Mulder went to the kitchen and prepared a bowl of potato chips. He was anything but tired and planned to do a little research on his own. He was glad that he had picked up some various junk food choices for he knew that Scully herself would never hoard such items in her apartment. After taking care of the chips he opened up the fridge and took out a thing of sour cream and onion dip. He also grabbed a bottle of beer and placed them both on the counter. He took a look at the items in front of him. "Ah, now THAT'S a good combo!" He placed the sour cream on top of the bowl of chips and grabbed the beer bottle with his other hand before heading into the living room.

Walking over to a table he set his items in front of Scully's laptop. This was something that he always did when he was at his own computer at home. He had to admit it was nice to have more room since a laptop didn't take up as much space as a personal computer. "Yep, more room to spread the junk food items out." He replied as he set the chips down along with the sour cream. He took a swig from his beer bottle as he turned on the laptop. "Ok, so far it's just like my computer." He then glanced down at the keyboard. "Ok, so maybe it isn't entirely. Where the hell is the mouse?" His hands fumbled around the laptop. "What the hell kind of computer doesn't have a mouse?" The ringing of his cell then interrupted his exploration. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out before answering. "Hello?"

"Mulder, it's Skinner."

"Oh hey how's it going Skin man?"

"You know I hate it when you call me that!"

"Yeah but this time I can get away with it cause you aren't my superior anymore." Mulder answered as he grinned. "Anyway, what's up?"

Scully lay in her bed clutching her pillow as she slept. She slept peacefully for once unlike her previous days. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was sleeping in her own bed for once instead of a hospital one. She never thought it was possible to miss a bed that much but now she did. It also made her feel secure to know that Mulder was just outside the door. As she slept, her mind kept replaying what had happened in the living room. The way his lips had felt on hers. His hands brushing over her bare skin. How wonderful it felt when his tongue was exploring her mouth. The way his hands played with her breast and his tongue flicked over her nipple. A smile crept across her face as the vivid movie continued in her mind. If only he had known how much she didn't want him to stop.

Inside the bedroom a mist began to form casting an almost foggy look over everything. The mist began to swirl slightly until it finally began to take a form. The mist continued to conglomerate until the end result became a human shape. Jeremy stood at the end of the bed and gave an evil smile. "Strangers in the night, exchanging glances." He sang softly. "Although we are not strangers are we my sweet, Dana?" He asked as he looked down at Scully's sleeping form. He then chuckled slightly before he disappeared and was once again replaced by mist. The mist moved to the side of the bed and slowly pulled the sheets away from the bed.

"I was just calling to see how Agent Scully was doing." Skinner answered.

Mulder glanced at his watch. "Any particular reason why you're calling after midnight?"

"Mulder, you know how things are right now. If the FBI found out that we were conversing, it would make things worse. I'm calling you when there is no one else around."

"Ok, I get your point." Mulder answered before taking a chip into his mouth.

"Since you mentioned about it being midnight, I guess I should ask just why you are still up?"

"You could say that things here have been anything but dull."

"Meaning?"

"Let's just say that I don't need to be working on the X-Files because I have one right here." Mulder answered before eating another chip.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, first things first. I'm at a laptop and haven't used one in quite some time. Can you tell me where the hell the damn mouse is?" Mulder asked. "You give me that info and I might be able to elaborate a little more on what's going on here." He took a sip of his beer.

"The mouse is at the bottom of the laptop." Skinner answered. "It's large and square and should have two rectangles at the bottom of it. That is if Agent Scully has the same kind of laptop that's normal. In order to move the mouse you move your finger over it."

Mulder looked down at the laptop and found the item that Skinner was describing. He placed his finger on it and watched as the cursor moved. "Well, I'll be a son-of-a-bitch!" He studied the mouse some more. "Uhhh…how do you get it to click on something? You know…get to go to something?"

"Click on the left part of the mouse." Skinner answered.

Mulder did as instructed and watched as it did what he needed. "Ah, there we go. It's all starting to come back to me now. You see, Scully started bring her laptop for field assignments since mine meant with an unfortunate accident."

"Accident?"

"Let's just say there's so much hitting a laptop can take before it stops working." Mulder answered as he went to a search engine and typed in some key words. "Ok, let's do some research."

"Care to tell me what you're looking up?"

"Actually, I'm looking up hauntings and ghosts."

Skinner let out a laugh. "Please, tell me you are kidding!"

"I'm afraid not, Skin man." Mulder cleared his throat. "Sorry, I mean Skinner. There has been some unusual activity that does not warrant normality."

"Like what?"

The mist slowly crept up Scully's leg and started to pull down her pants.

"Mmmmm." Scully moaned in her sleep. She could feel a breeze brush across her now bare legs and panties. She shifted back and forth as she moaned once again. "Mulder, yes."

The mist moved up to her pajama top and started to undo the buttons one by one until her chest was exposed.

Scully craned her neck as she felt lips slowly trailing across her bare breast. A gasp escaped her as she then felt a tongue playing with her nipple. "Oh god, Mulder!" She could feel hands moving sensually down her body and she moaned as she arched her back. She then felt her panties being slid down her legs ever so gradually. "Yes, take me, Mulder. I'm ready now." She whispered.

"Well, I didn't tell you but when I went to pick her up at the hospital, she saw something in a mirror."

"Something? What?"

"Well, she claimed that she saw Jeremy Reinsfeld. And at first I thought she was just stressed out from her ordeal."

"But..something happened later to tell you that wasn't the case?"

Mulder looked at the laptop screen and clicked on something in the top corner. "Yeah she was taking a bath here and something tried to drown her."

"What?"

"She said that when she was in the bathtub that it felt like something was holding her under the water. And when I heard her screaming I tried to get in the bathroom and I couldn't." He read a paragraph on the screen as he continued to speak. "And the mirror also mysteriously cracked in the bathroom before it happened."

"And just what do you think this is? A ghost?"

"Why not?"

Skinner sighed. "Mulder, you know what Agent Scully has been through. Her mind is not mentally stable right now. She's going to need time. She'll probably be reliving these traumatic events for who knows how long?"

"Yeah, I was thinking along those same lines earlier too. But it appears my research is proving otherwise." He paused. "Signs of spiritual activity include objects disappearing and possible objects breaking. Mirrors are known to crack and possibly shatter…"

"Mulder…"

"There are documented cases of spirits haunting an individual." Mulder continued as he read the paragraph. "One instance has to do with a loved one who refuses to believe they are dead and chooses to hold on to them. This type of situation never allows the dead person to rest and causes them to wander. This particular kind is usually not with bad intentions." He paused. "Although hauntings are usually connected with an area, usually a house. Hauntings of individuals are very rare and usually turn out to be a poltergeist."

"There you go, Mulder. Agent Scully is certainly NOT a house."

"But she said she heard his voice…"

"Like I said, Mulder its stress." Skinner answered. "And please tell me you don't intend to come to the conclusion that Agent Scully is being haunted based on that?"

"Actually, I have an expert coming over tomorrow to see if she can substantiate that."

"She?"

"Yeah, she's someone who knows a little more about the spirit world than I do. Hard to believe isn't it?"

"Look, just promise me that you'll be careful with this ok? Agent Scully has been through enough as it is. The last thing you want to do is be lured into something that will worsen her condition."

"Believe me, the last thing I would want to do is hurt her." Mulder answered.

"Fair enough. I'll try and call you again in a few days. Take care of yourself and Agent Scully."

"I will. Talk to you soon and take care yourself." Mulder hung up his cell and went back to his chips and dip as he continued to read. "When hauntings do occur it is usually due to some type of violent event which happened in that particular place." He took a sip of his beer. "The..spirit is attached to a particular area because it has unfinished business. This can also hold true in the rare cases of individual hauntings." Mulder raised his head. "Unfinished business."

Scully continued to moan and writhe on the bed as she felt her body being touched. She then heard some humming in her ear.

"What were the chances we'd be making love?" Jeremy sang softly as he placed his hand between Scully's legs. "Mmmmm….yes my sweet, Dana."

Scully gasped as she felt her pink lips being caressed. Her eyes then shot open as her brain registered the last words uttered. She looked up not to see the man who had touched her earlier but one who already had and was the cause of all her pain. "No." She whispered.

"Hello my sweet, Dana. Did you think that I had gone? Oh no I can't do that. You see I have some unfinished business." Jeremy gave her an evil smile and licked his lips. "We were so rudely interrupted before, weren't we?"

Scully shook her head as her heart raced. "No, this…this isn't happening. It's….it's just a dream."

"You were the one who escaped me. And I just can't allow that."

"Mulder!" Scully screamed as she sat up. She then felt her throat being constricted by some unseen force as she was pushed back down on the bed. She gasped as she tried desperately to breathe.

"You do remember what I said about how I hate to hear others scream, don't you? How quickly you forget." Jeremy looked up and down her body. "It appears some of your scaring has healed. But no matter, I'm sure I can give you some new ones to take their place. Can't I my sweet Dana?" He positioned himself above her and spread her legs. "And this time there will be no one to stop me. The pain I will give you shall be much more than our little scene in my bedroom. And I shall give it to you again and again until you beg me to stop. And when I am through….should you survive you will never want another man to touch you again. Not even your precious Mulder. For as I told you before….you are mine sweet, Dana. And no one else shall ever have you."

Tears trickled down Scully's cheeks as she once again felt Jeremy between her legs.She lay there completely paralyzed unable to prevent the pain coursing through her. She slowly started to imagine herself floating on water until she started to slowly sink and let the abyss consume her. She never even heard the splitting and cracking of her bedroom door as it was kicked in.

Mulder watched in horror as some unseen presence pushed Scully up into the headboard. "Scully!" He could see mysterious bruises forming on her wrists where it showed something was holding her down. He looked desperately around the room and found a crucifix in the corner. He ran and picked it up before heading toward the bed. "In the name of God I demand that you let her go!" He screamed. He then began to recite any kind of biblical reference he could think of ranging from the Lord's Prayer to a Catholic one. He observed as Scully was levitated off the bed for a few moments and then sent crashing back down to the bed. He ran up to her limp body and noticed blood on the sheets. "Oh god!Scully!" He climbed onto the bed and cradled her head. He then looked back up. "You son-of-a-bitch! I'll get you for this!I'll send your soul to burn in hell forever!" He looked back down at Scully who still had not stirred. "Scully?" He brought her to his chest and kissed the top of her forehead. "Oh god, I should have never left you alone. I'm…I'm so sorry!" He then raised his head as he heard a pounding at the door. He gently laid Scully back down on the bed as he went to answer it He opened the door and found an older man standing on the other side of it. "Yes?Can…can I help you?"

"Is everything all right?I….I thought I heard a scream and the sound of someone being slammed against the wall."

"Who are you?"

"Charles Madley, I live on the other side." He pointed down the hall. "Is Miss Scully ok? I mean…I know she's been through a lot with what happened."

Once Mulder realized this man did not pose a threat, he knew what he had to do. "Actually, no Miss Scully is not all right. She….had an accident. I need you to call 911 for me. Can you do that?"

"Well…sure but…"

"Please just do what I'm asking you?" Mulder asked in a pleading voice.

Charles nodded. "All…all right. I'll do it now." He then left and quickly ran back down the hallway.

Once Charles had left, Mulder closed the door and immediately headed back to the bedroom. Scully was exactly in the same spot he had left her and still had not moved. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair still not believing what he had walked into just moments before. It didn't take him much thinking to realize what had just happened to Scully. The bruises on her wrists and the vaginal bleeding told him enough. He had read about cases of entity rape but had never been a witness to one. And now after seeing one he prayed he would never see it again. Yet, it had all stopped once he started reciting the Lord's Prayer and the Catholic one he had learned a long time ago. Why? And then it dawned on him what else he had had with him….a cross!

He quickly examined Scully's neck and found it bare. His thoughts drifted back to each time that she had been attacked including when Jeremy was alive. She hadn't been wearing her cross necklace had she? He knew she hadn't when she was undercover and in the hospital….no he didn't remember seeing it. And she didn't have it on when she was in the bathtub….that had to be it! He rose up from the bed and went to Scully's dresser where he found the cross necklace hanging down from a jewelry box. He wasted no time in carefully picking it up. He held it up to the light and watched as the cross shined and twirled. It almost seemed like it was sending out some kind of beam to him. Or was it a sign? Even if it wasn't, he had to try! If she was going to be in the hospital alone she had to have something to keep her safe.

Mulder walked back over to the bed and gently lifted Scully's head. He then took the necklace and placed it around her neck. "This will protect you from him, Scully. I'll bet you feel like I'm protecting you from a vampire huh?" He had to be humorous in a situation like this or he would go crazy. He carefully closed the clasp and let the cross hang down her neck. He could already hear the sirens outside from the ambulance and knew he didn't have a lot of time. "I promise you I will find a way to defeat him, Scully. I'm going to make it so that bastard can never hurt you again." He closed his eyes and rested his head on her chest as he cried.

The door to Scully's apartment was opened and two paramedics came running in with a wheeled gurney. They quickly made their way back to the bedroom where they found Mulder sobbing over Scully. "Sir, what happened here?" One of the paramedics asked. "Sir?"

At this point Mulder truly didn't know what to tell them. If he told them the real truth, they would send for another ambulance to come and take him away in a straight jacket. So, he decided to tell them half the truth. "She….she was raped." He whispered.

"Raped?" The other paramedic replied. "How long ago did this happen?"

"Not..not long." Mulder answered in a monotone voice.

"All right, Sir I need you to move away from her so we can get her into the gurney." The paramedic watched as Mulder remained stationary. "Sir, we need to get her to a hospital!"

Mulder nodded and moved reluctantly away from Scully. The remnants of Scully's pajamas were strewn in a pile at the edge of the bed. He watched as the two paramedics took a sheet and wrapped her gently in it. They then placed her onto the wheeled gurney and took her out of the bedroom. For the second time, Mulder watched as his love was carried out in a gurney. Yes, he referred to her in that aspect now. But now he began to wonder if they would ever get that chance to be lovers? It was true that Scully had not admitted her love for him but he sensed it might be a matter of time. If there was one thing he was certain of at this very minute, it was that a ghost was NOT going to come between he and the woman he loved. He had defeated him in this life and now he would do whatever it took to continue that in the afterlife.

NOTE: I just wanted to take this time to thank those of you have been reading this fic!Your reviews do truly help me to continue with it each week. And I have to admit when I write these chapters they draw me in as well!So, please continue with your reviews and there will be more to come!Oh and yes I know poor Scully got hurt in this chapter again but believe me it was needed for the storyline. I promise it will lessen for her