Work Text:
A Childlike Fear
by PEJA
Skinner hustled his prize out of Spender's office and onto the elevator without meeting anyone. Not that this came as any surprise. Spender kept his inner sanctum beyond secure.
Alex, however did balk at the elevator, eyeing it with open suspicion.
"What's wrong, son?' Skinner asked as his charge hesitated entering the small space.
"I'm not supposed to."
Skinner reached out, stopping the doors from sliding shut while they where on the outside. "Not supposed to?"
Alex nodded vigorously. "Mr Spender says never leave my suite."
Skinner nodded, understanding what the boy didn't say as well as what he had. "You weren't allowed outside?"
"Mr Spender says I'm safe here." Alex said simply. "Mr Spender says I can't get hurt as long as I stay in the rooms here."
Grimacing, Skinner nodded. "Spender gave you permission to come with me, remember?"
Alex tilted his head slightly, slanting a glance at Skinner. "I..." He sighed, smiling nervously. "Okay, if Mr Spender says its okay."
Walter hustled the young man inside quickly, before his amazing mind could find new reason to protest.
As the elevator doors slid closed, Skinner gifted Alex with a reassuring smile. A smile that died on a heartbeat as he recognized the unadulterated fear on young Krycek's pallid face.
"Hey, boy," he said gently. "What's wrong?"
Tears rushing into his eyes, Alex ducked his head and mumbled a barely understandable, "S'okay."
"Come on, Alex, you wouldn't be this upset if everything was okay." Walter offered his new found ward what he hoped was a fatherly smile. "Tell me what's troubling you, son."
Alex ducked his head, tracing an invisible line with the toe of his shoe. "Please, sir, I wanna go back." The words came in a rushed whisper.
"What?" Walter asked shaking his head as if to clear his ears. "No, Alex. No, I can't allow that."
"Kay," Alex nodded jerkily, a childish sob breaking the air between them. "I just....I ...Please sir, Mr Spender takes care of me. Makes sure I eat. I need...."
"Spender seemed to be doing a hell of a job of taking care of you, boy." Skinner said heavily.
Alex raised his tear streaked face. "I was bad." he sobbed. "I'm bad a lot, ya know. I deserved..."
"No, Alex." Skinner interrupted. "No one deserves that kind of treatment. Spender could easily have killed you, boy. I can't allow him to have a chance like that again."
Head bowed, Alex nodded slowly but Skinner could almost see the workings of his quicksilver mind. A mind that, thank God, hadn't been destroyed by the experimentation that had stolen his life.
"How about if you told Mr Spender I promise to be good." Alex tried, his eyes lifting desperately. "He'd believe you if you told him I'll be good, he would."
"Until the next time you do something that angers him, Alex?" Skinner shook his head. "No, boy. I won't let him beat you." He grasped Alex's wrist displaying the cruel burns in his palm from spent cigarettes. "I won't let him use you like this." He cupped Alex' cheek. "He planned to sell you, boy. You heard him tell me that, didn't you?"
Thick lashes lowered, hiding Alex's eyes. "He didn't mean it."
"Yes." Skinner said firmly. "Yes, he did."
Alex went silent as the elevator doors slid open.
"Come on, boy." Skinner said, propelling the younger man forward with a hand on his arm.
Sullen faced and dragging his feet, Alex allowed him to guide him through the foyer, into the parking garage and finally settling into the big sedan.
Walter strapped him in with the seat belt and sprinted around to slide in on his side. he inserted the key, and started the engine, his hand resting on the shift when Alex spoke again
"But I do deserve whatever Mr Spender does to me." he said with the innocence of a child's reasoning. "I'm a very bad person."
END