3/5/99 Slip IV- And *Then* It Got Complicated Author- Araxdelan (krycekluvsmulder@hotmail.com) Rating- PG-13 Pairing- M/K Disclaimer- ::sigh:: I don't feel like writing this... Summary- Krycek's head is in the Mulderclouds, and the boys get an unexpected guest. Notes- There are a few American TV references in here, so please forgive me if you live elsewhere and don't recognize them. Also, Krycek is in a silly mood, so expect humour ahead! Thanks to Lone Gungirl for beta and encouragement through this entire series, and to Abbie for inspiration and friendship. Love ya guys! _____________________________________________________________________________ And *Then* It Got Complicated Milk, milk, milk, milk... sweet kiss that burned my soul with it's passion.... aww crap! I can't even perform a simple task. Go to the store, buy coffee and milk. I managed to find the coffee, despite my altered state, but for the life of me I can't find the damn milk! So I'm wandering through the aisles, and my brain keeps wandering back to a subject I desperately wish it would forget... Mulder. When we first woke up this morning, I thought he was acting a little weird, and then I thought he was trying to avoid me, and I took it as my cue to leave. He caught me going out the door, and chose to bring me back into his life one more time. I couldn't figure why. Then we talked, and... somehow we must have reached a common understanding. Just that was enough for me to rejoice about, and then... Well, at least I've stumbled upon the milk. I grab a carton, and walk towards the register. Some of the people in the store are giving me weird looks, and it doesn't surprise me, considering how I must look. Stoned, I bet. Maybe I am a little. High on Mulder. But who wouldn't be? He invited me to stay for breakfast, a I graciously accepted. Then I said we should have donuts, and he turned around and stared at me like I was his soulmate. And he leaned forward, and I thought the world was going to end at that moment, because nothing that good could ever happen to me. But it didn't. His lips brushed mine, and I brushed his back, and I was too stunned to do much more at that moment. Then he backed away, and went to make his phone call, and I licked my lips and tasted him there, and all I could do was curse my stupidity at not doing something more. Pulling him in, wrapping my arms around him, ravishing his mouth with my own. So I got up, and kissed him again, only then realizing that he was in the middle of a phonecall. I pulled away, and vowed to myself to continue later. I went out the door, leaving *him* stunned this time, and went off to get us breakfast. "Sir, that'll be $6.25. Sir? SIR?" I look up, not even realizing I had reached the register. "Sorry." I apologize, and quickly hand the checkout girl the cash. Now she's giving me a look, and I leave the store as fast as possible. I know I can't go on living in this state of bliss. There's no guarantee that there's not someone waiting to kill me around the next corner, and I have to be ready for it. Right now I can't even pay enough attention to my surroundings to realize that I'm paying for my groceries. I dump the bag on the seat, careful not to smash the donuts. I'm worried about driving. I drove to get the donuts and to here without incident, but hopefully I can focus a little more. I pull out of the parking lot, concentrating on what I'm doing. Back to Mulder's. A smile creeps onto my face, and I have the strange urge to yell YIPPIE! Which is odd, because I can't remember ever yelling yippee before. I restrain myself though. The last thing I need is for some cop to pull me over because I'm yelling to myself like some stinking drunk. It's only a few blocks back to Mulder's apartment. I can see it up ahead, and I start bouncing in my seat, to the beat of the song on the radio. I hadn't even realized it was on. "Last night I knew you/ TONIGHT I DON'T/ I need something strong to distract my mind/ I'm gonna look at you TILL MY EEEYYYEESS GO BLIND!/" I cheerfully sing along. Not the happiest song in the world, but it has awfully good rhythm. When Sheryl Crow starts belting it out, you can't help but sing along. Ha! I *never* sing in the car, and I'm bouncing, and... when did I become a happy person? I pull into a spot in front of the building, get the bags, and climb out of the car. I walk swiftly up the pavement, and bounce up the stairs, humming, "Feel like a stranger nobody sees/ so many things/ we never will undo/ I know you're sorry, well I'm sorry too/" Again with the song. I can only remember snatches, "/Well my ship's been splitting splinters/it's sinking fast/I'm diving into poison/got no future got no past/but my heart/ my heart's not ruined/it's mine and it's free/" I press the up button on the elevator. "/Well stick with me baby/anyhow/ things should start getting interesting/right about now/ba-ba-ba/My clothes are wearing too tight on my skin/but not as tight as the corner I'VE PAINTED MYSELF IN/I know that fortune's waiting to be kind/So give me all I had and SAAAY YOU'LL BE MINE/" The elevator doors open, and I'm relieved to see no one in the hallway. Last thing I need is more stares. I reach door 42, and set the bags down. I retrieve my lockpick kit from my pocket, and go at the lock. Soon the door swings open, and I pick up the bags, and step inside. "I was thinkin bout the things,/that you said/ I was dreaming I was sleepin', in your bed/" Now how does the rest go? Mulder steps out, and looks like he's going to comment on my little performance, but closes his mouth. I simply smile at him. He's changed clothes. Taken a shower too. I feel a twinge of regret at missing him walking around in a towel. He glances at the door. "You could have just knocked. You're welcomed now." That makes my grin grow even wider. "Not my style." I walk over to the kitchen, and put the donuts and groceries down on a cluttered counter. Mulder comes in and starts rummaging through the bags. "Ahhh... Dacka Donuts! Good. I was hoping you wouldn't come home with that disgusting crap from Dunkin' Donuts." "They have good coffee there." I protest. "Yeah, but good coffee means shit if your donuts suck." he grabs a donut and shoves it into his mouth. Mumbling around it, he says, "Go wait in the other room while I make the coffee. You're a guest, I should take care of it." I snicker as I leave the kitchen. A *guest*. Who ever thought I'd be a guest here? I flop down on the couch, and turn the TV on. I flip through the channels... boring... boring... don't play the stock market... the guy on that cooking show pisses me off... hey! Oprah's on! I love Oprah! You wouldn't know it to look at me, but I love talk shows. And Oprah's the talkshow queen. What a great day! Mulder, donuts, and Oprah! I watch for a few minutes, and then Mulder walks in, with the donuts messily arranged on a plate. He sets them down on the coffee table, and looks up to see what show I'm so engrossed in. When he realizes what it is, he cracks up. "Wh..wh..what are you... a housewife?" I shake my head at him. I probably *should* be mad, but he's so cute when he's laughing, and this is a much welcomed change from our usual interaction. "Don't knock it until you've tried it Mulder." He collects himself, and says, "Alright, I'll try it. It'll be a few minutes until the coffee is done brewing anyway." He sits down next to me. "What's it about today?" I look at him, and smile. "Menopause." He slips his arm around the back of the couch, above my shoulders. "How can you watch this?" "I don't know... it's addicting. And that Oprah is *really* funny." I see him smile, and his arm slips down onto my shoulders. I lean my head on his shoulder. We watch quietly, and the scent of coffee drifts in from the kitchen. This, I realize, is the happiest I've ever been. After a few minutes, Mulder gets up (a little reluctantly, I think. Hope.) to get the coffee, which has probably been done for awhile now. I watch the expert on the TV explain how the chemical deficiencies effect a woman's mood during "The Change". I reach down and pick up one of the chocolate drenched donuts, and bring it to my mouth for a bite. Halfway to my mouth, I stop, as I hear a key turning in the front door. I sit frozen in this position, as Dana Scully walks in. ___________________________________________________________________________ Scully's mouth drops open, and I hear a "What the he..." before Mulder walks in, carrying two cups of coffee. Her hand, which had been reaching for her gun, drops. I'm frozen with fear. I am *definitly* not Scully's favorite person, and I'm not eager to see what's going to happen next. I still have the donut in my hand, and I can feel my fingers getting sticky. I knew *something* would go wrong... I managed to turn my head and look at Mulder. He looks like a deer caught in the headlights. I'm not surprised. I'm wondering what Scully's going to do next, when Mulder suddenly breaks out laughing. I hope he's not hysterical. He's trying desperately not to spill the coffee, and he manages to walk over and put the mugs down on the table before he *really* lets go. I put my donut back down on the plate, and watch Mulder laugh, grabbing his sides, doubled over. "Mulder!" Scully exclaims, in a screechy, confused, panicked voice. "I... I'm... I'm sor.. sorry, Scully..." he said, gulping in huge breaths of air. He's going to get the hiccups, I think, absent-mindedly. He calms himself a bit, and continues, "I'm sorry, but I just *knew* that something like this would happen... and it's all so... ridiculous. Especially the looks on both of... both of your faces..." I hear another giggling fit coming on, while a woman on TV proclaims that estrogen supplement has increased her sex drive, and the melting chocolate on my fingers threatens to drip on the rug. I lick it off, and suddenly I see the humour in the situation. I too begin to giggle, and I realize that we're in another one of those "How in the world did we end up here?" situations. But instead of being blissful, this one is just... comical. Scully looks ready to shoot both of us, and I try to stifle my laughter. Mulder must see the look too, because he tries to stop as well. "Coffee Scully?" he asks. "What the *hell* is going on here Mulder?" I bet this is like some weird dream for her. "We were just about to have breakfast. Donuts. Want to join us?" he replies. "That's *not* what I mean." He looks at her, sighs, and sits down next to me on the couch. I watch Scully nervously, awaiting her reaction. There is none. Mulder stares at the floor for a moment, and then he raises his gaze back up at her. "Scully... if I really knew, I would tell you." Confusion passes over her face, and is quickly replaced with anger. "Mulder, I hear that you're sick, and I come here to make sure you're alright and what do I find? You, HAVING BREAKFAST WITH ALEX KRYCEK!!!! I ask you why, you say YOU DON'T KNOW!!! Am I dreaming? What the hell is this?" Ha! I knew I was right about the dreaming part! "Do you usually dream about me and Krycek together?" Uh-oh, bad move Mulder. Scully's face turns red, and that, combined with her auburn hair, makes her look like a volcano erupting. "MUULLDER!" "Uh-oh." I can hear him say under his breath. I knew that was a bad move. She's too pissed for jokes. And frankly, I don't blame her. If I was her, and walked in on my partner bringing coffee to one of my worst enemies, I'd be screaming too. Mulder glances in my direction, and then gets up and walks toward Scully. "Let's go talk about this in the hall, okay?" He takes her arm to lead her into the hall, and she jerks away from his touch. Before she walks out the door, she turns and gives me a look that indicates she doesn't trust me alone. She then slams the door behind her. I get up to look for a napkin. _____________________________________________________________________________ I walk into the kitchen, and there's no napkin holder in sight, so I go through some of the drawers. Top one on the right has utensils, and I try to remember that for later. Fuck, I hope there *is* a later. Scully holds a lot of influence over Mulder, and I *know* she's not happy about me. I open the middle drawer. Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, twist ties.... and a little bit of white poking out from underneath it all. I grab it with my clean hand and pull out... a napkin! I quickly wipe my hand, and manage to find a few more napkins to bring back to the coffee table with me. I walk back into the living room, and I can hear muffled, angry words coming from the hallway. I ignore them, drop the pile of napkins on the table, and pick up my coffee cup. I take a long sip. It's gotten a bit cold, but I drink anyway. I'm hoping that the caffeine will bring me out of this sleepy haze, make my mind sharp for the upcoming confrontation I *know* I'll be having with Scully. I sit on the couch, and try to concentrate on the show. It momentarily becomes impossible, as I hear the fighting outside increase in volume, and then quiet to a point where I can't hear it anymore. This is it. They're coming back in. I wait. They don't. I turn back to Oprah, and *force* myself to pay attention. I know that hearing about menopause is better than having my mind chase itself in circles. Or drifting back to that kiss... The minutes tick by, and I barely notice. Only when I glance at the clock on the VCR do I realize how late it's getting. It's so quiet... I wonder if she's actually letting Mulder explain my side to her. Maybe she'll believe it, even if she'll never accept it. If that happens, this will truly have been the luckiest day of my life. But I'm not prone to good luck by a longshot, which is why the worry is growing in the pit of my stomach. Oprah is coming to an end. I wince. That means.... "The View" is coming on. I *hate* that show! The people on it are so stupid. I don't see how grown women can act like that in front of an audience. It's one redeeming factor is the opportunity to see Barbara Walters making a fool out of herself. I smile as a sudden vision of her with a G-string on her head comes into my mind... And then the door swings open. Mulder walks in, and smiles brightly at me. Good news? Scully walks in behind him, closes the door, and eyes me warily. I can hear the theme song from "The View" in the background, and decide I'm going to have to be the one to make the first move. I stand, and trying to look as non-threatening as possible, I walk over to where she and Mulder stand. I look her straight in the eye, knowing what I have to do. With as much sincerity as I can muster I say, "I'm sorry." There. I did it. She raises her eyebrow slightly and replies, "So I hear. Mulder is convinced you're on your way to being reformed." I can hear the mocking in her voice, and it's irking me. I remember the night in her apartment, when stupid Cardinale got trigger happy and killed her poor sister, and I calm down a bit. "Scully, I know it's hard for you to believe that I could 'reform'," I say flatly, "But I want what's best for this planet, and the only way for me to help is to join the right side, no matter what personal cost to me. Besides," I continue, "I don't particularly like fighting with you two." Well, I don't like fighting with Mulder. And fighting with Scully is one and the same. "Mulder tells me he's not so happy with that particular aspect of your relationship either." Really?! I look at Mulder. His eyes have gone wide, and he's shaking his head. Oh, okay. Not like that. He must have skipped that part when he was talking to Scully. I wonder if she knows why I stayed the night here. Where I spent the night here. If she even *knows* that I spent the night here. I should've eavesdropped on them. I wonder when this fog in my brain is going to clear. I look back at Scully, who was staring at me and completely oblivious to Mulder's facial expressions. "Look, Krycek," she begins speaking again, "I don't trust you. I'm not going to make any secret of that." Like it was a secret in the first place! "But once again Mulder has convinced me to follow his instincts. I sincerely hope this is one of the times he's right, and not one of the times where I end up having to save his life." Well... I guess this *is* going to be chalked up as the luckiest day of my life. Mulder has his hand on Scully's shoulder, and she's not shrugging it off, which has to be a good sign. He's beaming now, like a child who threw a fit and ended up getting his way. It's very... endearing. Scully looks at me oddly, and I realize that I'm staring at Mulder while wearing a goofy smile on my face. "So Krycek," she says, "How do you plan on helping us bring these bastards down?" I can hear it in her voice. She doesn't think I have anything against them. She doesn't think I'm serious about helping them. I'll show her. I may not have showed up here planning on switching sides, but I look at Mulder, and I know that I have a damn good reason to do so now. A damn good reason to join this side, a damn good reason to save this planet, a damn good reason to live. "Have a seat. This may take awhile. Coffee and donuts, Scully?" _____________________________________________________________________________ To be continued in Slip V Additional Disclaimers- Song by Bob Dylan, sung by Sheryl Crow on her album, "The Globe Sessions". They aren't the exact lyrics, but rather what Krycek chose to hear. Oprah belongs to herself, and "The Oprah Show" belongs to Harpo Productions. Oprah knows a thing or two about unfair lawsuits, so I don't think she'll be suing me any time soon. You go girl! I have no idea who "The View" belongs to, and whoever *does* own it probably doesn't want to admit it. That has to be one of the worst shows in television history. I only watch it cause I like to laugh at how stupid it is, and half the time it's so bad that I have to turn it off in disgust. But it *does* make great fodder for SNL sketches.