Krycek smiled. 'I can sense the benevolent Frohike.'
Scully giggled, looking at the window. 'Me too, but I don't see them anywhere.'
'�I'm on my way down now�I'd like to take you with me�I'm on my way down��
Krycek sang along softly, looking out the window.
��The minute that it's born�It begins to die�I'd love to just give in�I'd love to live this lie�'
Scully smiled. 'I see them.'
Krycek turned in his seat, but she put a hand on his arm. 'Hold on, I want to see if they recognize us.'
The three walked in and surveyed the inside of the restaurant. They moved over to a booth and sat down.
Scully and Krycek smiled at each other. If they'd been able to fool the three stooges at a quick glance, they were certainly able to fool strangers. She stood up and walked over to their table.
'Hey, Sugar.' She drawled in a southern accent. 'Wanna date?'
The three turned to see Scully smiling radiantly. Her hair, which had grown out quite a bit, was blonde. She was wearing a totally un-Scully pink sundress and she was wearing sandals and a silver anklet. It was also very obvious that she was pregnant.
Frohike gasped and scooted over so she could sit down. 'You look...My god, you look...'
'Beautiful?' Krycek finished, standing next to her and leaning against the booth.
'Wish I could say the same for you.' Frohike smiled at Krycek in spite of himself. 'You look like a surfer punk ass.'
'I resemble that remark.' Krycek replied, running a hand through his shaggy hair. When they first arrived in Newport, he had bleached his short hair. Now that it was grown out, the tips stayed blonde while the rest was dark.
'It's so good to see you guys!' Scully reached over with both her hands and put one on Byers's and one on Langly's.
'Damn girl, you're tan.' Langly smiled.
Scully giggled girlishly. Life at the beach had been good to her.
Langly looked up at Krycek. 'Any crazy white caps out there?'
'It's all good.' Krycek replied. 'I got an extra board. We can do the wedge.'
'Come on back to the house.' Scully said. 'You can meet Stout.'
'Stout?' All three of them asked.
'Our Rot.' She answered, beaming.
'Rot?' Byer's asked, looking odd in shorts and a T-shirt.
'Rottweiller.' Krycek answered.
'Why Stout?' Langly looked between the two of them, still not really recognizing them.
'Alex named him that.' Scully looked up at Krycek and he smiled back at her.
'Stout?' Frohike repeated.
'Yes.' Krycek said. 'Because he's thick, dark and strong.'
Frohike rolled his eyes and laughed. �Oh, whatever.�
***
Mulder sat across from Diana in the meeting, trying his best to ignore her. He knew that the Lone Gunmen were out visiting Scully and he was disappointed that he hadn't been able to go as well. In a couple of weeks, he promised himself like he had been every couple of weeks. He wondered what she looked liked pregnant. How far along was she now? Five months? Six months? He shook his head slightly to himself. She had sounded wonderful the last time he'd talked to her. She went on and on about the dog. What was its name?
'Fox.' Diana's foul voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see that all the heads in the room were swiveled towards him. 'Care to join us?'
'Sorry.' Mulder mumbled, shuffling through his papers.
***
'Fox.'
Mulder winced and stopped in the hallway, sighing and closing his eyes. Damn, he thought he'd be able to get away.
'Yes, your highness.' He said, turning to face her and pretending that is was indeed Princess Leia and not his ex-wife looking back at him.
'Would you like to tell me what�s going on?' Diana asked.
Mulder resumed walking. 'And what are you talking about?'
'Your mental vacation.' She said, trying to keep up with him. 'The fact that every time someone say's something to you it seems to require a great effort on your part to join the land of the living.'
He ignored her and kept walking.
'Fox.' When he still didn't answer, she grabbed his arm. 'Fox!'
'Oh I'm sorry, Diana.' He said, mock apology on his face. 'Were you saying something?'
Her nails dug painfully into his arm, but he didn't jerk away. 'You might want to keep me on your side, Fox. I can be quite ugly when I want to.'
Mulder's lips twitched in a smile. 'And that must be all the time.'
Diana's eyes widened, her mouth dropped. Mulder stepped closer to her. 'Just because we believe in the same cause doesn't mean that I have to like you, talk to you or look at you. My only interest here is and always has been for the truth, for the world, for peace. It has nothing to do with you.'
'But Fox.' She said, her face falling.
'Your hurt doesn't work on me anymore, Diana.' He said. 'I'm not as young and naive as I used to be and I'm not taking your shit this time around.'
Mulder walked out of the building, shaking his head. He let out a deep breath and turned to run right into Skinner.
'Sir?' Mulder was taken aback to see his superior in the Big Apple.
'Agent Mulder?' Skinner was just as surprised. 'What are you doing up here?'
'I was just asking myself that same question.' Mulder said.
'Want to talk about it over dinner?' Skinner said. 'I know where we can get a really good veggie burger.'
'Oh no.� Mulder said, looking dismayed. 'Not you too.'
***
Scully walked into the house, laden with bags from Pea in a Pod. She was getting big and none of her clothes would fit anymore.
�Alex?� She called, tossing her keys down on the haltry.
She didn�t get an answer, but sensed that he was in the house. As she got closer to the stairs, she heard the piano playing downstairs.
She frowned, moving down to the third level. Who the hell was here?
Stout ran up to her as she reached the double doors leading into the rec room. She leaned down to pat the dog on the head and looked over to see Alex at the piano. She watched him, shocked. She had no idea he knew how to play.
The music filled the room and Scully recognized the familiar tune from when Melissa was taking lessons. Fur Elise.
She leaned against the door, staring at him, a strange feeling creeping through her.
She used to love to watch and listen to Melissa play the piano. To see Alex Krycek, Mr. Big, Bad, Hit-Man, Tough-Guy, play so beautifully was very strange. She shouldn�t be surprised. There was a lot about him that she didn�t know. A small smile crept on her face and slowly walked towards him, crossing her arms. The sounds emanating from the piano filled the room. She stood behind him, watching his hands move across the keyboard. When she rested her hands on his shoulders, he jumped and quit playing, snapping his head around to look at her.
�I�m sorry.� She said. �I figured you knew I was in here.�
He leaned his head back and smiled at her. �No, I had no idea. Music gets me like that sometimes.�
�It does?�
He nodded and patted the empty space on the seat next to him.
�Alex, if I sit down, I�ll break the bench.�
�No, you won�t.� He laughed at her. �I weigh more than you do.�
She settled next to him and he reached out his hands towards hers.
�I�ll teach you the C scale.�
She smiled, holding out her hands. �I know nothing about music.�
�That�s okay.� Krycek put his hands over hers and positioned them on the keys. �I�ll teach you.�
He taught her the basic scale from middle C and she smiled as she played it, pausing to remember to curl her thumb under on her right hand, and to crossover with her left.
He grinned at her. �You�re a natural.�
She smiled up into his face. �How long do you think until I can play like you?�
�Not that long, I�m sure, since I�m not that good.� He smiled as his fingers moved over the piano again. She watched his hands pluck out the sounds of Fur Elise. She put her chin in her hand and stared at his profile, a smile on her face growing larger and larger.
�What?� He asked shyly, his fingers moving quickly over the keyboard.
�It�s just�I don�t know.� She said softly, watching his fingers pick up speed. �I�m always impressed with people who understand music.�
�It�s not hard when you can feel it.� He replied, running through the main break of the song again.
�You can feel music?�
�Yeah.� He replied. �Sometimes it really bothers me.�
�Can you show me?� She asked softly, watching his fingers dance around the piano.
He looked over at her and continued playing. He smiled when she did.
�You�re such a showoff.� She said, meeting his eyes.
�I�m not showing off.� He didn�t break the eye contact with her and continued on with the song. �I�m just playing.�
�You love to play.� She said. �I can tell.�
�Yeah.� He replied, giving her a sad smile. �When they took my arm, it sucked because I couldn�t play. Not to mention my balance was totally screwed so I couldn�t surf.�
She smiled again. �Show me how you feel music.�
He quit playing and the stereo turned on.
She grinned at him. �You�re going to need to teach me that trick.�
�No trick.� Krycek shook his head and grinned. �Quantum mechanics.�
�Whatever.� She said.
A song began to play on the radio and he grinned. �Perfect.�
��Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young�In a world of magnets and miracles��
�Perfect?� She asked.
He nodded. �This songs gets me.�
��Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary�The ringing of the division bell had begun��
�Why does this song get you?�
�Because it�s so perfectly constructed.� He answered, standing up.
��There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps�Running before time took our dreams away�Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground�To a life consumed by slow decay��
Krycek held a hand out. She took it and they walked out onto the deck.
�You ready?� He asked.
She nodded. He took both of her hands and stared down at her.
Scully took a deep breath as feelings washed over her. The music became part of her. She didn�t think she�d ever felt anything so beautiful. The song seemed to travel through her bones; the melody caressed her brain.
��Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us�To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side�Steps taken forwards then sleepwalking back again�Dragged by the force of some inner tide��
She felt tears come to her eyes. He let go and looked down in her face.
�You okay?�
Scully took a deep breath, staring up into his eyes, and nodded.
He smiled. �Are you sure?�
She continued to stare at him and nodded again.
��Encumbered forever�By desire and ambition�There�s a hunger still unsatisfied��
�I�m gonna take some waves. You mind?�
Scully shook her head and he smiled at her again. �You sure you�re okay? You don�t feel okay.�
She managed a small smile and nodded again. He moved past her, into the house.
��Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon�Go down this road we�ve been so many times��
She stayed out on the deck, overwhelmed with what had just happened. Not just with the music, but with herself. She always tried so hard to ignore this when it snuck up on her from time to time. She knew there was a logical explanation. She knew it wasn�t real.
��The grass was greener��
Krycek came out onto the deck in a wetsuit and looked at her. �You sure you�re okay?�
��The light was brighter��
She nodded, turning to face him and he grinned at her. �You sure?�
��The taste was sweeter��
She nodded again, staring back at him.
��The nights, of wonder��
�Dana, you look live you�ve seen a ghost.� He touched her face. �You sure you�re okay?�
��With friends surrounding��
�I�m fine.� She replied stonily, marveling at the fact that he�d never reached out to her like that before.
��The darkest glowing��
�You lie.� He smiled at her before picking up his surfboard and moving down the staircase. �But since you�re reluctant to tell me what�s wrong, I�ll leave you alone.�
��The water flowing��
She turned to watch him go, pressing her lips together.
��The airless river��
This is bad, she thought to herself, watching him walk towards the surf. This is so very, very bad.
��Forever and ever��
***
'How do you eat that?' Mulder asked Skinner, before biting into his juicy cheeseburger.
'That's funny.' Skinner said, raising his own veggie burger. 'I think the same thing of that dead piece of cow you're about to chew on.'
'Food chain.' Mulder replied.
Skinner grinned. 'I'll let Agent Scully argue with you over that one. I'm not as qualified.'
'You spoken with her recently?' Mulder asked.
Skinner nodded. 'Last week, she called me at the Lone Gunmen's place. She sounded good.'
'I think she's doing well.' Mulder said softly. 'I'm glad she's happy.'
'Planning on visiting her soon?'
'Yes.' Mulder said. 'And no.'
Skinner raised his eyebrows at him questioningly.
'I would love to see her.' Mulder explained. 'But I don't know how much I can take of Krycek.'
'Agent Mulder.' Skinner put down his crumbling veggie burger. 'You should really take some time and go visit her. Krycek be damned. And you never know.' Skinner shrugged. 'You might like him if you give him half a chance.'
Mulder nodded. 'I know. I just can't bring myself to do it yet. I know about Krycek's amazing abilities. It doesn't take away my feeling of disgust for him. Especially since...'
Mulder's voice trailed off and Skinner picked his burger back up. 'Especially since he and Scully seem so close?'
'Damn.' Mulder said. 'Is it really that obvious to everyone else that they've become so attached? I thought it was only me.'
'No, Agent Mulder.' Skinner said. 'I think it's a connection they have. They can read each other's minds.'
'How do you know that?'
'She told me.' Skinner remembered the night Krycek had stumbled into her apartment. 'It was the weirdest thing. We were sitting there, eating, and all of a sudden this look came over her face. I thought she was choking, but she was actually just sensing Krycek's presence.'
'She didn't tell me about that.' Mulder said.
Skinner nodded. 'She felt him coming up to the apartment. She knew he was coming. Actually, it was frightening when she was talking about it.'
Mulder thought for a moment. 'Damn, I better go out and see her.'
***
'Mulder, it's been months.' Scully said sharply into his ear. 'It's Halloween now. Are you ever going to come out before the baby's born?'
'I'm sorry, Scully.' Mulder sighed. He felt so guilty, but why couldn't she understand that what he was doing was important?
'I'm tired of hearing you say you're sorry.' Scully said. 'I've heard it over and over again.' She paused. 'If there's someone else I wish you'd just tell me.'
'Scully, there is no one else.' Mulder said, rising off the couch in defense.
She remained silent. He couldn't see it, but he could picture her expression. Her lips pouted out a little, her eyebrows knitted together.
'Can't you understand what I'm trying to do here, Scully?' He asked softly.
'You've never quite told me what you're doing, Mulder.' She said. 'So how would I understand it?'
'I'll explain it all when I visit.'
'And when is that going to be?' Her voice was still irritated, sharp, not giving him one bit of leeway.
I guess I can't blame her, he thought. It has been a long time.
'Soon.' Mulder said. 'I promise.'
Scully slammed the phone down without saying goodbye. She couldn't help it. She was so hurt, so upset. Thoughts were racing through her mind. Why do I even bother to call him anymore? Why doesn't he want to see me? What could he possibly be doing that's important enough for him to throw me away? Or maybe I was never all that important to him in the first place.
She pushed that last thought away. She knew it wasn't true. She and Mulder shared a very special relationship. At least they had, she thought to herself. Everything was so different now; their relationship was going through a transformation. It might be better, might be worse, but it will never be the same again.
Scully shook her head, deciding that she wasn't going to worry about it for the rest of the night, again. She did the same thing every Sunday and she was tired of yearning for Mulder. If he wouldn't even make the effort to see her for one lousy weekend...
Stop it, Dana. She told herself. Just stop it.
Scully walked down to the lower level and pushed the door open. Krycek was lounged in a chair, in front of the fireplace. One hand absently petting Stout and a book in the other. She stood and watched the peaceful sight for a few moments until she noticed the stereo was on KROQ and 'Bathwater' by No Doubt was beating through the room:
'�I know I'm diving into my own destruction...'
Scully walked over towards the two of them as Krycek looked over and Stout ran to meet her. She began to sing along with the lyrics...
'�So why do we choose, the boys that are naughty�I don't fit in, so why do you want me�I know I can't tame you, but I just keep trying�'
Krycek stood up and smiled at her as he spun her around, singing along.
'�Cause I love to wash in your old bathwater�You make me feel like you couldn't love another�I can't help it�You're my kinda man�'
Scully laughed as Stout began to bark at them, her mind temporarily forgetting about Mulder.
�It�s Halloween, Dana.� Krycek said, smiling down at her. �We need to head over to the Fun Zone, see the freaks, ride the Ferris wheel, grab dinner at Ruby�s.�
�As long as we�re back in time to watch �Night of the Living Dead�.� She replied. �I never miss it.�
�It�ll be freezing out on the pier.� He said. �You better wear a jacket.�
She smiled up at him as she walked out of the rec room. �Yes, Mother.�
They kept the top off of the jeep and listened to Marilyn Manson as they looked for a place to park.
��We�re on a bullet and we�re headed straight into God�Even he�d like to end it too��
�Well that�s just beautiful, Alex.� Scully said, glancing at his profile.
�It�s Halloween.� He replied, grinning as he maneuvered the jeep into a space. �When else can I indulge in Marilyn Manson without you throwing holy water at me.�
��Cause we got no future�And we wanna be just like you�We wanna be just like you��
�Oh please.� She replied, rolling her eyes. �I like Marilyn Manson.�
He laughed and stared at her in disbelief. �You cringe if I even so much as look at the jewel case for Anti-Christ Superstar.�
�The title alone should tell you something.�
��And we know that nothing�s true�I saw a priest kill a cop on the TV�And we know that there are heroes too��
�I�ve been thinking.� He said casually, watching all the people in costumes saunter down Balboa.
Scully smiled. �I never like that way that sounds.�
Krycek got out of the car and shut the door. �I think I should get the Anti-Christ Superstar symbol tattooed on my forehead.�
�Do you want our child to think you�re Satan?�
�If the child even believes in Satan.� He said, reaching for her hand as she opened the door. �And that brings up another interesting discussion.�
�I don�t think I�m quite ready to talk about what religion the child should be.� She replied, letting him help her out.
He laughed. �We�re going to have to talk about it someday.�
Scully stood still. A small smile crept up on her face and she gave a small shake of her head.
Krycek looked into her face. �What�s wrong?�
�Oh my God.� She said, laughing a little.
�Dana?�
She looked up at him. Her eyes were twinkling. �We�re having a kid.�
�Last I heard.� He grinned back.
�And I don�t mean kid as in a baby goat.�
Krycek burst into laughter. �You�re starting to sound like me.�
�I�m talking in only around three months, Alex.� They began to walk towards the pier, out towards Ruby�s. �Three months and I�ll be a mom.�
He put his hands in his pockets and looked down at her. �You nervous?�
�I don�t think so.� She shook her head. �Are you?�
�Hell yeah.� He replied. �Nervous as all hell. I don�t want the poor thing to be like me.�
Scully stopped as they reached the pier and faced him. �What do you mean, like you?�
�Jaded, tarnished, burned out, screwed up.� He smiled. �Feel free to stop me anytime. Na�ve, misled, the bad seed-�
�I don�t think you�re any of those things.� She replied. �Maybe misled. Okay, maybe jaded.�
Krycek laughed and she went on. �But you�re definitely not the bad seed.�
�I�m glad you don�t think I�m Rosemary�s Baby.�
�We still haven�t decided on any names.� Scully said as they began to walk towards the end of the pier.
�If it�s a girl, Winifred.�
She smiled. �And if it�s a boy.�
�Wilferd.�
�On second thoughts, Alex.� Scully shook her head. �Maybe you are the bad seed.�
