Mulder had spent the week taking care of Scully's apartment. He had even donned an apron as he went about his housekeeping duties. He found that once he got the stereo going that it made the housework much easier to handle. Granted, he wasn't exactly jamming to classical music like Scully would have been. No, instead he was letting his spirits be carried away by classic rock. Oh yes and the occasional Elvis song would also be played as well. He knew if anyone from the Bureau saw him now they would laugh their asses off. Then again, whoever thought that "Spooky" Mulder would be wearing an apron and doing housework? At this point, he didn't care. He would do anything to help Scully. He knew she would have enough to deal with once she got out of the hospital anyway. And he planned to be with her every step of the way as he promised. He could just see the look on her face when she walked in her door and saw her apartment all-sparkling clean. He had to admit seeing a smile on her face was a motivator for doing what he was. She had the most beautiful smile to him. It just accented everything about her. He turned up the stereo as he used the feather duster. "Slow ride!" He sang using the feather duster like a guitar. "Take it easy!"

"Mulder?" Came a voice from behind him.

Mulder jumped, clearly startled by the voice and sent the feather duster into the air. He turned around and found Skinner staring at him oddly. "Walter? How…how did you get in here?"

"I knocked on the door but there was no answer. I found the door unlocked so I came in. I judged by the…loud music that there was someone in here." He glanced at Mulder's apron and gave a smirk.

"I….thought it would be best to wear while I was dusting." He quickly turned down the stereo. "I just didn't want Scully to come back to a dirty apartment you know?"

Skinner eyed him strangely. "Sure. Anyway, I just came to tell you that she is being released this afternoon."

Mulder's eyes brightened. "She is?"

Skinner nodded. "Her doctor's have deemed her healthy enough to leave the hospital. But she is going to require constant care."

Mulder made a pose in his apron. "That's what I'm here for."

"You plan to take care of her?"

Mulder nodded. "It's already been arranged. Since I don't have a job as of now, I am perfectly capable of taking care of her."

"You really think that's wise?"

"No offense, Walter but it's none of your business. I almost lost my partner. I prayed that she would come back to me and she did. She's saved me in more ways than one in my life and now I intend to pay her back in my own way. And since I'm out of the FBI it won't matter anymore about our relationship."

"You're thinking of going beyond a platonic relationship?"

"We were contemplating it just before the undercover operation, yes. I had planned on taking her out to dinner that night you know.

"Just be careful."

"Walter, the last thing I would do is want to hurt, Scully. She's….everything to me. I mean, who knows? We may go out to dinner and find out that having a romantic relationship isn't what we want anyway." He paused. "But I can't spend the rest of my life wondering what would have happened had we tried. But I promise you that I won't hurt her no matter what. To hurt her would be like cutting my arm off."

Skinner gave a half smile. "I don't know why but I always suspected you two would end up in a romantic relationship."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Guess it came from seeing just how deeply you care for one another. Anyone that would risk what you did for Scully in front of OPR as well as how she has risked her career for you. Well, there just had to be something there to fuel that. Just take good care of her."

"I will." Mulder took off his apron. "What do you say, we have a little drink to celebrate Scully's homecoming before we venture to the hospital?"

"You read my mind." Skinner answered as he followed Mulder to the kitchen.

Scully sat up in her hospital bed with her mom and Bill in the room. It had been days since she had been able to move about without being held back by tubes in her nose and arms. It had been a long week for her but now she had received the news that she was going to be allowed to go home. Her mother of course had instantly volunteered to take her in but she had told her that it was Mulder who had stepped up to the plate.

"I can't believe you are just going to leave her to be attended by that…that man." Bill Scully replied looking at Margaret.

"Bill…"

"I mean, come on, Mom! He was almost responsible for her death in that stake out!"

"He saved me, Bill." Scully answered looking back at Bill coldly. "He risked his life to come in that room."

"That's not what the FBI said, Dana."

"It doesn't matter what the FBI said, Bill. I know because I was there." She paused. "Were you?"

Bill huffed at her before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

"You'll have to excuse him, Dana. He's just concerned for you is all."

"I'm just sick and tired of him putting down, Mulder, Mom. He doesn't give him any respect at all."

"You know how Bill is, Dana. He only chooses to see his side of things and no one else's. He sadly has some of that Scully bullheaded ness." She smiled at Scully. "Kind of like someone else I know?"

Scully smiled back. "Ok, point taken. I just wish he would lay off, Mulder. He's really a good person, Mom. And to be honest…I'm glad he's taking care of me."

Margaret took her daughter's hand. "I know, Dana. But you know you are going to have to call me every day to let me know how you are doing. That's the only stipulation I have about letting you go with Fox."

There was then a gentle tapping at the door as it creaked open. "Am I interrupting?" Mulder asked with a smile.

Margaret turned to him. "Hello, Fox. And no you weren't. I was just telling my daughter how she is in good hands with you."

"Gee thanks, Mrs. Scully. I promise I'll take good care of your daughter."

"I know you will, Fox. If she can't be with me, I can't think of anyone else she should be with excepting you."

"Yeah, well I ran into someone on the way in here who told me otherwise."

"Don't listen to him, Fox. I wouldn't just entrust my daughter to anyone you know." She turned back to Scully. "Do you need me to help you get dressed Dana?"

"No, I'm ok, Mom."

"Ok. Well I brought a change of clothes for you here in this bag." Margaret handed her the bag.

"Thanks, Mom."

Margaret smiled. "I'll be waiting right outside the door ok?" She kissed Scully on the forehead before walking out of the room.

"I'll be waiting outside too. That is unless you want ME to help you get undressed. I'm usually pretty good at that part." Mulder replied with a smirk.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm afraid of. No thanks, Spooky boy I think I can manage."

Mulder gave her a pouty look. "Fine." He then kissed her hand. "I'll be right out there with your Mom ok? Just call if you need anything."

"I will." She watched as Mulder approached the door. "Mulder?"

Mulder turned around. "Yeah?"

"Thank you for doing this for me. Agreeing to take care of me, I mean."

"I told you there was nothing I wouldn't do for you, Scully. And I mean that." He gave her a smile before walking out and closing the door behind him.

Scully let out a sigh. "He's such a wonderful man. I don't care what Bill says, he is." She slowly rose from her bed and pulled out the pair of blue jeans and t-shirt from the bag that her mother had brought along with a bra and clean underwear. She picked them up and headed into the bathroom, keeping the door half way open since she was the only patient in the room and would hear if anyone else walked in the room. She undid her hospital gown and slid it slowly down her body until it fell to the ground. She looked back in the mirror and for the first time could clearly see the scars that had been left behind from Jeremy's knife.

Her head jerked as she began to have flashbacks of Jeremy cutting her across the face and neck. She could still feel the cold steel of the knife as it tore into her skin. Glancing down she saw the scars and stitches from where Jeremy had stabbed her in the stomach. She could still hear his voice just before he gave her the nearly fatal stab.

"And now my sweet, Dana…you die!"

She flinched as she could feel the knife entering her stomach again, ripping into her tender flesh. She closed her eyes as tears trickled down her cheeks. It was slowly starting to come back to her now. Her doctor had told her that her memory of the incident would eventually return but would start out in bits and pieces each time. She put on her bra carefully. "At least it's over." She whispered. She then felt coldness move across her face and gasped. The entire room suddenly turned ice cold and she could even see her own breath as she breathed. She looked around trembling as she rubbed her shoulders to keep warm.

"Do you really think it is, sweet, Dana?" Came a voice from nowhere.

Scully turned upon hearing the voice. "Who is that? Hello?" She called toward the room from the bathroom. "Is….is someone here?" She swallowed. "Is someone…" It was at that moment that the bathroom door slammed shut. She ran to it and tried to open it but found it locked. "Hello?" She shouted through the door as she pounded. "Can someone here me?" She pounded again. "The door is locked could someone…" She once again felt a cold draft in the room and stopped pounding. This time the breeze slowly drifted up her body. She trembled violently as it felt as if hands were touching her.

"Did you miss me, sweet, Dana?"

Scully instantly recognized the voice speaking to her. It was a voice that she would never be able to escape from. "No." She whispered. "It's….it's just all in my head. I'm just….I'm just having head trauma."

The breeze rustled her hair. "Oh no sweet, Dana. I am indeed here and intend to finish what I started. Look into the mirror and you will see."

Scully slowly turned around and looked into the mirror. Her eyes widened as she saw the face of Jeremy slowly start to materialize. "No. Oh god please no." She watched as the face gave an evil smile. She screamed before fainting and falling to the floor. The face gave an evil laugh before disappearing.

Mulder was waiting outside the room with Margaret when he heard the scream. He turned to Margaret. "Did you hear that?"

Margaret nodded before running into the room. She noticed the bathroom door closed and knocked. "Dana?" She knocked again. "Dana?" Not receiving an answer she looked at Mulder.

Mulder walked up and knocked. "Scully? Scully, can you hear me?" He knocked a second time. "Ok, Scully I'm going to bust in there if you don't answer me." He waited for an answer. "All right, here I come. 1…2….3!" He threw himself against the door and kicked it as hard as he could. After a few tries, the door swung open and he ran inside where he found Scully lying on the floor. "Scully?" He bent down to her and cradled her head.

Margaret came in after Mulder. "Dana!" She went and sat next to Mulder. "What happened? Is…is she ok?"

Mulder nodded. "She appears to be breathing. I think she fainted."

"From what?" Margaret asked looking back at him.

Scully's eyes then flew open and she started to squirm in Mulder's arms. "No! No! Keep away from me!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Scully. Hey, hey take it easy! It's me. It's Mulder."

Scully stopped moving and looked into his eyes. "Mulder?"

"The one and only." He was surprised as Scully buried her head in his shoulder and started to cry. "Ssssh, it's ok. You're safe now. I'm here. Your mother's here."

"Can you tell us what happened, Dana?" Margaret asked giving her a concerned look.

"I…I saw him." Scully whispered as she raised her head slightly.

"Saw who, sweetie?" Margaret asked as she caressed Scully's hair.

"Jeremy. I…I saw Jeremy. He was here….in this bathroom…in the mirror."

"Jeremy?" Margaret asked.

"Jeremy….Jeremy Reinsfeld."

"The serial killer?" Margaret gave her a smile. "Dana, honey he can't get you anymore…he's dead. What you saw was just in your imagination…"

"I saw him, Mom! He was here!" Scully turned to Mulder. "You believe me, don't you, Mulder?"

"Mrs. Scully I think you should stay in here and help Scully get dressed."

"I think that's a good idea, Fox." Margaret answered as she helped Mulder slowly get Scully to her feet.

"I'll be right outside ok?" Mulder replied looking at Scully.

"Mulder…"

"Ssssh." Mulder answered putting a finger on her lips. "Just get dressed and then I can take you home ok? We can talk more then."

"O…ok." Scully replied trying to smile.

Mulder smiled at her and touched Scully's cheek before walking out the door and closing it behind him. He took a seat on the hospital bed and put his hands together. Was it true? Had Scully really just seen, Jeremy? He began to recollect what Jeremy had said about killing him would not be the end but just the beginning. Did what Scully claimed to have just seen an indication of that? Or was it just all in her head?