Who Is Who: First Meeting

Mulder and Scully walked into Skinner's office. A young woman, sitting in one of the chairs, stood up to greet them.

"Agents Mulder and Scully," Skinner said, "I'd like you to meet Captain Cissy Preston, U.S. Military Army."

Captain Preston shook both their hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Interesting name, Cissy," Scully said.

"Well, actually my name is Cecily, after my grandmother. But my dad always called me Cissy, because he thought Cecily was such an old-fashioned name," Cissy explained.

"And you're a captain," Mulder asked. "Impressive."

"I have arranged for captain Preston to work with you on your next case," Skinner said. "I've rented two bungalows for you in Baltimore. Agent Scully can share one with captain Preston."

"Does captain Preston already know everything about the case," Scully asked.

"I do," Cissy answered. "I was at El Rico."

"So, then you saw..." Mulder started.

"..the burned bodies?" Cissy finished. "Yes I did. And a few days after that day, I spotted an alien searching through an abandoned cottage in the woods near my base. I kept on watching him and after a few minutes he looked up and ran away. Moments later I saw, what I this was one of those bounty-hunter pursuing him."

"Did he capture the alien," Mulder asked.

"I don't think so," Cissy answered, "because I've seen the bounty-hunter roaming the woods a few times after that day."

"I want to know what exactly happened that day at El Rico Air Force Base," Skinner said. "Therefore I want you to try to capture this alien, and if possible, try to take that bounty-hunter as well."

"If I may ask, sir," Mulder said. "What's your interest in all this. You only saw the bodies..."

"I was ask, by *somebody else*, agent Mulder, to do this," Skinner said, before Mulder could finish his sentence.

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with *him* anymore," Scully said.

"It's just that, well since what happened at El Rico, *he* is sort of short on staff," Skinner explained. "Consider this a favor. And remember, is we do this, *he* owes us."

They all nodded in agreement.

"There's just one thing I have to tell you, before you leave for Baltimore," Skinner said.

"What's that, sir," Mulder asked Skinner.

Skinner took a deep breath and sighed. "You're gonna need Alex Krycek's help."

"What," Mulder said. "Why him."

"He's the one who knows the most about the case."

"How do we...uhm...persuade him to help us," Scully asked.

"That's your problem," Skinner said. "Go to Baltimore now and let me know when Krycek's there, too."

Mulder opened the door of one of their bungalows and let Scully and Cissy in, before he entered.

"This is your room," he said, putting the key on the table. "The other room has a single bed. You ladies don't mind sleeping in one bed together?"

"Why. Are you offering the room to one of us," Cissy asked, looking at him with the most innocent look on her face. "Or is that you point. You want me in that other room, so you can share the double bed with Scully."

"We'll take this room," Scully, trying not to smile. It didn't work.

"Okay, okay. I get the point," Mulder said. "Three's a crowd."

Cissy dropped her overnight bag on the ground and looked around. Then she looked at Scully. "You really don't mind, sleeping in one bed with me," she asked.

"No, of course not," Scully answered.

They heard a door open. They both looked at the door leading outside, but it was closed.

"My room is just the opposite of yours," they heard Mulder say.

Turning around, they saw that he came into their room trough a door connecting both rooms.

"We still haven't found a way to convince this guy Krycek about helping us," Cissy said.

"I can't see why we need his help," Mulder said.

"Mulder, if Skinner says we're going to need his help, then we are going to need his help." But Scully didn't seem convinced herself.

"Tell me something more about him," Cissy asked. "You've hardly talked about him."

While Mulder told Cissy about Krycek, Scully looked out the window and saw the manager come walking to their room. She opened the door for him and he handed her note. He turned around and walked away, without saying a word.

"The first thing we have to do," Mulder said, "is to find Krycek."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Scully said, still looking at the note.

Alex Krycek came walking into the dark alley, where he was to meet with Scully. He looked around for any possible danger, but everything seemed to be fine. Suddenly a flashlight was turned on.

Krycek turned his head towards the light and saw Scully standing there, at the end of the alley.

Slowly he walked towards her and stopped a few feet in front of her.

"I'm glad you came," he said to her. "Are you alone?"

"Yes," Scully said. "What do you want from me."

"It's about Mulder."

"What about Mulder," Scully asked.

"I want him to stop following me around, he's everywhere I go," Krycek told her. "If he wants to kill, let him come to me and shoot me while he's looking me right into my eyes."

"You seem somewhat...paranoid, Krycek. But I don't know what you're talking about. Mulder and I haven't even been in D.C. the last two weeks and even if we were, why would he want to follow you?"

"I don't know."

"I need your help, Krycek. We need your help. It's..."

"No," Krycek said, interrupting her.

"What?"

"I said, no. I can't help you. I can't been seen with you."

"Then," Scully said, "I'm sorry."

Suddenly Krycek felt a hand on his shoulder, but when he wanted to turn around a wet piece of cloth was put over his mouth and nose. He smelled the chloroform, just before he passed out.

Krycek woke up, his head feeling like it had exploded. He didn't know if it was still night, or if it was morning already. He didn't want to open his eyes, yet.

He wanted to put his hand on his throbbing head, but noticed that he couldn't move it. Slowly the awareness of something around his wrist and attached to something else, came to his mind.

He guessed he was handcuffed to something. And if he wanted to find out if his guess was true, then he had to open his eyes.

Carefully he opened his right eye. It was light in the room, were he was, but he could look outside a window and saw clouds in the sky. Thank God the sun didn't shine. The rays of sunlight would have probably hit him right in the face, making his head hurt even more. He now looked up his arm and saw he guessed right. His arm was handcuffed to a heating pipe and he was sitting on the ground next to it.

He became curious of were he was, so he also opened his left eye...

...and saw the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, sitting cross-legged on the bed, reading a book or something.

He just looked at her for a few minutes. At the long legs he could see, because she was wearing a short dress. And her lovely body. Then she looked up and saw him staring at her.

"You're awake," she said, closing her book and putting it aside. She got up from the bed and walked towards him. Kneeling down before him, she looked deep into his eyes. "How are you feeling," she asked him, her long, blond, curly hair falling over her shoulders.

"My head hurts like hell," he admitted. He realized he must look pretty pathetic, sitting there on the ground, handcuffed to a pipe, not able to move.

"I'll get you a cold, wet towel for your head," she said, standing. She went into the bathroom. Krycek took a look around him. He was sitting against the one long end of the room. To his right, on the short end of the room, was the door leading outside and the small window he had looked out. Left of him, in the same wall he was sitting against, was a door leading into the next room.

Against the other long end of the room, opposite him, was a double bed. Left was the bathroom. On the right, in front of the window, a table and two chairs.

He looked up when the girl came back from the bathroom, kneeling in front of him again. She put the cold towel to his forehead and he closed his eyes to let the pain ease away. He opened his eyes again and looked in the deep blue eyes that were staring at him.

"Who are you," he asked her.

"Captain Cissy Preston," she answered.

"Captain?" he said.

"You seem surprised," she said, smiling. "Never met a woman who was in the military, before?"

"No...I mean yes...it's just...you look so young, but still you're already an army captain," he stammered.

"Maybe, in three months, I'll be lieutenant." She stood up and put the towel on the heater. "Feeling better?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you." Krycek thought of the last time he had thanked somebody. He couldn't remember.

Cissy sat down on the bed again and picked up a cell-phone, which had also been lying on the bed.

"Who are you calling," Krycek asked.

"Mulder."

Krycek closed his eyes and leaned with his head against the wall. "Figures."

Exactly 20 minutes later, Mulder and Scully came walking into the room.

Krycek didn't ever bother to stand up. Hell, he didn't even bother to open his eyes.

"You lied to me," he said, knowing Scully was standing in front of him.

"You said, you were alone. I told you to come alone." Only then he opened his eyes.

Scully was indeed standing in front of him. Mulder sat down on one of the chairs, just looking at him.

"How many times have you lied to us," Scully said and walked away from him, not waiting for an answer.

Krycek closed his eyes again and smiled. "One point for you, Scully." He opened his eyes to look at Mulder. "What do you want from me. To kill me?"

"I'd love to," Mulder answered. "But Skinner told us we had to work with you, so I'm afraid we'll have to postpone that matter for just awhile longer."

"Well hooray for the Assistant Director," Krycek said, sarcastically.

Mulder stood up and slowly walked towards Krycek, who saw the angry look in Mulder's eyes. Krycek swallowed and braced himself for the punch he was about to get. But just when Mulder raised him arm, Scully stepped between Mulder and Krycek.

"Mulder, there's no time for this," she said. "We have a case to solve."

Mulder turned around and looked out of the window.

Scully now looked at Krycek. "And you stop provoking Mulder."

When she turned around, Krycek took a deep breath, relieved Scully had stopped Mulder. This time, anyway.

Mulder turned to look at Krycek again. "Are you gonna help us, or not."

"I prefer or not, but do I have a choice," Krycek asked.

"No, not really," Mulder said.

"Then why bother to ask."

"Would you both stopped this stupid arguing," Cissy suddenly said. "Let's get some work done."

But Krycek didn't feel like stopping. "You need a girl to help you now, these days?" he said to Mulder.

"Shut up now, or I will gag you," Cissy threatened him, standing in front of him and looking down on him.

"Are you threatening me, girl?"

"Yes, I am," she immediately admitted. "And don't call me girl. My name is captain Preston, as I told you before, understood."

She turned around to face Mulder. "Will you do the honours?" Mulder pulled one of the chairs near Krycek and sat down on it, facing him. Scully took the other chair and Cissy sat down on the bed again.

"Do you wanna know why we brought you here," Mulder asked Krycek.

"Oh, please, do tell."

Mulder controlled his anger as he continued. "A few day after the incident at El Rico" immediately he had Krycek's full attention "captain Preston spotted an alien in the woods near her base. Moment after he ran away a bounty-hunter appeared and followed his tracks. We need your help in trying to capture both of them."

"What would Skinner want with an alien and bounty-hunter," Krycek asked.

"It's a favor...for someone," Mulder answered.

"So, where does she fit in," he asked, looking at Cissy.

"She knows what the aliens have done to your bosses," Mulder answered.

"And my father was a member of the Consortium, before he died," Cissy said.

Mulder looked surprised at Cissy, but didn't ask anything. He'd ask her about it later.

"So what do we do now," Scully asked.

"Why don't we give Mister Krycek so time to think things over," Cissy suggested. "I have to go back to my apartment, get some papers I forgot. They could be useful."

"Okay. We can take you there, then we can go talk to Skinner," Mulder said. Then he looked at Krycek. "Let him cool down for a moment."

All three headed for the door and left Krycek all alone in the room.

"What was that about your father being a Consortium member," Mulder asked Cissy, while he drove her to her place.

"Just like I said, he was a member," Cissy said. "He knew your father, Mulder. That's why I came to you, when I saw that alien in the woods.

Your father knew about the aliens, so I figured you would know, too."

"I've always believed they existed, but after what happened at El Rico, I knew for sure," Mulder said.

"I don't like talking about the Consortium," Cissy softly said.

"Why not," Scully asked her.

"I said my father had died."

"Yes, you did," Scully said.

"Well, it wasn't a natural dead. They killed him, or had him killed I should say. I don't know who did it, but I'll never stop looking for him."

"Maybe you won't have to look further," Mulder said.

"What do you mean?"

"It was Krycek who killed my father, maybe he killed yours, too." Cissy didn't say anything, she just thought about it for a while.

"You where right about him," she finally said.

"Right how," Mulder asked.

"When I was alone with him in that room, he was actually really nice, but when you came in his expression turned hard and went into his I-hate-everybody mode."

They were all silent for a moment, then Cissy said: "You can stop here. There's a shortcut to my apartment from here."

"I'll call you when we're done talking to Skinner, where we can pick you up," Mulder said.

"Okay, here's my phone number." Cissy handed Scully a piece of paper and walked away. Mulder drove of to go meet Skinner.

Cissy was looking through a huge pile of papers, lying on her table. "Where are those stupid papers," she said to herself. She pushed some papers aside and her hand hit something hard. "Darn. What is that." She pulled out her laptop. "Aah, there you were. I've been looking for you, as well." She looked at the pile of papers again. "I really need to put this table straight. But not right now. He, look what I found." The papers she was looking for were lying on top of the pile. The suddenly she heard a noise coming from behind her. Cissy turned around and looked right in the beautiful, green eyes of Alex Krycek.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him. "What do you want."

"I want you," he whispered.

"You're nuts," she said to him and turned around to walk away from him. But he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. He put his arm around her waist, so she couldn't move.

"Let go of me, Krycek." She tried to keep her voice steady, though she got a little scared when he grabbed her.

But he didn't let go of her. "I want *you*," he whispered again.

She got angry at him now. She lifted her hand and hit him in the face. He didn't even blink his eyes; it was like he didn't even feel that she had hit him.

Then, suddenly, he kissed her, pressing his tongue between her lips. She tried to push him away, both hands pushing against his chest. For a brief moment she thought how hard his muscles felt under her fingers. But when she felt his hand on of her breasts that thought was banished from her mind.

He pulled away from their forced kiss and started pushing her towards the bed.

When she realized what he was about to do to her, she started to panic, but forced that panic back into a little, dark corner of her mind. She tried to get away from him, but he held her so tight, she could hardly move.

He threw her on the bed and lay down on her. She reached for her gun, which was lying on the little table next to her bed, but he beat her to it and swept it of the table on the floor.

"Krycek, please..." she begged him, but he put a hand on her mouth to shut her up.

"You're so damn sexy, I just gotta have you."

Now she got mad. Where did he get the nerve to just come barging in here, throwing her on the bed and...

She started pounding her both fists on his chest, but he grabbed both her wrists and held them above her head. His hand slid from her mouth, down her neck and he left it lying on her breast. She felt his warm lips on her neck and then on her throat. She held her breath for a moment, when she felt his tongue on her skin. She had daydreamed about this only an hours ago, when she was looking at him sitting unconscious on the floor. But in her daydream she had willingly given herself to him, and he was gentle with her and treated her friendly.

Now she felt his body on hers and that didn't please her at all. She pushed her feelings for him aside and resisted him. She tried to get away from underneath him, when suddenly her cellphone ran. She managed to pull one hand from his grasp and grabbed her phone before he could. She pushed the button, but he smacked the phone out of her hand before she could say anything. At least, who ever it was could hear something was wrong. Please, let it be Mulder, she thought.

"You have Cissy's phone number, right" Mulder asked. They were just on their way to pick up Cissy.

"Yeah, sure," Scully answered and took the piece of paper out of her jacket.

Mulder dialed the number and waited for Cissy to answer the phone. He heard the phone was answered and wanted to say something, but it struck him that Cissy didn't say anything. He did hear a lot of noise on the background.

He heard a man's voice say something, he couldn't understand what. Then he heard Cissy say "never", and he knew something was wrong.

"We need to get to Cissy's apartment, fast," he said to Scully.

"Why? What's wrong," Scully asked surprised.

"I'm not sure, but there's definitely something not right."

Krycek grabbed her face roughly, so she had to look at him.

"Now, you're going to do exactly what I tell you to do," he grumbled.

"Never," she hissed at him.

His face came very close, too close, to hers and she felt his breath in her neck as he whispered: "No more mister nice guy."

With one big jerk he ripped the front of her dress open. She screamed, not in fear but in anger. She managed to move one of her legs between Krycek's and was just about to knee him, when he noticed what she was up to.

He rolled over so Cissy was lying on top now, rolled over again so he was on top again, but Cissy threw her entire body with all the strenght she had to one side again and they rolled over once more. Only this time they rolled of the bed, Krycek landing hard on his back, Cissy falling on top of him. They both lay dazzled for a moment, but then Cissy noticed she was lying on top of Krycek and tried to get away from him as fast as she could. But Krycek was still holding her wrists and pulled her back to him.

"So, you like it rough," he whispered.

"I don't like it at all," Cissy answered, trying to free her wrists from his grasp. "Now let me go."

She managed to pull one hand free and pressed her elbow down hard on his ribs.

He immediately let go of her and Cissy moved away from him. But he recovered fast and could grab her ankle before she was out of his reach. But she turned over on her back and kicked him hard in the face with her other foot. She pulled her foot from his grasp, got up on her feet and ran to the other side of the bed, where her gun was lying. But Krycek was up on his feet already and jumped over the bed, grabbing her and shoving her with her back against the wall. He was extremely strong and Cissy had never seen anybody jump that far. But she was a strong woman as well. She wasn't going to stand and let this man hurt her like that. She put her hand around his throat and started choking him, at the same time trying to get him with his back to the wall.

Mulder knocked on the door. No answer. The door wasn't shut, so he let himself and Scully in. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but they both heard noises. Mulder listened very carefully.

"I think it's coming from the bedroom," he said to Scully. When they entered the bedroom, they saw Cissy trying to strangle someone who was standing with his back against the wall.

"Cissy," Mulder called.

Both Cissy and the guy she was strangling looked up. Mulder immediately recognized Krycek. Krycek used the fact that Cissy was distracted and pushed her away. He ran towards Mulder and Scully, did not even stop when he pushed them of balance and was out the door, before anyone could ask what was going on.

"What was that," Scully asked.

"That bastard came barging in here, thinking he could just go ahead and rape me," Cissy answered. "And he ruined my dress."

Mulder took out his phone. "I'll report this to Skinner." Cissy looked at Scully. "I'd better go put something else on." She grabbed her military outfit out of the closet and put that on.

The buzzer interrupted A.D. Skinner in the middle of a sentence. "Excuse me," he said to the three men who were sitting opposite his desk. He picked up the phone. "What."

"Agent Mulder is on the phone for you, sir."

"I thought I told you I didn't wanted to be disturbed," Skinner said annoyed.

"Yes sir, you did. But agent Mulder says it's important, it's about a captain Preston."

"Put him through." He waited until he heard the click. "Agent Mulder?"

"Yes, sir. I'm here."

"What's so important you have to call me in the middle of a meeting," Skinner said and looked at his watch, "not even fifteen after you left my office

"It's captain Preston, sir. Krycek attacked her."

"What." Heard the anger in Mulder's voice, so he knew Mulder was serious.

"Where are you," he asked Mulder.

"We're still in Cissy's apartment, but we're taking her back to the bungalow, now," Mulder replied.

"When you get there, stay there," Skinner told him. "I'll get there as soon as I can." Skinner hung up the phone. "I'm afraid I have to break off this meeting," Skinner said to the three men, while grabbing his jacket, "but there's an urgent business I have to attend to." And he left his office.

"What did he say," Scully asked, after Mulder had put away his phone.

"We need to go back to our room, he'll meet us there. Then we'll discuss on what to do with Krycek."

Five minutes later they were in the car, on their way back to their bungalows.

Mulder threw open the door, when he saw Krycek sitting on the ground.

Krycek looked up and saw Mulder's angry face, before Mulder grabbed his shirt with both hands.

"Get up, you asshole," Mulder said to him, as he pulled him to his feet, pushing him with his back to the wall.

Krycek, still handcuffed to the heating pipe, had absolutely no idea what he'd done wrong this time. "What the hell..."

He looked at the door, where he saw Scully and Cissy, who had an angry look in her eyes as soon as she saw him. Scully put her arm around Cissy's shoulder to stop her from running to Krycek and kick the living shit out of him, and led her in the room. Then she sat down on the bed. Mulder focussed his attention on Krycek again.

"You have a lot of nerves, coming back here after you attacked her and tried to rape her."

"What," Krycek said. "I didn't..."

"If she says it was, then it was you. And besides both Scully and me saw you running out the door of Cissy's apartment."

Krycek holds up his one arm. One end of the handcuff round his wrist, the other end round the heating pipe.

"How far do you think I can come with this little present of yours," he asked Mulder. "I've been right here the whole time. I didn't do anything, not attack her and certainly not..." He looked at Cissy again.

Cissy was looking at Krycek's prosthetic arm. "What a minute," she said. "He...he had two...normal arms."

"Are you sure," Scully asked her.

"I'm absolutely sure. How else could he hold both my wrist with one hand and," she answered, "and feel my body with the other."

She got up from the bed and walked to Krycek. She gently pushed Mulder away and looked Krycek right in the eyes.

"Tell me the truth, Krycek," she asked him, "was it you, or not."

"No, why would I wanna hurt you, I hardly even know you," he said to her. "And I would never, ever, rape a woman, I swear."

A shadow on the floor caught their attention. They looked at the open door and saw...Alex Krycek?!?

"What the hell," Mulder said. He looked at Krycek, who was looking at him. Krycek looked at the person again, who was just standing there. Mulder took the key to the handcuffs out of his jacket and freed Krycek from the heating pipe.

"Take her to the other room," Mulder said to Krycek.

Krycek took Cissy's hand and started to walk towards the other room. He felt Mulder's hand on his shoulder and turned around to face him.

"Keep her save," Mulder said. Krycek nodded and he and Cissy went to the other room.

Mulder looked at Scully, then he looked at the other Krycek.

"Federal agent, identify yourself," he said.

But instead of answering, the person fell down on the ground. Skinner was just standing there, holding his gun by the barrel. He had hit the person, who he thought was Krycek and who was now lying on the ground unconscious, on the back of the head.

"Where is captain Preston," Skinner asked Mulder. Mulder pointed at the door, connecting the two rooms. "She is...there." Skinner looked at the door.

Krycek came walking into the room. Cissy was walking behind him. She was holding his arm, which he held before her as if to protect her, with both her hands.

"Is he dead," she asked Skinner and walked to the Krycek lying on the floor.

Skinner was just staring at Krycek. When he looked at the guy lying on the floor, again, he noticed that the face was changing.

The man no longer looked like Krycek, but had a whole new, different face.

"If he wasn't you," Skinner said, looking at Krycek, "then who was he."

"Beats me," Krycek answered.

"I don't care who he is," Cissy said. "But we now know for sure that it was not Krycek who attacked me."

"What are we going to do with him," Scully asked.

"I'll take care of that," someone standing behind Skinner, said. Skinner turned around and looked at the Cigarette Smoking Man. Skinner stepped aside. "He's all yours."

Two men, in black suits and black sunglasses on, stepped into the room and carried the men to a car, while the Cigarette Smoking Men lit up another cigarette. Then they all left.

"I have a meeting to get back to," Skinner said. "I expect a written report on this matter on my desk first thing tomorrow." And Skinner left as well.

"Well, I guess that takes care of one alien," Mulder said. "But we're still looking for another."

"I have a suggestion," Krycek said.

"And what might that be," Mulder asked.

"I'll help you find the bounty-hunter, if you stop handcuffing me to everything. And get out of my life for some time, will you."

"Help us find the alien and we'll discuss the other part of your suggestion," Mulder said.

Krycek agreed.

It only took them a few day to find the alien bounty-hunter.

In fact, the bounty-hunter found them. Cissy suggested to go back to the woods where she had first seen him and they found out the alien had followed them there. Krycek knocked him out cold and the two men in black suits were there almost immediately, as if they appeared out of thin air. They took the alien with them, like the other and vanished into the woods. They went back to their apartments and Mulder called Skinner to tell him what happened. Skinner said they could take the rest of the day off, for all their hard work.

"Let's go get a cup of coffee," Cissy said. "My treat. I know this great coffee house, not to far from here.

They all went there and after a few cups of coffee Krycek said he has to go to the bathroom.

After five minutes, Mulder got suspicious and went after him. He came back with a note in his hand.

"What does it say," Scully asked.

"I got this feeling you didn't like the other part of the suggestion I made," Mulder read. "Too bad. I liked working with Cissy, but most of all I liked you not saying a word to me, Mulder. So the rest of this note is for Cissy, give it to her."

Mulder handed Cissy the note. "It says it's for you. Hope you understand it."

"What do you mean," Scully asked.

"It's in Russian," Cissy said, before Mulder could.

"Do you know what it says," Mulder asked.

"Yes," Cissy answered. "But it's kinda personal."

"How come you know Russian," Scully asked her.

"There's this guy I work with, he's Russian and he taught me some Russian."

They left the coffee house.

A shadow stepped away from behind the bushes he was hiding in. Looking at the Mulder, Scully and Cissy walking away from him, he stepped into the light.

Looking like Mulder???