Chapter Text
Once Peter had slipped into unconsciousness again, things went back to the way they had been running up to that point. Felicia and Charlie were in the room with him almost constantly, while Ray, Winston, Janine, and Egon cycled through their hour-long intervals. With two hours left before visiting hours were over, Ray took his place in the chair that had been brought in for the Ghostbusters to use for their part of the vigil, magazine in hand. The other two were silently sitting and watching the recumbent man in the bed as part of their agreement to be able to stay. “Don’t worry, Peter,” Ray said softly before opening up the periodical. “I’ll be here for the next hour, then Winston will take last watch before we have to go get some sleep.” He gave the unconscious man a shaky grin. “You’d think they wanted us to stay healthy or something.” Unable to keep up the lighthearted mood, the engineer moved as close to the bed as he could, reached a hand through the guard to rest it lightly on the other man’s right shin, and opened his magazine, mostly just looking at the pictures as he couldn’t seem to focus on the words at all.
Forty-five minutes later, Ray had disappeared into the bathroom and Charlie suddenly hopped to his feet and began pacing along the side of the bed, inwardly frustrated at how much time his son had spent in this comatose state. He glanced at the door where Ray had gone and back down at Peter. The brown-haired man still lay there peacefully, his breathing deep and steady. He’d begun to get restless just before Charlie had returned from his trek down to the cafeteria earlier, and now impatience was just as much a part of the reason for his pacing as frustration.
Felicia watched her son carefully as he walked back and forth, his moves abrupt and jerky. Her eyes softened in sympathy, yet she dared not say anything for fear of starting another argument. She knew she wasn’t forgiven, no matter that his blame wasn’t just. She’d always known that. But if it was the only way her boy could deal with his grief...
As suddenly as he had arisen, Charlie flopped back down on his chair, reaching forward to take Peter’s lax hand. “Peter, my boy, I know I couldn’t reach you before, but now that you’re here don’t turn away from me. You’ve gotta snap out of this. There’s pretty nurses and big headlines waiting for you. Can you imagine? ‘Ghostbuster Ends Own Family Curse.’ They’ll be eating you up. Talk shows, articles - as much attention as you can stand. And think of the publicity for the business! You guys will be swimming in work and money. All because my boy was brave enough to stand up to that demon. I’m proud of you, son.”
His voice trailed off as he ran out of words to say, his head leaning down to rest on the mattress. And thus it was he missed seeing the first fluttering of Peter’s eyelids, Felicia doing the same with her eyes so riveted on the distraught father. It took the slight shift of the patient’s head to get his visitors’ attention, both immediately turning their gazes to the younger man’s face.
Peter blinked a few times in silence, the lids never rising above the halfway mark for very long. His vision soon cleared enough for him to be comfortable, and he released a small breath of relief. “Peter?” Charlie’s gravelly voice asked shakily from the left side of the bed, hope flaring up in his eyes. “Peter, are you awake?”
The groggy green eyes shifted in the direction of the words, fixing themselves on the older man’s face. Brown brows slowly creased together as a look of confusion transformed Peter’s features, and his breathing became shallow and quick as Charlie watched the struggle take place in the emerald depths. Felicia gasped as the younger man tugged a bit on the hand that held his own, not as a complete rejection, but as a sign of obvious bewilderment as to his situation. The sound brought the gaze in her direction, filled with no more comprehension than it had held when it focused on her son.
“Oh, Peter,” she breathed. “You don’t recognize us, do you?” She held herself together only through great effort.
Peter’s head moved slightly from side to side before Charlie squeezing the hand he still held brought the psychologist’s attention back to him. The old con man could only take that blank gaze for so long before he brought his head up and barely to the side, his ears catching the muffled sound of Ray using the bathroom sink.
Charles Venkman was not a stupid man by any stretch of the imagination. A man couldn’t have survived on his wits alone like he had for as long as he had if he had been. It took no time at all for him to realize that his son’s best chance lay with the three men and one woman who had convinced him to stay in the first place. “Go get Ray,” he whispered, although his heart was breaking with the knowledge that he couldn’t help his son in any other way. “Tell him to come out here.”
Felicia shifted her dark brown eyes in a flash to her son’s face. It didn’t take her long to read the answer that was written there. After all, Charlie’s brains hadn’t formed out of nothing. “I’ll be right back.” She stepped over to the closed door and knocked, her next words an unintelligible murmur against the slight crack her motion had caused.
The man in the short-sleeved dress shirt and undone bow tie - he had put aside the loud jackets days ago - looked at the struggle continuing to twist Peter’s features for a moment before releasing the man’s hand on the next tug. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Peter,” he said softly.
The green eyes softened slightly as the door opened and Ray and Felicia came back into the room proper. The redheaded engineer’s light brown eyes were wide and filled with hope, and he walked slowly over to the bed. Sitting in Felicia’s chair, he placed a hand lightly on the mattress. “Peter?” he asked quietly. “Are you okay?”
Peter turned a weary and confused countenance toward the new voice, his brows again furrowing as he tried to place the face he was seeing. Ray impulsively took up his friend’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You don’t have to worry, Peter. I’m here. Everything will be okay.” There was no response as tears began to well up in the supine man’s eyes and Ray’s positive expression slipped for a moment. “You really don’t remember me, do you?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Felicia stepped up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders comfortingly.
The brown head shook from side to side as the tears that had formed ran down pale cheeks. “No,” he breathed, the tenor almost inaudible. “But I want to.” The piercing emerald greens, half-lidded though they were, remained fixed on Ray’s round features.
“Then you will, Peter. I know you will.”
The silver-haired lady raised her head and made eye contact with the silent man on the other side of the bed. Charlie gave her a short nod and went back to watching his son. Felicia gave Ray’s shoulders one last squeeze and left the room.
Not five minutes later, Egon, Winston, and Janine rushed into the room, freezing as three sets of eyes fell on them. “How are you, Pete?” Winston asked gently as he noticed the lost look in his friend’s gaze, and the way he tightened his grip on Ray’s hand. “When we heard you were awake we had to get in here as fast as we could. Sorry if we scared you.” The black man stepped over to the opposite side of the bed, Charlie offering his chair. He took it with a smile of thanks.
“Where did Felicia go?” Ray asked as Egon silently joined him and Winston took Peter’s other hand, Janine positioning herself at his side.
“I believe she went to inform the doctor that Peter had awakened,” Egon explained, his pale blue eyes never leaving Peter’s face.
“Egon, he doesn’t remember,” the redhead said softly, gazing up at the tall blond.
“So Felicia said. It may just be temporary, an aftereffect of the energy drain he experienced,” the physicist said calmly.
Charlie looked sharply at the man he knew his son considered his best friend, at first unable to see past the unruffled facade. Then he looked at the other three and saw the sympathetic understanding. With another look at the bespectacled man, the elder Venkman saw the rigid wall, the protection from the loss of control over his emotions that Egon was so close to experiencing. He knew then he had made the right choice, that the love these people felt for Peter would be the beacon that brought him back completely. He also knew there was no way he could just watch and do nothing, not when it was his son involved. So he silently made his way to the door and slipped out into the hall, tears filling his eyes for the first time in a long time as he hurried to find some place to be alone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Did the three of you even go back to your motel last night?” Doctor Brett Stephens asked as he walked up to the dozing Egon, Janine, and Winston in the waiting room the next morning.
“No, we didn’t, not after Pete wouldn’t let go of Ray’s hand. We figured we’d better be on call,” Winston answered before yawning.
“Thank you for allowing Ray to stay with Peter last night,” Egon said gratefully as he shifted his shoulders slightly to get the kinks out. “We appreciate it more than we can say.”
Stephens nodded. “You’re more than welcome. Peter would have been far too stressed any other way. I just stopped by here before doing my rounds to make sure you were all right. You seemed pretty shaken up when I got there.” He sighed. “There’s nothing like getting interrupted in the middle of a first date. We’d just ordered dinner.”
“I hear you there,” Winston sympathized with a grin. “I can completely relate.”
“I bet you can.” Dark hazel eyes did a once-over on the three of them. “You do realize your theory is probably correct, don’t you? This memory loss is most likely temporary. I’ve seen it happen before when someone with a concussion first wakes up. And I have no idea what the effects could be when you add in the aftermath of a spiritual energy drain - that’s more your area of expertise. All in all, Peter could easily wake up this morning and be back to normal, right as rain. You can’t give up hope.”
“We haven’t,” Egon replied with a small smile. “But thank you. We needed to hear that.”
“No kidding,” Janine agreed.
“Glad to have been of service.” The doctor grinned. “You know, now after having experienced my own brush with the supernatural, I have to say I find it even more fascinating than I did before. I even believe in it more. I wish I had more time to just sit and listen to you guys tell stories. I bet you’ve got some doozies.”
Winston laughed. “That, m’man, is an understatement. But if you ever get to New York when this is all over, stop by Ghostbuster Central. Ray at the very least would be more than happy to talk your ear off about everything we’ve seen.”
“I might have to do that.” Stephens chuckled a bit. “Well, I think I’ve killed all the time I can. I’ll talk to you soon.” He gave the three of them a nod and left the waiting room.
“I like that man,” Winston said once the doctor had departed. “Too bad he’s not practicing in New York. I bet we could even get Pete to see him.”
“Quite possibly you are correct, Winston. He has been very helpful during our stay here. I only hope we haven’t gotten him in trouble with the administration.”
The other man laughed. “Egon, I’m willing to bet good money that Doctor Stephens is more than capable of getting into trouble all on his own without any help from us. Reminds me of Pete that way. But at least it’s for the right reasons. I’m just hoping that Ray’s doing all right in that room with the two powder kegs.”
“From everything I witnessed last night, it appears that is no longer a concern. Felicia and Charlie actually appeared to agree on summoning us.” Egon couldn’t help but smile. “I suppose that says something about where Peter came by his temper and wide stubborn streak.”
Janine snorted in amusement and returned the expression. “No doubt about it.” She sighed, her expression not changing. “It’s amazing how much easier it is to be relaxed now that Peter’s out of that coma, isn’t it? It’s like I haven’t been able to really laugh since you called me to tell me what had happened.”
“Nor have I,” the blond agreed. “But I won’t be able to relax completely until I’m sure about his memory. And Ray needs him whole as well, so he no longer has to live with unnecessary guilt.”
“Yeah, Pete’s gotta fix that one,” Winston said with a nod. “I tried talking to him about it a couple of nights ago, but it didn’t do a whole lot of good. He’s convinced he should have said something to Peter about Felicia being his grandmother, that he had no right to keep that secret. I don’t think it would have made a difference, but he does.” He shook his head in concerned exasperation.
“It most likely wouldn’t have. In fact, it could have been detrimental to our cause. Unfortunately, I believe Peter is the only one who can convince Ray of that. Now we just have to hope he recovers soon to do it.” The black man silently nodded his agreement, and the two of them and Janine sat back to wait to find out what would happen when Peter woke up.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Inside Peter’s room, Ray sat at the sleeping man’s bedside holding his hand like he had when Peter had first awakened. The psychologist had only let him go twice briefly to go to the bathroom, and was restless until Ray took up his hand again. Felicia had managed to get another chair and now sat to the redhead’s right, while Charlie continued to sit across the bed from them, both returning at their usual time in the morning. “How are you doing, Ray?” Felicia asked gently, noticing the younger man wake up from a light doze.
Light brown eyes blinked with dissipating grogginess while he turned his head to face her. “A little stiff, but I’ll be all right. I just want him to wake up and remember me.”
“I’m sure he will, if not right now then eventually. He loves you too much to forget you forever.”
Ray gave her a small smile. “Thanks for being here. I needed to hear that.”
The older woman gave him a soft smile of her own. “I did, too.”
“Well,” the stout man said with a glance at his watch, “at least he’s not off his normal schedule. He’s usually asleep at nine-thirty in the morning.” His attempt to sound cheerful fell a little flat, but the others were kind enough not to mention it.
Felicia gave him a sympathetic look and stood, stretching. “I’m too old to sit in this chair. I’m going to go stretch my legs, maybe talk to Egon and Winston and get to know Janine a little better. I’ll be back in a little while, all right?” She placed a gentle hand on Ray’s shoulder. He nodded, and she left the room.
Charlie watched Ray carefully after his mother left, and after another fifteen minutes got up himself. “I think I might check out what they have to offer in the cafeteria. You want anything, Ray?” he asked in his gravelly voice, tired from his long vigil.
“No, I’m okay for now,” the engineer replied softly before lifting his head to look at his friend’s father. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
The older man smiled. “You’ve been hanging around Peter too long if I’m that obvious. Either that or I’m losing my touch.” He paused while he considered it briefly. “Nah, it’s Peter,” he concluded.
Ray laughed at that. “Seriously, you don’t have to go. I don’t want to make you think you have to.”
“You’re not. It just occurred to me that we haven’t let any of you boys or the lovely Miss Janine have any time alone with Peter since he got here. I thought maybe it was time you did.” Charlie shrugged. “And I could use some breakfast. Are you sure you don’t need anything?”
“I’ll get something when Peter wakes up.”
“Okay, then. I’ll talk to you later.” With that, Charlie walked out and headed down to the cafeteria.
“Well, Peter,” Ray said to the one remaining occupant in the room, “it looks like it’s just you and me. And if you’d wake up, I wouldn’t be alone.” The upbeat tone faltered and the man’s lower lip began to tremble. “Please wake up and remember me, Peter. Although I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t. I knew Felicia was your grandmother before we started the ritual to break the blood bond. I knew, and I didn’t tell you. I need a chance to tell you I’m sorry, that I know I shouldn’t have kept a secret like that from you. Please, Peter.” His head fell into the crook of his arm on the mattress and he began to cry.
It took the second squeeze of his hand and the fleeting touch of fingertips across the top of his head to finally rouse Ray enough to lift his tear-stained face. Peter lay there watching him, concern in the emerald green depths. “Am I dying?” he asked, a touch of fear in his tone.
“No, Peter, of course not,” Ray reassured him quickly, returning a squeeze. “The doctor said you should be just fine as soon as you woke up.”
The brown-haired man nodded. “Okay, so why are you testing the absorbency of my sheets?”
“Well, I...” Ray hesitated before hurrying on through the rest of the Readers’ Digest version of his apology. “I wanted to say I was sorry but you’ve been out of it so long and I wasn’t sure I’d ever get the chance.”
Peter blinked as he absorbed the rapidly spoken confession. “What in the world do you need to be sorry for, Tex?” He looked around the room as Ray gasped in surprise, quickly taking stock of his surroundings. His eyes grew wide. “Where are Egon and Winston? Are they okay? Is that why you’re so upset?”
“They’re fine, Peter. They’re in the waiting room with Janine,” Ray quickly reassured the agitated man, a grin blossoming on his features. “You really remember me?”
Confusion transformed Peter’s expression. “Yeah. Is there some reason I shouldn’t?” He thought for a moment. “Oh, hey, wait. I did get a decent knock on the head, didn’t I?” His brows furrowed suspiciously. “How long has it been since we took out Trevaire? How long have I been out?”
Ray did some quick math. “I think this is the seventh day.”
“I was in a coma?”
The younger man nodded. “You woke up last night for a little while, but you didn’t remember anyone. I’m just glad you stayed. We weren’t sure you would.” He stood and leaned over the supine man, gathering him up into a fierce embrace.
Peter returned it, sensing Ray’s need. “And just where do you think I could go that you and Egon couldn’t find me? And knowing you two mad scientists you’d make me pay for the attempt.” The two of them held on for a little while longer. “I heard you,” he finally whispered. “I knew I had to stay for you guys. You all sounded so scared.”
“What about your dad and Felicia?” Ray asked innocently, honestly curious.
Peter raised his eyebrows as Ray lowered him gently back to his pillows. “I don’t really know Felicia and I don’t want to talk about my dad yet. When I concentrate I can remember hearing them, and they always sounded so mad. But when I heard the fear in your voice, and in Egon’s and Winston’s and Janine’s, I couldn’t let go. I’m just glad they gave me the time I needed.”
“So you know about what the Deckers did for you?” Excitement came back to Ray’s tone.
“Yeah, but there’s something else on your mind.” Peter’s eyes narrowed. “You were crying for a reason. What exactly are you so desperate to apologize to me for? I can’t think of anything you’ve done that would need that.”
Ray bit his bottom lip as he gathered his courage. “I knew, Peter. I knew before we fought Trevaire. I’m so sorry.”
“You knew what?”
“Felicia’s your grandmother.”
Peter sighed. “And when did you find out?”
“The night before, while I was doing my rounds after Trevaire left. I found a picture of your parents and Felicia confirmed it.” The occultist couldn’t keep up eye contact.
“So how long did she know?” The psychologist’s voice was neutral.
“She said she didn’t know for sure until she saw my reaction to the clipping, although she suspected before that. I think she might have started thinking about it once you introduced yourself. She was serious when she said she hadn’t talked to her son since he left, and she never tried to track him down, wanting to find out about his life only if he’d let her in. I believe her, Peter.” He still wouldn’t look up.
“What did you say to her after you knew?”
“We talked about it and decided you might be too upset to deal with Trevaire if she said anything right away. But I made her promise to tell you as soon as possible afterward. She said she would. It just... never happened, I guess.” Ray swallowed nervously. “I shouldn’t have just made her promise, Peter. I should have told you myself, or made her do it right when you woke up. I was out of line keeping that information from you. We’re talking about your family. I know how important family is to you.”
“Yeah, you do,” Peter agreed softly as he found the controls for his bed and brought the head of it to a more upright position. “And it is, very much so. That’s why you’re so important to me, Ray. You’re family. Do you know what my reaction was when I found out later that day?”
The unexpected question brought the redhead’s face up, his light brown eyes meeting sparkling green ones. “No, I was fighting Trevaire and casting the spell that would break the last bond between him and the Decker line. I remember hearing Felicia call out something about not losing her grandson, but I don’t know what happened afterward.”
“If my dad hadn’t grabbed my wrist, I would have fallen a lot sooner than I did. I was shocked. And Dad might have been angry with Felicia, but he didn’t deny what she said. I dangled there useless. Not long after that, Trevaire bounced on the both of them to make them let go, and I tumbled down the ravine. I didn’t really have time to react, although I thought things through a bit after I woke up after the fall.” Peter gave his friend a rueful smirk. “I can just imagine what I would have done if I’d known that morning. With enough time to brood about it, I would have been angry at the world, and useless to you when it came time to get things done. Well,” he corrected himself wryly, “maybe not useless, but definitely not at a hundred percent. And I couldn’t have afforded anything less. When you agreed to let Felicia wait to tell me, you did the right thing, Ray. How can I be mad at you over that?”
Ray’s expression turned wistful. “You’re really not mad at me?”
“You, no. Felicia, not really. But Pop... that’s another can of worms altogether.” A dark glint came into Peter’s eyes at that pronouncement.
“Don’t be too mad at him, Peter. He really was worried about you, and it really bothered him when he realized that you wouldn’t respond to his voice. He begged you to come back after Hans Decker left, but you only calmed down after Egon, Winston, Janine, and I started talking to you. It hurt him, Peter.” Ray spoke very earnestly, his eyes shining with sincerity.
A sigh escaped Peter’s throat. “I don’t doubt it did, Ray. But that doesn’t excuse him from not telling me about my grandmother.” He reached out and took Ray’s hand. “Tell me you’re not feeling guilty anymore, okay, Tex? Because if you are, you’re feeling guilty for keeping my best interests at heart, and I’d hate to hear you were doing that. Are you okay?”
The engineer grinned under that caring, scrutinizing gaze. “I’m better now, Peter. That really is why I did what I did, and you understand. That makes it okay. Should I get Egon and Winston and Janine? They’ve been really worried about you, too.”
Before Peter could respond, Doctor Stephens came into the room. “Ah, Doctor Venkman, you’re awake,” he said, giving Ray a wink. The redhead blushed at the reminder of the way he had indignantly corrected the doctor the second time he had referred to Peter as “Mister Venkman”. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing just fine, doc. Better than I expected to be when I passed out last at any rate. And my memory’s intact, too. Ray told me I had a bout with amnesia last night.” Peter watched the newcomer carefully, Ray recognizing the wariness in the look.
“That you did. But I was pretty sure it was temporary. Thanks for not proving me wrong.” He grinned and took up the chart at the end of the bed and checked the monitors. “Why don’t you go out to the waiting room, Ray, and let the others know about Peter? I’ll try to finish my examination and let you guys in to see him as soon as possible.”
Ray grinned. “Thanks, Doctor Stephens. I’ll see you in a little while, okay, Peter?”
“You bet, Ray. Keep those three worry-warts out of trouble until then, all right?”
“You got it, Peter. See you then.” He gave one last wave near the door and left.
“This isn’t going to take all that long, is it?” Peter asked the doctor as the man came over to him and started checking his responses.
“Probably not, but you never can tell. I wouldn’t want to not cross a ‘t’ or miss dotting an ‘i’.” Brett clamped his mouth shut and focused on the monitor he moved over to with his clipboard in hand.
Peter’s eyes narrowed. “So what else is bugging you about this?” he asked casually.
The doctor turned a somewhat startled look on his patient. “You know, I’m pretty sure Ray told me this when he had me calling you Doctor Venkman, but what are those two doctorates in again?”
The brown-haired man grinned. “That would be parapsychology and psychology, doc. I’m more than just a high-profile exterminator.”
The other man just shook his head. “So I can see, although I already suspected as much. Ray walked out of here in better spirits than I’ve seen him in all week. And I’m pretty sure you’ll be working more miracles like that before you’re done today.”
“That’s me, a miracle worker. But don’t change the subject. What’s eating you?”
Hazel met emerald green and the physician sighed. “The administration has been talking about giving me a disciplinary review when you’ve checked out, Doctor Venkman. They don’t care for the way I’ve handled your case. I don’t care for the way their rules stifle the way I deal with my patients and their loved ones. We’re at an impasse, and since they’re in charge, I’m bound to lose.”
“How’d you stretch the rules for me?” Peter asked curiously.
“I let your friends and family see you before and slightly past visiting hours, as well as made sure the other Ghostbusters were kept up to date regarding your progress. That’s to say nothing about letting Ray stay with you overnight last night when you wouldn’t let go of his hand. I haven’t made our extremely conservative administration very happy over this past week.” Stephens gave the psychologist a rueful look.
Peter’s expression softened. “Well, no matter how much trouble you get into, just know that I really appreciate what you’ve done for me and my friends. They mean the world to me, and it had to be rough on them dealing with this. You made it as easy as you could for them, and there’s nothing I can do to pay you back for that. You’re a good man, Doctor Stephens.” He smiled. “And you can call me Peter.”
“Thanks, Peter. What you just said means more to me than satisfying anybody in the administration. And it proves that you’ve definitely improved. I should only have to keep you here for a day or two longer for observation, and then I can cut you loose. And then we’ll see what happens.” The doctor smiled back. “Let me get these results into your permanent file. I’ll send in the others when I’m done. I’ll talk to you later.”
“You bet, doc. And thanks again.” Peter watched the other man go then sank deeper into his pillows to snooze away the wait.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Peter was sleeping again when Egon, Ray, Janine, and Winston entered the room. The psychologist shifted slightly on his pillow as they drew near. “Figures,” Winston said with a smile. “Far be it from Pete to pass up a chance to sleep for as long as he wants to.”
“Definitely a significant reminder of why we refuse to allow such behavior at home,” Egon agreed, the corners of his mouth twitching upward as well.
“Not that it stops him from trying to get away with it at every opportunity,” Janine added with a smirk.
Ray grinned even as he defended his friend. “Oh, come on, guys. Doctor Stephens said he’d be lacking a little in energy for the next day or so. Don’t give him such a hard time.”
“At least one of you has a sympathetic bone in his body,” Peter murmured without opening his eyes. “I’d like to see you get almost completely drained by a demon, sit around in a coma for a week, then hop up and do a jig as soon as you snap out of it.” One eye popped open and looked at his visitors. “Well, Ray probably could. The Energizer Bunny never quits.”
“You got a point there, Pete.” Winston stepped over and mussed the brown locks, most of which draped over the bandage that still wound around his head. “How you doing, homeboy?” he asked as Peter frowned and tried to straighten his ‘do.
“Fine until you messed up my hair,” the patient grumbled. A couple more swipes of his hand had everything mostly in place, and he turned his attention to his friends. “How about you guys? I know I put you through one hell of a scare.”
“True. And I know we’ve admonished you numerous times in the past not to do such things.” Egon came over and placed a firm hand on Peter’s shoulder. “But we can only be relieved that you came through this all right.”
A knowing look came over the brown-haired man’s features. “You weren’t sure I’d come back.”
“That’s not true, Peter,” Ray contradicted as he circled the bed to take up a place on Peter’s left side. “We knew you’d come back if we could just get you to hear us.”
“But you didn’t know if I’d hear you.” The other four were silent. “I did, you know. I heard everything you said. I can’t remember the exact words, but I knew you were there. I even knew Dad and Felicia were there.”
“But you didn’t come back right away,” Ray protested, hurt in his voice. “And why didn’t you remember anything when you woke up?”
Peter frowned as he considered it. “I couldn’t come back right away; I wasn’t strong enough. I poured a lot of myself into that battle, Tex, you know that. I needed a recharge. The Deckers were nice enough to give me the time. As for why I didn’t remember... I... can’t be sure.”
“Hmm,” Egon said, his pale brows furrowed as he also thought over the question. “I’m not entirely sure you were prepared to return when Hans left, Peter. Perhaps you weren’t able to completely reconnect until you had reached a more acceptable level of energy.”
“Are you saying Pete had just enough energy to take care of his body but not enough to make sure all the connections with his soul were in place?” Winston asked.
“Precisely. Which would explain why you were fully in charge of your faculties when you awoke this morning after a full night’s rest. Well, as much as you usually are, anyway.”
Peter grinned at Egon’s attempt at humor, relieved that he could try. “Hey, I’m fully in control of myself, thank you very much.” He ignored the snorts of disbelief as his smile softened. “Ray, you do know I wouldn’t hurt you guys on purpose, right? If I could have come back sooner I would have. And I definitely never wanted to forget you. Who else would defend me from the big, bad barbs of these meanies over here?” He gestured toward Egon, Janine, and Winston.
Ray smiled at that, the hurt in his eyes fading. “I think you can more than defend yourself, Peter.” He grabbed the psychologist and pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you for coming back. We all needed you.”
“Glad to be back, Tex,” Peter murmured into the redhead’s ear before being allowed to lean back on the upraised bed. He grinned. “And of course you needed me. Who doesn’t need the incomparable Peter Venkman?”
“Is there enough room for me to fit in here with that ego?” a woman’s voice called from the doorway.
“I think we can squeeze you in, Felicia,” Janine replied with a grin to the silver-haired lady as she came in, letting the door shut behind her.
“And there’s always oxygen nearby in case of emergencies,” Egon added.
“Thanks, Spengs. Glad to know I can always count on you.” Peter rolled his eyes. “How you doing, Felicia? Kill my dad yet?”
“I’ve considered it too many times to count over the past week,” she responded wryly. “But I’m fine now. What about you?”
“Fine and dandy, as soon as I can find out when they’re letting me out of here. I hate hospitals.” He wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Felicia laughed. “I have to say I’m not overly fond of them either.”
The other three Ghostbusters and Janine shared a look and moved as one for the door. “We’ll leave the two of you alone for a while,” Egon said when they reached it. “We’ll be back later.” The four of them left.
“Real subtle, Egon,” Peter muttered as he stared after them. “I thought I taught you better than that.” He sighed. “Where did you want to start?”
Felicia jumped a bit under that sharp green gaze. She took a moment to gather her wits. “I suppose I should start with an apology. I would have told you if I knew, Peter, I hope you know that. And once I did for sure, we had to deal with Trevaire...”
“I know all that,” the psychologist interrupted gently. “Ray told me what happened the night before.”
Her dark brown eyes flickered back and forth, taking in her grandson’s features, noting the difference now that they were animated with conscious life. “I’m scared, Peter,” she finally admitted. “I’ve waited so long for Charlie to come around, and he never has. And now it’s like I have a second chance with you, but I’m not sure if I should dare to take it. I don’t know if I could take you rejecting me like he did.”
Peter’s eyes closed as his face twisted briefly with a pain-filled expression. “I know it wasn’t your fault I never knew you before,” he said quietly. “I’m still dealing with finding out I have more family after all.” The emerald greens opened and met her desperate gaze. “But I think I’m willing to get to know you. You’re just going to have to cut me a little slack every now and again.”
A beautiful smile bloomed on her features. “I think I can do that, as long as you’re willing to do the same for me. I’m old, Peter, and I may not have too many years left, but having a connection to what family I have left is going to make them the best I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for being willing to take the chance on me.”
A grin slowly formed on Peter’s face as he watched the older woman. “It’s the least I could do. I’m not the only one taking a chance here.”
Felicia hesitated for a moment, then leaned over and hugged the man she gladly called family. “You’ve already shown me it’ll be more than worth it. You’ve turned out to be a wonderful man, one I’m very proud of.” She grinned as she straightened. “So when do I get any great-grandchildren?”
“Felicia!”
“I’m not young anymore, Peter. I’d like to know my line won’t end with you.” Her eyes sparkled with mirth. “And I’m pretty sure you’d make a great father.”
He looked at her with exasperation, although his eyes sparkled in kind. “You know, if the guys were here they’d give you all kinds of reasons why I shouldn’t reproduce.”
“Oh, they wouldn’t be serious. And there’s got to be a special lady out there you’d want to share that experience with.”
“Maybe, but I haven’t found her yet. And the life I have is pretty special. I’m not sure I’m quite ready to give that up.”
“If she’s the right girl, you won’t have to give up anything. But I can see your point. Those three men and that lovely lady are wonderful people, and I can only be glad you have them in your life. It’s good to know you’re being taken care of.” Felicia smiled fondly at Peter.
He smiled back, a bit flustered. “Enough with the mushy stuff.” The psychologist cleared his throat before continuing. “You know, I think there’s a question I need to ask before things go any further.”
The woman’s expression became guarded. “What’s that?”
The smile turned into a full-fledged grin. “Are there any more family curses I should know about? I’d hate to get back to New York just to have to turn around and come back.”
They both laughed. “No, Peter. No more family curses. But I think I should leave you to your rest for a while. You look tired.”
“I am a little. But you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“No, I think I will. I haven’t had lunch yet. Go to sleep, Peter. I’ll talk to you later.” She leaned over and kissed his forehead, then gave him a wink and left the room.
It wasn’t long after that when Charlie slipped inside. “Are you asleep, son?” he asked softly, hoping not to wake him if he was.
“No, Dad, I’m not,” Peter replied emotionlessly as he opened his eyes. He had just started to doze off when his father spoke.
“Is everything okay with your friends? I saw them out in the waiting area by the nurses’ station talking to your doctor.”
“Everything’s fine with them. What did you want, Pop?”
Charlie flinched from the dead tone Peter was using. “I was wondering if things were okay for us.”
Peter finally turned his head from the contemplation of the bare white ceiling to gaze at his nervous father. His green eyes were dark with the emotion he hadn’t allowed into his voice. “Do you understand how angry I am right now? How in the hell could you not tell me I had a grandmother alive and well in Nebraska? Even better, how in the hell could you walk away from your mother like you did?”
“She betrayed my father!” the older man snapped. “She went and loved someone else! It was pretty clear at that point how she had felt about my dad - couldn’t have been much if she could be with another man.”
“Would you listen to yourself? You sound like a little kid. I can understand feeling hurt to an extent, but not this much. Your mother loves you, loves you enough to face down a demon so you wouldn’t have to. She loves you enough to not have interfered in your life when she thought that was what you wanted. She loves you enough to have waited ten years before moving on with her life. She loves you like Mom loved me - and you walked away.” The psychologist glared hotly at the other man.
It was returned in a flash of fire. “Don’t you dare bring Katherine into this! She’s nothing like my mother! Nothing! She never betrayed me like that!”
A thoughtful glint joined the turmoil in Peter’s emerald greens. “No, she didn’t, did she? Hers was more like your father’s. She died, going away forever, just like he did.” He paused for a moment at Charlie’s stricken and panicked look. “It was easier to transfer all that betrayal, all that hate, to your mom when she did something you never expected her to do, when she changed your world so completely. She had moved on when you hadn’t. She left you behind. And since you hadn’t gotten over anything, it all just grew until you couldn’t take it anymore. So instead of dealing with it, you made your mother the focus of it all and walked away. You took the easy way out, Pop, and hurt a lot of people in the process.”
“You can’t hurt someone that shallow,” was the weak rejoinder.
“She’s not that shallow and you know it. But you refuse to admit it, because then you could be wrong. And if you’re wrong, you’ll have to deal with emotions almost fifty years old. They’ve had all this time to build up, twisting into things you’d never recognize or understand, and you don’t think you could do it.”
“Oh, stop playing shrink with me, Peter. You’re way off base.” The desperation Charlie was radiating was thick enough to cut with a knife.
“Shrink or not, I’m right on target. You’ve decided to hate your mother because she moved on and married someone else and you wouldn’t have anyone to mourn with anymore. So, Pop, how am I supposed to react if you find someone else? Should I hate you for loving someone after Mom’s been gone for so long? For finding someone to be happy with? For moving on and letting time heal whatever wounds Mom’s dying caused?”
The elder Venkman stared at the younger with wide eyes for over a minute before blinking fiercely and swallowing the lump in his throat to gather his scattered wits. “It doesn’t matter what you say, Peter. I know how I feel and I know the truth about my mother. Nothing’s going to change that. If you’re going to hold that against me, I guess I’ll just have to live with that. I should get going.” He turned to head for the door.
“Wait a minute, Pop,” Peter called, frustrated, reaching a hand out as if to catch him, although he was out of range. “I may still be angry, but I’m not telling you to get out of my life. Give me some time.”
Charlie had stopped walking but never turned around. “You’re going to try to get to know her, aren’t you?” he asked as emotionlessly as Peter had started the conversation.
“She’s my grandmother, Dad. She’s family. And I have a right to make my own opinion about her.”
The standing man sighed. “I suppose you do at that, son. But I won’t be around to watch. I can’t. I’m going to get going, Peter. I’ve got some business that I had to put off when this whole thing started. I should probably get back to it now that I know you’re going to be okay.”
“Dad, please, just think about what I said, okay? I’m not doing this to spite you, and I don’t want you to go away thinking that. I... I love you, Pop.” Peter’s volume dropped to barely audible with his last statement.
But Charlie heard the words. He turned around in surprise. “I know that, son, and I feel the same way. I just can’t deal with my mother; the wound’s too deep. So I’m going to go. For you, I’ll think about it, okay? But I’m not promising anything. See you around, Peter.” He smiled and left after it had been returned, however weakly.
Peter let his head flop back onto his pillow after the door closed behind his dad. His eyes were squeezed shut. “That could have gone better,” he muttered darkly to himself.
A little bit later the door opened again to let in Ray who moved quickly to the bed. “How did everything go with your dad?” he asked, curious and concerned. “I saw him come in, and then he stopped to say goodbye on his way out just a minute ago.”
“Oh, Ray, he’s just like a little kid. He never got over his dad dying, and he transferred the hurt feelings to Felicia when she married Jerry. I told him so, and he said he’d think about what I’d said, but this is my dad we’re talking about. I’m not gonna hold my breath.” Peter let loose a deep breath and gave Ray a rueful smile.
“Probably not a good idea. But at least he said he’d try. That’s something, isn’t it?”
“We’ll see, Tex. We’ll see.” The psychologist yawned then sagged further into the pillow and sheets. “Wow, I never thought talking could be this tiring.”
Ray laughed. “Only for you, Peter. You do it too much. But this time I think you had to. Go ahead and sleep. We’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Where are Egon and Winston and Janine?”
“Finishing up talking to Doctor Stephens. He says if your tests tomorrow morning turn out all right, you’ll be able to leave the day after.”
Peter sighed as his eyelids drooped. “If only I could cram for those things like I did in college. I really want out of here.”
“You always do. Sleep, Peter. You won’t be alone.” Peter just nodded and drifted off. Ray pulled up a chair and smiled at his slumbering friend. Yeah, everything was going to be okay now that Doctor Venkman was back on the job. Everything was going to be just fine.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The rest of the day went by uneventfully, ending with Peter’s friends and Felicia returning to their motel to get a good night's rest. They came back the next morning just as visiting hours started, running into Doctor Stephens soon after he had come into Peter's room to let him know the results of that morning's tests. "Hey, guys," Peter greeted his friends. "Vlad here is finally finished with me and decided to fill me in on what he knows." He turned a twinkling gaze to the amused physician. "Now that we're all here, doc, go ahead."
"I was just going to tell you that you came up clean," Stephens said with a wide smile. "That means we're turning you loose tomorrow morning. You should like that."
"You have no idea," Peter agreed.
"Why can't he go today?" Felicia asked curiously.
"We just want one more day of observation. It's nothing to be alarmed about."
"And one more day of avoiding the administration, huh, doc?" Winston added with a smirk.
"Well, that too," Stephens said shamelessly with a shrug. Everyone laughed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The day went by as uneventfully as the one before. First thing in the morning, Egon went back to the ranch with Felicia to pick up their equipment and get it ready for transport once Peter was cleared to go, the others heading to the hospital. They returned just before the end of that evening's visiting hours, Egon joining Winston, Janine, and Ray not long before the three of them were going to leave for the night, and Felicia deciding to go straight back to the motel. "We'll be here in the morning to pick you up and take you to the airport," the blond physicist told Peter as he rose to his feet. "All the arrangements are made, and our equipment has been successfully retrieved from Felicia's ranch.”
Peter's eyebrows rose. "You mean you're storing all those gizmos with you in one motel room? You guys are gluttons for punishment."
"Tell me about it," Winston agreed. "Fortunately, Janine offered to store some of it in her room or we'd be showering with the aura spectrometer."
“I should’ve said no,” Janine said with a smile. “I would have loved to see that.”
"Oh, it wouldn't be that bad," Ray corrected. "We'd just have to be a lot more careful about where we walked, that's all. We wouldn't have had to use the bathroom.”
The black man scoffed. "I wouldn't go that far, Ray. The place we've got isn't exactly the lap of luxury," Winston refuted.
"The discussion of storage space aside, is there anything else you needed before we left for the evening, Peter?" Egon asked, cutting off any further debate.
"Thanks anyway, Spengs, but I think I'll be fine. Think I'll just drift off and let tomorrow morning come all the quicker. I can't wait to go home." Peter smiled.
Ray grinned, reaching out and squeezing the brown-haired man's hand. "I can't either. But what about Felicia?"
The psychologist looked his younger friend in the eye and said seriously, "We talked yesterday and cleared a few things up. We'll be keeping in touch. But I want to go home."
"Then we'll be here to bust you out in the morning, Pete. For now, go to sleep and quit your bitching." Winston grinned and gave the other man a wink, laughing when Peter gave him a raspberry in return.
"See you tomorrow, Peter!" Ray enthused as he led the way to the door, Winston right behind him.
"Sleep well, Peter. And enjoy it while you can. You've already used up all your pampering time." Egon gave him a small smile that was his equivalent of a Cheshire grin, his pale blue eyes sparkling as he turned to go, Janine just in front of him.
"Heartless! You guys are heartless!" Peter called after them, trying not to laugh. Once the door had closed behind the others, he shook his head and settled in for the night.
Outside in the hall, Ray turned to face Egon. "I thought you said you weren't going to warn him about the pampering?" the redheaded man asked, amused.
"Consider it his last dose," the blond replied.
"Let's get back to the motel, guys. I'm thinking Pete has the right idea - the sooner we get to bed, the sooner our stay at that doll house will be over.” Winston started herding the two scientists and their secretary toward the elevator.
They hadn't gotten three steps away from the door when Egon's PKE meter - that had been turned on upon their arrival out of instinct built up over the past week - started blaring an alarm. The physicist snatched it up and read the display. "I'm reading a strong Class Four coming from Peter's room. It looks familiar."
"We better get back in there just to be safe," Ray said quickly, worry coloring his tone.
The four of them burst back into Peter's room, Egon silencing his meter, just as a glowing light on the opposite side of the bed coalesced into a definite human form. Peter himself spared his friends a quick glance at their arrival and turned back to the odd occurrence. "Do you think one of you could explain to me what the hell is going on?" the psychologist threw back at them, agitation strong in his voice.
"I will explain presence myself," the ghostly figure said, his low tenor and broken English familiar. "I wished to return one last time to thank you for actions in regard to demon Trevaire." He looked over at the other Ghostbusters and Janine. "I suppose is quite appropriate that you have returned for this," he said to them. "It was Peter's love for you that gave him strength to continue against such dismal odds."
"Hey, let's not remind Doctor Venkman just how close he came, all right? I don't need any nightmares."
A smile formed on the transparent figure's face. "I apologize, Peter. I came to express gratitude, not distress you. I am honored to have you as descendant, Peter Charles Venkman. You have done great honor by your family, and it will not be forgotten."
Peter looked distinctly uncomfortable with the praise. "Yeah, well, I just did what needed to be done, that's all. I'm glad I could help."
"That's what Peter always does, Mister Decker," Egon added, stepping over to the horizontal man's bedside.
"He always comes through when we need him. Egon's got it right. Pete's definitely a guy you want behind you when the going gets tough. You couldn't have picked a better man." Winston grinned at the desperate look he got from his brown-haired friend, obviously wanting them to stop, but the glint in his emerald green eyes grateful all the same.
"Gosh, yeah," Ray agreed joining the other two next to Peter. "He may not always show it, but he's got a huge heart and always does what's right when it counts."
“Even if he may get on your nerves otherwise,” Janine added, completing the set by the bed. “You can always count on Doctor V.”
"You guys..." Much to the others’ surprise, Peter actually began to blush.
Hans laughed. "It says much when people one is closest to can say such things. I can only be glad you were fortunate enough to find these people, people you consider in your heart of hearts your family. I know that connections with blood relations are incomplete and some still unclear. That you have family of choice near at hand is great gift."
"I know," Peter said quietly. "I'm reminded of that on a regular basis." He shot his standing friends a look filled with deep but quickly hidden emotion as he turned back to the ghost at his other side.
"There is only one last thing I wished to share before I go. While I assisted you to return to your family, you assisted me to be completely reunited with mine. I know you read diary, so let me introduce my sons." A soft glow formed on either side of the Decker patriarch, quickly firming into a small boy of about ten years and an older man at least ten years older than the people that witnessed their arrival. "I believe you already spoke with son Gerritt." The older man bowed, a small smile on his face. "And this is my eldest, Johann."
The boy grinned and grabbed Peter's hand, the warmth of his expression counteracting the cold of his ectoplasmic touch. "Thank you for freeing my papa," the young voice said gratefully. "I've missed him for all these years, and so did my mama. We both love him so much.”
Peter smiled gently at him. "I'm glad I could help, Johann. He's a good man, and I know he loves you both just as much." The boy just grinned and nodded, then released the hand he held and stepped back to his father's side.
"I would also like to join my thanks with my father's," Gerritt said, also smiling. "You were quick to realize the meaning of my addition to my father's diary. Not many of the others did so until after their deaths."
Peter shrugged. "It just explained the weird feeling I was getting, like I was surrounded by a crowd of people. Tex here's the one who drove the point home." He gestured toward Ray, who looked thoroughly shocked.
"Me? What did I do?"
The psychologist turned a tender smile toward the occultist. "You reminded me I wasn't alone when I needed to hear it. Which reminds me, when we get home we are going to have to have a serious talk about your timing, all of you. You didn't miss your second cue, but that first one really needed some work."
"I'm not going to ask, Peter. You'd probably explain, and I don't believe I have any aspirin left to deal with the resulting headache." Egon lifted a blond eyebrow and gave his friend a look one part fondness, one part amusement, and one part exasperation.
The Deckers laughed at the exchange. "I am pleased you have all recovered from your ordeal," Hans said. "But now we must be going. Thank you again, Peter. We will never forget what you have done for us. Farewell for now.” The three ghosts faded away, leaving the five friends alone in the hospital room.
"Now that was an experience," Winston said, a touch of awe in his tone. "It's not often we get thanked by ghosts for what we do."
"Peter deserved it," Ray said loyally. "He did a great job defeating Trevaire. And the idea of combining the energy at the proton pack's power source was ingenious!"
Peter smirked at that. "That's me, a certifiable genius."
"Or just certifiable," Egon said quashingly, an eyebrow raised once again.
"Hey, now. Let's not insult Doctor Venkman. I'm the hero of the day, remember?"
"That day was over a week ago, Peter. Let's not push our luck."
"Oh, come on, Spengs. Cut me some slack. I was totally out of it for most of that time. Are you trying to tell me that because I was in a coma I have to miss out on all the glory that comes with breaking a centuries-old family curse?"
Egon pondered that for a moment. "Yes,” he said finally. “That's precisely what I'm saying." His eyes glittered with merriment.
Peter frowned. "That's it. Get out of here. I'm going to sleep. It's the only way I'll be safe from all this abuse."
"Well, at least until tomorrow," Winston corrected as Ray and Janine laughed.
"Come along, gentlemen, Janine," Egon said, gesturing the others toward the door. "Let us leave Doctor Venkman to his sulking. Perhaps he'll have it out of his system by tomorrow. We can only hope, at any rate."
"You watch it, Spengler. If you think I'm sulking now, you just wait. You haven't seen anything yet."
"Good night, Peter." The door closed, muffling the laughter of the four exiting people. Peter stared at the door for a few moments longer, letting a wide smile transform his features. His friends were the greatest. But that didn't mean they didn't deserve retaliation for that display. He fell asleep brainstorming on that very subject.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was Peter's turn to be antsy the next day as the four Ghostbusters, Janine Melnitz, and Felicia Atkinson waited for the flight to New York to be announced. "What time is it now?" Peter asked, hopping out of his seat for the tenth time since they finally got him to sit.
"About five minutes since you asked last time, Pete. Now sit down before you give us motion sickness. Not to mention re-sprain your ankle." Winston crossed his arms over his chest and gave the pacing man a stern look.
"I have my cane. Besides," the psychologist asked with an impish smile as he managed to stop in his tracks and bounce a bit on his left foot, “didn't you take your Dramamine?”
"I'm hoping to keep the medicine working for the flight, not use it up beforehand."
"Really, Peter, why are you having such difficulty keeping still?" Egon asked.
"I've been in bed for over a week not counting bathroom runs, Spengs. I'm enjoying being vertical."
"That's fair enough," Ray chimed in, smiling. "I'd probably be the same way in his shoes."
"You are even when you aren't," Peter told him, grinning.
Felicia laughed at the scene before her. "You all are something else, do you know that?" She stood, shaking her head. "Here, Peter, take this." She handed her grandson a small notebook. "My address and phone number are on the first page. I figured it would be harder to lose a whole notebook than a piece of paper."
That calmed the brown-haired man down. He smiled at the older woman gently. "Thanks, Felicia. I'll definitely be using this." He pulled out his wallet and handed her one of the business cards stored inside. "I think you'll be okay with this."
She smiled and nodded. "I think so, too."
Peter chuckled and opened the notebook after slipping the wallet back in his pocket. A confused look crossed his features. "Um, Felicia, not to be rude or anything, but why did you give me a Manhattan address and number? You live in Nebraska."
It was the silver-haired lady's turn to give an impish grin. "Didn't I tell you? I spoke with my step-daughter yesterday and worked everything out. She's practically been running the ranch as it was, and I was intending on leaving her the property in my will. But since I still have the apartment Jerry and I own in New York for when we would come and visit the boys and a very valuable reason to use it on a more regular basis, we worked something out so she can take over the ranch completely now. Rachel's always loved that place anyway, and her kids do, too, and I'm just wallowing in old, bittersweet memories there. I think it's time I made some new memories, don't you think?"
Egon, Ray, Janine, and Winston grinned as they watched a joyous light flare up in Peter's eyes at the pronouncement. "That's great, Felicia! When are you moving?"
"As soon as I can get everything settled. I'm not sure when, but I'll be sure to let you know." She smiled fondly at the brown-haired man.
The smile Peter wore flickered slightly as an old fear rose up in his emerald greens. "You promise?" he asked, a small waver only noticeable to his friends.
Her smile grew. "Of course, Peter. I promise to let you know as soon as I'm sure of a date. You can count on me."
He reached out and pulled the older lady into a hug. "I hope so," he breathed, no one catching the words.
The flight to New York was announced as the two of them broke apart. "Well, that's your flight. I won't keep you any longer." Felicia's smile dimmed a bit. "It'll be dull here without you boys to liven things up."
"But you're coming to New York, so we'll just make up for everything then," Ray announced. He bounced a bit before capturing the woman in a hug of his own.
"You bet we will, Ray," she said amidst her laughter as they separated, the redheaded man quickly replaced by Winston.
"You take care of yourself, lady," the black man admonished gently. "You've got a boy out there thinking about you, and the rest of us are, too."
"I know, and I will. You all had better do the same, or I may have to hurt you."
“It was wonderful getting to meet you,” Janine said as the redheaded woman took her turn at an embrace.
“And you as well,” Felicia returned, giving the younger woman an extra squeeze.
Egon stood there awkwardly after Janine backed away from the small woman. "It was a great pleasure to meet you, Felicia, and I'm pleased we were able to help you. I'm looking forward to when you come to Manhattan," the blond said politely, sounding only a little bit stiff.
Felicia grinned. "I don't want to say goodbye, either, Egon. But it's only temporary." She stepped over to him and took the physicist into a quick hug.
The second call came over the intercom at that point, and the fivesome hurried to catch their flight. At the last moment, Peter rushed back and gave his grandmother one last embrace. "Thank you, Grandma," he whispered into her ear and he started to take off to catch up with his friends, skipping every few steps to take the weight off his injured ankle.
"For what?" she called after him, looking pleased but confused.
"Faith!" was the hollered reply as he nearly ran into the waiting Egon. The older woman's laughter followed the two of them as the blond man helped the psychologist along to their gate.
"So, all's well that ends well, huh, Peter? As well as can be expected anyway," Ray asked, grinning happily as the five of them joined the dwindling line to board their plane.
Peter looked at the redheaded engineer, as well as Winston, Janine, and Egon, and grinned, feeling the satisfied sense of family, a sensation that had just grown to include one more. "You betcha, Tex. There’s not much that could top this." They all shared a knowing look, one that acknowledged that they all understood where Peter was coming from, and boarded the plane to return to New York and the home that waited for them there.
The End