There was a trail of blood leading down the hall, faintly starting in the elevator and growing in strength all the way under Agent Mulder's door, and to the couch inside. There lay the missing agent, gone for about three days until he suddenly reappeared in his apartment. He was seen sullenly trudging to the elevator, coated in an ever increasing amount of deep red. It began dripping from his once-pristine white shirt cuffs as it became too saturated to contain the heavy liquid, layered on from the inside. It was thick like paint. It soon stained the carpet in the hallway, which he would have to pay for, and soaked the poor couch through. Traces of it were smeared across Scully's smooth hands as she ran her hand across Mulder's forehead to briefly check for a fever. She had strode in minutes before, as she had been notified by the landlady. Or rather, the landlady called the police and the police told Skinner that his agent had returned, and word reached her through their ever-faithful boss.
Mulder's eyes had long been closed, and he sighed deeply at her touch.
"Where were you?" Scully asked, with a tone in her voice that said she wasn't expecting a truthful answer, or an answer at all.
"...Places, Scully. I was in places."
"That's not very helpful, Mulder. Can you tell me at least who did this to you?"
He grimaced, and his eyes flickered open to stare into hers.
"I don't remember. I don't even know that I knew in the first place. I just remember walking to my car, and...darkness. But also light."
Scully's lips tilted downward into a frown. But despite her stern exterior, she was glad he was back.
She had been worried.
"Mulder..."
Mulder reached up to touch her face, his bloody fingertips accenting her quickly developing blush. "I know."
Scully smiled gently, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. She instinctively licked her bottom lip as she returned to her slightly bent over position, but regretted it. It tasted of Mulder's metallic blood.
"L-let me get you some water, or something." Scully attempted to be calming. "You wait there, and rest." She walked to the small kitchen, and Mulder tried to sleep.
His nap was interrupted, however, by a crash, accompanied by a small shriek of shock. He bolted upright and dashed to his kitchen. Scully was kneeling on the floor, attempting to pick up shards of a broken mug. She looked up at him as he entered. "I dropped a cup. I'm sorry. You go back and sit down; I can clean this up." Mulder shook his head and knelt, beginning to help her pick up the sharp pieces. Scully had gained a couple new scratches on her hands from the cracked cup. Their hands touched, and their blood mingled. She looked at him solemnly, and suddenly started to cry. Mulder pulled her into his arms.
"What is it?"
"I...I...I was scared. I know, I shouldn't have been; you do disappear so often. But I didn't think there was anything to trigger you leaving. I thought I had done something, perhaps."
"No, no. You did nothing."
"Are you sure?" Scully looked at him expectantly.
"I- No. I'm not sure. But I would forgive you anyway. I will always forgive you. Besides, most things aren't your fault. Most things are me being dumb like usual. I probably said something I shouldn't have to someone important." He tilted her face up, and smiled weakly. "Do you remember that day, after the whole thing with the Queen Anne?"
"Yes, I do."
"I told you I loved you."
"Yes, you did."
"I was telling the truth. I have always loved you."
"I know." Scully smiled back. "I know."
Mulder knew not to expect a returned statement of emotion. Scully was not one to make her affection known. He did not, however, expect her to kiss him. Which she did do, with a passion he had never really seen in her before. It was fueled by a mix of feelings; namely, love, but also joy and relief. She did not usually show her heart like this. Not to him. But he was the person she opened up to the most, so somehow, this didn't even feel out of the ordinary. It felt right.
They sat there on the kitchen floor for a while longer, as the room filled with warm, afternoon sunlight. Scully had relaxed into Mulder's welcoming arms, and they breathed in time with each other. Finally, after years of strife and worry, Mulder felt at peace with himself and the world around him. While there were still struggle they would have to fight through, at least they would be together.