Cabbages and Kings

Part 5/?


After some time, I awoke and realized I was running my hand up and down his chest. When he saw I was awake, he raised a brow. "You ever going to get me out of these?"

I sighed and stood up to search again. There was nothing heavy or sharp enough to be useful though. If I were to get him out of this, I would have to look around outside the room. I walked to the door.

"I thought you weren't going to leave me alone," Alex sounded nervous. I could understand why.

"What else can I do? I have to take a chance if I'm going to find something." I opened the door and was about to step out when I heard the sound of running. "Hello!" I called out.

"Mulder?" I heard Scully yell back.

"We're over here!" I shouted in relief.

"As I turned back, Alex glared at me and hissed, "You bastard."

It took a moment before I realized he was naked on the bed, chained and completely helpless. Strange how used to it I was already. I rushed over and pulled the blanket up over his waist.

"She's going to kill me!" he protested.

"No, she won't," I assured him. "She'll find a way to free you." I knew this was true. Scully didn't hate him like I always had. When she saw his situation, she would help.

Before Alex could respond, Scully entered the room, breathless from running. When she recognized Alex, she pulled her gun--until she realized the position she was in. Slowly, she turned to me. "Creative interrogation techniques?"

I felt a blush staining my cheeks. "I didn't do this to him, Scully. I found him like this," I turned to Krycek for support, "tell her, Alex."

Krycek nodded. "It was a pirate calling himself Fox Spendrell, the 'Black Fox' who did it. Mulder here was about to rescue me... but he can't find anything to get me out of these chains," he rattled the cuff holding his arm and glared at me.

She turned to fix me with an icy gaze. "You two have been acting out fantasies, while I was worried sick about you?"

"No!" Krycek protested, before I could say a word. "Honestly, Scully. It wasn't Mulder who did this. We were *not* playacting, thank you very much. Mulder and I have *never* been on sexually intimate terms before!"

Scully's attention was brought back to Krycek and she approached him cautiously.

I had a feeling she was looking at the faint welts on his chest. Alex allowed her to look at his back as well and I saw her wince. "What happened?" she demanded of him.

"Master punished me for saying the wrong things. Look, Scully, I've had a really rough week on this ship. I would prefer to just forget it. Couldn't you just get me free?"

"A week?" I repeated, "I was on board for at least two weeks."

"At least you weren't chained to the bed for your entire trip!" he retorted.

Scully gasped. "Weren't you allowed up for exercise or... anything?"

Alex shook his head. "The Cap'n made sure I got plenty of exercise right here in bed, though,” he assured her, sarcastically.

She glanced at me, and then turned her attention back on him. “I hate to get involved, but I have a responsibility, Krycek, will you let me check you over for … damage?”

Realizing what she was about, I protested, "Scully, I hardly think,"

Krycek blushed deeply, “Is that really necessary?”

"It might be. If you were seriously used in such a matter, there could be complications. I won't take long," she assured him.

When Krycek reluctantly nodded, she pulled a pair of gloves from her pocket and a penknife.

Krycek stared at her apprehensively, and slowly turned over.

I knew arguing with Scully would do no good when she was in doctor mode, so I simply stepped forward and laid a hand on his back, rubbing tense muscles.

Scully glanced at me briefly but didn't protest--probably because Alex was relaxing, thereby making her task easier.

I tried not to watch as she examined his ass, probing inside to feel for damage, but couldn't help looking down every so often.

Minute trembling traveled through Krycek's back as Scully examined him. I rubbed his shoulder, hoping it was a comfort to him.

Finally, she stepped away and pinned me with a piercing glare. "Other than the fact that he has been recently *used*,"

I felt a blush creeping into my cheeks again.

Scully continued, "he doesn't seem to have any major damage. There was no tearing or blood. You were lucky, Alex."

"The Captain was always careful," Alex acknowledged.

"Scully, could you pick the lock with something in your bag?" I interrupted, really not wanting to discuss this any further.

Scully dug into her bag and got to work on the manacle around Krycek's wrist.

Finally, curiosity got the better of me. "What happened while you were there?"

He grimaced. "It's like I told you before, I followed you here and a storm destroyed my boat. The Captain dragged me out of the water while I was unconscious. I awoke to find myself like this. He entered with food and questions. He named me Lexi and promised not to share me with his crew if I pleased him. I didn't take him seriously, at first. I thought he was you, you know?" he shrugged, "Anyway, he wasn't really so bad, after I got used to him."

I nodded, thinking the scenario sounded familiar of what Lexi told me. "Were you always chained like this?" I wondered.

Alex blushed. Interesting.

"Usually he only had my ankle shackled, but this morning, I was being punished for calling him..." he hesitated, "well, anyway, he made sure I ate well and had books to read. If it weren't for the bed slave thing, it wouldn't have been too bad," he admitted. "So, what happened to you?"

"They fished me out during a storm. The doctor diagnosed me with amnesia and I was led to my room. In 'my' bed lay a man resembling you. He seemed pretty accustomed to his position though and was frantic when I refused his advances. Actually, he was devoted to the Captain. I think he may have had Stockholm syndrome. When we overtook another ship, he learned of my interest in another prisoner and was positive I was planning on replacing him... Oh, I told you that didn't I? Well, anyway, he was really jealous, and he tried to kill himself."

"He only had one arm, too?"

I nodded. "He lost it during an excavation. He was an archeologist before his enslavement."

"An archeologist?" Krycek sounded suspicious.

I wondered why, but was distracted from questioning him, when I heard a click. Scully had finally gotten his cuff free.

"There were archeologists in the 1700's?" he sounded disbelieving.

I nodded.

Scully interrupted our conversation to say, "I want you both to have a psychological evaluation when you we return." She moved to Krycek's ankle. "It really sounds like some sort of identity crisis or something. That is if you're sure you weren't just play-acting."

Krycek glared at her as he stretched his wrist and then held it out imperiously, towards me. I obliged and began rubbing circulation back into it; surprised he would trust me enough with the responsibility. Then to Scully, he spoke, "I did not imagine myself as a bed slave, nor as an archeologist," his voice was quite indignant.

I nodded my agreement. "As for myself, I admit to a lot of fantasies, but none have ever included Alex Krycek. When I think of him, my fists are usually involved, not my dick."

"Mulder!" Scully sounded shocked.

I felt a bit guilty, so I changed the subject. "How long was I gone?"

"This is the third day."

"Three days?" I repeated. "But, I was on the ship for at least two weeks." I glanced at Alex, releasing his wrist. He looked back at me with a speaking look.

Aloud, he demanded, "Let's get off of here!"

I agreed and began looking for clothes to put on Alex.

Scully finally picked the last lock and Alex scrambled off the bed, forgetting modesty in his haste to reach the pants I held out. I saw Scully glance at his ass before she quickly averted her gaze.

'Yes, Scully' I thought, 'that ass is fine.' Now if I could just get it back in bed, my bed this time, I would be a very happy man.

He tugged on a shirt and followed me to the door. We stepped out and I called to Scully, who was wandering around the room, looking at the stuff on the desk at the moment; "We’re going topside, we'll meet you there."

Neither of us wanted to stay on this ship any longer than necessary. Investigation of an X-File and becoming an X-File were two entirely different situations.

We stood on deck waiting for Scully, when I heard Langley calling for me. I went to look over and saw the Gunmen in a medium sized yacht. I turned to nod at Krycek, who nodded back and we moved to get off the ship.