Break Me Shake Me

Verse 1:
"I never thought I'd change my opinion again
But you moved me in a way that I've never known
You moved me in a way that I've never known."

I had him handcuffed to the end of my newly-mattressed four poster bed. I should have known. Wherever there was trouble, there was Alex Krycek. He sat there, glaring at me from under those eyelashes, the crease at the bridge of his nose beginning to deepen.

"I didn't know you had a bed, Mulder." Krycek's voice still retained its intensity. He yanked his handcuff.

"Why, if you knew, would you have come over more often to share it?" I couldn't believe he could talk about trivial things after what I had found him doing. "You should count your lucky stars I didn't put you in a holding cell. Quite a number of Consortium buddies seem to die in those things. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you, now?" He ignored me.

"So why didn't you? Why didn't you send me to my death? Dammit, what do you want, Mulder?"

"You have information that I need. Information about what the Consortium is doing now. I want my sister back. And a dead Rat isn't as useful as a live, handcuffed one." Krycek squirmed.

"And what if I don't tell you, Mulder. What will you do then? Bash me up? Send me to Skinner's balcony? It's all been done." Krycek stared defiantly up at me. He still had the stupid-ass haircut that he had last time we met. My annoyance threshold is always lowered when he's around. It's amazing. No one could get under my skin quite like he could. "Mulder." This time he spoke my name in a soft, husky tone. "Mulder, if you don't let me go, there are people who will find you and kill you. It's not worth it."

I was incredulous. "What, you mean so much to your superiors that they would kill *me* because I had you handcuffed? I thought they didn't care.I thought they showed loyalty to no one. Much like you." The steely stare from the bastard had just reached freezing point.

"They don't. They wouldn't care if I was alive or dead, just so I don't expose them."

"So why would they kill me, Krycek? Answer that. If you mean nothing to them, why would they kill *me*?" This was getting stupid. Krycek had that infuriating way of pretending he knew everything, yet saying nothing. Maybe I *should* put him in a holding cell.

"You don't get it, do you?" There was almost a smile at Krycek's lips. "All this time, you've been running around, searching for the Truth, letting nothing stand in your way, you had no idea." That smile was still playing with his mouth.

"What? Dammit, Krycek, just say what you mean. You think I like talking to you? I'm sick of playing games with you." I was sick. I hadn't slept for days, I was hungry, exhausted and I didn't need this. Trying to prove to Scully and Skinner that my sister was still alive was extremely tiring.

"No matter how many times you fall into danger or get mixed up with the wrong people, you get out of it, don't you? You manage to escape. Anyone else in your position would have died long before now. Did you ever wonder why?"

I opened my mouth to say it was because I was talented, but he got in before me. "You don't know the trouble I get into, just to get you out." His piercing eyes dropped and he turned away.

My mouth dropped.

Krycek turned back to look at me, his face softer than before. "Mulder, there are a lot of people out there ready to kill you. You've always been a threat to them."

I rubbed my face and ran my hands through my hair. He was lying. He had to be. He had every reason to lie. But what kind of lie was this? The audacity of it.

"Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why do you want to save me? I've done nothing but harm you."

That smile came back. It lit up his green eyes so they sparkled and crinkles formed at the corners. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Why should I believe you?? You betrayed me, and the FBI. The Gulag, the Consortium, what next? You're a criminal, a killer and you spend your life manipulating people!" But if I could just peer into those eyes, I'm sure they'd betray *him* someday. "How many people have you killed, Krycek? You expect me to believe that all this time, you've been trying to keep me from harm? You're more stupid than I thought." I was getting worked up now. I didn't need this. I needed to go take a shower, to fall into bed and go to sleep.

"Yes, and no. I want you to find your Truth. I want you to expose these men who exploit the law."

"And why can't you do it yourself?" Damn him. Damn him and his maddening way of keeping things to himself. Damn him and those eyelashes that cover his green eyes. Those eyes that could probably betray him someday.

"Because no one will listen! No one would believe me anyway. You have integrity, you have the FBI, you have... and anyway, they'd kill me for it." Krycek suddenly looked up and his eyes were clear. He wasn't lying. Those two jade portals into his soul told me he wasn't lying. And here he was, handcuffed to my bed, looking so earnest, so forlorn, expecting me to trust him. My supposed worst enemy. He and I were working towards the same goal. We were just using different methods. He was a victim; he needed help.

"You have to trust me, Mulder. You're in danger, and the only person who can help you..." A tear trickled down his face and he searched for the words that would make me understand.

I trust you. Scully would probably kill me for it, but I trust you. No one could look that tormented, that lost, and be lying. I believe you. And I will help you. I bent down and kissed him softly on the lips. Repayment for the last time he was here. Amazingly, he didn't pull away. He kissed me back, tugging at my bottom lip as I undid his handcuffs.