Ghost of You

Forty Four

"Fletcher, don't do this to me!" She said, her voice and eyes full of warning

"I don't owe you a damn thing!" He said angrily

"Think of all the good times we had!"

"Good times? There wasn't a single moment that I spent married to you that I would of called good! You were a liar, a cheat, and a downright Bitch!" He seethed

"Oh, like your little whore was any better!" She laughed evilly before Fletcher pushed her back against the mirror, before stepping away

"I knew you didn't have the stomach to do it, you little mouse!" She cackled

"He has got the stomach Josephine dear, he just wants me to be the one to do it!" Vanessa said before she ran full force at her sister, shoving her with tremendous strength, sending her cascading through the mirror

Everyone is the room stood with mouths agape. The mirror shattered and Lindsey shielded his wife and baby son from the shards that flew in their direction. When Vanessa reappeared, she held Florence tightly in her arms.

"Oh honey!" Fletcher exclaimed, taking her into his arms. "I'm so proud of you"

"She pushed me from the window when we were pregnant with our daughter. She deserved a taste of her own medicine and now she is gone for good."

"Thank God!" Lindsey said. Stevie nodded, catching her breath. "We will finally have peace."

"You will, we all will." Vanessa said.

"What about your mirror? Where will you go now?" Stevie spoke up.

"Well, I suppose it's just gone. I don't need it as much anymore. We have our baby and each other...I know you will all be safe."

"Maybe it's our time to let go" Fletcher said. Tears were in everyone's eyes, Vanessa looked up at Fletcher and Stevie looked up at Lindsey, knowing their time together was short.

"No! I don't want to!" Vanessa sobbed

"Its best for everyone, Ness..." Fletcher said glancing quickly at Stevie

"I don't want to let go! They are my family too! And I want Noah to be able to play with Florence!"

"They've got their own lives to live, it would be selfish for us to tie them down."

"Well I want to be selfish! I'm not ready to just let them go!"

"We don't want to go, Vanessa, but the mirror is broken now, you'll eventually fade

"It's not fair!" She broke down on the floor "I want to stay with you forever!"

"Please don't make this any more difficult Ness..." Stevie begged

"I've grown so attached. It won't feel right without all of you."

"It will be hard for me too. You were such an integral part in my pregnancy and the birth of my son...you've made my husband a believer so he doesn't think I'm crazy anymore." She looks up to her husband. "Okay...well, maybe not as crazy. I'm definitely still completely nuts." Stevie joked and Vanessa chuckled a little. "You have your little family now, Vanessa, something you've always wanted. You have sweet Florence and Fletcher. Don't even blink. Even in my short time as a mother, I know that it all goes by too fast."

Vanessa nodded sadly. "Don't forget us, okay?"

"Of course we won't." Lindsey said from above.

"We won't" Stevie confirmed. Vanessa used all of her energy to hug Stevie as tightly as she could, and pulling away they both wiped their tears.

"I will think about your family for the rest of time!" Vanessa told them, hugging Lindsey, but her image not as strong, she was fading

"And I yours! Who knows, maybe when we are gone too, we will be reunited once again."

"I'd like to hope that." Vanessa smiled sadly and Fletcher wrapped his arm around her

"I'd give you both a hug too, but as you can see, there isn't much of me left." He gestured to himself, and a tear rolled down his cheek

"It's been an honour to have known you, and even more to have been friends." He added

"Thank you Fletch, take care of my best friend?" Stevie asked sweetly, her voice full of emotion

"You know I will."

Stevie handed Noah over and walked to Florence, being able to take her "And you Miss, are one special little thing, Auntie Stevie will love for all eternity." She kissed the baby's head and Florence smiled up at her

Florence faded from her grasp and Stevie looked up to find Fletcher and Vanessa disappearing, first their feet then their legs. Stevie tried to hug her friend but it was no use, she was gone. Stevie looked to Lindsey with tears in her eyes and couldn't say a word.

"I know" Lindsey said softly and Stevie fell to her knees, sobbing. Lindsey ushered her down the stairs and into their bedroom. He laid their son down and closed up the attic but not without saying one final goodbye. By the time Lindsey got back to their bedroom, Stevie was asleep, tears still wet on her cheeks. He leaned down to kiss her, wiping all evidence of her sadness away and smoothing her creased forehead with this thumb. "I love you." He nuzzled his nose into her neck and stroked her hair. He let the room and broke down on his own. He wasn't crying for himself by for his wife who had grown so attached, for the memories all of them had shared. It was as if the ghosts were truly family, Vanessa, Fletcher and now little Florence. Night fell upon the house and Lindsey sat in his chair in the sunroom that was now dark. Stevie came down the stairs carefully, having already checked on her son who was fast sleep. She searched the downstairs, finding Lindsey where he sat.

"Hey" she said, her voice still hoarse from sleep.

"Hey."

"He's still asleep?"

"Yeah, he only woke up once. I changed him and gave him a bottle of your milk."

"Thank you." Stevie stood in the doorway awkwardly.

"I'm sad too" he said finally and Stevie nodded.

"I know." Silence surrounded them once more and Stevie moved to sit on her husband's lap. "Do you ever think we will be happy again?"

After a moment, Lindsey smiled and he pat her stomach softly with the flat of his palm. "Yeah...yeah, I think we will be happy again."

"Even without them?"

"We won't ever be without them, Steph. We may not be able to see them but no matter what, they will be here." He touched where her heart lay in her chest and she began to cry again. He held her for a long while, rocking in the old chair until her breathing became even and her sadness was briefly taken away once again by sleep.

A/N: only one more chapter!!