranged for you to
retrieve the files."

"That wouldn't stop that tar-sucking s.o.b.," Mulder
stated.

Krycek glanced at Mulder, glad that Mulder's anger was
directed at Cancerman, at least for the moment.

"Exactly."

Krycek moved to check out the apartment to make sure
no one was still there. Scully shook her head in
disapproval, as she examined the destruction.

"So much for honor among thieves," she mumbled.

Mulder searched the other rooms, his gun drawn, but
held loosely. His eyes scanned for signs of forced
entry or other clues. Krycek stepped back out into
the living area.

"It's clear. A shame they didn't get what they were
after."

Scully stared at him, her eyebrows raised.

"You still have the file?

Krycek nodded with satisfaction.

"I wasn't stupid enough to leave it here."

"I want to see it!" Mulder demanded.

"I don't have it here or on me."

Mulder sneered, "Figures. Where is it, Krycek? In
your jacket? At the airport?"

"Something like that," he evaded, not wanting to say
too much for fear the apartment was now bugged.

"We'll worry about that later," Scully intervened.
"Right now, we need to focus on locating Ms.
Spender."

Mulder winced at the use of that name.

Alex moved into one of the bedrooms.

"This is where Andrea was...not that any evidence is
left now," he mused angrily.

Krycek looked around, frustrated, at the trashed room.
Mulder moved past him and spoke in an odd tone that
mixed genuine sympathy with slightly bitter mocking.

"C'mon, Krycek. You know FBI procedure, how to
investigate a crime scene. Let's do this."

Krycek nodded, shunting aside his personal feelings to
focus on the work that needed to be done. Placing his gun
in the holster, he moved towards the window. Mulder
noted the open window and the bubbling of the paint
around the window frame. Krycek glanced up at Mulder,
wanting his reaction.

"So?"

"Think about it, Krycek! What could be hot enough all
the way up here to melt this paint. I bet she was
taken in a ship."

"Yeah, which means Spender was definitely involved,"
Krycek affirmed, a murderous look in his eyes.

"Don't you dare do anything to him, Ratboy. I've got
dibs."

Alex looked at Mulder, a twisted expression of amused
sadness giving him a haunted appearance.

"Unfortunately, Andrea claimed that right not too long
ago. Let's hope we find her so she has her chance to
fulfill it."

Mulder's eyes softened.

"Okay, yeah, I'll give up my claim for her...but you
behave yourself, Krycek. Now, where would he take
her?"

"Not back to the compound...I know that much."

Scully entered the room, having examined other areas
of the suite.

"Is there only one compound? Might there be some in
other countries? Like Consortium embassies?"

Krycek nodded.

"There are, but that would be too obvious. He may
have taken her up to Nellis...perhaps to 51."

"That depends," Scully argued. "If there are a lot of
them, it would take some time to check them...long
enough for him to *re-educate* her. And how much
access do you reasonably have to the other compounds?
It might look odd if you suddenly showed up in
Australia."

"I only have access to five compounds here and in
Europe...which is more than most people have."

"Bully for you, Ratboy. I see you're moving up in the
*new world order*," Mulder mocked.

Krycek glared, but didn't respond to the taunt.

"The fact is, if they took her by ship, the logical
beginning place would be Area 51 up near
Nellis...where they took her from there, I'm not
sure."

Scully shot Mulder a warning glance, then continued.

"Then we can probably eliminate the five compounds you
have access to, but we need to check the others. And
don't forget Hampton, VA, where that mass abduction
took place...she might even be in North Dakota. They
were hiding something there."

Alex nodded.

"She could be anywhere. I'm going to go back to the
compound and see if we can't get some help in locating
her."

"Exactly. These are government men who have her and
they have plenty of resources. We need to get in
touch with some of ours."

"I will take care of things on my end and get back
to you once I know more."

"That's fine. Mulder and I will return to Washington.
Do you have a secure number where we can reach you?"

Mulder wanted to argue, wanted to tear the country
apart until they found his sister, but kept quiet,
knowing Scully was right.

"Yes, my cell," Krycek confirmed, handing them his
business card. "It's the safest of all phones...more
secure."

Scully took the card and slipped it in her purse.

"Thank you."

Mulder also nodded a brief acknowledgement, before
following Scully out of the apartment.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Krycek walked into his patron's office, a large file
in his hand. The British gentleman looked up, pleased
to see his young protoge.

"Ah, Alex, I see the mission was successful. Please
sit down."

Krycek couldn't keep the grim anxiety he felt from
reaching his expression; he sat down as indicated.

"Thank you," he stated, handing over the file.

The Brit studied Alex for a moment, noting the
hardness in his eyes and the unhappy cast of his face.

"What is wrong?" he prodded gently, taking the file
and setting it on his desk, giving Alex his attention.

"We have a problem. The mission didn't go off without
a hitch. Andrea was abducted while we were there.
And our apartment was ransacked."

The old man's eyebrows rose with aristocratic
coolness.

"Abducted? You don't mean merely taken or kidnapped,"
he intoned, his words matter of fact; he was not
guessing.

"No, I don't. All evidence points to alien involvement."

"I see...if you are correct, and I don't doubt you,
then someone in our...association...has seriously
overstepped some boundaries."

"I'm quite sure I know who it was."

The well-manicured man came out from behind the desk
and stood close to Alex. Although he stood over him,
there was no sense of looming or intimidation. There
was in his stance a feeling almost of protection. The
Brit rested a gentle hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Don't act prematurely, Alex. Our associate still has
friends. And you've been with me long enough to know
there are more satisfying ways to revenge than a
bullet in someone's skull!"

Alex gazed respectfully up at his mentor.

"I know, but if he has hurt her in anyway...I'll kill
him."

The gentleman smiled ruefully.

"I had no idea the two of you were so close. You
weren't this protective of Cardinal!"

Krycek nodded.

"Very true. But, things are different with Andrea.
She and I work well together."

The Brit smiled, amused, wondering if Alex thought him
too old to recognize the signs of romance.

"That doesn't appear to be all, Alex. After all,
you've only been on two assignments together."

Alex took a deep breath, wondering why he'd thought he
could conceal anything from those sharp, old eyes.

"She means a lot to me," he admitted, hoping *this*
old man wouldn't see such sentiment as weakness.

His patron's eyebrows raised.

"I see...and why do you suppose our associate decided
to have her taken? He doesn't usually waste resources
on mere pettiness."

"Re-education. He was worried she was going to leave
the Consortium," Krycek evaded, doing his best to
honor Andrea's wish and not tell who she was.

The Brit frowned.

"Why would he think that? You're still part of the
Consortium despite the...tension...between the two of
you. He doesn't suspect you of anything, does he?"

Krycek shook his head.

"No...nothing."

The Brit gave a sigh of relief.

"Good...very good, Alex. And your current intentions
are?"

Alex knew he now had to be completely honest. He
needed this man's help and the information was in the
files anyway.

"She recently became aware of the fact that she isn't
Andrea Spender," he clarified.

His patron's eyebrows again went up, this time in
genuine surprise.

"Oh, isn't she?"

"She's actually Samantha Mulder."

The Brit's look of surprise faded quickly.

"You are quite sure of that?"

Krycek nodded, continuing, "Quite sure...there's DNA
evidence to prove it and, if we intend to get Mulder's
help, then we should help him find her again."

Alex watched as a rare hint of anger came into the old
man's eyes.

"The fool. That damned, arrogant fool," he snarled,
then he took a deep breath.

His thin lips thinned at his own burst of temper and
he smiled, the expression a bit shaky.

"Mulder knows, then? Well, you're right, Alex.
Helping him recover his sister would definitely
elevate us in Agent Mulder's opinions..."

Alex nodded, respectfully ignoring the Brit's
momentary loss of control.

"Agreed. So, I figured we could employ some of our
resources in finding her."

The old man gazed skeptically at his student.

"That would have to be done very cautiously, indeed.
Lest we risk our own standing in the group."

"Let me do it. I can move about more freely and have
already been seen working against Mulder...if I work
it right, no one will know what I am doing."

The Brit stared thoughtfully, considering.

"That could put you at some risk, Alex...I'm not sure
it'd be a good idea right now. Spender really would
like a second chance at finishing you."

Alex took a deep breath, unwilling to offend this man,
but also unwilling to back down.

"Whether authorized or not...I will find her. And in
the process take care of Spender, if given the
chance," Alex insisted, glowering angrily, remembering
missed opportunities to remove his former boss.

The Brit frowned, not angry, but needing to remind
Alex who was in charge.

"I don't think that is very helpful, Alex. The last
time you took on Spender outside the Consortium, you
ended up buried alive in a missile silo."

Krycek breathed deeply, again, trying to fight a
sudden panic.

"I can't just leave her...I won't."

His patron's eyes softened.

"I said nothing about abandoning the lady to her own
resources, Alex," the Brit clarified, in tones of soft
reproach. "I merely was saying that you cannot turn
this into a personal crusade and neglect all
else...including your own safety."

Krycek sighed.

"I know you didn't mean that. It's just..." Alex
broke off, not able to say anymore, overwhelmed with
worry.

Alex's mentor smiled softly, pleased with this
evidence that the Smoker had failed to erase Alex's
humanity.

"I think your original idea was best. You won't look
for her yourself, but will provide Agent Mulder with
any help you can...I think we'll be able to provide
him with enough resources to enable him to find her."

Alex's eyes hardened. He wasn't happy with that, but
he nodded slowly in acknowledgement.

"Perhaps later, when it's not on everyone's minds,
you'll be able to risk a personal search," the Brit
amended, hoping to appease the young man. He smiled
comfortingly. "Go and get some rest, Alex. You look
tired..."

Alex stood and motioned to the file.

"That file has some interesting information. It
should enlighten you to a few things," he offered,
then turned and moved towards the door.

"I'm sure it will...and Alex?"

Alex paused, turning to meet his mentor's steady gaze.

"You will have revenge...for everything."

Krycek nodded, smiling a little.

"I hope so."

***** ***** *****

Krycek pulled out his cell phone, a slight tremble to
his fingers. Rage burned through him like a fever, as
he hit autodial to Mulder's phone.

At the other end, Mulder picked up.

"Mulder."

"Hey...have you found anything out yet?"

"Not much. No one's seen or heard anything."


"I heard a few things from Spender earlier today. I
think I was meant to overhear," he grated, his voice
getting dark and angry.

Mulder gripped the phone tighter, but kept his tone
cool, replying, "Well, we know he has her..."

"Exactly. He basically confirmed he knew where she
was...and that she is pregnant. Of course, he didn't
say where."

Mulder paused, going still.

"Repeat that last, Krycek. I know I didn't hear you
right," Mulder prompted, his voice flat and dry.

"He confirmed he knew where she was, but didn't
divulge where. Said she was *resting*," Krycek
sneered, barely able to control his anger.

Mulder's voice grew sharp.

"No, Krycek. What did you say immediately after you
said he confirmed it."

Alex closed his eyes and rubbed his hand over his
face, not wanting to repeat it, knew the news would
cause too much worry and anguish.

"She's pregnant," he repeated, his voice cracking a
bit.

There was a long pause on the other end, then Mulder's
voice returned, low and infuriated.

"You double-crossing rat bastard!"

"What?!" Krycek offered, getting angry at Mulder's
reaction.

"It's not bad enough she's taken away to fulfill some
nefarious plan, but you have to mess around in her
life?"

"And you think she didn't have a say in it?!? Look,
Mulder...she means more to me than just about anything
else. I would never do anything to hurt her. And I
promise you...I didn't just arbitrarily "mess around"
in her life. She *is* my life, Mulder...and I will
get her back."

Mulder smirked to himself, certain that last had
slipped out.

"Yeah? That'd be a switch for you, Krycek. You seem
to like arbitrarily mucking around in my life," Mulder
halted, hearing what Alex had said. "You can't expect
me to believe that, Krycek...I thought torturing me
was you life...what if I get jealous?"

Krycek snorted, staring at the ceiling. If Mulder was
cracking jokes, even insulting ones, then he was
taking the news better than Krycek had expected.

"Priorities change, Mulder. You'll just have to get
used to it. Besides, how do you know I'm not doing
this just to continue torturing you at a closer
range?" he intimated with dark humor.

Mulder's next comment came in an amused snarl.

"Because, if you're just using my sister for any
reason, I'll kill you for real...so don't even go
there!"

Alex exhaled, sharply, annoyed.

"I won't get into this any further, because no matter
what I say, you'll always believe the worst. So,
Mulder...I can promise you I'll find a way to prove to
you what I say. Maybe not now, tomorrow, or next
week, but I *will* prove it to you. And her."

"You bring bad opinions down on yourself, Krycek!"
Mulder snapped. "After everything you've done, you've
no right to expect me to say 'Oh, that's all right,
Alex, date my sister! It doesn't matter that you
killed our father, or had my best friend abducted, or
tried to kill me. Or pretended to be my friend and
then betrayed me!' Well, it does matter, Krycek. I
won't be hurt by you again...I won't let you hurt her
ever."

"You don't get it, Mulder. This isn't about you.
It's about Andrea. And we'll see what happens once we
get her back. Either way...this discussion is over."

"No, it's not about me. I'd risk myself before I'd
risk her..."

"So would I. So, at least we know we're both coming
from the same place."

"I don't know that at all. I don't like trusting you
with her life."

"Well, you don't have a choice right now. Neither of
us do."

Mulder chuckled sourly.

"No, we don't. And you're right...I don't have a
choice. Just don't expect me to like it."

"I don't believe I asked you too, Mulder," Krycek
reminded him, furious and afraid that his past
mistakes and Mulder's hatred would drive a wedge
between him and the woman he loved...whose love he
needed.

"Anything else you'd like to say, Krycek?" Mulder
inquired, his voice cold as space.

"Nope, I believe I wreaked enough havoc for one
night," Krycek returned, hiding his bitterness with
his own brand of casual flippancy. "Have a wonderful
evening, Mulder. Good night."

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Krycek stormed into the well-manicured man's office
without even knocking. Stalking up to the desk, he
threw a file down in front of him.

"What is that?" he demanded.

The Brit raised an eyebrow, surprised by Alex's
rudeness. He examined the file, then sighed, tired.
Krycek's eyes narrowed.

"So, is it true?"

Alex's patron sighed again, sounding sad. He stood
up.

"Sit down, Alex," he commanded, the words firm and
unyielding.

Alex obeyed, watching the Brit's every move. The
well-manicured man stood in front of Alex, his hands
in his pocket. His stance was non-confrontational.

"Before you blow up in a rage, I want you to do me the
courtesy of hearing me out. Can you do that?"

Alex nodded sharply, though barely containing his
rage. This...this was just too much on top of
everything else right now. His patron smiled softly
and gently touched Alex's cheek.

"All right. Yes, you are my son...my firstborn child
in fact. You know of the choice faced by Bill Mulder.
Everyone who had one in the Consortium was giving up a
child as part of the pact with the aliens...you were
only a couple of days old, when this decision was
reached. I...couldn't allow it. The actual
abductions were scheduled to occur years later, almost
ten years passed before they began. I couldn't raise
a child just to hand you over to them, for...study.
So, I arranged for the Krycek's to adopt you...I had
met the man who raised you during the war and we were
friends. I entrusted him with your life."

"Why wasn't I told?"

"How could you be informed without the possibility of
others discovering my deceit? The idea was to protect
you, Alex. We told everyone that you died."

"Once I was older...and joined the Consortium...you
should have told me!"

The old man smiled, almost amused at Alex's naivet,.

"How did that change anything? You were right under
the nose of the last person I wanted to find out your
identity."

"So, now I can't be trusted to keep things to myself?"

The old man sighed, exasperated.

"I didn't say that...by the time you joined the
Consortium, you were Alex Krycek and you showed very
little need of any parental supervision. Plus, I
worried that telling you would endanger you, since I
would have to bring forth proof. To be honest, I had
seriously considered telling you since you came to
work for me..."

Krycek stood up and began pacing, the turmoil raging
through him.

"It's like playing God with my life! Not you or
anyone else has that right!" he stopped, realizing,
for the first time, just why Andrea was so upset about
his deception. "I should have been told...given a
chance to get to know you as my father."

He stopped and stared hard at his father.

"I'm sorry if you're angry at me, Alex, but I won't
apologize for trying to protect you. That is one of
the rights and duties of a parent."

Krycek chuckled with grim humor.

"Funny, I said almost that exact same thing to Andrea,
when she found out I knew about who she really was."

"I couldn't hand you over to the aliens and I wasn't
about to give our associate any reasons to attack
you."

"He already knows. Has probably known for some time
now...and was just waiting for the right time to do
this."

The Brit smiled, proud of his son's intuition.

"Naturally. Why do you think he gave you the file,
Alex? He hoped to turn us against each other. To
make you hate me."

"If that was his goal...he failed. I'm angry...but, I
won't allow this to interfere with," Krycek broke off,
sighing, emotionally exhausted. "I don't hate you."

His father smiled, relieved.

"I'm very glad to hear that. I'm sorry for the
deception. I couldn't see any other way to keep you
safe. I've helped you as best I could, when I
could...it was a relief to get you into my employment and
away from Spender."

Alex nodded.

"I see now why you did it...although at the time, I
was wondering."

The Brit frowned, looking deeply sad.

"Never think you were abandoned, Alex. I have always
watched over you."

Alex smiled, slightly.

"That's good to know."

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Mulder opened the door, curious as to who would be
knocking at eleven on a Saturday night. He knew it
couldn't be Scully; they had finished talking on the
phone only twenty minutes ago. Standing in his
hallway was Krycek, an odd gleam in his eyes.

Remembering their last phone conversation when Krycek had
told him that Andrea was pregnant, Mulder lashed out,
planting a harsh blow on Krycek's jaw. Krycek staggered
backwards, a stunned expression on his face.
Somehow, he'd thought that he and Mulder had gotten
beyond this.

"Hell, Mulder! What was that for?!" he demanded
angrily.

"What do you want?" Mulder inquired, his voice filled
with chill disgust.

Krycek blinked. He didn't expect a warm welcome, by
any means, but he hadn't expected such open hostility
either. They hadn't been best friends by any means these
past few months during their search for Andrea, but they
had at least formed a tacit truce in their combined
effort to the find the woman they both loved.

"What's your problem, Mulder?" he asked.

"You're screwing my sister. It doesn't make me
happy," Mulder hissed, glowering.

"I love your sister!" Krycek growled.

"Spare me, Krycek. What are you doing here?" Mulder
asked.

"Can I come in a minute? We need to talk."

"I think we've said everything we need to. State
whatever it is you have to say, then get out of here."

Krycek exhaled in an exasperated puff of breath.

"I've located Andrea. We need to make plans for her
rescue. I'm assuming you'll want in on it," he
retorted.

Mulder took a deep breath, then stepped aside,
ungraciously allowing Krycek in.

Glancing warily and almost expecting another blow,
Krycek stepped through the doorway before following
Mulder to his living room. Mulder sat down on his
couch, while Alex sat in the chair in front of
Mulder's computer.

"Where is she?" Mulder demanded.

"She's in Germany, at one of the compounds there.
We're studying her movements. She rarely leaves the
compound and is always accompanied by a bodyguard, who
acts as her chauffeur."

Mulder nodded, a brief movement of his head, to
acknowledge the information. He thought for a minute.

"How are we going to get there? We'll have to get her
out of Germany as soon as possible."

"My...the British gentleman that I work for is going
to come with us. He's providing a private jet. We
figured we'd take her and possibly you to England to
lay low for a while. Can you get some time off?"

"Yeah, when?"

"I'm not sure. Within the next few weeks, probably.
The baby will be due soon."

Mulder flinched at the mention of his sister's
pregnancy.

"God, Mulder, what is your problem? I've found her!
I really expected you to be more enthusiastic. You
act like you barely care!"

Mulder's eyes narrowed and he stood up, looming over
Krycek.

"I care more about her than you're capable of caring
about anything, Krycek. The only reason I'm not
putting a bullet in your brain is because you might be
useful in getting her back and because she and the
baby might need you...though for what, I can't
imagine!"

Krycek looked up at Mulder in shock, floored by the
bitter hatred that came off the federal agent in
waves. Surely this wasn't about the argument they'd
had on the phone? Sure some bitter words had been
exchanged, but both men had been under a lot of
stress, worried about Andrea.

"Are you going to tell me what has you so pissed off?"
Krycek pressed, trying to stay calm, knowing getting
angry with Mulder would only make things worse; if he
wanted a permanent relationship with Andrea, he was
going to have to make some sort of peace with her
brother.

Mulder gave a short, disbelieving laugh.

"Just the usual, Krycek. Tell me, have you figured out
how you're going to explain her father's murder to her
yet?"

"Damn you, Mulder! What do you want me to say to
that, huh? I have a lot of regrets about a lot of
things, but I can't change the past! I still love
her!"

"You don't give a shit about the past, Krycek," Mulder
scoffed.

Krycek went very still, taking a slow deep breath,
trying to fight the anger that was engendered by very
real regret and the helplessness he always felt when
dealing with Mulder.

"See, you betrayed me so easily, Krycek, how can I
know that you won't betray her too?"

"Easily? I was forced to betray someone I considered
a friend! You think that was easy?"

Mulder gave the question mock consideration.

"Um...yeah. Yeah, for you it was. It was harder on
Scully, what with her cancer and sterility, and me, of
course, but hey...this isn't about me, is it," Mulder
mocked.

Krycek shifted uncomfortably, for a moment, then went
and looked out the window. He knew that no matter what
he said, Mulder was always going to despise him and
think the worst of him, but for Andrea's sake, he felt
he had to try.

"I can't change the past, Mulder," he repeated, "and I
can't make you change your mind about me. I do regret
some of the things I've done. Hell, I regret having
done *anything* for that tar-sucking bastard."

"Yeah, that I believe. It almost got you killed."

"No!" Krycek shouted, frustrated. "I regret trusting
him, believing that I was justified, because of what
we were supposedly trying to accomplish. You think I
don't regret helping that son of a bitch get Scully?
I know about her cancer...and her sterility. I
wouldn't wish that on any woman and I *like* Scully!"

"Nothing justifies murder...or the abduction of
innocent people for those experiments."

Krycek sighed, feeling tired and drained. Between his
joy at locating Andrea and the anger and pain of
confronting Mulder, he felt emotionally overloaded.

"I'm sorry for the past, but I won't let it destroy
what I have with Andrea. I love her, Mulder. I told
you I would prove that to you and I will. There's no
other option."

Mulder sat down in the chair that Krycek had abandoned
and leaned back, studying his sometime nemesis. The
man appeared sincere and there was some evidence in
their past to back his story. Guilt might explain why
Krycek had allowed himself to be beaten by Mulder
without ever having sought revenge. He also didn't
believe Krycek would offer insincere apologies; the
man could barely be bothered to show genuine emotion.
For a few quiet moments, the men stayed still, each
deep in thought.

"You're going to have to explain about our father to
Andrea...but I won't get in the way of your
relationship with her. I'll play nice, if you will."

Krycek blinked, not believing what he was hearing.

"That's it? All that anger and hatred just
disappears with an apology?!"

"Why's that surprising?" Mulder asked, getting up with
a shrug. "The words 'I'm sorry' exist for a reason,
Krycek. Maybe I just wanted to make sure a real human
being existed under that mask of yours, since you're
going to be around my baby sister."

Krycek shook his head, not sure he trusted this new
calm of Mulder's. Mulder smiled slightly at the bemused
expression on Krycek's face, then went into the
kitchen to fetch a couple of beers. He came back,
handing one to Krycek, who took it warily.

"So, give me the details, Alex. How do you know
Andrea is in Germany?" he asked as they sat down to
plan the rescue.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Alex Krycek walked up to the guard who was acting as
Andrea Spender's chauffeur, as he started to open the
driver's side door. Alex fired one quiet shot from a
gun with a silencer, then climbed swiftly into the
car.

"Hi, gorgeous!" he greeted Andrea cheekily. "Ready to
go on a plane ride?"

Andrea was at first unable to speak. She stared
silently at him, her heart beating wildly, so glad to
see him after all these months. Then, she
remembered...

"Who the hell are you?!? What do you want?"

Alex blinked in surprise, then shuddered, wondering
what Cancerman had done to her.

"I'm Alex, Andrea...your baby's father."

Andrea wanted so desperately to acknowledge Alex and
tell him what she had been through, but she knew she
couldn't. She was terrified of her father would do to
her lover and her brother. Andrea went pale.

"You are not! The father of my baby is..." she
paused, not wanting to hurt him, "he's dead."

Alex cursed fluently and thoroughly in Russian,
renewing earlier vows to kill Spender.

"No. I know you believe that, but it's not true,"
Krycek asserted evenly, trying to hide his pain and
anger, not wanting to frighten his confused lover.

"Stop this car now and let me out of here!" Andrea
demanded, reaching for the door handle.

Alex pulled the car away from the curb, before she
could open the door.

"I'm sorry, Andrea. Don't be afraid."

"Don't be afraid? What the hell are you talking
about? You're kidnapping me!" she insisted, knowing
that whatever was said, whenever, she couldn't tell the
truth in the car for fear it might be bugged and that
it was necessary that she put up a good front.

Alex flinched.

"I know it seems that way, but I'm not...I'm rescuing
you!"

"Rescuing me? I don't *need* rescuing!" she retorted,
placing her hand on her stomach protectively.

Alex sighed, disagreeing, "I know you don't
remember...but the man who you think is your father
abducted you. You can't trust him and I won't allow
him near my child!"

Tears came to Andrea's eyes, as her fear of what her
father would do to all of them if and when he found
out she was gone increased.

"Please, just let me go," she pleaded.

"I can't, Andrea. For all our sakes," he countered,
his voice gentle and sad.

"You have to...please!" Andrea urged, growing more
frantic. "You don't know what you are doing!"

"Calm down...I'll keep you safe," Krycek soothed.

"NO! I will NOT calm down...not until you stop this
car and let me out!!! You can't do this!"

Alex concentrated on driving, not answering her,
afraid that continuing to argue would upset her more.
Terrified of what she knew was going to happen; Andrea
began to cry in earnest, knowing Alex would
misinterpret her tears. Andrea sat back, biding her
time, figuring she could get away when Alex stopped.
Alex forced himself to focus on his driving, feeling
Andrea's sobs like blows, but not knowing how to
comfort her.

***** ***** *****

CONTINUED IN PART 4