Encounter I

When Agent Dana Scully finally got home and closed her door behind her she left a trail of belongings in her wake. Wherever she was, that's where she dropped them. She flipped on the light in the living room, dropped her briefcase and pulled off her coat. She kicked off her shoes, pulled her holstered gun off her belt and laid it down. She unbuttoned her suit jacked as she headed for the kitchen.

The last couple of days had been trying. Especially so since Mulder had been gone. He was supposed to come back today but he had only left a note informing her that he was following up on a lead and would see her later. So, ditched again, Scully spent the day alone, plowing through a stack of medical reports, searching for anything out of the ordinary because Mulder's instincts said there was something wrong and could she look it over?

Scully gave a humorless laugh to indicate what she thought of Mulder's instincts. Sometimes he was right on but a lot of the time he went flying off on a wild goose chase and dragging her along like the unwanted tail of a kite. But she did her job. She made him fly straight and level, kept him from getting torn apart in the wild air currents he fearlessly plunged into.

She sighed. She knew it was going to be a long night when she started thinking in bad similes.

Scully draped her jacket over a chair in the kitchen and went to the refrigerator to see if any food had grown there since this morning.

She sighed again. She was going to have to go shopping. But before that she'd make herself a cup of tea and change clothes. She filled a mug with water and put it in the microwave. She decided to change while she waited for the water to heat.

Heading for the bedroom, her mood lightened. Mulder is just Mulder, she thought affectionately. The way he is is the way he is. Scully knew that and accepted it. If she didn't, she wouldn't have stuck by him for so long. It's just that sometimes she got lonely and out of sorts. Just because Mulder could structure his whole life around the X Files didn't mean she could. Sometimes Scully caught herself yearning for more. She was never sure just what but sometimes she sensed a gap in her life that just ached to be filled.

Scully pushed away the melancholy thoughts. Her life was exactly as she wanted it. She'd worked hard to get where she was and there were only a few minor adjustments that she could think to want. She smiled softly. A few minor adjustments.

She walked to her dresser in the dark bedroom. She knew where her clothes were. She'd only be a minute.

Warm hands wrapped around her waist. Scully jumped and let out a small squeak. The hands steadied her and pulled her back against a tall, warm body. She relaxed against him.

"You startled me," she scolded softly.

The hands around her waist flexed.

"I missed you," she continued.

Scully relaxed back against him, sinking into his warmth. She stretched like a cat and arched her back to reach behind her and run her hands over his shoulders and down to grip his upper arms, arching into the hands over her stomach.

"I'm glad you're here," she whispered.

His hands slipped under her shirt and slid up her stomach and past her ribs to cup her breasts. Scully gasped a little at the unexpected move but ignored the stern voice that began telling her to move away from him. She undulated against him, gripping his arms and arching into his touch. One hand dipped down to splay over her stomach and press her back against him while his other hand kneaded her breast.

"Mmmm," she gave a low, appreciative murmur.

Scully twisted to face him, sliding against him as if she couldn't bear to lose contact with him for even an instant. His arms loosened and slid around her, his hands clasped together at the small of her back. She shivered at the light touch and her arms crept around his neck to tug his head down to hers.

She whispered a soft confession that she would never admit to outside this darkened room. "Sometimes I get so lonely I ache." Her lips brushed against his throat. She continued in a lost voice. "Do you?" The quiet question breathed against his ear. "Do you ever ache with loneliness?"

He made no answer and she frowned, pulling back.

"Mulder?" He jerked at the soft word.

"Mulder? What's wrong?"

His arms went around her and abruptly pulled her back to him, his lips pressing to hers.

Reassured, Scully relaxed against him, sinking into his hungry kiss, but almost immediately sensed something was wrong. She frowned again and pulled back.

"Mulder?"

His hands dropped away from her as she stepped back, confused at his silence.

Scully went to the bedside lamp and turned it on. Soft light illuminated the room and she sensed he had moved up behind her. Scully turned with a question on her lips only to have it change into a startled gasp as she finally saw who her visitor was.

"Krycek." She wanted to shout it, but she only managed a strangled whisper. She stood in frozen horror, staring at him.

Krycek had the grace to look uncomfortable but that vanished as with a low angry sound Scully spun around and ran for her gun.

Within a few steps, he was on her. His arms trapped hers against her side and lifted her slight body up off the floor.

Scully threw her head back hard, grazing his chin, and pain radiated out through both of them from the point of impact. He shifted her and tilted his head to avoid any further blows. She increased her frantic struggling. Scully may be small but she was compact and muscular and knew how to hit. She caught his ribs hard with an elbow.

Impatient and in pain, Krycek moved to the bed and tossed her onto it. Scully immediately twisted around and sat up. She started to lunge up off the bed but he lifted a warning hand.

"Don't move," he growled.

He placed both hands on his hips and his jacket gaped warningly, revealing his holstered gun. Scully went still. Breathing heavily, she scowled at him.

"What do you want, Krycek? Why are you here?"

"I've got a message for Mulder. I want you to give it to him."

"I'm not giving him any message from you," she said with finality. "I'm not helping you play your little mind games on him."

Her attitude surprised Krycek. He hadn't thought she would flatly refuse to pass along his message. Now he had to go to plan B. First he had to figure out what plan B was.

It didn't help that his jeans were suddenly much too tight. Her sensuality had surprised him, but an even bigger surprise was his instant response to it. Krycek was reeling with the impulse to just jump her, take her down onto the bed and devour every sweet inch of her, but desperately fought it back. He'd always thought of her as a cold bitch whenever he thought of her at all. She was just someone who was always in the way in whatever scheme he had going to get Mulder. But now it took everything he had to drag his mind back to the problem at hand and away from the memory of her body twisting against his.

"Obviously, I need better locks," Disgust laced her voice and pricked at him. She continued, sounding scornful, "Especially if I want to keep the riffraff out."

Scully felt humiliated and angry. Mostly angry. She couldn't believe she had kissed him. Kissed him and liked it even. He was a murderer. He had killed her sister. He had killed Mulder's father. And those were just the ones she knew about. Her stomach twisted sickly as she remembered her sister, Melissa, so bright and alive and warm, with a smile that could light up a room. Dead now; dead because of him.

At her scorn, Krycek's anger flared hotter. He wanted to grab her and teach her a lesson. Yeah, he thought, teach her a lesson she'll never forget.... Impatiently, Krycek pulled his thoughts back from that sensual sidetrack. This is ridiculous. He didn't even like the haughty little bitch. He hated listening to her condescending tone when she spoke to him. Miss High-and Mighty, Never-Done-Anything-Wrong-In-Her- Life Scully. He just wished she'd shut up for once.

Krycek considered various ways he could shut her up. He could always gag her. That would keep her quiet. Unfortunately, that wasn't likely to persuade her to cooperate with him. Which made knocking her unconscious also out of the question. In spite of that he was tempted to smack her one anyway.

It didn't help that Scully was staring at him with such blatant disdain. As if he were a particularly nasty bug that she couldn't believe had the audacity to crawl into *her* bedroom. He could almost see her lip curl. He had to fight the impulse to press his mouth to hers, to smooth her lips out with his own. He wanted her hungry arms around him again. He wanted to hear her make that moan again, the one she catches her breath in the middle of as if she's just discovered a marvelous treasure.

That's an idea. Maybe he should kiss her again. He was sure he could keep her so busy she wouldn't have breath to talk, let alone insult him. He liked that idea. Maybe he should try it. Just as an experiment. Just to find out what it would take to shut up her smart little mouth. He could think of better uses for her smart little mouth anyway.

Krycek abruptly pulled his thoughts back from this lustful speculation. He didn't have time for this. He had to think. For his plan to work he needed Scully to give Mulder his message. If Mulder knows that Scully's involved then he'll be at an immediate disadvantage because he'll be worrying about her. Krycek could always go to Mulder and threaten Scully's safety but that's liable to push him past the point of reason. He had to be more subtle than that.

Only it wasn't working. Scully was being stubborn.

"You don't even know what the message is," Krycek protested in a low growl.

"I don't have to," she said firmly. "I know that if it's from you then no good can come of it"

Scully was coolly self-confident, her legs hanging off the side of the bed, sitting up as straight as she could with her hands fisted against the mattress. It seemed impossible with him so tall and standing over her and her so short and sitting on the bed, but somehow she managed to lift her chin and look down her nose at him.

"Just get out, Krycek." Her voice dripped with contempt. "I'm not doing anything to help you."

"I guess that means you won't take my word for it that Mulder will want to hear this?"

"Not even if the pope himself told me I could believe you," she said with icy contempt.

Angry, he stooped down until he was nose to nose with her and planted his hands on either side of her on the bed.

"Listen, all you have to do is tell him. It's up to him to decide what to do with the information." Frustration seethed in his voice.

Scully took in a quick breath at his intimidating move but otherwise gave no sign that he scared her at all. She coolly stared into his eyes inches from hers.

"No way, Krycek. You know just what buttons to push and strings to pull to get Mulder to do exactly what you want. No. Forget it."

"Why? Because you love him?" Krycek asked, his derision plain. She flinched slightly. "You think he loves you? He doesn't love you. He can't love you. He's so obsessed with his quest, he can't see past it. He doesn't care about anybody or anything except his search for little green men." He continued contemptuously. "So the next time you find a man waiting for you in your bedroom maybe you should ask questions *first* and kiss him only *after* you know for certain who he is."

White-hot rage went through her at the contempt in his eyes but there was also embarrassment that he would dare mention what had happened between them.

Controlling her anger through long practice, she coolly stared into his angry eyes. "But last time," she purred, "it *was* Mulder."

This announcement surprised Krycek so much, he could only blink at her a moment with amazement. He honestly didn't think Mulder and Scully had ever even kissed, let alone... He felt the stab of an unfamiliar emotion that felt suspiciously like jealousy.

Krycek dragged his attention back to what she was saying.

"How do you think I knew you weren't him?" She sniffed disdainfully and once again managed to look down her nose at him. "You really don't measure up. If you get my meaning." Her eyes scornfully drifted down his body.

Krycek felt inadequate as her sharp stare seemed to tear him apart, weigh the individual pieces and find him lacking. He pushed the feeling away.

"You weren't complaining before," he said bitingly.

Realizing how childish they both sounded and suddenly sick of it, Scully closed her eyes. The anger drained away leaving only a tired numbness. She opened her eyes to find him staring at her with puzzled eyes, no longer angry either and trying to figure out why.

"Krycek," she said softly, in as neutral a voice as she could, "the fact is that I'm not going to help you and I never will. No matter what you do. I think it would be best if you just leave."

Krycek was struck by her quiet dignity and felt an unwilling respect for her. Unwilling because he didn't want to respect her or like her or care anything about her.

Caring about people only gave them the power to hurt you. While against all reason he could still find himself caring about her, she didn't care anything for him. She never would. Not after everything he's done. Everything he was going to do.

He shoved that consideration away for later and brought himself back to blue eyes firmly staring into his. Looking into her stubborn blue eyes and at the firm set of her chin, Krycek knew himself defeated. His shoulders slumped. He could beat her and torture her and it still wouldn't change her mind. She was that determined. And hurting her wasn't why he was here. It would defeat the purpose entirely.

Krycek looked into her eyes, opening his mouth for one last parting shot, when he was caught fast by the immeasurable sadness he saw there.

He stopped with his mouth hanging open, staring. Regret surprised him. Regret that he had never had a chance to know this woman. Regret that he never would.

Slowly, Krycek leaned forward, watching her eyes as his lips approached hers.

Scully looked startled when she realized he was going to kiss her but before she had a chance to protest, his lips were against hers in a soft kiss.

She sat stunned, her mouth parted with surprise. His tongue slipped between her lips like a raider, invading her mouth. He tenderly roamed the warm recesses, exploring with teasing thoroughness.

Dazed, Scully lifted her hands to push him away but somehow couldn't find the strength. Her hands came to rest lightly against his chest.

She wasn't responding but she wasn't fighting him off either. Krycek had expected her to try to bite him by now and the part of him that had kept him alive for so long was whispering a warning. Stop. Let go of her. Get out. But he wasn't listening. He was drowning in the taste of her. He wanted more, a lot more, but her non-response was reaching him even through the fog of desire. He reluctantly pulled back. Her hands dropped away from his chest even as he continued to lean over her.

Scully opened dazed eyes to stare at him.

"So how was that?" His eyes danced with a softly teasing light. "How do I rate, compared to Mulder? On a scale of 1 to 10."

His light, teasing tone made her want to shiver, but she didn't answer because she couldn't answer. Scully could only stare at him in dazed surprise.

Krycek sighed, regret and defeat all tangled together. He stood up and stepped back.

"Don't worry," he promised softly. "I won't be back."

With one last all-encompassing look that tried to memorize her, Krycek turned and walked away.

Scully sat there a long time after the front door had quietly closed behind him, chaotic thoughts streaming through her head, until finally, into the silence, she softly answered his teasing question.

"I wouldn't know."

A considering pause then she continued in an even softer voice that was filled with stunned surprise.

"But I would guess you rate well."

A pause.

"Compared to just about anybody, I would guess you rate well."