Protecting The Innocent

by Irina & Maplemoose

Hey, everyone! Well, here it is, the long awaited fic in which our beloved Krycek meets his match! Hope you guys have as much fun reading this as we had writing it!

But, first, some mandatory information:

Rating: R, mostly because Alex has a filthy mouth, and we couldn't resist the urge to put naked flesh in it somewhere. :-)

Category: SR, Krycek/other

Spoilers: Umm...The End/The Beginning, general information

Summary: After kidnapping Gibson Praise from a government hospital, Alex Krycek must find a way to care for him. So he kidnaps someone else.

Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and Fox Broadcasting Network. No copyright infringement is intended, merely the sincerest form of flattery. No monetary compensation is being made in return for our timely (yeah, right) completion of this work, even though we toiled for hours and hours on end. Literally.

Authors' Note: Okay, explanation time. We're still in denial about the whole Tunguska/Terma thing. *sniff* We're starting to deal, but acceptance is a long, hard road. So, for the purposes of this fic, Alex has four functioning and intact appendages. :-)

Dedication: This story is dedicated to Nicholas Lea, one of the best actors we've seen in a long time...and we've seen a lot of actors. Oh, and also to Fran Morell, the queen of all beta-readers, and the ladies over at the Krycek Lea Club, who understand that dangerous men can be incredibly sexy.



Protecting The Innocent
by Irina & Maplemoose

It wasn't often that Alex Krycek got maudlin enough to ponder his life's direction or meaning. But when events did conspire to throw him in those moods, he was usually overwhelmed by regret. He stood at the open door of a small cabin, staring out into the bitterly cold night. Regret. And if there was one thing in his life that he regretted, it had to be that he was, by nature, an impatient man.

His grandmother had always told him so, and she'd been right. Young Alex had always skipped ahead in his books and read the endings first. And instead of taking time to help the neighborhood kids build a fort, he'd wait until they had finished it, then commandeer it. And he'd become frustrated with his piano lessons when, after a mere two weeks, he was not yet playing like Rachmaninoff. For Alex, pleasure and satisfaction were to be found quickly, before the chance was lost. He was impulsive, impetuous, and greedy.

Because of his faults, it had been laughably easy for the Smoking Man to lure him into the Consortium's web of deceit. Alex himself had handed the older man the bait with which to set the trap. Fresh out of Quantico, blue flame practically shooting out of his ears, Alex had been eager. Too eager to spend half his life working his way up to a supervisory position, maybe even ASAC. Maybe even Headquarters.

So the Smoking Man had offered Alex the fast track.

The fast track to Hell.

Even years later, Alex Krycek had to admit to himself that the fault could be only his. If he'd refused the offer, turned down the Smoking Man's assignments, he knew he would have been left alone, shipped off to a nice, safe field office in Boise or Juneau.

I probably would have made ASAC by now, he thought ruefully. I'd be living in a townhouse along with my smart,
pretty schoolteacher wife, maybe a kid on the way.

Alex shook his head as if to clear it. He'd always viewed the American Dream with contempt, finding it bourgeois and lacking in excitement. But, at present, he could think of nothing he'd rather have. The nine-to-five grind, life insurance policies, a mortgage...Hell, maybe even a time-share in southern California. A wife who loved him. Kids who respected him.

But he'd forfeited his claim on such a life, had signed it over to his employers without a second thought. He'd sold his life and his soul.

His life would never be his again. But he had a chance to redeem his soul, at least.

Alex knew that if he could somehow manage to deliver just one innocent person from the diabolical clutches of the Smoking Bastard and his cronies, he'd be okay. He could live with himself.

Maybe he could even sleep at night.

So what do you do, Alex? You breach security at a military hospital and kidnap the missing link. Great idea.

He was beginning to think his conscience wasn't worth it. But what's done is done, he reminded himself grimly.

Alex Krycek thought about the young boy tossing feverishly on the single bed in the next room and made a decision, one that would change his life forever.

He turned and walked out the door into the frigid night.



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Audrey Miller struggled to balance a grocery bag on one hip while digging in her purse for her keys. So far, she'd come up with handfuls of everything but her keys. Finally, she sighed and set the bag on the asphalt, then renewed her search.

She finally located them and opened the door, throwing her purse on the passenger seat. She was bending down to retrieve her paper bag when a strong arm slid around her waist and jerked her upright again.

"If you move or make a sound, I'll kill you," a low, male voice stated flatly.

Audrey felt the press of cold steel nestled under her jaw, and a scream died to a whimper in her throat. "Please," she choked. "My purse...It's in the car."

"I don't want your purse," the stranger informed her. "Get in the car and crawl across the seat."

She started to protest, and the man tightened his grip on her, yanking her back against his chest. His breath was hot on
her ear. "Do it. Now."

As Audrey crawled, shaking, across the gap in the bucket seats, her eyes scanned the parking lot frantically. As she'd
feared, it was all but deserted. And even if anyone had seen her attacker grab her, the onlooker would probably perceive the act as a familiar, intimate embrace, a game between lovers.

The man shoved her paper bag into the back seat, climbed in the driver's seat and held out a hand for her keys. She handed them over, studying his face intently.

He appeared to be in his early- to mid-thirties, with short-cropped brown hair and flat eyes. He was wearing black everything--jeans, tee shirt, and leather jacket.

It's cold out, Audrey thought inanely. He should be wearing something heavier than a jacket.

He didn't appear to be high or drunk, and his sobriety frightened her more than anything else. He moved like a man with a plan, with a purpose.

"Fasten your seat belt," he commanded, looking directly at her for the first time.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked haltingly, wondering if she looked half as petrified as she felt.

He smiled a little before leaning over and gripping her chin with one strong hand. "I'm doing the talking here, sweetheart. You just do exactly as I say, and you won't get hurt. Now, give me your purse."

"Wh-what?"

He sighed impatiently. "Your purse."

She reached behind her and handed it to him, embraced by the hope that maybe he really was only after her money. But the hope was fleeting. He had, after all, instructed her to fasten her safety belt.

She watched in despair as the man retrieved her cellular phone, then removed the battery and tossed it out the window. "Let's roll," he said, handing her stripped phone back to her along with her handbag.

Audrey knew she was in deep trouble. She recalled a self-defense class for women that her sister and her best friend Nicole had dragged her to once. The cop who taught the course said that if some maniac managed to get you in a moving vehicle, you were dead. Literally. It was time to pray for a serious miracle, because there was no way the attacker would let you out alive.



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Alex shifted uncomfortably in his seat, then glanced at the woman beside him. She was terrified, and that suited him just fine. Fear was easier to control than belligerence, apathy, or disdain. He was glad that she was buying into the bad-guy shit. Not that anything he'd said was a lie. He needed her to care for Gibson. That said, he supposed he didn't really need her cheerful cooperation, although it'd be really nice to spend an entire day as Alex Krycek, renegade ex-FBI agent, and not have to shoot anyone.

--especially a beautiful woman--look at her, your pulse isn't racing because you're anxious or nervous, Alex--

He shook his head wearily. He could feel his appetites beginning to rise. Damn his libido. And damn her, too. Why couldn't she have been seventy years old, a gnarled old matron with greying hair and age spots? He sighed. Not a chance. She was about twenty-three, much shorter than him, with shoulder length brown hair and huge dark eyes.

She was waiting, every muscle tensed, for his next move. Look at her. Scared to death. Probably thinks I'm some depraved maniac who gets his rocks off by sawing defenseless women into little pieces. Then he laughed at the irony of it, because if there was one way he needed her, it was alive.

The sound prompted a fearful, questioning look from his captive. If she only knew what he was really thinking.



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They drove for what seemed like forever. The man had driven them directly out of the small town of Sperryville, Virginia, and seemed to be headed for...the middle of nowhere. He took so many turns that Audrey, in her fright, had lost all sense of direction or orientation. She had no idea where she was.

She risked a glance at the man behind the wheel. His face was blank, his gaze seeming to focus on the windshield...and no farther.

His silence was driving her nuts. Maybe he was one of those sickos who didn't even see women as people, just objects. Well, she'd better let him know she damn well was a person. "My name's Audrey. Audrey Miller."

He gave a start, as if she'd jolted him out of some sort of private reverie. He didn't look at her. "Call me Alex."

"Alex." The fact that he'd given her a name, even if it wasn't his real one, reassured her a bit. She took a deep breath. "Where are you taking me, Alex?" she asked quietly.

"You'll find out soon enough," he snapped, irritated.

Audrey flinched at the harsh tone of his voice. "I just..." She trailed off as he took a turn up a bumpy road that wasn't even graveled. Several minutes later, he pulled up to a small cabin and stopped.

"Wait until I come around and open your door," he commanded.

Audrey's mind raced, and her trembling hands unfastened her seat belt. Her coat was black, and the woods surrounding the cabin were pitch-dark. If she could get just a few seconds lead, she might be able to get away from the man who called himself Alex. Even if he shoots me, she reasoned, it's got to be better than the slow death he has planned for me in that cabin.

As soon as he had one leg out of the car, Audrey's door was open and she was out and running in a flash. "Shit!" she heard him exclaim behind her. "Stop, damn it!"

She only ran faster, her eyes focused on the ring of trees that would provide her refuge. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, pushing her harder. She thought she could hear him, his footsteps pounding, but it was probably only the frantic beating of her own heart.

--move it Audrey you've got to--

Alex picked up his speed, then made a desperate lunge for Audrey, wrapping his arms around her midsection. He twisted as they fell, and she landed on top of him, squirming. He rolled, pinning her beneath him. "What kind of stupid stunt are you trying to pull, eh?" he hissed between clenched teeth. "Just what the hell are you trying to prove?"

"That I'm not going to sit around here and wait for you to do God only knows what to me!" she yelled in reply, her anger eclipsing her fear. "I'm at least going to put up a fight."

Alex fought the urge to throttle her on the spot. "You're new to this; maybe you don't quite get how it works. I'm the bad guy. That means that I'm in charge here, and you do what I say when I say it. If you comply, maybe you don't die. Understand?"

With a strength that surprised them both, Audrey yanked one of her hands free from his viselike grip and slapped him--hard. "Go to hell."

Alex growled low in his throat and drew himself up onto his knees, dragging her with him. "Get up."

Audrey exhaled with a ragged sob. "Please..." He pulled her to her feet, and she stumbled along behind him. "What do you want with me?"

"Shut up." He covered the ground between them and the cabin in long strides. "Just shut up." He opened the door and pushed her inside the dimly-lit room ahead of him. "I should have done this in the car," he muttered, reaching in his jacket pocket.

Audrey closed her eyes and backed away from the assault to come. When nothing happened, she opened them again...only to see Alex coming toward her with a pair of handcuffs dangling from one hand.

"No," she gasped as he shoved her back and forced her to sit in a wooden chair behind her. "You are sure as hell not going to put me in those things!"

He gave a short bark of laughter as he wove the cuffs through the wooden slats that comprised the back of the chair and fastened them around her wrists. "I don't think you're in very much of a position to give orders, do you, sweetheart? Now, you just sit quietly. I'll be right back."

Audrey watched him walk back out the door in utter despair. There was little she could do bound to a chair. She could stand, but it would be awkward as hell trying to get anywhere. Aside from a door in the far wall, the room contained only an unlit Coleman lantern resting on a rickety table and two chairs, counting the one she was cuffed to. There were also two rolled-up sleeping bags next to the hearth, where a carefully banked fire slumbered.

In other words...no way to defend herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Alex's abrupt return. In his arms he carried her purse and her grocery bag, which he set on the table. He moved quickly to the fireplace and stirred the fire to roaring life. Then, with deft fingers, he lit the lantern.

Audrey noticed that his hands were shaking--presumably from the cold--when he reached into the brown paper bag. He emptied it methodically, then cursed softly. "Dammit. Nothing."

He was starting to look less sane by the minute. "Alex, I--Uh..."

He reached for her purse. "Do you have anything in here for a fever?"

"A what?"

"Fever. You know, aspirin, Tylenol, anything."

"I think I have some Anaprox..."

"What is that?"

A furious blush colored her cheeks. "It's for cramps, if you must know, but I think it works as a fever reducer, as well."

"Where is it?" He brought her purse and dropped it in her lap, sinking to his knees before her. "Show me."

"I'm handcuffed, Alex. I can't. It's the prescription bottle, the only one in there."

He located the bottle and held it up. "Could a kid take these?"

"What?"

He swore again, more colorfully this time. "A kid, could he take one of these?"

She shrugged...as best she could. "I guess, if he were an older kid."

He dragged her purse off her lap and dug out the key to her cuffs. "I need your help."

"What? You kidnapped me, and you expect me to help--"

He waved her into silence. "Come here." He indicated the door on the far side of the cabin.

She went, rubbing her chafed wrists. He swung the door open, and a shaft of light fell on a tiny bed in the small room. On it lay a little boy, about ten or eleven years old and slight of frame. His head was swathed in gauze, and a spot of blood peeked through the edge near his temple. His wire-rimmed glasses were askew, and his face was flushed. He was frighteningly still.

"Oh, my God, what happened to him?" Audrey asked softly, concern for the boy foremost in her mind. She entered the room and knelt on the floor by the bed. She placed the back of her hand on the little boy's forehead.

He was burning up.

"Is this your son?" she asked, looking up at the man behind her.

He looked worried. "No. And it's a long story. Can you help him?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's sick. Can you help him?" Alex repeated.

The entire situation was beginning to make a little more sense to Audrey. She looked at the man named Alex and shook her head. "If you needed a doctor or nurse, then you swiped the wrong woman. I'm a photographer."

"But you're a woman. You know about children." He spoke slowly, evenly, as if attempting to communicate with a somewhat retarded monkey.

Even though he literally held her life in his hands, she glared at him. "You could be a poster child for chauvinism, you know that? Well, I hate to burst your deluded little bubble, but my maternal instincts are all but nonexistent. I know precisely squat about kids." Audrey sighed. "Whatever the case, you can't give him the Anaprox."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing, he's only about eleven years old. For another, he's unconscious, and you can't force an unconscious person to swallow something. It'll just choke him."

Alex exhaled forcefully and rubbed a hand across his face. "So what do I do?"

"You can get out of my light, for one thing." When he complied, Audrey took a closer look at the boy. Aside from the fever raging through his body, his color looked fine. His lips were dry, but not parched or cracked. "I don't think he's dehydrated, but we've got to get this fever down."

We. She was going to help him, he realized with relief. She wasn't going to cry or scream or petulantly refuse to treat Gibson just because of Alex. "What do you need?"

"Get me my purse. You're going to have to take another trip into town." She found her address book and the notepad in the back of it. She scribbled furiously.

"I can't leave you here."

"Well, I can't leave..." She trailed off. "What's his name, anyway?"

"Gibson."

She tore the list off the pad and held it out, along with her wallet. "I can't leave Gibson. Cuff me to the chair, the bed, I don't care. Just get this stuff and bring it back. You'll probably have to go to an all-night pharmacy for the last one, but that's the most important. Be sure to get it."

He took the paper and regarded it silently. "Audrey..."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." The words were hesitant, and Audrey knew that this man Alex didn't say them often.

She fought a smile. She wasn't supposed to feel anything for this man, compassion included. "Hurry back."



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Alex drove as fast as he dared, considering he was looking at charges of kidnapping, transporting a minor across state lines, and grand theft auto should he be stopped. And while his hands chose the correct turns, his mind was otherwise occupied.

Audrey.

He was still amazed that she hadn't just curled up in a ball and blocked out the world after what he'd put her through. But she hadn't. She'd simply started to care for Gibson, without whining or pitching the slightest hint of a fit. "Where can I find a woman like that?" he murmured to himself.

Then he shook his head. He'd found her...but he couldn't have her. He couldn't even think about having her.

So he kept driving.



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Alex hadn't handcuffed her, so while he was gone, Audrey busied herself with sifting through the contents of the forgotten grocery bag. There wasn't much. A bottle of apple juice. A loaf of bread, some disgustingly wilted lettuce, some limp cheese slices, a jar of peanut butter, and some uncooked angel hair pasta. A few cans of soup. A women's magazine. A roll of toilet paper. Well, hell, she thought dourly. At least something I bought for Julia will come in handy.

She went in the small back room and looked in on Gibson, but there was really nothing she could do for him until Alex returned. Then she looked at the coat she'd discarded. The cotton scarf nestled under the collar had never been warm enough, anyway...She yanked it free and carried it to the small sink in the corner, praying the plumbing was in working order.

It was. The water ran frighteningly cloudy for several minutes. Audrey let it flow until it became clear, then soaked her scarf, wringing out the excess moisture.

Gibson still hadn't moved. She was beginning to fear that she'd misjudged his condition, that his unconscious state was not simply fever induced but coma. He had those bandages on his head...Audrey carefully lifted the edge near his temple, where his head had recently bled.

The wound underneath was not a bump or knot or laceration. It was an incision, and a fresh one, neatly closed with a row of tiny surgical sutures. Audrey let the edge of the gauze drop, then checked his forehead and the other side of his head. She encountered the same thing.

My God...What happened to him? Brain surgery? It seemed to be the only answer.

She shook off her questions and touched the soaked scarf to Gibson's brow. After about five minutes of her ministrations, he stirred.

Heart pounding, Audrey grasped his hand. "Gibson? Can you hear me?"

The boy's eyes opened slightly, but they were unfocused and hazy. Seconds later, they fell closed again.

She wished Alex would hurry the hell up.



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Alex sat in the drugstore parking lot, squinting at the last item on Audrey's list. No way. It couldn't say what he thought it said.

Sighing, he got out, locked the car, and went inside.

A tinkling electronic bell announced his arrival. Aside from three bored-looking stockboys, the store was deserted. As well it should be at four in the morning, Alex conceded silently, glancing at his watch. He immediately made his way to the back of the store, where the pharmacy was located.

Donna, the pharmacy technician on duty, noticed the man immediately. She whistled as she studied him from head to toe. "Hey, Leanne...Gorgeous guy on aisle eight, and he's headed right for us."

The staff pharmacist peeked out the window in front of her. "Oh, baby. Come to mama."

Donna laughed. "He's mine. I saw him first, so you keep your mitts off him."

The man walked up to counter, arms loaded with items he'd already chosen, squinting at the paper he held.

"Can I help you with something, sir?" Donna was on her very best behavior, affording the man a welcoming smile.

He seemed not to notice. "Yeah, um, do you have any of these?" He held out the list for her to see.

She noted, crestfallen, the feminine handwriting. "Oh, acetaminophen suppositories? Sure. Does your baby have a fever?"

"Nephew," he answered absently.

"How old is he?" she asked, studying the shelf behind the counter.

"Twelve."

She gave him a surprised look, then nodded, offering Alex a sympathetic smile. "Oh, can't keep anything down, eh?" She picked a box from the shelf.

He sighed. "Not a thing. My wife and I are keeping him for the weekend, and she sent me out to get these. Maybe they'll help."

"They should," Leanne replied. "Those are 325 milligrams each. Give him one every four hours, and if that doesn't bring the fever down, he'll probably need to go to his pediatrician's office or the emergency room. He'll also need lots of liquids, whether he keeps them down or not. Try just plain water, or maybe some Pedialyte. If all else fails, get his favorite flavor of Gatorade. You don't want him getting dehydrated."

He nodded. "Thanks. Can I get two boxes of those, please?"

Leanne watched as Donna rang the man's purchases. When she had finished, he thanked her, then turned and walked away.

"Sir! You, uh, forgot your receipt."

He walked back and took it from her hand, flashing her a dazzling smile. "Thanks." Then he was gone.

Donna sighed, propping her chin on her hand. "Life, Leanne, is not fair."

"You said it, sister."



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Audrey was so absorbed in thought and worry that she never heard her car's engine, so she was startled when Alex opened the cabin door. She climbed immediately to her feet and walked to the open doorway separating the two rooms. "You're back."

"Yeah," he said, juggling his bags. She took several from him and put them on the table. She turned back to him just in time to see him shrugging out of his jacket. Audrey watched the play of his muscles beneath the tight black tee shirt, disturbed by the tug of attraction she couldn't deny. "Is he...?"

She smiled reassuringly. "I don't think he was actually conscious, but he did open his eyes for a few seconds."

"Oh." He indicated the bags on the table. "I got the stuff you said you needed." He began to rummage through them.

"Thanks. I need the gloves and the acetaminophen now. The liquids have to wait until he's awake." She took the items he held out to her. "You can, uh...wait out here."

Alex held up his hands. "No problem." As she disappeared into the other room, Alex examined the fire. It looked as if Audrey had tended it while he was gone.

To be honest, he was sort of shocked to find her still in the cabin. He hadn't truly expected her to leave Gibson, but a part of him, the self-centered, only-Alex-matters part, was still surprised.

She would have been just fine if she'd left. Despite the many confusing turns he'd taken in driving her to the cabin, they were deceptively close to the main highway. If she'd cut through the woods in pretty much any direction, she'd have made it to safety, maybe before he ever returned.

He knew all that...so why hadn't he thought to cuff her?

Alex had no answer for himself. He scrubbed a hand over his face.

The door opened, and he heard Audrey make her way to the sink to wash her hands. He didn't take his eyes from the fire. "What now?"

She sighed deeply. "Now we wait."

He stood. "Maybe you should try to get some sleep."

Audrey seemed to be debating with herself. "I need to know some things, Alex."

His exhaustion made his temper short, and her words irked him. "You don't need to know anything I don't feel like telling you," he said, his voice deadly quiet.

Audrey's breath caught in her throat as her fear was renewed. His eyes were frozen fire, his mouth set in a tight line. She knew nothing about him, except...

Except that, with that expression on his face, he looked like a killer.

She backed away, into the bare corner farthest from the hearth, next to the sink. She sank onto the floor, shaking. The concern she felt for Gibson had momentarily vanished, replaced by the realization that she could very well die in this remote cabin.

The man named Alex sat down in the wooden chair next to the hearth and said nothing for a while. Finally, he looked at her over his shoulder. "Look," he said on an exhaled breath. "Don't just...cower over there in the corner, okay?" He beckoned. "Come closer to the fire."

"I'd rather stay put, thanks."

"I said get over here."

Audrey glared at him in what she hoped was a fairly respectable imitation of her Greek grandmother's best evil eye. When he didn't bat a single long, beautiful eyelash, she rose to her feet. "You're not a very likeable person, you know."

He looked very tired, and very old. "I'm not in public relations, Audrey. I don't give a damn if you like me or not."

"Good, 'cause I think I hate you." Audrey sank to the floor again, this time next to the hearth.

He studied her for a long moment. She made a striking picture, sitting in the firelight. It gilded her honey-colored skin and sparkled off the tiny diamond stud earrings she wore. "I brought something," he said abruptly, standing and crossing the room to the table. He pulled a rather sizable bottle of vodka from a paper bag. "You like vodka?"

It didn't escape Audrey that he placed an odd emphasis on the last word, almost as if he were used to pronouncing it in another language. At any rate, it was her favorite liquor, and he'd gotten Stolichnaya, her favorite brand. "Never drink the stuff," she lied.

"Ever?"

She shook her head stiffly. "Ever."

He threw together a cheese sandwich, then pulled out a package of plastic cups. "Well, that's too bad...If you change your mind, there's plenty here." He poured a healthy amount into one of the cups, then sat back down to enjoy his makeshift meal.

Audrey glowered at him for a few long minutes. "Are you going to get drunk now, is that the plan?" she inquired with mock politeness.

He regarded her silently. "No. As a matter of fact, I really bought the bottle for you. I thought you might need it. To sleep."

"Oh. Planning on getting me drunk, then," she clarified.

"Why would I do that?" he asked, looking mildly amused.

"Well, to...you know..."

"What?"

Audrey took a deep breath. "T-To take advantage of me."

Alex threw his head back and roared with laughter.

"What?" she demanded. "What the hell's so funny?"

He took another swig of his liquor and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "Oh, honey...You crack me up."

She was starting to get angry. "I don't see what you find so amusing."

His humor died away to a confident smile. "If I wanted to take you, Audrey, I wouldn't need to get you drunk." He saw the fear flare in her eyes and shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant, milyja. I meant that I could have you willingly."

Her disdain was evident. "Yeah, right." Back off, Audrey. Concede defeat and back the hell off, before he decides he has something to prove. But something inside her wouldn't let it be. "Not if you were the last man on earth."

His smile didn't waver, and Audrey wanted to hit him. How can he be so sure of himself? His eyes, his gorgeous green eyes, were locked on to hers. "Not if you were the last man on earth," she repeated shakily.

He reached forward to stroke his thumb along the curve of her flushed cheek. She trembled, but didn't recoil. In fact, Alex could have sworn she leaned in to the caress.

Audrey couldn't breathe. What the hell's the matter with me?? Alex touched the very tip of his tongue briefly to his bottom lip, and she found herself mimicking the action unconsciously.

Alex smiled again. "You lie, Audrey. But your body tells the truth."

It took her a second to process what he'd said, and she burned with anger and humiliation. She slapped his hand away from her face. "Don't touch me."

His smile grew wider. "Say that without drooling on me and I might believe it."

He was making fun of her, and it hurt. "God, I hate you," she spat.

"Meow, koshka." His smile vanished, and his voice grew soft. "You couldn't hate me if you tried."

Audrey was still trying to think of a retort when he finished his sandwich, downed the rest of his drink and stood. "Time for bed, little cat."



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If anyone had told Audrey that she'd be someday be the victim of a kidnapping, she'd have laughed. If that person had also told her how utterly boring it would be, she'd have cried.

She exhaled in a long sigh and tugged against the handcuffs binding her to the sink drain. Only her left wrist was bound, the other shackle encircling the drain itself. It held tight, just as she'd known it would.

She'd long since exhausted her mental store of song lyrics, all of which she'd rendered in her best vocals, which were still startlingly off-key. She'd counted the floorboards three times, mentally catalogued every single item in the small room, and composed a fairly good Broadway chorus. She'd even resorted to braiding sections of her hair.

The unpredictable Virginia weather was taking its toll on her, too. Whereas it had been frigid at daybreak, the day had been steadily heating up. So she was hot, thirsty, and hungry. Her right foot was asleep. And she had to pee in the worst way imaginable.

Audrey sighed and reached up on to the edge of the table. Her fingers brushed the edge of the magazine she'd bought the night before. "Perfect," she sighed with relief.

She stretched up just far enough to snag the magazine and began flipping through it. "Makeup ad...makeup ad...perfume ad...Oh, horoscopes." She trailed her fingertip down the page. "Taurus," she read aloud. "Let vivid Venus unveil your sensual and erotic ardor. Single? Wildman Mars is on the loose around the 15th, spurring surprising sexual tension between you and a male companion." Audrey snorted. "Yeah, right." She tossed the magazine aside. The glossy cover caused it to slide halfway across the room. She watched it glide to a halt near the hearth. "Wildman Mars, indeed."

Bored once again, Audrey was reciting Who's On First when Alex stomped through the door.

She stopped in mid-line. "It's about damn time," she snapped. "If you don't unlock me right now..."

"If I don't unlock you right now, what?" Alex asked, his own irritation showing clearly in his voice. He'd spent the entire day driving and walking around. And he still hadn't been able to think of a solution to his problem: What the hell am I going to do with Gibson??

Her voice was deadly sweet. "I'll kill you, Alex, that's what." She smiled at him.

He looked surprised, and Audrey tried to hide her amusement. She'd thought long and hard about her situation. Indeed, she'd lain awake most of the night, pondering the tall man before her. She hadn't been able to sleep, anyway. She'd never had a problem with insomnia, but how the hell could she be expected to sleep peacefully in a double sleeping bag, handcuffed to a strange man? She just couldn't.

So, she'd analyzed the mess she was in.

Oh, she'd been petrified at first, but once she'd gotten over the initial fear that naturally came with her situation, she'd realized that any man who'd kidnapped her for the sole purpose of caring for a sick child couldn't be too much of a monster.

The knowledge had sort of lessened his ability to intimidate her, she realized. Underneath all the macho bravado, he was a big mushy marshmallow.

She eyed his hard, chiseled face. Okay, so maybe "mushy marshmallow" wasn't quite right...But he no longer frightened her, of that she was certain.

"You'll kill me, huh?"

"Yeah, I will," she informed him. "You left me here all day while you went off traipsing around the countryside. I am handcuffed to a sink, Alex! Did it occur to you that I might get hungry or thirsty? Or that I might have to pee, huh?"

He shrugged. "Then you've got the most convenient spot in the whole cabin. That's the closest you're going to get to indoor plumbing around here."

She looked disgusted. "I'm not peeing in a sink."

He looked thoughtful. "If you go outside, are you going to make me follow you?"

"What?"

"Are you going to try to run?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "No, Alex. You have my word."

"Fine." He reached down and undid the laces of her hiking boots.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "Are you nuts?"

"No." He yanked the boots from her feet, then did the same with her socks. "Where I come from, milyja, a person's word doesn't mean shit." He unlocked the cuffs. "So go. This is my way of knowing you'll be back. And if you're not back in, say, ten minutes, I'm coming after you." His voice took on a sinister tone. "And I won't be happy, Audrey dear."

She grabbed the roll of toilet tissue from underneath the table and shot him a look. Muttering something derogatory about the circumstances of his birth, she stomped out the door with as much dignity as she could muster, seeing as how one foot was asleep and both were bare.

After she'd gone, he looked down at the socks in his hand. They were argyle, the pattern composed of blues, both navy and sky. He smiled. The woman wore argyle socks, for crying out loud. He'd never seen anyone female or under the age of fifty-five wear argyle socks, ever.

It was becoming more and more apparent that his captive was unlike any woman he'd ever met.



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Audrey came back in less than the time allowed her. "Did it ever occur to you, Alex, that if I wanted to get away from you badly enough, I wouldn't care if you had my shoes or not?" She fell silent. "What are you doing?"

Alex was kneeling by the side of the hearth, examining a metal eyebolt that had been fixed in the mortar between the bricks. He motioned her over. "I think this'll work better than cuffing you to the sink," he told her. "That way, if it gets chilly later, you'll be nearer the fire."

She didn't bother to point out the obvious: he was the one with the gun, therefore the important decisions were not up to her at all. "Great. Chained up like someone's pit bull. And my second grade teacher said I'd never amount to anything," she quipped.

Alex stifled a laugh. "Just get over here."

She did as asked. He'd arranged the bag next to the hearth, and she had to admit that it would be a lot more comfortable than being squashed between the sink and table. "How come you didn't find this thing before you left me shackled to the plumbing all day?"

He shot her a look, and she lapsed into silence. Well...almost. "Well, aren't you Mr. Congeniality over there," she groused irritably.

When it became painfully apparent that Alex was not going to engage her in any sort of conversation, Audrey searched for a diversion. She spied the magazine she'd tossed aside earlier. One of the cover stories caught her eye. Five Surefire Signs He Wants You, she read silently. She then cast a sidelong glance at Alex, who was sitting in the chair next to the table. Sighing, she picked it up and flipped through the pages.

Number one: He can't take his eyes off you. She sneaked another furtive peek across the room. Alex was staring at her, a brooding expression plastered on his face. Okay, so he wasn't drooling on her, but he was staring.

Alex cleared his throat, then got to his feet and walked over to her. He leaned close, making a pretense of checking her restraints again. God, her hair smells good.

"I'm not going anywhere, Alex," Audrey reminded him dryly, jangling the cuff that encircled her right wrist. "See?"

He ignored her statement. "What are you reading?"

She yanked it away from his prying eyes. "Girl stuff. You wouldn't be interested."

He grunted noncommittally and tugged on the other cuff. It was still securely fastened to the eyebolt. He slid his hand along the metal chain until her wrist was in his grasp. He carefully examined it for signs of injury. She hadn't been struggling against her bonds, so there was none. He nodded, then released her arm and walked back to his chair.

Audrey watched his retreat, admiring the slow, loose roll of his hips as he moved. Smiling, she read the next item in the article. Number two: He keeps finding silly little reasons to touch you.

Hmm.

"Do you want anything?" he asked quietly. "Juice, something to eat?"

"No, thank you." Well, wasn't this turning out to be somewhat amusing?

He really was an attractive man. A very attractive man. Audrey sighed. Wouldn't you know it? He walked to the sink, a position that afforded her an unparalleled view of his denim-encased backside. Her mouth went dry. The hottest man I've ever seen, and he turns out to be a felon.

Alex spoke. "Caught you looking." His husky statement was laced with teasing humor.

Audrey's eyes snapped guiltily upwards, but he was still facing the window over the sink. Her cheeks flamed. "Yeah, right," she scoffed.

He turned, and the look in his eyes was tempting. Oh, was it tempting. "There's no shame in it, milyja."

He was beginning to annoy her. "I was not looking at you," she insisted.

Alex raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Prastitye, then. I'm sorry...that you can't just admit it. Confession's good for the soul, you know."

Audrey's eyes narrowed. Now, wait just a minute... "If anyone has any confessing to do, Alex, I think it's you."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning," she informed him loftily, "that you were looking at me."

He didn't laugh, merely chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully. "So what if I was?"

Audrey opened her mouth, then closed it again. Damn the man. Just when she thought she had his game figured out, he changed the rules. "Forget about it," she muttered, slamming her magazine shut.

If she had been looking at him, she would have been shocked by the hunger in his eyes. As it was, she steadfastly refused to look up, even when she could feel him coming nearer.

He knelt in front of where she sat. "Executing a strategic disengagement, Audrey?" He brushed a lock of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"It's a wise woman who knows when to keep her mouth shut, Alex," she informed him with mock pleasantry.

He laughed heartily. "I beg to differ, Audrey. It's a rare woman who knows when to keep her mouth shut."



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Audrey was strapped to a table, and there were blindingly bright lights all around her. She was scared. She wanted to go home and watch cartoons. That's all. She'd never be bad again, she'd never peek into other people's heads again, she promised...If only they would let her go.

A melange of voices streamed in and out of her head, like someone flipping past channels on a radio dial. Stop, stop, just stop thinking so loud--

She heard a whirring. The electric shaver, like the one her dad had at home, but bigger. More sinister. They were shaving her head again.

That could mean only one thing.

No...I don't want them in my head, please, someone, oh, anyone, help me--

"Help me!" Audrey bolted upright, dragging Alex's right arm with her left.

He awakened an instant later, to find Audrey sobbing and shaking, hugging her other arm around her body.

"Audrey, what is it?" His voice was rough with sleep.

"Hurting...My God, make them stop..." she cried.

"Hurting? Who's hurting you?" A nightmare. "What is it? A bad dream?"

She shook her head. "Not me. Gibson." Her tears flowed with renewed fervor.

"Gibson?" She was still half-asleep, unaware of what she was really saying.

"Oh God, Alex, did they really do those things to him?"

His blood chilled. "What things?"

"Th-the things I dreamt about," she whispered, anguished.

Probably, he thought acidly before slipping his other arm around her. He patted her back and, gradually, she calmed. Her sobs subsided into tiny hiccups.

"Better?" he asked, brushing a strand of chocolate-colored hair back from her damp forehead.

Her eyes weren't focused on him. She was staring into space. "Gibson...He's awake."

"What?"

"Let me up, Alex. Uncuff me, now. I have to go to him."

He scrambled to obey, fumbling for the key in the pocket of his button-fly jeans. "Sit still, all right?"

As soon as she was freed, she was off the floor and headed toward the other room.

By the time Alex untangled himself from the sleeping bag, she was kneeling by Gibson's bed. The boy was pale now, but the lack of color was promising. It meant his fever was finally subsiding.

"Alex." The boy's voice was no more than a thin whisper.

Bad dream, Gibson? He didn't bother vocalizing the thought. Gibson didn't need him to.

"Yeah." His eyes went to Audrey. "You were with me. I remember you."

She nodded and smiled. "How do you feel?"

"Better." He studied her for a moment. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"You didn't wake me. I had a nightmare."

The boy's eyes were deep. "Mine."

Audrey didn't quite follow, so she just patted his arm comfortingly. He'd been through a lot.

Gibson smiled. "Go back to sleep, Audrey. I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" She hated to leave him.

He nodded slowly. "Go back to sleep."

"Come on." Alex's hand was one her shoulder. "That's the best thing for all of us right now."

"See you in the morning, Gibson." She stood and headed toward the door.

"G'night, Audrey."

When Alex closed the door behind him, he saw Audrey at the table pouring herself a cup of vodka. "Thought you never drank it," he noted.

"I lied." She downed several swallows, then turned to Alex, eyes blazing. "How did he know my name, Alex?"

"What?" Oh, shit.

"He said my name. He called me Audrey. How did he know?"

"Look, I--"

"Don't lie to me, Alex!" She tossed the rest of the liquor back in one painful gulp. ""Was I really just a random victim?"

"Yes, you were. Gibson...He's special." He seemed to be struggling for the right words. "He's a very special little boy."

"How do you mean?"

Alex sighed, then picked up an empty cup. "Can I have some of that?" he asked, indicating the bottle she still clutched.

She held it away from him. "Not until you tell me why Gibson is so damn special."

"He can read your mind, okay?"

Audrey shot him that look, the one that he was absolutely sure "Spooky" Mulder got all the time. Then she snorted. "Make fun of me all you want, Alex. It's up to you. But you're not getting any vodka until you talk."

Alex reached out, quick as lightning, and grabbed the bottle, snatching it away from her. "That's the truth, dammit. There's a part of Gibson's brain--Look, it's complicated. The bottom line is that Gibson can read minds."

Audrey was still giving him The Look, but at least she wasn't laughing. "He can read minds?"

Alex nodded. "Like--"

"Voices on a radio," she interrupted. "That's what I heard in my dream." She ran one hand through her hair. "What the hell is going on here, Alex?"

"Stick with me. It gets weirder, I promise."

She held out her cup, and it took Alex a second to realize that she wanted him to refill it. When he did, she drank it all in several swallows and held the emptied cup out again.

"Ummm...Audrey?"

"What?" she asked impatiently.

"Don't you think you should, ah, slow down?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Slow down? Slow down? My whole life has been slow, Alex. Too slow, from the looks of things. Maybe it's time for me to speed it up." She took the bottle from his hand and took a swig directly from it. "Care to join me?"

He shook his head. "You've had a bit of a shock, Audrey, I understand that, but--"

She twisted her free hand into the soft cotton of his tee shirt and dragged him to her, planting a kiss on his lips. He barely had time to register the contact before she broke it, grinning at him. "I said, care to join me? In a little game, that is."

He licked his lips and eyed her warily, all five senses on high alert. "What kind of game?"

"A drinking game, what else?" She brandished the vodka bottle proudly, and Alex sighed.

She was already p'yaniya, as his father would say. A little smashed. "What's the game?"

"Poker."

"We don't have any cards."

"The hell we don't," she argued, yanking open her purse. "Where'd they go...Here." She pulled out a box of standard playing cards. "Five card?"

He refilled his cup. "Stud or draw?"

Audrey slanted her eyes at him. "Your call." He replenished her vodka as well, and they sat on the sleeping bags. "Okay, the rules. Loser of each hand does a shot. First person to pass out, throw up, or cry for his mommy loses."

She could be quite a little vixen when she was buzzing drunk. The fit of Alex's jeans was changing, slightly but noticeably, at the sight of her bright eyes and sleep-tousled hair. "All right. Five card stud, no wild cards. You deal."

"No wild cards?" Audrey whistled as she dealt. "Scared I might beat you?"

"What?"

"Don't act as if you find the idea so preposterous, Alex. You've taken all the skill out of the game. Five card, no draws or wilds? That's just the luck of the deal."

"Fine." Maybe he didn't find her so attractive, after all. Little shrew. "Deuces, but that's it."

"Thank you." She shot him a smile.

He picked up his cards and groaned silently. This redefines the term "bad idea", Krycek. He had two kings and a deuce in his hand, which meant that Audrey would have to drink more. Which meant that the inhibitions she had left would go flying out the window...And, judging by her behavior, she didn't have many left at all. And he'd quickly pegged her as the kind of woman who would get very drunk...and very touchy-feely.

Not surprisingly, the prospect filled him with mixed feelings. On one hand, he should stay as far away from her as humanly possible. On the other...It had been a while since he'd--

"Hel-lo? You still with me here, Alex?"

"Yeah."

"Good." She studied her cards. "Then I raise you a shot."

"Wait a minute, you didn't say anything about--"

"Are you in or out, Alex?" She managed to sound bored and irritated at the same time.

"In." She might ralph all over him before all was said and done, but Alex Krycek was still a man who hated to lose. "I'm in."

Her eyes glazed over for a moment before she shook her head, mumbling something about his choice of words. "Then I call."

"Three of a kind. Kings." He spread the cards in front of him for her to see.

"Damn." She did the same. "Pair of fours. Looks like I drink two."

"Audrey, I don't think--"

"That's right, Alex. Don't think. Just do. This shit would be hard enough for me to deal with stone sober. D'you think maybe we could just have a little fun right now? Huh? Do you begrudge me that?"

"No, I just--"

"Then shut up, Alex, and let me take my shots."

"Fine. Two shots. Drink up." If she wanted to drink herself stupid, he'd let her.

Her "two shots" finished off her vodka, and he had to give her yet another refill. Damn, how many is that?

Audrey didn't seem to mind. She seemed to be enjoying herself. "Your deal," she chirped happily.

Five losing hands later, she wasn't chirping. Oh, she was happy, but she sure as hell wasn't chirping. She was curled up, legs tucked under her body, eyeing him. There was a gleam in her eyes that he couldn't place at first. Then it hit him. The Discovery Channel. That special he'd watched, the one with the lionesses stalking gazelles.

Aw, hell. I am only a man, and not the most noble one at that. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part, and not any sort of predatory intent on hers. Maybe he only wanted her to find him irresistibly sexy. Maybe...because that's how he found her. He took a swallow of his vodka.

She clucked her tongue at him, then smiled. "Drinking out of turn, Alex. That's a penalty."

He didn't bother to point out that she'd been sneaking sips of her drink for the duration of the game. "Really?"

"Mm-hmm." She drew herself up to her knees.

He watched her through hooded eyes, as she crawled toward him on her hands and knees. "What's the penalty?" His voice was low, raspy.

"Mmm...Anything I want," she answered, crawling closer to him, close enough to touch. "Anything..." She placed her hands on his shoulders.

"And what is it that you want?"

"This," she whispered, her breath hot against his ear. "Just this." She closed her teeth on his earlobe.

Sparks of electricity shot down Alex's spine, and his arms slid around her, pulling her down onto his lap. "Ever hear that old expression about playing with fire?"

She didn't answer. All her attention was focused on his mouth.

Get your hands off her, you idiot.

"I've heard it," she said finally. "Burn with me, Alex." Then she grasped his face between her hands and lowered her mouth to his.

The analogy about fire had been an apt one, he realized. She tasted like alcohol and heat. There was hunger, too. Hunger for him.

Before he could stop her, she'd tugged his tee shirt from the waistband of his jeans. As her tongue slicked over his, she pulled the fabric up, breaking the kiss long enough to yank it over his head. She recaptured his lips, and her hands were all over him.

More fire, he thought hazily. Her fingers traced his ribs and spine, licking over his skin like little flashes of flame.

She broke the kiss, trailing her now-wet mouth down the side of his face to his neck. Her tongue stole out of her mouth, tasting him.

"Audrey..." he choked.

She was burrowing her face into the junction of his neck and shoulder, pressing open, licking kisses to the soft flesh there. She was hugging his body closer to hers.

"Alex," she breathed in response. The words flowed over his moist neck, and the electricity was back in full force.

That's it.

He leaned forward quickly, laying her back on the sleeping bags, and kissed her deeply, using his tongue to open her mouth.

She moaned deep in her throat, and he pulled away. He needed to see the desire in her eyes, the need for him...She was staring at him. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen and damp from his kisses...

Wait a minute. Even in the waning firelight, Alex could see the lack of focus in her eyes. And her cheeks weren't flushed, they were chafed red by the day's growth of beard he wore.

Shit, shit, a thousand times, shit. She was dog-ass drunk, and had absolutely no idea what she was doing.

He rolled off of her, careful not to spill what remained of the vodka. He cast another look at her over his shoulder. She was already sound asleep.

Alex swiftly cleared the cups and cards off the bags, then rolled her gently into hers. He banked the fire and climbed into his own side of the bag. His nostrils immediately filled with the scent of her, a fact which did nothing to assuage the blood still roaring through his aroused flesh.

He fastened the cuffs around her wrist, then his. The entire evening had upped his karmic score considerably, he was sure of it.



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Audrey woke with the certainty that she was about to die. That knowledge was strengthened when she tried to open her eyes in the mid-morning sunlight. She groaned, and the sound caused her an inordinate amount of pain.

"Headache, Audrey?" Alex's amused voice, while not at all loud, sent sharp spikes of agony through her head.

She flinched. "Go away." Her voice was strained and rough. "Please...Let me die in peace."

"You're not going to die, milyja."

Audrey was about to argue when she heard a rattling sound and opened her eyelids in spite of the pain. "Anaprox?" she whispered hopefully.

"And apple juice," he assured her.

Audrey's stomach roiled in protest. "Water," she croaked.

She missed Alex's smile. Her vision was still unfocused. "Whatever the lady desires...especially after last night."

While he retrieved her water, Audrey pondered his last comment...to the best of her momentarily deficient abilities. "What?"

He knelt beside her on the bags, gently pulling her into a half-sitting position, allowing her to lean back against his chest for support. "What what?"

She opened her mouth to respond and Alex placed two white tablets on her tongue. She washed them down quickly, hoping her stomach wouldn't reject them. "What did you mean, 'after last night'?"

He laughed, a low, throaty chuckle, and slid his arms around her. His warm lips brushed her temple. "You know what I mean."

Audrey's head throbbed. "No, I don't."

Alex smoothed her hair back from her forehead tenderly. "Last night was..."

Oh, God. His tone was intimate, his meaning unmistakable. "I, uh--"

"You do remember last night, don't you, Audrey?" His open mouth grazed her left earlobe.

She was rocked by a sudden flash of memory. She remembered sitting astride Alex's lap, biting his ear and running her hands over his smooth, naked flesh.

Oh, God. She sagged against him.

"All coming back to you now, milyja?"

Audrey struggled for words. "Alex, that--I never meant--" She twisted around to look at him. "It, uh, can't ever happen again. Ever," she said resolutely.

"Really?" he asked. "Now, that's too bad." Then he smiled broadly. "Audrey..."

"What?"

"You should see the look on your face right now."

"What?" He was shaking, and she realized with dismay that he was laughing...uncontrollably. "You..." She trailed off. "Nothing happened last night, did it?"

He shook his head, still laughing. "No thanks to you, though, you lush."

Audrey started to shriek at him, then thought better of it, choosing to elbow him instead. "You bastard. Get off of me."

She scrambled away from him, and Alex watched her go, rubbing his bruised ribs and grinning. "What's the matter, Audrey?"

If looks could kill, Alex Krycek would be dying...slowly and very painfully. "You'd better be glad that I'm hung over, Alex," she told him quietly. "The only thing keeping me from kicking your ass right now is the fact that it would probably cause me more pain than it would you."

She climbed painfully to her feet. "I'm going to check on Gibson."

"I already did. I gave him a dose of the liquid medicine you told me to buy the other night."

"The Tylenol?"

"Yeah."

Audrey nodded and felt a sudden rush of heat come over her. Her head was spinning. She closed her eyes until it passed, but she still felt the need to go outside. Besides, she had to relieve herself as well. She grabbed the roll of toilet tissue again and started for the door.

Before she could touch the handle, she felt a tight grip around her arm and it startled her, causing her to gasp.

"Where the hell are you going?" he demanded. The look on Alex's face was strange. He looked stern and cold and...a little panic-stricken. Audrey was a little frightened by his sudden mood swing, not to mention how quickly he'd managed to cross the room to her.

"Relax, Alex. I just need some air." Audrey felt the heat rush over her again. "Oh God, I'm gonna be sick. Let me go, please?"

Alex freed her, and she was already out the door before he could warn her not to run. "Five minutes!" he yelled after her, then shook his head and sighed. "Women."

"Alex?" Gibson's small voice startled him. He crossed the room and looked in on his young charge.

His face was pale and peaked. He looked worried. "What's wrong, Gibson?"

"Audrey...Is she gonna be okay?"

Alex almost smiled. "Yeah, she's going to be fine."

Gibson grimaced. "She's sick."

"She'll be fine in a little while," Alex assured him.

"But how do you know??"

"Uh..." How in the world was he supposed to explain to a twelve year-old kid exactly what was wrong with Audrey? "She...well, she had a little too much alcohol to drink last night, Gibson."

The little boy blushed. "Oh. Is that why she was..."

"What?"

"Why she was--"

"I'm back!" Audrey yelled suddenly. "Are you happy? Does that make you feel better, Alex?" She sounded angry. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to take more Anaprox, and I'd like to curl up in a little ball and have no one else bother me for the remainder of my life, all right???"

Alex looked at Gibson and sighed. "Think she's mad at me?"

He grinned. "That's a pretty stupid question, Alex."



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The rest of the day passed without incident. Alex stayed out of Audrey's way and, eventually, she began to feel human again. By nightfall, she was fine.

But she couldn't sleep...again. So she was stuck staring at Alex instead.

The gentle, even rise and fall of Alex's breath was almost hypnotizing. Audrey studied his features closely. As the firelight flickered and fell softly across his face, she sighed. It was enough to make a grown woman cry, he was so gorgeous.

She was more certain now than ever that the man who'd kidnapped her from the grocery store parking lot was no danger to her. She'd watched him with Gibson all day, and his concern for the boy was almost as touching as the camaraderie they seemed to share. No, it was impossible to think of him as a cold-blooded killer. She searched the lines of his face, relaxed in sleep, mere inches from hers. He looked...safe.

She could see his eyes, underneath the lids, flitting back and forth. He was dreaming. She wondered what about. His lips were slack, parted slightly, and so soft-looking.

What would happen...?

Audrey suddenly wanted nothing more than to touch that mouth with hers. Would he wake up? Or just weave the kiss in with the threads of his dream, the way she sometimes did when her alarm went off or her phone rang?

Carefully, trying not to wake him, Audrey inched slightly closer. His breath was hot on her face, and she tilted her head to avoid his nose. She stopped a fraction of an inch away, then pulled back from temptation. The last thing she wanted was for her captor to wake up and find her mauling him like a love-starved correctional institute inmate.

She was about to close her eyes and count sheep when a metallic glitter on the sleeping bag caught her eye.

The night was unusually warm, and Alex had elected to sleep on top of the bag rather than in it. The key to the handcuffs was lying next to him on the forest green polyester.

Audrey wondered how the key had managed to fall out of his jeans pocket. The black denim fit him like a lover, clinging jealously, both hiding and revealing his hard, muscled flesh. She'd have thought the fabric was too tight to allow for...

She shook herself. What the hell was she thinking?? The key to her restraints lay inches away from her hand, and she was pondering his pants?

Moving ever so slowly, Audrey picked up the key with her unshackled right hand. She had to be careful not to wake Alex, so it took her almost ten minutes to unlock the cuff around her wrist, then another twenty to situate his right hand so that she could fasten it to the eyebolt in the hearth.

With the final click, she exhaled softly, a breath she hadn't been aware of holding. She was free. Her car keys were on the table, and she could get the hell out of the cabin and never look back.

So why wasn't she going?

Gibson, she thought automatically. He needs me.

But self-deception was one thing that Audrey Grace Miller had never been very good at.

So she stayed where she was.



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Audrey tried very hard not to giggle. It was so damn cute, the way Alex was wrinkling his nose up...

She tickled him again, right under the nose, with the tiny goose feather she'd liberated from the small hole in her sleeping bag. He jerked away and snuffled, throwing his left arm up and over his face.

"Give me a break," she whispered, then cleared her throat. It was like pulling teeth, waking him up.

Alex mumbled something, then rolled away from her. Or tried to, anyway. He ended up twisting his arm quite unnaturally because it was cuffed to the bolt in the hearth.

He woke up rather quickly after that.

"Good morning, starshine," Audrey said gleefully.

It took all of about four seconds for Alex to realize what had happened and drag himself into a sitting position. Luckily, it only took Audrey about three to scramble out of arm's reach.

"Dolboy'eb," he spat, smacking his forehead.

She grinned. "Whoa...Guess those kinds of words don't necessarily have four letters in Russia, huh?"

"Ebat'-kopat'," he hissed, stretching one of his legs toward her in an attempt to sweep her feet from under her.

She jumped back another foot. "Hey, watch it!" She shook a finger at him. "You'd better play nice, Alex, or I'll leave you there...for good." She grimaced. "And watch your language, for Pete's sake. I may not speak Russian, but Gibson might."

Alex barely heard her as he struggled against the metal cuff encircling his wrist. Dammit, how could I be so stupid?

Audrey watched him straining. "You know...I've never been into bondage, but..." She trailed off, then giggled. "This could change my mind."

The look he flashed her would have been frightening...if she hadn't spent the last three days not being scared of him. "You'd better run like hell, Audrey, because when I--"

She waved a hand in dismissal. "Whatever. I don't think you're in very much of a position to be making threats, do you, Alex?"

He recalled using pretty much the same words with her the first night. "What are you going to do?" he asked, angry but resigned.

"What do you think?" Audrey knew what Alex was thinking. She walked to the table and retrieved her car keys. He didn't look the least bit surprised. "Be seeing you, Alex." Then she walked out the door.

Alex groaned and slammed his head back against the wall. He couldn't blame her for leaving, but still...He couldn't deny the betrayal he felt on a visceral level.

She'd left him.

He was wallowing in self-pity when she walked back in several minutes later. She had a large gym bag slung over one shoulder, and she was grinning broadly. "Miss me, Alex?"

He was too shocked to speak, so he simply stared, and Audrey nodded. "I'll take that as a yes, then." She dropped the bag on the floor in front of her, then sat down and opened it. "You know what the wonderful thing about this bag is, Alex? When you snatched me from that parking lot, I was on my way to a neighbor's apartment to deliver the groceries I'd picked up for her. You see, Julia just broke her leg not too long ago, and it makes it hard for her to get out and about..." She trailed off. "Anyway, that's not the point. As soon as I left Julia's, I was headed to Alexandria to visit my best friend, Nicole, and her husband, Barrett. So, getting back to the neat thing about this bag..." She reached in and pulled a small piece of plastic out. "It was packed for my weekend, so it's got all sorts of great stuff in it."

His stomach jumped into this throat when he recognized what she held. A cell phone battery.

She leaned over and snagged the strap of her purse, pulling it off the table. A quick search located her phone. "So, you see, Alex..." She snapped the battery into place. "It pays to be prepared." She flashed him an innocent, smiling look. "Now, if you'll pardon me, I need to make a call."

His temper flared. "Why don't you just get the hell out?" he snapped. "You have what you want: your freedom. Why don't you just leave?"

Her smile grew wider. "Because I haven't finished having my fun yet, Alex." She speed-dialed a number, then waited. "Yes, Sperryville Police Department? May I please speak with Detective Miller in Homicide? Oh, really? No, that's okay. Thank you." She ended the call. "Well, this must be your lucky day, Alex."

"Oh, I was just thinking the same thing," he muttered bitterly.

She nodded. "You lucky day, indeed..." She speed-dialed another number. "Barrett? It's Audrey. No, I'm fine." Her eyes cut to Alex's. "Something just came up, is all." She laughed. "Maybe...You never know. Is Nicole around? Thanks." Alex started to speak, and she placed her hand over the mouthpiece. "You be quiet. What? Nicole? No, I wasn't talking to anyone. Uh-uh." She grimaced. "I know, I'm sorry about that. I couldn't call. I'll come up next weekend, okay?" She paused, then blushed. "No, it's not...All right then. It is a man, does that make you happy? No, you've never met him. No, it's not Mark. You don't know him, okay? I'll explain later. Hey, Nikke? Addy hasn't called you, has she? Um...If she does, tell her that I'm there, okay? Yes, I swear on all that is holy that I will explain this to you later. Okay. You, too, Nikke. Bye."

Alex was staring at her, his mouth hanging open.

"What?" she asked innocently, returning to her gym bag. "This weather is getting unbearably hot...Found it!" She held aloft a white tank top. "I'm getting really tired of wearing this sweater." She grinned, then a perplexed look stole across her face.

"What?"

She bit her lower lip. "I just realized that if I want to change my shirt, I have to do it in front of either you...or Gibson." She tilted her head. "It's not much of a choice to make, is it?" She sighed. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to close your eyes for a minute, would you?"

He grinned wickedly and said something in Russian. While Audrey could not translate the statement, she got the general idea. "Guess not." Her eyes fell on her burgundy cotton scarf, and an idea started to form. She reached over to the table and picked it up. "Close your eyes, Alex."

"Not on your young, charmed life, milyja."

"Fine." She shrugged. "Just sit tight for a moment, then, and remember...If you kill me with your bare hands, we all die." She pulled his gun from the back of her waistband and placed it on the windowsill behind the sink. She put the key to his handcuffs next to it.

Alex watched her approach warily. He didn't know what she planned to do with that scarf, but he knew damned well he wasn't going to like it.

She knelt in front of him, and he considered knocking her in the head. Not hard enough to hurt her, really. Just enough to disorient her for a moment, remind her that she was playing a dangerous game.

Alex wasn't sure why, exactly, but he didn't move.

She leaned over him, sliding the cotton scarf over his eyes, and he knew why he hadn't hit her. He wanted her to have control over him. He wanted to play her game.

She finished tying his makeshift blindfold and whispered, "That's not so bad, is it, Alex?"

Alex had always heard that being deprived of one sense often sharpened your remaining ones, heightening them to the point where they could be used to greater advantage. But he'd never experienced the phenomenon himself. Never, that is, until Audrey's hushed question reached his ears.

He could almost feel her breath on his face, could hear the tiniest of her movements.

"Audrey--"

"Shh. Not now, Alex. I have to change my shirt."

Alex sensed when she moved away. He could hear the rustling of fabric, imagined that he could hear the soft thud her sweater made as it hit the cabin floor. Tiny beads of sweat broke out on his upper lip. In his mind's eye, he could see her, could picture the soft but strong lines of her body as she tugged the tank top over her head.

"All done."

The scarf was removed from his face, but Alex kept his eyes closed. "Audrey..."

"Open your eyes, Alex." He complied. She was standing directly in front of him, holding his gun in her hand. She handed it to him.

He stared at her. Why the hell would she do something like that??

"It's still loaded," she whispered. "Go ahead, check if you want. Call it a gesture of good faith." She bent and unlocked the cuff around his wrist.

She'd planned on letting him go the entire time.

Alex was pissed off. He didn't know if he was angry at himself for being shown up or at her for playing her little game or both, but he was pissed off. He stuck the gun in his waistband and climbed slowly to his feet. "You've never spent any time around wild animals, have you, Audrey?" His voice was quiet and deadly.

"No." She didn't bat an eye as he moved to stand directly in front of her. "I haven't."

He smiled. "Never tease an animal, Audrey, and then let it out of its cage."

"You wouldn't hurt me," she answered, her voice resolute. But she was slowly backing away from his unwavering advance.

Incensed, he grabbed her shoulders and slammed her back against the wall, hard enough to rattle the window casing as well as her teeth. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I mean."

Her brow furrowed. "I just wanted to--"

"Well, don't, okay? Don't try to be my friend, Audrey. It'll only get you killed."

Audrey reached up and stroked the side of his face. "It's going to be okay."

"You just can't stop pushing, can you?" His anger quickly escalating into rage, Alex imprisoned both of her wrists in one hand and held them above her head. Using his body to pin her against the wall, he pulled his gun once again and brandished it between them. "Remember this, the gun you didn't unload? It's a 9 mm. That may not mean much to you, but I can tell you one thing." His voice dropped to a whisper. "It could plaster the top of your pretty little head all over that wall behind you." He pressed the gun's muzzle lightly to her chin.

Audrey shivered. The steel was warm from his body, and, somehow, the press of it against her flesh didn't feel like a threat. It felt like a lover.

Alex dragged the muzzle down, under her chin to the soft skin below. He continued to speak in a gravelly murmur. "Here. The right angle, and you'd never stand a chance." He trailed the gun down her throat. "Have you ever seen death before, Audrey? Up close, I mean. Not on TV. Have you ever been so close to it that you heard it whisper your name?"

When she said nothing, Alex looked in her eyes. She turned her head away from his gaze, but not before he could see that her pupils were dilated, her eyes glazed.

Audrey heard Alex speaking, but she couldn't really make out the words. She was trapped, trapped in his hands, by his body, by his eyes. And, shockingly enough, she didn't give a damn. She just wanted him to touch her.

The tip of the gun barrel reached the edge of the tank top she was wearing. Its weight pulled the scooped neck downward, revealing the delicate swell of her breasts. "Here," he breathed. "A contact gunshot over the breastbone creates a star-shaped wound, you know. It's called a stellate. Have you ever seen one?" Alex wasn't at all surprised to realize that he didn't give a damn if she'd ever seen a stellate or not. He could feel the blood rushing to his already insistently aroused flesh.

She can feel it, he thought. She has to. He had his answer a moment later when Audrey arched her back, pressing against him. Startled by the movement, he unconsciously let go of her wrists, and they slid down the wall, coming to rest on his shoulders.

What the hell...? Alex was shocked. Then he understood. His little terrorist ploy wasn't working. It wasn't fear for her life that was making her shake like a houseplant in a hurricane, making her shallow breath catch in her throat. And her eyes...

She was getting turned on.

Alex was torn. Part of him was appalled, and part of him wanted to drag her down to the floor and sink into her warmth until he'd forgotten what cold felt like.

I'll take door number two, Monty.

He braced his right hand, the one with the gun, against the wall next to Audrey's head, and slid his left hand into the hair at the base of her neck. "You're feeling it too, aren't you, baby?" He angled his mouth toward hers, desire robbing him of finesse.

Audrey came to her senses a half-second before his lips touched hers. She swung her head to the side, and his open mouth landed hotly on her ear. The feel of his breath on her delicate skin made her shudder. "Get off of me," she choked. "Please."

Alex stilled. If she had screamed or railed at him, it would have amused him. But the begging...It hurt.

Audrey watched his eyes, saw the molten heat solidify and ice over. Then he was gone, so quickly that she stumbled without the support of his body against hers.

He said nothing, just walked away, his back to her. For some reason, Audrey wanted to explain herself to him, tell him why she...

"I was just trying to comfort you."

"Well, don't try so hard next time," he said, and his voice was cold and flat.

"For God's sake, you kidnapped me, remember?"

He turned and half-smiled at her. "And you had your chance to leave. Why didn't you take it?"

"Well, I--I--"

He waved her into silence. He didn't really know why, but hurt burned in him, making it hard for him to breathe. So he lashed out. "I don't want to hear any more of your excuses, Audrey. I'm sick of them." He paused at the door, long enough to spare her a single, backward glance. "You're not fooling anyone."



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Audrey entered Gibson's room, closing the door just enough to give them some privacy. She needed to get away from Alex for a few minutes, just long enough to cool off. She was hoping that Gibson would be awake, but as expected, he was sound asleep. She checked his forehead again.

No fever. That's a good sign. She felt a little proud of herself. She was also relieved that her virtually nonexistent (by her own admission, anyway) nursing skills had worked. Gibson was getting better. Her sister Adrienne had always told her that her true calling lay in medicine, but she'd never understood why. Her talent was taking pictures, seizing ephemeral moments on film. Audrey had a knack for it, and she made a damn good living at it, too.

Gibson would be a great subject. His innocence captured on Kodakrome paper forever. Her mind wandered. Alex would also be a wonderful subject. His face has so much character... She could picture the scene, the lighting, the angles, everything. I'd use black and white film, and I'd have him wear black...Oh, stop it, Audrey! Stop...daydreaming. She shook her head, disgusted with herself. She couldn't stop thinking about the man for one moment, it seemed.

She sat on the side of the bed and took hold of Gibson's hand. He had been through so much...Relating to children had never been one of her strong suits. She loved them, but she was a career girl, all the way. For the time being, at least. Nevertheless, the little boy lying on the bed brought out her maternal instincts.

Before Audrey realized it, she was singing a song her mom had sung to her many years ago. Softly, so as not to wake him, she went on. "Smile, though your heart is breaking...Smile, even though it's aching...Although, a tear may be ever so near..."

Gibson stirred. Audrey failed to notice.

"That's the time you should keep on smiling...Smile, what's the use of crying..."

She stopped. Amazingly, she'd forgotten the rest of the words. She supposed it was because it had been so long since she'd heard it. Besides, she was fairly certain that she had always fallen asleep by the time her mother got to the second verse. So, she hummed the melody.

"That's not the one you were thinking of earlier."

The small voice startled Audrey. "Hmm?"

Gibson lay there, groggy from sleep. "You were thinking about a different song earlier."

"You can read minds while you're sleeping?" she asked, intrigued.

Gibson shrugged. "Sometimes. It depends. I think maybe it's 'cause you're holding my hand."

"Perhaps."

"Will you sing the other song to me?"

She hesitated, then started to sing, a low,aching melody. "You give your hand to me, and then you say hello...and I can hardly speak, my heart is beating so...And anyone can tell you think you know me well, but you don't know me..."

Alex stopped outside the door. He'd come back inside to apologize to Audrey, and he'd been surprised to hear her and Gibson talking. Now she was singing.

"No, you don't know the one who dreams of you at night, who longs to kiss your lips and longs to hold you tight...To you, I'm just a friend....that's all I've ever been...No, you don't know me..." She stopped singing.

That's a beautiful song.

"Thank you, Gi--" She stopped cold, and it was hard to breathe. The boy lying on the bed hadn't actually physically spoken.

He was beaming. I knew it, I knew you could hear me...

She had to consciously remind herself to breathe. H-How? How can I hear you?

I don't know. His eyes were huge. Alex can't hear me. Neither can anyone else, not even my mom and dad.

There's got to be a reason. Audrey searched her mind frantically. I'm sure there--

Alex peeked inside the door. "What's going on?" Audrey jumped.

"Audrey's singing to me," Gibson informed him.

"Well, I heard that much." Alex's eyes were on Audrey. She looked nervous, and a little pale. He grimaced. Probably still scared to death from the little stunt he'd pulled. "She stopped a minute ago."

"I forgot the words," she informed him quietly. "I was trying to remember them." She looked at him. "Gibson, I, uh--I think I'm going to go for a walk."

Alex started to open his mouth and tell her not to go far when she turned. "Should I leave my shoes here, or do you think you can trust me for once?" Then she was gone.

Gibson watched him as he sat next to him on the edge of the bed. "You hurt her feelings. That's what's wrong with her, you know."

Alex grimaced, but didn't answer.

"Sometimes, when my dad does something that makes my mom angry, he gets her flowers." He shrugged. "It usually helps, unless he's done something really bad." Gibson paused. "I know there's no florists around here, Alex. That's not what I--"

"Sorry," Alex said firmly. "I didn't mean to be a smartass."

Again, Gibson looked at him in consternation. "That's a bad word, Alex. Not as bad as some of the words you think, but it's still bad." He looked at Alex. "Why do you think bad words sometimes when you think about Audrey?"

He sighed. "'Cause sometimes she makes me so damned mad I can't see straight."

"But you like Audrey."

"Yeah, I do."

Gibson studied him intently. "You think stuff about her."

Great. "Uh..."

"You think about her naked."

Oh, God. This is the last thing I need right now. The birds and the bees with a mindreading kid.

"What does it have to do with birds?" the boy asked, confused.

"You shouldn't be eavesdropping like that, Gibson."

"I can't help it. I try to block it all out, but some stuff still gets through." He frowned.

"Look, Gibson, this really is something you need to ask your dad about."

"I just wanna know, Alex. I mean..." He lowered his voice. "I hear all of this stuff, but I don't know what any of it means."

Alex took a deep breath. Shit. "Okay, sometimes, when a man and a woman..." He trailed off. "Well, not always. Um, look. When two people feel a certain way about each other, then sometimes they..." He lapsed into silence.

Gibson sat very still for several moments, then wrinkled his nose. "What? They what?" He looked at Alex, aghast. "I'm not doing that! Ever."

Alex smiled. "Quite a noble sentiment, Gibson, but I do assure you...You will change your mind."

The look on his face made it perfectly clear that Gibson found the idea disgusting. "I guess it's okay...if you're in love," he finally conceded.

Honesty, Alex. "Love doesn't always enter into the picture, Gibson."

Gibson's smile was serene. He didn't bother to state the obvious. "You'd better go check on Audrey."



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Audrey steadfastly refused to speak to Alex for the rest of the day. Finally, after nightfall, she rolled out her half of the double sleeping bag and held out her left arm dutifully. "Cuff me, Alex. I'm ready to crash."

He did as she asked, using her words as an opportunity to apologize. "Um, look, Audrey...I'm sorry about earlier. I just...You, uh...You scared me."

"Scared you?" she scoffed. "How in the hell could I possibly have scared you?"

"You got the best of me. That doesn't happen. Ever." He eyed her closely. "But then you didn't leave. Why?"

She shrugged, considered her answers, and opted for levity. "Didn't have anything better to do at the moment, I guess."

"No one missing you at home?" The second the words left his lips, he regretted them.

"Gee, Alex," Audrey said dryly. "I may not have a fan club like yours, but I do have a life."

"What I meant was--"

She waved him into silence. "Yeah, I know what you meant." She sighed. "As you already know, I was supposed to visit Nicole and Barrett this weekend."

He nodded. "In Alexandria."

"In Alexandria," she repeated dourly. "And it'll be hell trying to explain this to Nicole. Since I didn't show up, she thinks I'm indulging in some wild affair." She sighed.

"With Mark."

She turned shocked eyes to him. "How did you--Oh, right. I mentioned him, didn't I?"

"You did," he confirmed.

"Nicole won't be worried about me, but my sister...That's another story. I told her I'd call her when I got to Nicole's. When I don't call, she'll go to my apartment, let herself in, and find no trace of me." She nodded. "And then she'll freak out."

"Will she call the police?"

Audrey's lips twisted in a strangely amused smile. "Yeah, something like that."

He couldn't contain the question. "So, uh...This Mark guy...He's not waiting at home?"

Her smile turned enigmatic. "And wouldn't you just love to know?" She laughed. "Mark is just a friend. And there is no boyfriend. I have yet to find a man I consider my equal," she informed him.

He snickered. "Now who's being obnoxious?"

"It's obnoxious, but it's true," Audrey insisted. "What about you? No little woman tearfully awaiting your return?"

She had to have imagined the wistful look that skated across his features. "No."

"Come on, Alex," she coaxed. "Tell me."

He stared at the ceiling. "I don't think anybody's ever tearfully awaited my return from anywhere," he said quietly.

Audrey's throat constricted. Subject change.

Alex took care of it. "So, Audrey...What is it that you do exactly?"

"What do I do?" she asked cautiously. "What do you mean?"

He was silent for a moment. "When you get up in the morning. Do you have coffee, go to work, to the park, what?"

Audrey began to understand. Alex wanted to share what he didn't have. He wanted to share her normalcy.

"I'm not really a morning person, actually. Unless I have somewhere to be, I tend to sleep in."

"Your work?"

"It's a pretty flexible schedule," she admitted. "Most people don't want modeling shots or wedding portraits at eight a.m."

"Is that the kind of photography you do?" His eyes were positively mesmerizing in the flickering firelight. Audrey couldn't look away.

"Mostly. I do some freelance work for magazines, but...I don't know. I'm a people person, I guess. I like to use them as my subjects."

Alex remained silent, and she continued her explanation. "There's something about a photograph, Alex, that's so...intimate. I mean, a good picture can not only capture the essence of what a person is, but it can have a soul all its own." Her eyes were luminous. "It's not just an accurate physical portrayal of a person's body, it's..." She trailed off.

"It's what?" She was beautiful, talking so animatedly of her work. She was happy, something Alex hadn't had the luxury of being in a long time.

She smiled shyly. "It's about what a person physically isn't. I try to convey on film what I see and hear and feel. It's about...life, Alex. Living. And that's what I try to photograph, that elusive whatever that makes people truly alive. Not their hearts pumping blood or their neurons sending signals this way and that." She bit her bottom lip. "Like you," she said finally, hesitantly. "If I were going to use you as a subject, I'd try to show how vibrant you are. There's this pain that you carry, Alex, and, somehow, that pain makes you more alive than anyone I've ever met."

Audrey suddenly became painfully aware of the depth of emotion she'd revealed. Embarrassed, she reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear. She used her favored left arm, the one cuffed to Alex, to perform the nervous action. It brought his hand into contact with her flushed cheek.

They were both still.

Alex curled his fingers around the curve of her cheek, rubbing softly. "I've never met anyone like you, Audrey."

"Like me how?" She licked her suddenly dry lips.

The unconscious action caused an almost painful tension to knot low in Alex's belly. "So...real."

"I am real, Alex."

He rolled his body, sidling up next to her.

She sighed his name, so gently, and it was his undoing.

"I shouldn't." His voice was a mere whisper.

Audrey agreed in theory, but her body wasn't much concerned with theory at the moment. "Just for a minute or two," she urged. "Then we'll stop."

The look in her eyes intrigued Alex. Budding passion was evident, but he saw something else, too. "If you want this, then why do you look like a deer caught in headlights, Audrey?" he murmured.

"Maybe because my brain insists on one thing and my body has a different idea entirely." She smiled softly, brushing her thumb against his cheekbone. "Guess who's winning the fight?"

He couldn't help but smile as he fitted the key in the lock on her cuff. Did she even realize what her admission did to him? "You're pretty good for my ego."

"As if yours needs any help." As soon as her cuff was released, she buried her fingers in the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

He discarded the cuffs, then reached for her again. "Come here, milyja. But just for a minute," he reminded her.

"Of course," she agreed, feeling the pulse beating erratically in his throat. "You'll have to remind me. I don't seem to think clearly when you're around."

"Then that makes two of us." He pushed her hair behind her ear and nuzzled her neck. Her palms flattened against his chest. "I'm going to kiss you, Audrey."

"No argument from me."

He bent lower to kiss the sensitive spot beneath her earlobe. He heard her deep breath, felt her muscles constrict. With his hand on her softly rounded hip, he shifted, slowly, until he was cradled against her small body. His own reaction was immediate and obvious. He felt her stiffen in his arms.

He lifted his head and searched her face. Conflict clouded her beautiful eyes. Slow down, he told himself. He took her hand and brought it to his mouth. His eyes locked with hers and he pressed his lips to the vulnerable underside of her wrist. Her reponse was an honest, spontaneous little cry. His guilt was no match for the desire raging through him, so he dismissed his conscience and slipped his hand around her waist.

Her uncertainty seemed to fuel his need. Alex felt as if he needed to make her want him as much as he wanted her. So he pulled her shirt higher on her ribcage and smiled when he felt the tremor rush through her.

"Alex?"

"Shh," he calmed her. "Just a little more, milyja. Pazhalsta?" He held his breath until she gave the smallest nod of consent. She smiled then, lifting her arms again to his neck. The innocent action caused her breasts to flatten against his chest. Need, stronger than he had ever experienced, electrified him.

Alex bent his head and kissed her with deliberate care and thoroughness. Her warmth was intoxicating, and he was no longer sure his noble gallantry would hold out. He held her tightly, feeling every curve, every inch of her body. A body he'd fantasized about, night after night.

Audrey lifted her head and grinned. "Did you get a bigger gun?" she asked, wriggling her hips a little against his.

Alex laughed. "I'm just real happy to see you."

His fingers twined in her hair, tilting her head back, allowing him freer access to the depths of her mouth. She didn't hesitate when he took advantage of that depth, simply invited him inside. Alex trembled. She was temptation and redemption, and something about the way she responded to him made him feel--

Audrey broke the seal of their lips and reached for his tee shirt, but he didn't miss the slight shaking of her hands.

"Audrey?"

"I just want to look at you," she whispered. He yanked the cotton shirt over his head, loving the way her eyes clung to his bared flesh. She seemed completely fascinated by his skin. She was equally fascinated by the groan of sheer pleasure that spilled from him when her fingers brushed his chest. "Alex?" Her small hands were everywhere at once, and he was dying, but he never wanted it to stop.

When he could no longer stand it, he slid his hand beneath her shirt, reached up and cupped her breast. Her lips parted on a rush of breath and her head fell back against the sleeping bag. He pushed her shirt up, both hands molding her exquisite body. He touched her nipples through the lacy fabric of her bra. His thumbs caressed her slowly, deliberately, coaxing a response.

Audrey moved rhythmically with his touch. The feel of her body so close, yet completely unattainable, was a heady sensation. Alex heard a drumming in his ears as he bent forward and kissed one of the taut peaks straining against the fabric. Audrey made the most incredible sound, then went completely still.

He'd scared her. Too much, too fast. "Baby?" he murmured soothingly, resting his cheek against her breast.

She was quiet, then gasped suddenly. "Gibson!"

The frightened shout penetrated instantly through the passion-drenched haze in Alex's brain.

"Audrey! Alex!" Gibson's voice came from the other room, frantic. "They're coming!"

Shit, Alex thought, scrambling to his feet and yanking open the bedroom door. "How do you know?" he asked, hurriedly dragging his tee shirt over his head.

"They're coming up the drive, Alex." Gibson's breathing was labored. "They'll be here soon."

"Who?" Audrey asked.

"Mulder and Scully. They have others with them, but I hear them. I'm sure."

Alex turned to Audrey. "I don't know how they found us, but we've gotta get the hell out of here. Now."

"There's no time, Alex." She looked at Gibson, then around the cabin. Then she made a decision. "You go. I'll stay here with Gibson."

"That's insane, Audrey. They'll arrest you, and they'll take him right back to that hospital, or another one just like it."

She shook her head and laid her hand on his cheek. "No. I won't let them, I swear. I won't let them take him back." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Now go, before it's too late."

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, kissing her briefly but thoroughly. When he dragged his mouth from hers, he took her hands in his. "They're going to tell you things, Audrey, things about me--"

"Shut up, Alex. The past...it doesn't matter. Not now. Just go, before I have to kick your ass myself."

He brushed her hair out of her face, grabbed his gun and jacket, and was gone.

Audrey drew a deep, shaky breath, then turned to Gibson.

His eyes were huge and shining. "I'm sorry, Audrey."

She smiled. "It's not your fault, Gibson. Now, uh, we have to think of something. They're coming here because Alex rescued you from that hospital, but--"

"They can't know it was him." He nodded. "I won't tell them."

"I know, honey." She sank to the edge of the cot and slid her arms around him protectively. "What we have to figure out is what we are going to tell them."

"I'll think of something," he told her with quiet confidence.

She sighed. She could hear the hushed commotion outside the cabin. The agents had arrived.

The outside door slammed open with an explosion of sound, and Audrey clutched Gibson tighter. He was shaking.

It's going to be okay, Gibson.

I know. I trust you, Audrey.

"Federal agents! Come out with your hands on your head, no weapons!"

Audrey stood and walked to the doorway between the rooms, her hands held aloft.

Three officers were immediately upon her, spinning her around and pressing her against the wall. She could see Gibson still sitting on the bed.

This is what we'll tell them, Audrey...

She listened to Gibson's voice in her head and smiled.



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The ride back to Sperryville was silent. Agents Mulder and Scully, whom Audrey had only seen, had Gibson in their Crown Victoria, and two uniformed officers were escorting Audrey back to the lockup.

One of the cops was the younger brother of a guy she'd dated in high school. He stared, openmouthed, at her for a full minute. Then, "Don't say anything, Audrey. Not a word. I'll get in touch with Adrienne."

"Thanks, Josh." After that, she was mute.

It took only a short while to get back to town, and Audrey smiled. Alex had taken so many turns, she'd thought them to be miles outside the city limits. Alex. She memorized the direct route...just in case.

Once at the jail, Agents Mulder and Scully took custody of her. The tall man with the funky tie introduced himself. "My name is Special Agent Fox Mulder, and this is my partner, Agent Scully. Come with us."

After noting the confused, often concerned looks they were receiving from the officers at the precinct, Mulder turned to his partner. "What's with all the weird looks, Scully?"

"Audrey, what the hell is going on?" The demand came from a woman striding out of Homicide and into the Booking area. She was wearing a brown pantsuit not unlike the ones Scully favored. Aside from her clothing and the fact that her hair was cut in a pageboy bob, she was a carbon copy of the woman they currently had in handcuffs.

"Um...Agent Fox Mulder, FBI. You are...?"

She glanced at the gold shield clipped to her leather belt and rolled her eyes. The message was loud and clear. You're a real bright one, aren't you? She stopped in front of them. "I'm Detective Adrienne Miller. I'd extend a hand in greeting, but I'm rather concerned with the fact that you've got my twin sister in handcuffs, so we'll move beyond the social niceties. What's going on?"

Scully sighed. "Can we take this into an interrogation room, please, Detective Miller? It would...be in your sister's best interests."

Her eyes narrowed, and she looked at Audrey. "Is she under arrest?"

Mulder answered. "No." His tone made it quite clear that fact could change at any moment.

"Can you give us a few minutes alone, then? Please?"

The agents looked at each other. Scully shrugged, and loosed her grip on Audrey's arm. "Five minutes."

"We'll be right over here in Room 3."

As soon as the door had closed behind them, Adrienne turned to her sister. "What the hell is this, Audrey? Why are federal agents dragging you around in cuffs?"

She averted her eyes. "I'll explain later, Addy. I can't right now."

"Why the fuck not?"

Audrey flinched at her sister's language. "Don't curse at me, Adrienne Hope. I can't talk to you right now. First of all, you're pissed off. Secondly, they might arrest me soon. And, last but certainly not least, you might get subpoenaed. I come from a cop family, remember? I know all about res gestae and spontaneous statements."

Adrienne sighed. "I thought you were in Alexandria at Nicole's."

"Shut up, Addy. Please. I'll talk to you later about this, I swear."

Angry coffee-colored eyes met identical pleading ones. "Fine. I'll send the agents in."



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"Let's go through this one more time," Mulder said, sitting down beside her and taking a pencil from the metal table. "You say that you were on your way to Alexandria to visit a friend. But, on your way out of town, you spotted something on the side of the road--an animal, or so you thought. Turned out to be Gibson." He fixed his gaze on her. "You want me to believe that you found him on the side of Route 211 and took him back to an abandoned cabin that you knew of."

"That's right." She met his gaze evenly.

He twirled the pencil, smiling. "If you had immediately diagnosed his fever and meant to treat him, why didn't you take him to a hospital?"

"Because I didn't dare transport him to the nearest one." She leaned forward. "I don't think you realize how sick that little boy was when I found him, Agent Mulder." That much was true, at least.

"He's better now. Why didn't you leave the cabin and take him to the hospital after his fever subsided?"

"Sheesh," she sighed. "You wanna know the truth?"

Mulder's eyes brightened and he sat straighter. "Always."

"Fine, then. I'll tell you. After he woke up, Gibson asked me not to take him to the hospital. Begged me, even. It seems that he has quite a fear of doctors. Especially after all that's happened to him, you know. All the tests."

Scully stepped forward. "How much did Gibson tell you about that?"

"Plenty." Audrey laughed mirthlessly. "Enough to want to keep that from ever happening to him again." She shook her head. "I mean, what is it with you people? Just because he can read minds doesn't give you carte blanche to saw his head open every other day." She was getting angry.

Mulder stilled. "You know about Gibson's ability?"

"Jesus, Addy was right about you. You're not really all that bright. Of course I know. Why do you think I kept him there?"

"Honestly? I think you weren't alone."

"What?"

"Answer this for me...How did Gibson get from Bethesda, Maryland, to Sperryville?"

"I don't know. He couldn't remember."

Mulder stared at Audrey, unblinking, for a full minute, then motioned for Scully to follow him out of the room.

"Agent Mulder?" Audrey's voice stopped him at the door.

He turned. "Yeah?"

Her eyes were cold. "If you let them take him back there, you're just as guilty as they are."

He closed the door on her icy glare.



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"This would be a whole lot easier if Gibson hadn't corroborated every single detail of her story," Scully sighed.

"Maybe she's telling the truth." Mulder's quiet statement revealed his tension.

Scully tilted her head. "Well, we know she's lying about at least one thing, Mulder; someone else was there at the cabin. Her car's gone, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh...I'll touch on that with her later. Can we put her in a holding cell while we check some things out?"

She raised her eyebrows. "We can, but not for long. Her sister's already chomping at the bit to get her out of here."

"So what's procedure around here? Twenty-four hours?"

She pursed her lips and nodded. "We might get that...if we're lucky."

He started to walk away. "I'm going to put out an APB on her car. You see what they found at the cabin, okay? And get a patrolman to put her in holding, will you?"

"What kinds of things do you want to check out?"

He turned to face her, but kept walking backwards. "I want to talk to Gibson again."

She nodded. "Uh, Mulder?" When he stopped, she hesitated. "Do you think she had anything to do with Gibson's disappearance?"

He shrugged. "Stranger things have happened, Scully. Remember Eddie van Blundht?"

"Yes...But thank you, Mulder, for reminding me," she muttered wryly.



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Gibson was watching an old Road Runner episode when Mulder walked in the room. "Hey, Gibson," he called in greeting. "Is this the one where Wile E. Coyote gets something dropped on his head?"

The boy didn't laugh. "Yes."

Mulder grimaced. "Tough room." He pulled up a chair next to where Gibson sat. "I guess I don't have to tell you why I'm here."

"No, you don't." The boy didn't look away from the television screen. "You think Audrey's lying to you. You think she took me."

"No, that's not what I think, Gibson. I think someone else took you, and that Audrey is covering it up."

Without a word, Gibson reached out and shut the TV off. "What do you want to ask me?"

Mulder looked into Gibson's eyes.

"I left the hospital because I wanted to, Agent Mulder. Nobody made me leave." He sighed. "Don't make me go back. Please?" His small voice cracked a little. "I want to go home."

He patted the boy awkwardly on the shoulder. "You're going home, Gibson, okay? You're going home."



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Diana Fowley came striding into the Sperryville Police Station like she was in command of it. Adrienne Miller hated her on sight, and everyone in the station house knew it.

Pay me a dollar, Detective Miller, and you can join my club, Scully thought snidely.

"Diana, I'm glad you could make it." Mulder greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Did you find Gibson, Fox?"

"Yeah, we did."

Scully's chest tightened. So that's why Mulder had been in such an all-fired hurry to get to Sperryville, Virginia, and "rescue" Gibson Praise.

Fowley went in search of the police chief, no doubt to ply him with her questionable charms, and Scully grabbed Mulder's arm. "Is that where you got your information on this case, Mulder? Did she tip you off to this?"

"Yes, she did. What's the matter with you, Scully?" He was conscious of the curious looks they were receiving from the uniformed officers in the room.

She tilted her head back and laughed in exasperation. "I should have known it. I should have known this was for her. No other time would you go running to retrieve that poor little boy and put him back in captivity, like an ape at the zoo."

"Scully..." His tone was wheedling. "I'm not going to--"

"I don't want to hear it, Mulder."

He sighed. "What do you want to do, leave him here? He doesn't belong here, Scully."

"Oh, but he belongs in a supposedly closed wing of Bethesda Naval Hospital. I see." Her tone made it clear that she didn't. "I'm going to check on some things, Mulder. Call my cell phone if you need me."



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Audrey leaned her head against the concrete wall behind her and sighed. Then she felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck. Gibson?

I'm here.

Are you okay?

Fine. Watching cartoons.

Audrey smiled. Wish I had a TV in here.

Are you worried? The question formed slowly, almost as if Gibson was hesitant to ask it.

About what?

Don't lie to me, Audrey. That's one thing about you and Alex that was different. You never lied to me. Don't start now. Please.

Audrey clenched her wet eyes shut. You're right, Gibson. I'm sorry. Yes, I am worried. I'm scared.

The contact was broken for a moment, then, I'm scared, too. I don't want them to take me back.

Where do you want to go, Gibson?

I just want to go home.

Her tears slipped free. "I won't let them take you back, Gibson," she whispered aloud. "You're going home. I promise you that."

Thank you, Audrey.

Gibson faded from her consciousness, and Audrey sighed. It was quite clear that the Feds intended to let her cool her heels for a while. She tried to get some sleep, but the mattress was hard and lumpy, the grey blanket rough against her skin.

Only hours ago, Alex's hands had been where the blanket now lay, scrubbing her delicate skin harshly. She sighed. Why is life like this? she wondered. She'd finally found a man who ignited her mind as well as her body, and he turned out to be a federal fugitive.

She heard keys clanking in the metal lock of her cell and looked up. Then she groaned. "Go away, Addy."

Her sister spoke quietly to the officer holding the door open. "I only need a minute, Steven, okay?"

"No problem, Detective Miller."

Adrienne walked over to the bed. "Shove over, Audrey."

Her twin sister groaned. "Don't you have an autopsy to go to, or some street informants to grill, or something?"

"Slow night." Her dark eyes searched Audrey's face, missing nothing. "Do you need a lawyer?"

Audrey laughed mirthlessly. "Probably."

"You never went to Nicole's." It wasn't a question. "I called her, and she said you were there, but she's not a very good liar."

"Especially not when being questioned by the best detective in three counties." She smiled.

"Stop it, you're making me blush." But Adrienne glowed with pride.

Audrey was silent for a moment. "I didn't do anything wrong, Addy. I swear I didn't." Her eyes were huge, shining with unshed tears.

Adrienne closed her sister in an embrace. "I know, honey."

"They're going to arrest me." her voice was muffled against the shoulder of Adrienne's jacket. "All I did was try to help him--"

"Shhh. We're going to get you out of here, okay?" Her eyes were solemn, and they knew too much that Audrey hadn't said. "Just don't let them break you, okay, kid?"



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"I don't know what else you want me to say, Agent Mulder." Audrey was shaking. "I already told you everything."

Mulder was sitting on the corner of the metal table. Scully had called him on his cell phone and told him to get Audrey Miller back into interrogation as soon as possible. "Whether or not you've told us everything remains to be seen, Ms. Miller."

"I don't know why you people even bother with the law when you operate outside of it."

"What?" Mulder's tone made it clear what he thought of her assessment.

Audrey was angry. "You don't even care about what's right. If you did, Gibson would be home with his parents right now, instead of sitting in a police station, watching cartoons and wondering where he's going to be tomorrow."

Mulder stilled. "How did you know he was watching cartoons?"

"What?"

He leaned forward, his hazel eyes intense. "How did you know Gibson was watching cartoons?"

"I, uh--"

The door opened and Audrey fell silent. Scully entered the room, carrying a manila folder. The look she flashed Mulder spoke volumes. "Ms. Miller, I think you should know that we found a pharmacy receipt with your things at the cabin." She tossed the folder on the table. "This contains stills pulled from one of the store's surveillance cameras during the time indicated on the receipt." She opened it and extracted an 8x10 enlargement. "Do you recognize this man?"

It was a grainy black-and-white shot, very poor quality, but it was unmistakably Alex. "No."

Scully arched an eyebrow. "Really? Because I do. His name is Alex Krycek. He's a liar, a thief, and a murderer. He killed my sister, as well as Agent Mulder's father. That makes this case very personal." She pulled up a chair and leaned close, her voice quiet. "Audrey, I know you did nothing wrong. As a matter of fact, Gibson is probably still alive because of you. I just want to find Krycek. That's all."

Audrey stared at her for a long moment, then spoke. "I've already given you my statement, Agent Scully. Now, if wanting to help a sick little kid is a crime, then charge me. If not, don't push me." Her eyes were bright with tears, but she said nothing more.

Scully motioned for Mulder to follow her outside. She headed into the observation room. As soon as the door closed behind them, she sighed. "What do you think?"

"I think something weird is going on here, Scully." He told her about Audrey's uncanny knowledge of Gibson's activities. "It's almost as if--"

"As if she can read his mind, too," Scully finished, then sighed. "Mulder, don't you think we'd better focus on the facts of the case. For now, anyway?"

He was still reeling from the revelation that Krycek was involved, and nodded. "All right. We have positive ID from the drugstore?"

Scully nodded. "A pharmacist who was on duty that night recalls Krycek purchasing the items on the receipt. She says that her pharmacy tech can corroborate."

"Anything from Bethesda yet?"

"No, and there's not likely to be, Mulder. I'd say the hospital doesn't want it known that Gibson was even being kept there, much less that Krycek was able to just waltz in and take him." She shook her head. "We're not going to get evidence or testimony from anyone at Bethesda."

Mulder swore under his breath. "So it all rests on her." He glanced at the one-way mirror. Audrey was staring at the table. "He was there, Scully. I know it." He looked at her, his face thoughtful. "Do you suppose he threatened her?"

She almost laughed, then shook her head. "No. That's not a frightened woman, Mulder."

"So why the hell is she lying?"

"Don't get me wrong. I do think she's protecting him, but...I think she's acting of her own volition."

"But why?"

Scully rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. "Apparently, Krycek can be a very charming man. The pharmacist at the drugstore was quite taken with him. Even you once believed he was on the level. Maybe Audrey believes he's innocent."

"Innocent, my ass." Mulder's expression was bleak as he turned back to the observation mirror.

Scully touched his arm. "Don't worry, Mulder. We'll get him."

"Do you think Detective Miller would put a composite out on the wire for us, Scully?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't count on getting too much assistance from this precinct, Mulder. I don't think Detective Miller likes us very much as it is. If we ask her to help us find a man her sister swears wasn't even here--"

Mulder snapped his fingers. "That's it, Scully."

"That's what?"

"That's how Audrey Miller can read Gibson's mind. She's a twin."

"Oh, well that explains everything, doesn't it?" She didn't even bother to disguise her sarcasm.

"Yes, it does." His eyes were bright, his voice eager. "There have been numerous documented instances of empathic communication between children of multiple births."

Scully sighed. "Mulder, even if you could prove the existence of those links, Audrey isn't Gibson's twin. Why would they share a bond of that sort?"

"Well, what if all it took was that little bit of extra sensitivity? Just enough to make her receptive to his thoughts?"

She flashed him an exasperated look. "Are you even remotely interested in my take on this, Mulder?"

His answering look told her he wasn't.

She gave it to him anyway. "What if Audrey's sister told her what Gibson was doing? And not via some sort of empathic link, either. By good old-fashioned voice delivery." She held up a sheet of paper and waved it in Mulder's face. It was the visitors' log from Audrey's cell. "Adrienne Miller signed in to see our suspect two hours ago, Mulder." She shook her head. "This is so like you, you know."

"What do you mean by that?" He was beginning to get a little offended.

"I mean that your answer is right here on this piece of paper, Mulder, and you're looking for an X-File." Then she laid a hand on his arm. "Sometimes, Mulder, what you see is what you get." Her reassuring touch turned into a death grip. "Mulder, look."

Diana Fowley had just walked into the interrogation room. Scully reached over and turned the volume knob up as far as it would go. "She's not authorized to interrogate our suspect, Mulder."

"No," he answered quietly. "She's not. Shh."



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Audrey eyed the brunette who'd just walked in.

"Hello, Audrey. I'm Agent Diana Fowley of the FBI."

Audrey sighed. "Look, I already told Mulder and Scully that my statement stands. If you guys don't get off my ass, I'm lawyering up."

The taller woman's smile was cold and calculating. "I don't give a damn about you or your statement, Audrey. You're going to tell me what I want to know, and you're going to tell me right now."

Audrey arched an eyebrow. "Really? 'Cause I must say...Your attitude makes that highly unlikely."

"I'm not in the mood for games, so I'll just ask you. Where's Krycek?"

"Krycek...Krycek...Oh, you mean this guy?" She pointed to one of the camera captures on the table questioningly. "I don't have a clue who he is, much less where he is," she shrugged.

Fowley sat on the edge of the table. Her smile grew wider and colder. "Don't lie to me."

Audrey's gaze didn't waver. "I don't know anyone named Krycek."

"Let me tell you something, and you'd better believe it. I hold your life in my hands. If you cross me--"

"If I cross you, what?" Audrey stood, the legs of her chair grating on the floor as it slid back. "What's going to happen?"

The taller woman glanced at the door, then back at Audrey. "I could have you erased, that's what."

Audrey's eyes widened in sudden comprehension. "That's right. Fowley...I remember now. Gibson told me all about you. All about your plans for him once you get him away from me, and from Mulder and Scully." Her voice was accusing. "You're with them."

Her cold smile turned smug. "Tell me what I want to know, and I might let you live."

Audrey grinned. "Go to hell, Agent Fowley." Her inflection made the title a curse.

"Fine," she spat. "You just signed your own death warrant."

Audrey was seriously considering kicking the other woman's bony ass. She's taller, but I think I can take her. She was still pondering the prospect when the door opened and Agent Mulder stuck his head inside.

Fowley backed off immediately, smoothing her hair. "Did you need to see me, Fox?"

"Yeah, Diana, I did." He walked in and said to Audrey, "You can go now. Agent Scully will walk you out."

"Great." She turned to Fowley, thoroughly enjoying the shocked look on her face. "Whenever you feel up to it, I'd love to continue our conversation."

She walked out the door without a second look. Scully was waiting outside. "No need to accompany me, Agent. I know my way out."

The redhead fell in step beside Audrey anyway. "You're not leaving quite yet, Ms. Miller."

She sighed. "Wonderful. The party never stops with you folks, does it?" She stopped walking. "Would it be out of line for me to ask where the hell I'm going now?"

"To say goodbye to Gibson. He's going home."

Audrey eyed Scully warily. "Home home, or back to the hospital home?" she asked suspiciously.

"Home, with his parents. Agent Mulder is going to accompany Gibson to the airport. His parents will be notified of his incoming flight."

"Is he well enough to travel?"

"I think so...Thanks to you." Scully smiled hesitantly at Audrey.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you letting both of us go?"

Scully's smile faded. "Mulder and I were in the observation room just now. We heard Fowley threaten you." She stopped in front of a door, her hand on the knob. "How did you know she was one of them?"

"I didn't," Audrey answered honestly. "It was a hunch, I guess. But I didn't know until just now." She felt the strange but somehow familiar tingling in her spine.

Audrey?

I'm here, Gibson.

I'm going home, Audrey.

I know. She smiled. Finally.

Yeah. I didn't tell them about Alex.

Good job. Neither did I, kiddo.

They didn't believe us, but they trust us now.

Audrey turned to Scully. "Are you going to open the door so I can give the kid a hug, huh?"



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It took Audrey a solid hour to get out of the station house. Her sole consolation was that Agent Scully would be fielding the police chief's questions for some time yet. He didn't like it when one of his favorite retired captain's daughters was detained unnecessarily for questioning, especially when it was all because she'd tried to do a good deed.

Gibson was en route to the airport. From Dulles International, he and Agent Mulder were flying to Johannesburg, South Africa, where they were meeting Gibson's parents. Audrey smiled as she drove Adrienne's car to her apartment. She was going to miss that kid, but she'd kept her promise to Alex. Gibson was going to be okay.

She'd begged off Adrienne's invitation to dinner. She knew that what her sister really wanted was an explanation, and she wasn't quite prepared to give it...yet. All she wanted was to go home, take the longest, hottest shower known to mankind, and crash. She'd sleep for about a week, and then she'd call Adrienne and tell her everything. Well... She blushed. Almost everything.

She erased all the frantic messages from her machine as she shed her clothing in heaps all over her apartment. Three from Nicole, five from Addy, and one from Mark.

An hour later, she emerged from the steamy bathroom and headed straight for her bed. Two hours after that, she was forced to acknowledge that, exhausted as she was, sleep just would not come.

She knew why. Slowly, almost against her will, she rose from her bed and began to dress.



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She was nearly to the cabin before she realized that it was her destination. She was hoping against hope that Alex would be there. She was sure he would be long gone, but... "There's always the benefit of the doubt, Audrey," she whispered to herself.

There was no car to be seen when she pulled up. Her heart sank, but she still felt compelled to get out of the car and go inside.

She ducked under the yellow police tape blocking the doorway and made her way slowly through the cabin. "Alex?" she called. "It's Audrey. Are you here?" She took quiet, cautious steps. There was nobody to hear her but, for some reason, she was afraid to make noise.

She called out to him again, softly, as if she could conjure him out of the early-morning air with the sheer power of her voice. She reached the bedroom entrance and stood in the doorway. "Alex? It's all right, I'm alone."

When all she heard were the birds outside, chirping happily, she finally resigned herself to the fact that he was gone, and so was her chance to see him one last time.

Audrey staggered to the bed. She felt heavy, leaden, as if her body had just remembered that she hadn't slept for days. She was also drained from driving and from being grilled by Mulder and Scully.

She remembered when Alex had threatened her with his gun. What about that had turned her on so much? She was getting a little warm just thinking about it. But she was never going to see him again...

A tear squeezed from beneath her clenched lids. "Alex, where are you?" she whispered achingly.

"Right here, milyja."

For a single, insane moment, Audrey thought that she'd lost her mind, invented her own Alex, and she almost laughed. Until she realized that the room was filled with a scent that could only be his. Her eyes flew open.

"Miss me, Audrey?"

She exhaled on a shaky sigh. He was breathtakingly gorgeous in faded blue jeans and a denim shirt. His shirt was hanging open, revealing the v-neck white tee shirt beneath. "Alex. You came back."

He cleared his throat. "I, uh...wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine. Gibson is on his way home to his parents right now." She smiled reassuringly. "Everything is fine."

"They weren't too hard on you, Mulder and Scully?" He took an involuntary step toward her.

She shook her head. Why the hell are we talking? Why isn't he holding me? "It wasn't bad," she confirmed, then grimaced. "Well, except for that Fowley bitch threatening to kill me..."

Alex's blood ran cold. Audrey obviously had no idea how serious or real that threat was. But he'd take care of it. He'd protect her.

God, she's beautiful, he thought achingly. Her hair had air-dried, he could tell. It fell around her shoulders and face in a wild tumble of waves, and it begged for his touch. Her lips were parted and soft-looking, and he needed to-- "Uh...I'd better go."

Audrey's eyes widened in protest. "But..."

"Really, Audrey. It's not safe here. For either of us."

Hurt was radiating off of her in almost tangible waves, and he steeled himself against the urge to comfort her.

"Why did you come back here, Alex?" she whispered, and her heart was in her eyes.

"I needed to--" Jesus, Alex. At the very least, you owe her an honest answer. "I needed to see you. I wanted to...I wanted to be with you again."

It was all she needed. She stepped closer, close enough to touch. "Then stay with me. For just a little while."

He had to get out of the cabin, and fast, before he bowed to the screaming demands of his body and did something they'd both live to regret. Think, Krycek. Do you really want to have this on your conscience?

He knew the answer.

Audrey's body, her love, was a gift he shouldn't take. It was also a gift he couldn't refuse.

She caught the look of pain on Alex's face, though it was gone in a flash. "Alex..." she whispered. "This isn't easy for me, either. I don't know what the hell is going on. The only thing I do know is that I want you, no matter what." She reached inside his shirt, seeking the warmth of the flesh beneath. "Please don't walk away from me."

How could he refuse such a plea, when it seemed to come from his own soul? Alex shuddered when her small hands traced his ribcage. "I'm not the kind of man--"

Her finger was suddenly on his lips. "Shh. I don't want to hear that, Alex. Because, whether you know it or not...You are."

His denim shirt dropped to the floor beneath her tiny, questing hands. She raised on her tiptoes, seeking the contact they both craved so desperately.

A groan escaped his throat as his mouth closed over hers. The sensation of being welcomed home stole through him. Too provocative, too much what he needed but didn't want to. And yet he couldn't turn away from her. She was too perfect, made just for him.

"Perfect," he whispered into her mouth.

She smiled and touched the tip of her tongue to the corner of his mouth. "So are you."

Another groan slipped from him, low and guttural. He buried his face in her neck, breathing hard. "Audrey." The word was both plea and demand.

She was kissing his neck, pressing her teeth gently against the vein that pulsed wildly under his skin. He felt her lips travel to the neckline of his tee shirt, then inhaled sharply when her hands found the warm skin at his waist as she pulled his shirt from his jeans.

"Your skin is so hot, Alex."

She pushed the soft cotton up to reveal his chest, then lowered her face to his muscled flesh. The gossamer-light trace of her tongue as she moved it against his heated skin made him shudder and threatened his control.

He'd allowed himself to be touched, but never seduced. Not like this. She pulled the cotton shirt over his head. This was an act of surrender, and yet he had no choice in the matter. Not with Audrey.

He claimed her mouth again, losing himself in her, until he rediscovered a need he'd thought dead and buried. The need to be cherished, to be...loved.

It terrified him, but the forbidden thrall of it enticed him even more. Darkness was all he'd known where sex was concerned. Love and need had always led to pain and betrayal, so he'd long ago turned away from both.

"Alex...please..." Her voice was raw with need.

He shivered. "I'm not--I can't be--" He swore through gritted teeth.

Audrey knew what he meant. She closed her eyes and nuzzled his chin. "It will be enough, Alex."

He calmed. Audrey deserved more than he could ever give her, but he'd give her everything he could. And he could give her pleasure.

He loosened his grip on her, then yanked off his tee shirt. "Raise your arms up, baby."

"What?" Her voice was rough, her eyes heavy-lidded.

He wrapped his fingers around her wrists, then lifted them over her head. "Like this." His hands urged her sweater up and off her arms. It landed on the floor in a tangled heap of navy knit, leaving her naked to the waist, save for a positively sinful scrap of black lace and satin.

Audrey shivered, her nipples tightening from the sudden cold, as well as from his lingering appraisal of her body.

Alex held her at arm's length, gazing at her hungrily. With his fingertips, he traced the soft skin above the scalloped edge of her bra. Then he hummed appreciatively and ran his hand up and down her spine, making her shiver.

"I've imagined this," he told her, his voice low. "In my mind I've undressed you, looked at you, touched you, just like this."

She looked away, experiencing a wave of shyness in the face of his intensity. Her hands fluttered upward, trying to hide herself.

"No," he cautioned, catching her hands. "No need to be shy, Audrey. In my mind, I've already kissed you all over. Here," he said, kissing her right shoulder. "Zd'yes, i zd'yes." He turned her and lifted her hair away from her body, pressing his open mouth to the back of her neck. "Everywhere, Audrey."

He skimmed his hands around to the front of her body and cupped the weight of her breasts through the black lace of her bra. He pressed tiny, wet kisses between her shoulder blades and then up and down her backbone, licking her lightly.

Weak with desire, Audrey closed her eyes and leaned her head back against his shoulder. She was intoxicated by the pleasure of his touch, by the warmth of his bare flesh against hers. "Alex, please..."

He closed his teeth around the delicate shell of her ear. "Please what, Audrey? Say it, baby. I want to hear you say it."

"I want you," she confessed, reaching behind her to grasp at his hips. Her hands landed high, and her fingers slid down his skin, under the waistband of his low-slung jeans. "I want you inside me."

Alex's harsh moan scraped across Audrey's nerve endings, already made hypersensitive by his wet mouth and large, capable hands. She sagged back against his chest as his hips thrust against her. She could feel the insistent press of his arousal, and she felt lightheaded, dizzy. "I can't stand up, Alex," she laughed unsteadily.

"Me either. Luckily for us," he told her, nibbling her earlobe, "we don't have to." He swept her up in his strong arms and carried her the few feet to the bed, laying her down gently.

The sleeping bag he'd put on the bed for Gibson remained. "Looks like the police forgot something," she whispered. Alex was removing his jeans, and she was offered a view of his magnificent body, clad only in boxers. She was suddenly very nervous.

"I'm glad they forgot to take the bag," he whispered, unsnapping her jeans. "Very glad." He leaned over and kissed the soft skin right below her navel as he pulled the denim down her legs. "You look awfully comfortable," he noted, tracing circles on her belly. "Can I join you?"

Audrey was petrified. The heavy, lazy sound of Alex's voice was doing insane things to her, as was the sight of his barely-clad body. But she had no idea how to react. So she raised her arms shyly. "Yes."

The bedsprings creaked as Alex shifted the weight of his body onto hers. "Just tell me what you want, Audrey..." he whispered, burying his hands in her hair.

"I don't know, " she gasped, tangling her smooth legs with his rougher ones. "Alex, I don't really...I don't have much experience with this sort of thing," she confessed.

Alex had already figured that out for himself. "How much is not much?" he asked, rubbing his cheek against her satin-clad breast.

She hesitated. "Um...Not much...at all."

He raised his head and stared at her, openmouthed. "You're a virgin?"

She glanced away. "You don't have to make me sound like a leper," she protested.

"No, baby, it's not that. I just..."

Just what? Just felt like someone had told him that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny both were real, and that wishes on stars came true. Audrey wanted him, and only him. No other man had ever tasted what she was so sweetly offering him.

He felt twenty feet tall, and bulletproof besides.

"I won't let it hurt, milyja, I swear it..."

Audrey closed her eyes and nodded. "I know, Alex, but I...I don't know what to...do."

He knew how much the admission cost the proud, stubborn woman beneath him. "Just do whatever you feel." He moved up her body, until he could reach her mouth, and he kissed her softly.

She shivered and wound her fingers through his hair. He scraped his teeth carefully across the sharp ridge of her collarbone, then to the valley between her breasts. "You're so beautiful, milyja...Moy."

"What does it mean, Alex?"

"Mine." His eyes were hot, and they stayed locked on to hers as he lowered his head once more. "Mine." He nipped the lace edge of her bra with his teeth, catching a tiny bit of skin as well. At her gasp, he murmured an apology and used his tongue to soothe the flesh.

Audrey sighed, her back arching slowly. Alex seized the opportunity, sliding his hand beneath her to release the hooks of her bra. When her breasts were bare, he worshipped them slowly and carefully with his lips and tongue, leaving no part of them unkissed. He relished the soft moans and shocked little cries that spilled from her, shaking his head when she bit her lip to contain them. "No, baby...Don't hold anything back from me."

She smiled a little and arched her hips into his. "I could say the same, Alex." She was beginning to understand the heat coursing through her body. Even in her innocence, Audrey instinctively knew that release lay in Alex's claiming of her. "Take me, Alex. Don't make me wait."

"Hold on, Audrey...I have to find..." He began to move, and Audrey's legs slid around his waist, locking tight.

"Where are you going?" she asked devilishly. "We're not finished yet."

The groan that escaped him was a little tortured. "I know, baby...We are far from finished." He stroked a lock of hair back from her forehead. "But I want to make sure you're protected."

"Oh," she squeaked, blushing bright red. Then she smiled. "Check the back pocket of my jeans," she told him.

"What?"

"My jeans. The back pocket."

He reached off the bed and did as she instructed. "And where did a little innocent like you get a condom?" he asked, secretly delighted that she had planned on this as much as he had.

"Pays to be prepared, remember? Now shut up, Alex. I want you, and I'm tired of waiting."

He smiled. "Myedlina, Audrey. Slowly." He removed her panties, and did the same with his boxers. Then he quickly sheathed himself with the protection she'd brought. "This might hurt, Audrey, but I swear I'm going to try--"

"Shh, Alex. I trust you." Her eyes were shining, eager. "Show me."

He positioned his body carefully over hers, wrapping her legs around his waist once more. Slowly, bit by bit, he joined their bodies. He kissed her, drinking in the tiny cry that she couldn't stop, then dragged his mouth from hers, tasting the single tear that seeped from under her lashes.

His breathing was labored. "Do you want me to stop, Audrey? I will, I'll--"

"No," she whispered, awed. "Don't stop, Alex, please..."

He shifted against her experimentally, and was relieved to feel her body move instinctively against his. He rocked his hips against hers, just a little, then harder.

"Alex!" She gasped, nails digging into the flesh of his back.

He gritted his teeth as pain and pleasure shot through him simultaneously. "Hurt?" he panted.

"Yes...No...I don't know," she whispered, her voice breaking. He rocked against her again, changing the angle of his body slightly, and she cried out his name.

Her back arched, and Alex urged her body closer to his. She was clinging to him tightly, her legs clutching his waist, her arms around his body. Alex was staggered by sensation, dimly aware that his hips were flexing against her and that she was answering with erotic, inviting movements of her own.

"Hold me," she begged, kissing him deeply, slipping her tongue in and out of his mouth and filling him with a hunger and warmth that almost frightened him.

He moved inside her easily, nuzzling his face along her shoulder, kissing her, biting her, licking her throat when her head fell back and she cried out to him again and again.

"Alex..." She was shaking.

"I'll hold you, Audrey," he promised, and squeezed his hands into her hips, lifting her higher and tighter against his body.

She fell forward against him, clutching him to her as they moved, her fingers threaded through his hair. She blindly sought his mouth, needing more familiar contact to anchor her in this new maelstrom.

He could feel the convulsions sneaking slowly through her body, and quickened the pace of his thrusts.

Audrey moaned, and her eyes went wide. "Alex, what--"

He silenced her with an open kiss, humming low in his throat to soothe her. "It's okay, milyja," he panted. "It's--"

She made a high-pitched keening sound and dragged her hands down to his back. The inarticulate sounds she made against his shoulder as her pleasure crested spiked through him sharply, driving him to the edge of sanity, of reality.

Alex arched into her in one final, explosive thrust that made his head sag back even as his fingers dug into her skin and she gave him more--more of her body, more of her soul, more of everything.

When he was finally spent, they collapsed together, still joined, still one, their skin slick with sweat, their breaths mingling.

All Alex could manage to do was nuzzle her face and hold on to her with the same exhausted grip she had on him, whispering to her. "Lubimyja..."

Audrey surrendered to exhaustion, and she fell asleep cradled in his arms, in his heart.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning sun was high overhead when she awoke. Alex was gone, as was every trace of him. All he left behind was a note.

Audrey read it silently.

Dear Audrey,

There are so many things I want to tell you...about me, about my past, but I'm afraid you'll hate me. That would hurt too much.

You have brought out emotions in me that I thought were gone forever. I tried to fight them, tried to fight you, but you have won the battle. You are amazing, you are intelligent, and you are beautiful. Don't ever let anything or anyone, myself included, change you.

Please understand why I had to leave. I can only promise to return, milyja. Soon.

You'll be safe now, don't worry.

S lubovyu,
Alex

Audrey didn't know she was crying until she saw the droplets falling onto the page she held. She swiped at them with one hand. Dammit, she would not carry on like some sniveling sixth grader at the conclusion of a summer-camp crush. She would be strong, and she would hold her head high. Because Alex Krycek was the most amazing person she'd ever met, and loving him could never be a mistake.




~~ The End ~~