Category: Vignette; and I'm going to leave it at that...
Spoilers: Not a one...
Title: Stop and Go
Disclaimer: Special agent Fox Mulder is a fictional character and property
of Twentieth Century Fox, Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen Productions. I do 
not own him and it was not my intention to infringe on any of their rights
as owners when writing this piece of literary appreciation.

© May 1999 
MKSlasher@aol.com

***

	A yawn escaped from Mulder's mouth once again as he desperately 
tried to stay focused on the road ahead. He was no more than ten minutes
from his apartment building. He could make it.	

	Glancing at the clock it changed from 3:13 to 3:14. The harsh, neon
glow of the numbers hurt his aching eyes. Everything hurt.

	His car whizzed down darkened streets, and passed shops closed for
the night. It sped through fresh puddles of rainwater that had collected
into murky pools during the early morning hours. The sky was black. Coming
into the city the bright stars dissolved in its vastness, their twinkle
dulled by street lamps and stop lights.

	Mulder slowed as he came to an intersection and the light changed
from green, to yellow, to red. His eyes fell closed, and while he waited he 
allowed himself to tilt his head back and rest.... just for a moment. He
lifted a hand to the base of his neck and attempted to loosen the knot that
had formed over the last fifty or sixty miles.

	Opening his eyes Mulder scowled at the still red light. Irritated
that it had yet to change, he thought about driving on through, but decided
against it. It took too much energy to care.

	From across the street movement caught Mulder's weary eyes. From a
position against the brick wall of convenience store, a man had been
watching him as Mulder sat in the stopped car. He stepped out of the shadows
and took several strides in Mulder's direction. 

	As the man approached, Mulder's heart jolted as a surge of
adrenaline shot thorough his body. His first instinct was to lock all the
doors, but what good could that really do in a situation like this?

	The man stepped off the curb not bothering to look for traffic. The
light had changed to green, but Mulder paused, lingering unsure of what to 
do.

	The man approaching wore an expression of exhaustion that hung on
his face as he walked around the front of the car, passing through its
headlights. His breath came in cold puffs as the air outside froze the
moisture. Mulder stared, half in shock, half in disbelief as the stranger
walked around to the other side of the vehicle and opened the door. He sat
down as the door slammed, briefly catching Mulder's gaze. Reaching over his
shoulder he pulled the seat belt down and fastened it in place. Mulder had
not stopped staring.

	The man slowly turned his head to look at him. Even in the dim light
Mulder could tell he'd been waiting for some time as his body shook at the
sudden heat. The man cocked his head to one side as green eyes fixated on
Mulder's face, scarcely blinking. Hardly daring to breath he leaned closer,
examining Mulder's features. The greens eyes followed every curve, every
contour of his face while his quivering lips had yet to speak. It was as if
he were trying to remember something he'd long since forgotten, desperate to
bring life to a dying memory.

	Mulder swallowed, his brow furrowing in the confusion. A look of
concern washed across the man's face. 

	"Stop." A hand came up to gently touch Mulder's forehead, as if to
soothe away the cause of such pains. Mulder felt the fingers leave his
forehead, and travel over the bridge of his nose. He felt it cross his cheek
bone and caress his jaw line, his thumb coming to rest on Mulder's chin. A
subtle curl touched his lips.

	"Wha-?" 

	Giving Mulder a grin the shattered the vision before his very eyes,
the man stole a look at the light. Settling back in his seat, with the nod
of his head, he said, "Go."


***
Finis. Send comments (good and bad) to: MKSlasher@aol.com