TITLE: Cold Case

Author: Skinfull

Rating: PG

Classification: MT

Disclaimer:Not mine, no profit, no harm.

Summary: Some believe that some cases are never meant to be solved. Mulder is not one of them

Feedback: Love all feedback. Thanks in Advance!

Author's notes: Written for the November Longer fic challenge on Mulder Refuge :)

Cold Case

By Skinfull

West Highway

Cedar River Road

Seattle

Fox Mulders lungs hurt from the cold. His eyes fought away the darkness as he came to, but he didnt think there was anything he could do to rid himself of the searing pain in his head. The thermometer in the car had registered eight degrees before the crash, so before climbing from the wreckage he had pulled on his thick downy coat and wound a scarf around his neck. But he couldn't protect against the cold wind he breathed in. It seared his throat and made his chest ache, his lungs spasm into rattling coughs.

The bare trees surrounding him were encased in ice, their branches glistening with their winter weight. The ground beneath him was snow covered and frozen so he took care as he tried to fins his way back to the road. Silently thanking god for all his working limbs he tentatively put his hand up to his forehead where blood oozed from a small gash just beyond his hairline.

It took twice the effort to stay on his feet as his eyes dimmed and darkened under the strain. Second thoughts rummaged around his head as he wondered if he should have stayed with the car but time was precious and he needed to find her.

The muscles in his legs were trembling as he leaned heavily against a thick tree trunk and dared to take a few breaths. Deep stinging pains speared his chest and his body was about ready to give up. As he pushed himself away from the tree his hands scraped off the sharp bark but they were so numb with the cold he felt nothing. The sound of rushing water pierced the winter silence and he looked up to see the swollen banks of the river.

His mind whirled with the thought he was going in the wrong direction and as he turned to go back through the forest his feet slipped on the slick surface and he fell. Rolling down the snowy hill he fumbled for grip but there was nothing to grab, weeds and fallen branches accompanied him on his slide as he reached the bank and plunged feet first into the frozen water.

Immediately he was stung with the icy cold water as it found it's way around his clothes and gripped his skin with artic ferocity. His body stiffened as his blood pulled away from his limbs and he lost all control of his fingers. The current was powerful and it pulled him down stream twisting him and turning him relentlessly around the water where he took in mouthfuls of frozen water. Gasping as his head emerged from its frosty grip Mulder watched as the spinning world around him blackened out to nothing taking his pain and discomfort with it.

A/N: Just a little teaser to get us started...a little MT? A little Case File? A little MSR? YAY!