Little Town of the Dead (Eureka, gen-ish) 1/2
Title: Little Town of the Dead
Author: tigerlady
Fandom: Eureka
Pairing: Gen-ish, with Allison/Nathan and choose-your-own subtext. (So pretty much like the show.)
Spoilers: Through 3.05 Show Me the Mummy
Summary: Eureka loves its holiday celebrations, but Halloween this year is turning out a little spookier than everyone expected.
Notes: Written for the spook_me challenge. My prompts were 'ghost' and 'City of the Dead'. Thank you to kageygirl for betaing, and to ozsaur and dustandroses for hosting the challenge. It was fun!
12,000 words, pretty PG. Possibly even G. (I know!)
Something glinted in the backyard.
Allison stepped closer to the patio door, breath misting the glass as she tried to figure out where the light might have come from. There was no moon to speak of, and it was too late in the year for lightning bugs. It could have been from the headlight of a passing car, she supposed, light bouncing off the wooded hills behind her house. Or maybe a reflection in the glass of the door itself. It was probably nothing to worry about.
She slid the door open anyway, and stepped out onto the deck. Even without moonlight, she could still make out enough to tell that the tiny square of lawn was empty, other than the small coordination-enhancing playset and the electromagnetic particle box with its outdated robo-construction sets. She'd been so insistent, back when they were looking for a place, that Kevin have space where he could play outdoors, just like a normal little boy. But Kevin rarely played out here, not anymore. Maybe she should get rid of the play area. Put in some roses, or maybe a simple wooden swing hung from a branch of the old oak tree that marked the line between lawn and woods. Except if she did that, then she'd have to admit that Kevin was growing up, and she wasn't quite ready to do that yet. Not after everything she'd been through this year.
Allison rested her forearms on the weather-roughened railing and sucked in a deep lungful of the evening air, heavy with its smells of decaying leaves and damp wood. Nathan had loved this time of year. Not that he would ever admit it, at least in so many words. But he was always in a better mood in the fall. His best suits would come out, and every now and then she'd catch him whistling as he did yard work. And in the evenings, especially after they were first married, he'd tempt her out here with the promise of a cup of hot cocoa. He'd pull her onto his lap, sharing his warmth, and they'd stare out at the red-gold hills that flanked the house while the sun set beyond them.
A breeze kicked up, rustling the dry branches and leaves around her and spiking the skin of her arms from the chill. Allison roughly brushed away the wetness on her cheeks. Yes, she missed Nathan, and there were good memories here, memories that made her hesitant to change the layout of the yard, but that was no reason to linger out here in the dark without a jacket when she should be upstairs in bed. She had a teleconference with the Joint Chiefs first thing in the morning, and it wouldn't help her case any to face them with puffy eyes. She turned towards the door, determined to leave her melancholy mood out here with the memories.
Leaves crackled behind her. Not like the wind-driven rustle of before. It sounded like someone was slowly crunching their way across her backyard. For a second, Allison hesitated with her hand on the latch, wanting to pull the door open and flee inside. But if she did that, then she wouldn't know for sure that her imagination was running away with her.
A twig popped, loud like it was snapped between two strong fists. Allison spun around, heart racing. She edged back towards the balcony rail, peering out into the yard and the woods beyond. It still looked empty of any living presence--but it was dark. Too dark to be certain of anything.
"Hello?" she called out. Maybe it wouldn't have been the smartest move in a large city, but they didn't have peeping toms in Eureka. They did, however, have experiments that escaped the confines of their labs on occasion. "Taggart, is that you?"
She held her breath, waiting for a response. It was her imagination. It had to be. Or maybe a clumsy raccoon, one that hadn't figured out yet that Eureka's trash cans were impenetrable to even the smartest little paws. "Jim, are you hunting something?"
Wood creaked as someone set foot on the deck stairs.
Allison reached for her phone as stealthily as possible. Jack would tease her if her visitor turned out to be Mrs. Gunderson's grumpy old cat, but his eyes would be warm and worried, telling her she did the right thing. And if it wasn't a cat...
The stairs creaked again. Allison took a step backwards, feeling for the door handle with her left hand as she opened her phone with her right. She slid her thumb across the keys, searching for the call button by touch. She'd just found it when a head appeared above the railing.
A head she knew very well.
"Kevin!" she said, more sharply than she intended. She shoved her phone back onto her belt and hurried over to him, a different, more familiar fear speeding her feet. She caught his shoulders with both hands, turning him so he was facing her. "What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be in bed!"
He looked up at her, and for a moment she thought they connected. But then his gaze dropped and he pushed against her grip, trying to turn back towards the yard. "It's not a logarithmic problem," he said.
"What-- Are you talking about the project you're working on with Henry?" It was actually a project Nathan had started with Kevin, shortly after the Artifact had been removed. Henry had stepped in shortly after Nathan's death, though whether it had been his idea to do so, or some prior arrangement of Nathan's, she still hadn't had the heart to ask. Either way, the once a week meetings were Kevin's favorite, and he always came home full of random mathematical statements that she had no hope of deciphering.
Kevin nodded. He stopped trying to pull away, and simply raised his right arm and pointed out into the dark. Towards the particle box, she thought. "I tried and it didn't work."
"It's okay, baby." She drew him in for a hug that was more for her benefit than his. He let her, but as soon as she loosened her arms, he moved away. She almost stopped him again, but instead of heading back towards the stairs, he slipped behind her to open the door to the house. He went inside without looking back, apparently uninterested in whatever had caught his attention in the first place.
"Okay, then," she murmured, then smiled at herself. She must be spending too much time around Jack if she was starting to sound like him.
Another breeze kicked up. Allison rubbed her forearms. She should get inside herself, make sure Kevin was actually in bed. But her earlier fear had faded, and there was something about the night that just felt...right. She closed her eyes, letting herself feel the quiet power of nature all around her. The way the wind touched her cheeks with butterfly softness, and how the scents of fall seemed to be layered with a thousand different spices, like the way cologne always smelled so much more complex when it was on a man's skin.
Allison huffed out a sigh as she opened her eyes. She definitely needed to go to bed if her imagination was that far out of control. She went back inside, making sure the lock was set on the door, and then turned towards the stairs. She needed to check on Kevin.
Only her subconscious took note of the foggy handprint on the glass door--the one that was much too big to have been left by her or Kevin.
*****
Jack kept his foot heavy on the brake as he eased into his usual parking space in front of Café Diem, gaze torn between safety and the activity that was going on above him. Somehow he'd managed to forget that the end of this particular month was the end of October, and that meant the residents pulled out all the stops for Halloween. Probably because Zoe had been so busy, between her job and her studies, that he hadn't heard her mention any party plans at all. Or at least he hoped she hadn't mentioned any plans. He was going to be pissed at himself if in a moment of inattention he'd agreed to let her have a massive party at the house.
The Jeep rocked into place. Jack slid the gear into park and set the safety brake by rote, then jumped out and slammed the door behind him. He craned his head back and shaded his eyes with his hands.
"Hey, Henry! How's it going!"
"Jack!" Henry leaned over the edge of his hover-cherry picker and waved. He'd obviously had a busy morning already; half the block was covered with the decorations he was putting up. Cobwebs dripped from the Café Diem sign, and a thick mat of creepy vines covered the front of the building. "Give me a second." He turned back to the sign, doing something to the 'M' that Jack couldn't make out. Then the cherry picker started descending, slowly bring Henry back down to street level.
"Not bad, Henry," Jack said more quietly this time. "Going for a more natural look this year?"
Henry chuckled. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet." He held up his giant universal remote--the one that made Jack worry about the 'universal' part of the name--pointed it towards the sign, and hit a button. Jack took a step back as the front of the building shuddered like the San Andreas stretching its toes. Before he could start yelling for people to run for it, everything was calm again. Sort of.
Where the welcoming facade of Café Diem once was, there was now a two-story inn, the wooden planks that covered the front greyed and sagging. Shutters groaned and flapped against a nonexistent wind--those that weren't dangling by a single nail, anyway. The vines still webbed over the front, but they had changed. They looked alive now--alive in a very frightening way. A deep blood-red veined through the green of the leaves, and so many thorns projected from the stems that they looked scaly. The pièce de résistance was the Café Diem sign. Instead of the bright white script, the name was scrawled in shivery black paint across a simple wooden board. Cobwebs still draped its length--only now there were giant black spiders spinning the threads.
Jack whistled. "Wow. You guys have really outdone yourselves. Looks like something straight out of City of the Dead."
Henry grinned. "Thanks. I'm still not quite happy with the sign. Kind of...blends in too much."
"I dunno. I think it really works well with the whole theme." Jack reached out, but he paused with his finger an inch away from the angry vine. Despite what half the town thought, he was capable of learning from experience. "So, how did you do it? Nanites? Super-grow fertilizer paint? Mass hallucination?"
Henry chuckled. "Nothing so complicated." He swung his hand out, past where Jack had stopped, and curled his index finger around one of the vines. Everything else flickered out of existence, leaving the bare wall of Café Diem behind Henry's hand. "It's all holographic. There are millions of micro-projectors on the vines and webs. That's why it looks so realistic."
"Impressive."
"You know us. Always aiming to be bigger and better." Henry patted him on the shoulder, then held up the remote again. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have to finish the rest of the street so I can head on over to the school. The kids' party is tomorrow afternoon, and this is going to knock their little socks off."
Jack laughed. "I'm sure it will." He waved as Henry began his ascent, then shook his head. Eureka was one heck of a town.
"Hey, Dad," Zoe called as soon as he stepped clear of Café Diem's (very scary-looking) door. She threw him a quick smile as she zipped by carrying a tray full of Vinspressos and what looked like cherry-smothered crepes.
"Hey, sweetie," he called back, but her attention was already on a table in the back of the café. He was so proud of her, doing all the amazing things she did--but some days he missed his baby girl. He watched her for a moment as she chatted with the trio she was serving, but his attention was drawn to the wall behind them. Café Diem didn't just look like a spooky old inn on the outside. Dark oil portraits in heavy frames had taken the place of the bright knick-knacks and shadowboxes that were usually on the wall, and they had their fair share of spiderwebs as well. Candles flickered in tarnished brass sconces, and one of the wood panels oozed something suspiciously dark. Fake though it was, he was still tempted to call out the health department.
"Good morning, Sheriff," Vincent said. "The usual?"
"Please." Jack smiled at Vince as he bustled away to work his magic, then stepped closer to the counter. After a second's hesitation, he slid his leg over one of the barstools, ignoring the sight of his thigh passing through a high wooden back that wasn't normally there. He figured it be best to go by touch rather than sight for the next day and a half. Though the sight was definitely impressive. The effect was beyond set of a horror movie; he actually felt like he was inside a horror movie. The guy standing near the restrooms in a black cowled robe was really a standout. Jack narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out if he was a resident in costume a day early or if he was actually part of the decorations.
The front door opened with a long, aching creak. Jack swiveled around in time to see Jo roll her eyes at it.
"Hey," he called, amused by the grimace that didn't fade as she crossed the room. "All set for your favorite holiday?"
That lit up her face. "You better believe it," she said, giving her utility belt a satisfied smack. "I am completely stocked on the latest in crowd control and anti-terrorism devices." She pulled out a small wand, no thicker than her pinky. "This puppy is amazing. It vaporizes any matter that's been introduced into an organic system within an operator-determined time frame. Leaves everything else in the system completely intact."
Jack mulled that one over. He'd definitely been doing this job for too long now, because he was pretty sure he understood what that meant. "So, you're thinking an end to toilet paper in trees?"
"Exactly." Jo flipped the wand around with a practiced twirl and slipped it back into her belt. "And if they give me any gruff, they can say goodbye to whatever candy they've managed to wheedle out of people."
Jack snorted. "Just remember they're kids, okay? It's all about having fun."
Jo gave him that 'how many times were you dropped on your head' look he'd gotten so used to. "Hey, I'm fun!"
Jack didn't even bother to open his mouth. There was just no safe response to that statement. He was saved from having to search for a safe subject by the loud creak of the door. They turned together to see who the newcomer was.
"Well look who's back from sabbatical," Jo murmured.
"Hey, Diane," Jack called. She smiled warmly at them as she stepped up to the counter, not showing any sign of the grief that had driven her to take a few months away from Eureka. Of course, she'd had that same warm smile when she'd nearly brought on the seven plagues in an attempt to find a doorway to heaven. "Back for good?"
"Hello, Sheriff, Jo. Yes, I think so. Spending some time with my sister was good, but I missed my work." She smiled wryly, like she knew exactly what he was thinking. "Don't worry. I tore down all the portal equipment before I left and sent it to recycling. Even if I were tempted to try again, it would take me years to reconstruct everything."
"Oh, well." Jack nodded meaninglessly. "Good to know."
Diane brushed his hand with hers. "I guess that wasn't as reassuring as I meant it. I'm doing much better, honestly. I finally figured out that trying to run away from the pain just made it worse."
Jack nodded. "Easier said than done, though, right?"
Diane sighed. "So very true. But I have my faith, and my friends, and so I'm going to keep moving forward."
Zoe stepped forward then, pad and pen poised for Diane's order. Jack turned forward just in time to catch Jo's amused eyebrow.
"What?"
"Nothing." Jo kept grinning, though. He waited her out for a couple more seconds, and sure enough, she broke. "It's just... You should have seen your face when she brought up faith. Looked like you couldn't decide whether to make a break out the back or huddle under a table."
"Very funny."
Jo shrugged. "It's interesting, though. How talking about God makes you so nervous."
"I'm not nervous, I'm--" His phone rang at the perfect time; Jo probably wouldn't have ever forgiven him for what he was about to say. He smiled sweetly at her as he flipped it open. "Carter here."
"Jack, it's Allison." She sighed, sounding more put-out than worried. One of those calls, then. "Can you come up to GD? Something's going on with Fargo, and I really don't have time to untangle it."
"Great. Sounds like fun." Vince showed up just then, Vinspresso in hand. Jack scooped it up with a nod of thanks. "I'll be right there."
"Thanks," Allison murmured, sounding a little too grateful. Whatever Fargo had done, it had to be closer to the 'painfully annoying' end of the scale rather than the 'world-ending' side. It was probably a bad sign that Jack couldn't decide if he was happy about that or not.
"Allison?" Jo asked.
Jack nodded. "Nothing I can't handle." At least, he hoped it wasn't. Even the simplest Fargo situations could go a little...wacky. "Go on, wait for your coffee. I'll give you a call if I need you."
Jo's smile was genuine; she really did love her morning caffeine. Jack waved to Diane, snuck a kiss to the crown of Zoe's head, and then headed off for just another day on the job.
*****
Fargo rubbed frantically at his forearms, but he could still feel the goosebumps carpeting his skin. He wasn't cold--or at least he didn't think he was cold. Was that a sign of shock? Not feeling cold when you really were cold? No, it was the other way around. Feeling extra cold when it wasn't actually cold out. So he wasn't in shock. Unless he really was in shock, and he wasn't remembering the symptoms correctly because of that. Maybe he should look them up on the internet--
But no, he couldn't do that, because he couldn't open his eyes. It might still be out there, just waiting for Fargo to give it an opening. If he couldn't see it, then it couldn't attack him. Right? God, he couldn't remember. He shivered again. Maybe he was cold. Cold was a sign of the otherworldly, he was pretty sure. Well, not on Buffy. Except for the one time when it snowed to save Angel, but that was an intercession from the PTB and he was pretty sure it didn't count. Not that there were that many ghosts on Buffy, anyway. He really shouldn't use it as a reference source.
The Ghostfacers crew, on the other hand. They said cold was a sign of ghosts. That and electrical interference. Had his monitor gone all funky beforehand? He couldn't remember for sure, but it must have. Maybe he just hadn't noticed.
"Here he is," Dr. Blake said. Her heels clipped sharply across the marble floor, followed by a duller set of footsteps. Fargo squeezed his eyes more tightly.
"Hey, Fargo." That was Sheriff Carter's voice. Gentle, safe, confident, just like he always sounded when something bad was happening. "How's it going?"
Fargo shook his head quickly.
"Come on, buddy. I can't help fix it if I don't know what the problem is."
He sounded so sure of himself. Fargo really didn't think it was a fixable problem--but Carter had never failed. Well, except for saving Dr. Stark, and he was pretty sure Dr. Stark wouldn't have let himself be saved. So maybe...
"Is it still there?" he whispered.
"Is what still where?"
Taking a deep, bracing breath, Fargo slowly cracked one eye open. The sheriff was squatting in front of him, looking at him with friendly concern. He didn't act worried about anything attacking from behind. Of course, maybe that was because it was invisible to Carter. Fargo opened the other eye; he had to know for sure. He looked slowly from side to side. When he didn't see anything suspicious, he raised his head, just enough to take in the rest of the room.
It wasn't there.
He let out all the air he'd been holding. His legs gave out at the same time, and he plopped backwards onto his ass. The floor was cold through the seat of his pants, cold enough to bring his goosebumps back.
"You okay there, Fargo?"
"Maybe. I don't know. Am I in shock?" He saw the look Carter and Dr. Blake gave each other, but he didn't care. They hadn't seen what he had seen. And since she squatted down beside him and reached out to take his pulse, Fargo figured he forgive her for it.
"Your pulse is a little fast, and you're a little clammy, but I think you're fine," she said. "Could you please tell us what happened?"
Fargo licked his lips. They felt dry and cracked. From getting too close to supernatural energies, probably. He took another deep breath; he needed to let them know what the threat was, after all. "I saw a ghost." He glanced over his shoulder, but the room remained clear, as far as he could tell."
"A ghost." Carter sagged back, so that he was sitting on his heels. He looked over to Dr. Blake. "Is that some kind of technical term? Code name for a project, maybe?"
Dr. Blake shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of. Are you working on something without my knowledge?"
Fargo gulped. He'd forgotten that Dr. Blake could get as scary as Dr. Stark when she was really pissed off. She just didn't get pissed off as often. He shook his head fervently. "No! I swear."
"Okay, and so a ghost is..." Carter prompted.
"A ghost." Fargo looked from one to the other, but they still weren't getting it. "You know, a real, not-live, scary ghost."
"A ghost?" Carter held up his hands and wriggled his fingers back and forth. "You mean with the ooh ooh oooooh kind of ghost?"
"Well, not so much with the ooh ooh ooooh and the," Fargo wriggled his fingers the same way Carter had. "But yes, a ghost."
Dr. Blake and the sheriff looked at each other again. Then they both stood up, almost like they'd practiced the move.
"Hey, I know how it sounds," Fargo said. Ghost sightings within the scientific community were extremely rare, after all. "But I know what I saw. It was definitely a ghost."
The sheriff set his hands on his hips. It was one his action poses, one that meant he was getting ready to do something. That, or leave. Fargo really hoped it wasn't that last one. "Okay, so what did it do?"
"Do? It didn't really do--" Fargo glanced over to his work area, where he'd been sitting when the apparition...apparated. His blood went to ice as he realized his sandwich was missing. "Oh, my God. It stole my lunch."
Carter snorted. "It stole your lunch? So what, we're dealing with Slimer?"
"Slimer?" Fargo shook his head. "I don't know what that is."
Carter stared at him like Fargo was the one with a 111 IQ, then looked to Dr. Blake like she had to know what was going on. "Slimer? Little green guy with a taste for hot dogs?"
Dr. Blake shook her head.
"Oh, come on." He flailed his right hand in Fargo's direction. "I've seen the kind of things you watch. You can't tell me you haven't seen Ghostbusters."
"Oh, Ghostbusters." Fargo shrugged. "Sorry, I'm not really into the mid-80s' shtick."
"It's a classic!"
Dr. Blake cleared her throat. Loudly. "Jack."
"Right. Sorry, Allison." The sheriff actually looked a little sheepish. He dropped his arms and started to pace the room, looking around like the ghost had just decided to hide behind the desk. Which it might have; who knew how ghosts thought? Fargo climbed to his feet, ready to make a run for it if necessary. Carter stopped abruptly, staring down into the very mundane trash can beside the desk.
"What?" Fargo whispered. "Is it in there?"
Carter bent over and grabbed something out of the trash. He thrust it forward, towards Fargo's face--which, ew. "The ghost ate your lunch?"
Fargo resettled his glasses and made himself take a good look. Yes, pastrami on rye with a slice of Velveeta was what he'd had today, but that wasn't any guarantee it was his. He crossed his arms and glared at the sheriff, refusing to confirm or deny without all the facts in hand.
Carter sighed and tossed the sandwich back into the trash. "I think we're done here."
"Wait!" Fargo caught Carter's arm. "You didn't believe me with the mummy queen, and remember how that turned out?"
"She wasn't a real mummy!"
"So? That didn't mean there wasn't a real danger."
"He's got a point, Jack."
Carter frowned. "Fine. So what exactly did this ghost look like."
Fargo licked his lips again. He really needed to check to see if the bio-products division had finished the Chapstick upgrade. "It looked like my dad."
"Your dad?" Both of Carter's eyebrows shot up. "Isn't your dad dead?"
Fargo rolled his eyes. "Yes. That's how I knew it was a ghost."
Carter opened his mouth. He held up his index finger, and then shut his mouth again. "Okay, look," he finally said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why don't you write down exactly what happened, and send a copy to Jo. That way we can look into...potential leads."
Fargo crossed his arms. "And what do I do if it comes back?"
"If it comes back? Well, I guess don't do anything your father ever told you not to do." Carter slapped him on the shoulder. "And don't call me."
"But--"
"Call Jo. Don't tell me having her handle it is a problem for you."
Fargo fought down the blush. "No, Deputy Lupo will do fine."
"Good." Carter gave him one last smile, then headed out the door. Dr. Blake looked like she was going to say something else, but then she shook her head and followed Carter.
Leaving Fargo all alone.
He looked over his shoulder again. Still nothing, but that didn't mean it wouldn't come back. The decision wasn't hard. He scooped up his laptop and took off after the other two. "Dr. Blake," he called out. "Can I work in your office? Just for today?"
She didn't stop walking.
"So is that a yes?"
*****
Allison sighed, staring through the glass window at Fargo building his nest on her couch. The head of consumer development had promised her that the synthetic material would resist stains better than any real leather, but she'd lay odds that he hadn't involved Fargo in the testing phase.
Maybe she should see about a transfer. For the good of GD, of course.
"So, you don't really want me to look into this, do you?" Jack asked. "I mean, come on. Ghosts? The day before Halloween?"
Allison turned away from her office and started walking towards the exit. Jack fell into step beside her, just as she had expected. "Aren't you the one who's always saying that you're the professional investigator? So investigate."
"Yeah, but..." She could practically hear him groping for a way to express the ridiculousness of the situation. "Fargo saw a ghost."
"Or something that he took for a ghost." Allison pulled up, turning to face him. "I know it sounds crazy. Believe me, I do. But I've learned that it's better to be safe than sorry around here. I thought you'd have learned that, too."
Jack's face went from incredulous to softly understanding in less than a second. She hadn't meant it like that, but now that he was thinking of Nathan, she was, too. That genii needed to be shoved back in the bottle as quickly as possible. "Look," she said as she started walking again. "Do what you think is best. Just don't write it off because it's Fargo. I really don't want this turning into another mummy incident."
"It won't." Jack kept quiet pace for a few seconds, but she knew it couldn't last much longer than that. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"It's just that you seem a little short this morning."
Allison stopped again. She took a calming breath, trying to relax the tension in her shoulders that she'd woken up with. She was being a little short-tempered, and Jack didn't deserve that. "I'm fine, really. I just don't have a lot of time to deal with these kind of things. I've got a big presentation this afternoon, and I need to get home early so I can put the finishing touches on Kevin's costume for tomorrow."
Jack's eyes were still soft and understanding, but his teasing smile was lurking, ready to flash forth at any second. "Don't worry about Fargo," he said, touching her wrist in quick reassurance. "I really don't think anything is going on, but I'll keep my eye on it."
"Thank you." Some of the tension at the base of her neck eased. Knowing Jack had her back made the difference some days. "I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but sometimes Fargo just..."
"Hey, you don't have to explain." That mischievous smile came out, making his eyes even bluer. "And maybe I could give you a hand with Kevin's costume. I sew a mean button."
Allison snorted. "Do you know how to formulate expanding spider webbing so that it's soap and water washable?"
Jack scratched at his ear. "Um, right. Forgot what town I was in there for a minute."
Allison patted his shoulder. "I appreciate the offer, though. It was sweet of you." She was sure she saw a bit of pink spread across the tip of Jack's ears, but he started walking before she could tell for sure.
"So, Spiderman, huh? Sounds like an awesome costume."
"It is," she said, and it didn't even come out sounding regretful, no matter how much she wished Nathan could be here to see his design come to life.
*****
Diane pulled the vestibule doors closed behind her. She let her hand rest on the sun-warmed wood for a moment. It had been good to get away, to spend time in a city where she didn't spend every moment tripping over memories of Daniel. But it was better to be back here, where they had built a home together. Where she could immerse herself in her faith and her music.
She pressed her hand hard against the wood, forcing herself backwards and out into the world. She couldn't spend all of her time here, wrapped up in comforting things. Her projects were waiting, and she wanted to order a small thank-you gift for Reverend Harper before starting work. One of the new ever-blooming peace plants for the nave, maybe. Snugging her wrap a little more tightly around her shoulders, she started the short walk towards town.
She'd just turned the corner onto Main Street when a cloud passed overhead. A breeze rustled through the remaining leaves on the streetside trees. Then the cloud was gone, the sun autumn bright again--and that's when she saw him.
"Daniel?" Diane pressed her right hand to her throat, but her voice wasn't the only thing that was shaking. She could only see him in profile, but she'd never mistake his beautiful face for another's. "Please, Daniel--"
But he was gone.
She stared at the spot where he had been for a long time, until her cheeks felt frozen from the breeze on her tears and her throat burned from her ragged breaths. Then she turned back towards where she had come from, gift forgotten as she went to seek out the reverend.
*****
Taggart hummed to himself as he eased the slide into place. The cloned cells were looking perfect, absolutely perfect. No sign of uncontrolled growth, no aggressive apoptosis. Just beautiful little cells mitosing away in sweet harmony with the universe. He needed to do another DNA analysis, make sure nothing had gone awry that he wouldn't spot under simple magnification, but he was confident that he'd be ready to move on to a live test in a matter of days.
He spun around on his stool--and froze. A particularly fine example of a Canis lupus sat in the corner, tongue lolling as it stared at him.
"Well, hello there," Taggart murmured. He eased off the stool and started inching towards the far side of the room, where the case full of tranq guns was. "Where did you come from, fella?"
The big guy looked perfectly content to hang out in the corner of the room. Its nostrils flared once, then it dipped its head and started snuffling at its hindquarters. Certainly a beauty of a specimen, but he still had no clue where it had come from. And one could never be too careful with creatures of the wild, no matter how relaxed they seemed.
His fingers made contact with the edge of the case. Taggart eased the door open, then lifted one of the guns by touch. He checked to make sure it was loaded with an appropriate dose, then swung the butt up to his shoulder and took aim.
That's when the wolf raised its head. Taggart caught his breath; he'd know that muzzle anywhere.
"Fred?" He let the gun drop to his side and took a step forward. "But...Wilma ate you. I picked up the pieces myself, mate." He reached out, remorse heavy in his heart--but the wolf disappeared like it had never been. Taggart waved his hand back and forth in the space where it had been sitting, but there was nothing. Nothing at all.
"Blimey," he said, dropping to his knees on the empty floor. "I'm being haunted by the ghost of experiments past!"
*****
Henry chuckled as he flipped the switch on his remote to turn on the last of the projectors. Jack was right; they really had outdone themselves this year. Any strangers who stumbled into town would hit the gas as soon as they saw the old buildings looming around them. He couldn't wait to see it at night, when the ethereal glow effect would kick in. Hell, half of the town's residents would probably be tempted to hightail it out of here.
He aimed the cherry picker towards the bed of his truck, already thinking ahead to the rest of his day. The only decorating left to do was in the school gym, but classes wouldn't be out for another couple of hours. He had plenty of time to grab a quick lunch and spend some time on his most pressing research. Or, better yet, he could get a couple sack lunches from Café Diem and bribe Jack into an hour of chess. Other than quick hellos, they really hadn't spent much time together lately, and he kind of missed his friend.
Mind made up, Henry wiped his greasy hands across the super-efficient microfiber hand towel he always carried, then climbed out of the cherry picker. Café Diem was five blocks down, but it was a beautiful day, bright for fall and only slightly nippy. Nothing like a short walk to put the edge on his appetite.
Half a block away from his truck, he spotted a woman outside Everett's Groceries, standing still in the middle of the sidewalk. He wasn't sure whether she was confused by the altered store front or simply admiring his handiwork. He picked up his pace, hoping for the latter--especially since she seemed to be a beautiful woman. He stared at her profile, trying to figure out who she was. She seemed so familiar, but--
Henry stopped. His whole body froze, unable to move as his brain finally processed what his eyes had been trying to tell him. "Kim?"
He ran. He didn't stop to consider the impossibilities, didn't worry about mistaken identities. He ran, no breath to call out to her--but he wasn't fast enough. Again, he wasn't fast enough. He stumbled to a halt in the spot where she had been, turning in circles as he tried to figure out where she had gone. But she wasn't anywhere. Not anywhere in this universe.
Henry closed his eyes. He counted to twenty under his breath, but it took a lot longer than that before he could make himself release his clenched fists.
*****
The door to the sheriff's office opened. Jo swiped at her eyes, but there wasn't anything more she could do. She kept her head down, gaze fixed on Guns & Ammo while Carter sauntered into the room. He probably wouldn't notice anything amiss, anyway. Not with good ol' Jo.
"Hey, have you gotten Fargo's report yet?" he asked, tossing folders around on his desk like he was desperate to find something.
"Yeah," she said, then cleared her throat. "Not much to it."
"Yeah, I didn't think it would be. I mean, come on. A ghost? I know we have some weird stuff go on around here, but I really can't believe Fargo saw the ghost of his dearly departed dad." Carter slapped his desk, then turned around to face her at last. "Have you seen my-- Jo, what's wrong?"
So much for Mr. Super Detective missing anything. She cleared her throat again. "I can believe it."
"Excuse me?"
Jo shrugged. She had known he wouldn't believe her, but she knew what she saw. "Fargo. I believe him."
"What?" He folded his arms across his chest and perched one butt cheek on the edge of his desk. "Okay, this you've got to explain to me. Why?"
Jo rubbed her thumb over the corners of the magazine, resisting the urge to shrug again. "I saw my mom."
He didn't say anything for a long time. At least it felt that way. She kept her eyes down, watching the floor until his boots crossed her field of vision. He squatted down as she looked up, and their gazes met in the middle.
"Jo?"
She swallowed. "Just for a couple seconds. I opened the door, and there she was. She looked like she did at my birthday party, when I turned five."
Carter took a breath and let it puff up his cheeks, like he always did when he wanted to ask a question that would hurt.
"I know what you're going to say. But it's not just me." She turned back towards her desk, grabbing her notebook. "The phone's been ringing off the hook all morning. That's where I was headed when I saw her, out to talk to Dr. Epstein. He swore up and down that Linus Pauling was haunting his lab."
"Okay," he said slowly. She had his attention at least, even if he still didn't believe her. "So what are we going to do about it?"
The front door opened again, only this time it slammed hard against the door stop. Henry raced in, looking short of breath and wild-eyed.
"Jack. We have to talk."
Part 2.
Author: tigerlady
Fandom: Eureka
Pairing: Gen-ish, with Allison/Nathan and choose-your-own subtext. (So pretty much like the show.)
Spoilers: Through 3.05 Show Me the Mummy
Summary: Eureka loves its holiday celebrations, but Halloween this year is turning out a little spookier than everyone expected.
Notes: Written for the spook_me challenge. My prompts were 'ghost' and 'City of the Dead'. Thank you to kageygirl for betaing, and to ozsaur and dustandroses for hosting the challenge. It was fun!
12,000 words, pretty PG. Possibly even G. (I know!)
Something glinted in the backyard.
Allison stepped closer to the patio door, breath misting the glass as she tried to figure out where the light might have come from. There was no moon to speak of, and it was too late in the year for lightning bugs. It could have been from the headlight of a passing car, she supposed, light bouncing off the wooded hills behind her house. Or maybe a reflection in the glass of the door itself. It was probably nothing to worry about.
She slid the door open anyway, and stepped out onto the deck. Even without moonlight, she could still make out enough to tell that the tiny square of lawn was empty, other than the small coordination-enhancing playset and the electromagnetic particle box with its outdated robo-construction sets. She'd been so insistent, back when they were looking for a place, that Kevin have space where he could play outdoors, just like a normal little boy. But Kevin rarely played out here, not anymore. Maybe she should get rid of the play area. Put in some roses, or maybe a simple wooden swing hung from a branch of the old oak tree that marked the line between lawn and woods. Except if she did that, then she'd have to admit that Kevin was growing up, and she wasn't quite ready to do that yet. Not after everything she'd been through this year.
Allison rested her forearms on the weather-roughened railing and sucked in a deep lungful of the evening air, heavy with its smells of decaying leaves and damp wood. Nathan had loved this time of year. Not that he would ever admit it, at least in so many words. But he was always in a better mood in the fall. His best suits would come out, and every now and then she'd catch him whistling as he did yard work. And in the evenings, especially after they were first married, he'd tempt her out here with the promise of a cup of hot cocoa. He'd pull her onto his lap, sharing his warmth, and they'd stare out at the red-gold hills that flanked the house while the sun set beyond them.
A breeze kicked up, rustling the dry branches and leaves around her and spiking the skin of her arms from the chill. Allison roughly brushed away the wetness on her cheeks. Yes, she missed Nathan, and there were good memories here, memories that made her hesitant to change the layout of the yard, but that was no reason to linger out here in the dark without a jacket when she should be upstairs in bed. She had a teleconference with the Joint Chiefs first thing in the morning, and it wouldn't help her case any to face them with puffy eyes. She turned towards the door, determined to leave her melancholy mood out here with the memories.
Leaves crackled behind her. Not like the wind-driven rustle of before. It sounded like someone was slowly crunching their way across her backyard. For a second, Allison hesitated with her hand on the latch, wanting to pull the door open and flee inside. But if she did that, then she wouldn't know for sure that her imagination was running away with her.
A twig popped, loud like it was snapped between two strong fists. Allison spun around, heart racing. She edged back towards the balcony rail, peering out into the yard and the woods beyond. It still looked empty of any living presence--but it was dark. Too dark to be certain of anything.
"Hello?" she called out. Maybe it wouldn't have been the smartest move in a large city, but they didn't have peeping toms in Eureka. They did, however, have experiments that escaped the confines of their labs on occasion. "Taggart, is that you?"
She held her breath, waiting for a response. It was her imagination. It had to be. Or maybe a clumsy raccoon, one that hadn't figured out yet that Eureka's trash cans were impenetrable to even the smartest little paws. "Jim, are you hunting something?"
Wood creaked as someone set foot on the deck stairs.
Allison reached for her phone as stealthily as possible. Jack would tease her if her visitor turned out to be Mrs. Gunderson's grumpy old cat, but his eyes would be warm and worried, telling her she did the right thing. And if it wasn't a cat...
The stairs creaked again. Allison took a step backwards, feeling for the door handle with her left hand as she opened her phone with her right. She slid her thumb across the keys, searching for the call button by touch. She'd just found it when a head appeared above the railing.
A head she knew very well.
"Kevin!" she said, more sharply than she intended. She shoved her phone back onto her belt and hurried over to him, a different, more familiar fear speeding her feet. She caught his shoulders with both hands, turning him so he was facing her. "What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be in bed!"
He looked up at her, and for a moment she thought they connected. But then his gaze dropped and he pushed against her grip, trying to turn back towards the yard. "It's not a logarithmic problem," he said.
"What-- Are you talking about the project you're working on with Henry?" It was actually a project Nathan had started with Kevin, shortly after the Artifact had been removed. Henry had stepped in shortly after Nathan's death, though whether it had been his idea to do so, or some prior arrangement of Nathan's, she still hadn't had the heart to ask. Either way, the once a week meetings were Kevin's favorite, and he always came home full of random mathematical statements that she had no hope of deciphering.
Kevin nodded. He stopped trying to pull away, and simply raised his right arm and pointed out into the dark. Towards the particle box, she thought. "I tried and it didn't work."
"It's okay, baby." She drew him in for a hug that was more for her benefit than his. He let her, but as soon as she loosened her arms, he moved away. She almost stopped him again, but instead of heading back towards the stairs, he slipped behind her to open the door to the house. He went inside without looking back, apparently uninterested in whatever had caught his attention in the first place.
"Okay, then," she murmured, then smiled at herself. She must be spending too much time around Jack if she was starting to sound like him.
Another breeze kicked up. Allison rubbed her forearms. She should get inside herself, make sure Kevin was actually in bed. But her earlier fear had faded, and there was something about the night that just felt...right. She closed her eyes, letting herself feel the quiet power of nature all around her. The way the wind touched her cheeks with butterfly softness, and how the scents of fall seemed to be layered with a thousand different spices, like the way cologne always smelled so much more complex when it was on a man's skin.
Allison huffed out a sigh as she opened her eyes. She definitely needed to go to bed if her imagination was that far out of control. She went back inside, making sure the lock was set on the door, and then turned towards the stairs. She needed to check on Kevin.
Only her subconscious took note of the foggy handprint on the glass door--the one that was much too big to have been left by her or Kevin.
*****
Jack kept his foot heavy on the brake as he eased into his usual parking space in front of Café Diem, gaze torn between safety and the activity that was going on above him. Somehow he'd managed to forget that the end of this particular month was the end of October, and that meant the residents pulled out all the stops for Halloween. Probably because Zoe had been so busy, between her job and her studies, that he hadn't heard her mention any party plans at all. Or at least he hoped she hadn't mentioned any plans. He was going to be pissed at himself if in a moment of inattention he'd agreed to let her have a massive party at the house.
The Jeep rocked into place. Jack slid the gear into park and set the safety brake by rote, then jumped out and slammed the door behind him. He craned his head back and shaded his eyes with his hands.
"Hey, Henry! How's it going!"
"Jack!" Henry leaned over the edge of his hover-cherry picker and waved. He'd obviously had a busy morning already; half the block was covered with the decorations he was putting up. Cobwebs dripped from the Café Diem sign, and a thick mat of creepy vines covered the front of the building. "Give me a second." He turned back to the sign, doing something to the 'M' that Jack couldn't make out. Then the cherry picker started descending, slowly bring Henry back down to street level.
"Not bad, Henry," Jack said more quietly this time. "Going for a more natural look this year?"
Henry chuckled. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet." He held up his giant universal remote--the one that made Jack worry about the 'universal' part of the name--pointed it towards the sign, and hit a button. Jack took a step back as the front of the building shuddered like the San Andreas stretching its toes. Before he could start yelling for people to run for it, everything was calm again. Sort of.
Where the welcoming facade of Café Diem once was, there was now a two-story inn, the wooden planks that covered the front greyed and sagging. Shutters groaned and flapped against a nonexistent wind--those that weren't dangling by a single nail, anyway. The vines still webbed over the front, but they had changed. They looked alive now--alive in a very frightening way. A deep blood-red veined through the green of the leaves, and so many thorns projected from the stems that they looked scaly. The pièce de résistance was the Café Diem sign. Instead of the bright white script, the name was scrawled in shivery black paint across a simple wooden board. Cobwebs still draped its length--only now there were giant black spiders spinning the threads.
Jack whistled. "Wow. You guys have really outdone yourselves. Looks like something straight out of City of the Dead."
Henry grinned. "Thanks. I'm still not quite happy with the sign. Kind of...blends in too much."
"I dunno. I think it really works well with the whole theme." Jack reached out, but he paused with his finger an inch away from the angry vine. Despite what half the town thought, he was capable of learning from experience. "So, how did you do it? Nanites? Super-grow fertilizer paint? Mass hallucination?"
Henry chuckled. "Nothing so complicated." He swung his hand out, past where Jack had stopped, and curled his index finger around one of the vines. Everything else flickered out of existence, leaving the bare wall of Café Diem behind Henry's hand. "It's all holographic. There are millions of micro-projectors on the vines and webs. That's why it looks so realistic."
"Impressive."
"You know us. Always aiming to be bigger and better." Henry patted him on the shoulder, then held up the remote again. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have to finish the rest of the street so I can head on over to the school. The kids' party is tomorrow afternoon, and this is going to knock their little socks off."
Jack laughed. "I'm sure it will." He waved as Henry began his ascent, then shook his head. Eureka was one heck of a town.
"Hey, Dad," Zoe called as soon as he stepped clear of Café Diem's (very scary-looking) door. She threw him a quick smile as she zipped by carrying a tray full of Vinspressos and what looked like cherry-smothered crepes.
"Hey, sweetie," he called back, but her attention was already on a table in the back of the café. He was so proud of her, doing all the amazing things she did--but some days he missed his baby girl. He watched her for a moment as she chatted with the trio she was serving, but his attention was drawn to the wall behind them. Café Diem didn't just look like a spooky old inn on the outside. Dark oil portraits in heavy frames had taken the place of the bright knick-knacks and shadowboxes that were usually on the wall, and they had their fair share of spiderwebs as well. Candles flickered in tarnished brass sconces, and one of the wood panels oozed something suspiciously dark. Fake though it was, he was still tempted to call out the health department.
"Good morning, Sheriff," Vincent said. "The usual?"
"Please." Jack smiled at Vince as he bustled away to work his magic, then stepped closer to the counter. After a second's hesitation, he slid his leg over one of the barstools, ignoring the sight of his thigh passing through a high wooden back that wasn't normally there. He figured it be best to go by touch rather than sight for the next day and a half. Though the sight was definitely impressive. The effect was beyond set of a horror movie; he actually felt like he was inside a horror movie. The guy standing near the restrooms in a black cowled robe was really a standout. Jack narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out if he was a resident in costume a day early or if he was actually part of the decorations.
The front door opened with a long, aching creak. Jack swiveled around in time to see Jo roll her eyes at it.
"Hey," he called, amused by the grimace that didn't fade as she crossed the room. "All set for your favorite holiday?"
That lit up her face. "You better believe it," she said, giving her utility belt a satisfied smack. "I am completely stocked on the latest in crowd control and anti-terrorism devices." She pulled out a small wand, no thicker than her pinky. "This puppy is amazing. It vaporizes any matter that's been introduced into an organic system within an operator-determined time frame. Leaves everything else in the system completely intact."
Jack mulled that one over. He'd definitely been doing this job for too long now, because he was pretty sure he understood what that meant. "So, you're thinking an end to toilet paper in trees?"
"Exactly." Jo flipped the wand around with a practiced twirl and slipped it back into her belt. "And if they give me any gruff, they can say goodbye to whatever candy they've managed to wheedle out of people."
Jack snorted. "Just remember they're kids, okay? It's all about having fun."
Jo gave him that 'how many times were you dropped on your head' look he'd gotten so used to. "Hey, I'm fun!"
Jack didn't even bother to open his mouth. There was just no safe response to that statement. He was saved from having to search for a safe subject by the loud creak of the door. They turned together to see who the newcomer was.
"Well look who's back from sabbatical," Jo murmured.
"Hey, Diane," Jack called. She smiled warmly at them as she stepped up to the counter, not showing any sign of the grief that had driven her to take a few months away from Eureka. Of course, she'd had that same warm smile when she'd nearly brought on the seven plagues in an attempt to find a doorway to heaven. "Back for good?"
"Hello, Sheriff, Jo. Yes, I think so. Spending some time with my sister was good, but I missed my work." She smiled wryly, like she knew exactly what he was thinking. "Don't worry. I tore down all the portal equipment before I left and sent it to recycling. Even if I were tempted to try again, it would take me years to reconstruct everything."
"Oh, well." Jack nodded meaninglessly. "Good to know."
Diane brushed his hand with hers. "I guess that wasn't as reassuring as I meant it. I'm doing much better, honestly. I finally figured out that trying to run away from the pain just made it worse."
Jack nodded. "Easier said than done, though, right?"
Diane sighed. "So very true. But I have my faith, and my friends, and so I'm going to keep moving forward."
Zoe stepped forward then, pad and pen poised for Diane's order. Jack turned forward just in time to catch Jo's amused eyebrow.
"What?"
"Nothing." Jo kept grinning, though. He waited her out for a couple more seconds, and sure enough, she broke. "It's just... You should have seen your face when she brought up faith. Looked like you couldn't decide whether to make a break out the back or huddle under a table."
"Very funny."
Jo shrugged. "It's interesting, though. How talking about God makes you so nervous."
"I'm not nervous, I'm--" His phone rang at the perfect time; Jo probably wouldn't have ever forgiven him for what he was about to say. He smiled sweetly at her as he flipped it open. "Carter here."
"Jack, it's Allison." She sighed, sounding more put-out than worried. One of those calls, then. "Can you come up to GD? Something's going on with Fargo, and I really don't have time to untangle it."
"Great. Sounds like fun." Vince showed up just then, Vinspresso in hand. Jack scooped it up with a nod of thanks. "I'll be right there."
"Thanks," Allison murmured, sounding a little too grateful. Whatever Fargo had done, it had to be closer to the 'painfully annoying' end of the scale rather than the 'world-ending' side. It was probably a bad sign that Jack couldn't decide if he was happy about that or not.
"Allison?" Jo asked.
Jack nodded. "Nothing I can't handle." At least, he hoped it wasn't. Even the simplest Fargo situations could go a little...wacky. "Go on, wait for your coffee. I'll give you a call if I need you."
Jo's smile was genuine; she really did love her morning caffeine. Jack waved to Diane, snuck a kiss to the crown of Zoe's head, and then headed off for just another day on the job.
*****
Fargo rubbed frantically at his forearms, but he could still feel the goosebumps carpeting his skin. He wasn't cold--or at least he didn't think he was cold. Was that a sign of shock? Not feeling cold when you really were cold? No, it was the other way around. Feeling extra cold when it wasn't actually cold out. So he wasn't in shock. Unless he really was in shock, and he wasn't remembering the symptoms correctly because of that. Maybe he should look them up on the internet--
But no, he couldn't do that, because he couldn't open his eyes. It might still be out there, just waiting for Fargo to give it an opening. If he couldn't see it, then it couldn't attack him. Right? God, he couldn't remember. He shivered again. Maybe he was cold. Cold was a sign of the otherworldly, he was pretty sure. Well, not on Buffy. Except for the one time when it snowed to save Angel, but that was an intercession from the PTB and he was pretty sure it didn't count. Not that there were that many ghosts on Buffy, anyway. He really shouldn't use it as a reference source.
The Ghostfacers crew, on the other hand. They said cold was a sign of ghosts. That and electrical interference. Had his monitor gone all funky beforehand? He couldn't remember for sure, but it must have. Maybe he just hadn't noticed.
"Here he is," Dr. Blake said. Her heels clipped sharply across the marble floor, followed by a duller set of footsteps. Fargo squeezed his eyes more tightly.
"Hey, Fargo." That was Sheriff Carter's voice. Gentle, safe, confident, just like he always sounded when something bad was happening. "How's it going?"
Fargo shook his head quickly.
"Come on, buddy. I can't help fix it if I don't know what the problem is."
He sounded so sure of himself. Fargo really didn't think it was a fixable problem--but Carter had never failed. Well, except for saving Dr. Stark, and he was pretty sure Dr. Stark wouldn't have let himself be saved. So maybe...
"Is it still there?" he whispered.
"Is what still where?"
Taking a deep, bracing breath, Fargo slowly cracked one eye open. The sheriff was squatting in front of him, looking at him with friendly concern. He didn't act worried about anything attacking from behind. Of course, maybe that was because it was invisible to Carter. Fargo opened the other eye; he had to know for sure. He looked slowly from side to side. When he didn't see anything suspicious, he raised his head, just enough to take in the rest of the room.
It wasn't there.
He let out all the air he'd been holding. His legs gave out at the same time, and he plopped backwards onto his ass. The floor was cold through the seat of his pants, cold enough to bring his goosebumps back.
"You okay there, Fargo?"
"Maybe. I don't know. Am I in shock?" He saw the look Carter and Dr. Blake gave each other, but he didn't care. They hadn't seen what he had seen. And since she squatted down beside him and reached out to take his pulse, Fargo figured he forgive her for it.
"Your pulse is a little fast, and you're a little clammy, but I think you're fine," she said. "Could you please tell us what happened?"
Fargo licked his lips. They felt dry and cracked. From getting too close to supernatural energies, probably. He took another deep breath; he needed to let them know what the threat was, after all. "I saw a ghost." He glanced over his shoulder, but the room remained clear, as far as he could tell."
"A ghost." Carter sagged back, so that he was sitting on his heels. He looked over to Dr. Blake. "Is that some kind of technical term? Code name for a project, maybe?"
Dr. Blake shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of. Are you working on something without my knowledge?"
Fargo gulped. He'd forgotten that Dr. Blake could get as scary as Dr. Stark when she was really pissed off. She just didn't get pissed off as often. He shook his head fervently. "No! I swear."
"Okay, and so a ghost is..." Carter prompted.
"A ghost." Fargo looked from one to the other, but they still weren't getting it. "You know, a real, not-live, scary ghost."
"A ghost?" Carter held up his hands and wriggled his fingers back and forth. "You mean with the ooh ooh oooooh kind of ghost?"
"Well, not so much with the ooh ooh ooooh and the," Fargo wriggled his fingers the same way Carter had. "But yes, a ghost."
Dr. Blake and the sheriff looked at each other again. Then they both stood up, almost like they'd practiced the move.
"Hey, I know how it sounds," Fargo said. Ghost sightings within the scientific community were extremely rare, after all. "But I know what I saw. It was definitely a ghost."
The sheriff set his hands on his hips. It was one his action poses, one that meant he was getting ready to do something. That, or leave. Fargo really hoped it wasn't that last one. "Okay, so what did it do?"
"Do? It didn't really do--" Fargo glanced over to his work area, where he'd been sitting when the apparition...apparated. His blood went to ice as he realized his sandwich was missing. "Oh, my God. It stole my lunch."
Carter snorted. "It stole your lunch? So what, we're dealing with Slimer?"
"Slimer?" Fargo shook his head. "I don't know what that is."
Carter stared at him like Fargo was the one with a 111 IQ, then looked to Dr. Blake like she had to know what was going on. "Slimer? Little green guy with a taste for hot dogs?"
Dr. Blake shook her head.
"Oh, come on." He flailed his right hand in Fargo's direction. "I've seen the kind of things you watch. You can't tell me you haven't seen Ghostbusters."
"Oh, Ghostbusters." Fargo shrugged. "Sorry, I'm not really into the mid-80s' shtick."
"It's a classic!"
Dr. Blake cleared her throat. Loudly. "Jack."
"Right. Sorry, Allison." The sheriff actually looked a little sheepish. He dropped his arms and started to pace the room, looking around like the ghost had just decided to hide behind the desk. Which it might have; who knew how ghosts thought? Fargo climbed to his feet, ready to make a run for it if necessary. Carter stopped abruptly, staring down into the very mundane trash can beside the desk.
"What?" Fargo whispered. "Is it in there?"
Carter bent over and grabbed something out of the trash. He thrust it forward, towards Fargo's face--which, ew. "The ghost ate your lunch?"
Fargo resettled his glasses and made himself take a good look. Yes, pastrami on rye with a slice of Velveeta was what he'd had today, but that wasn't any guarantee it was his. He crossed his arms and glared at the sheriff, refusing to confirm or deny without all the facts in hand.
Carter sighed and tossed the sandwich back into the trash. "I think we're done here."
"Wait!" Fargo caught Carter's arm. "You didn't believe me with the mummy queen, and remember how that turned out?"
"She wasn't a real mummy!"
"So? That didn't mean there wasn't a real danger."
"He's got a point, Jack."
Carter frowned. "Fine. So what exactly did this ghost look like."
Fargo licked his lips again. He really needed to check to see if the bio-products division had finished the Chapstick upgrade. "It looked like my dad."
"Your dad?" Both of Carter's eyebrows shot up. "Isn't your dad dead?"
Fargo rolled his eyes. "Yes. That's how I knew it was a ghost."
Carter opened his mouth. He held up his index finger, and then shut his mouth again. "Okay, look," he finally said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why don't you write down exactly what happened, and send a copy to Jo. That way we can look into...potential leads."
Fargo crossed his arms. "And what do I do if it comes back?"
"If it comes back? Well, I guess don't do anything your father ever told you not to do." Carter slapped him on the shoulder. "And don't call me."
"But--"
"Call Jo. Don't tell me having her handle it is a problem for you."
Fargo fought down the blush. "No, Deputy Lupo will do fine."
"Good." Carter gave him one last smile, then headed out the door. Dr. Blake looked like she was going to say something else, but then she shook her head and followed Carter.
Leaving Fargo all alone.
He looked over his shoulder again. Still nothing, but that didn't mean it wouldn't come back. The decision wasn't hard. He scooped up his laptop and took off after the other two. "Dr. Blake," he called out. "Can I work in your office? Just for today?"
She didn't stop walking.
"So is that a yes?"
*****
Allison sighed, staring through the glass window at Fargo building his nest on her couch. The head of consumer development had promised her that the synthetic material would resist stains better than any real leather, but she'd lay odds that he hadn't involved Fargo in the testing phase.
Maybe she should see about a transfer. For the good of GD, of course.
"So, you don't really want me to look into this, do you?" Jack asked. "I mean, come on. Ghosts? The day before Halloween?"
Allison turned away from her office and started walking towards the exit. Jack fell into step beside her, just as she had expected. "Aren't you the one who's always saying that you're the professional investigator? So investigate."
"Yeah, but..." She could practically hear him groping for a way to express the ridiculousness of the situation. "Fargo saw a ghost."
"Or something that he took for a ghost." Allison pulled up, turning to face him. "I know it sounds crazy. Believe me, I do. But I've learned that it's better to be safe than sorry around here. I thought you'd have learned that, too."
Jack's face went from incredulous to softly understanding in less than a second. She hadn't meant it like that, but now that he was thinking of Nathan, she was, too. That genii needed to be shoved back in the bottle as quickly as possible. "Look," she said as she started walking again. "Do what you think is best. Just don't write it off because it's Fargo. I really don't want this turning into another mummy incident."
"It won't." Jack kept quiet pace for a few seconds, but she knew it couldn't last much longer than that. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"It's just that you seem a little short this morning."
Allison stopped again. She took a calming breath, trying to relax the tension in her shoulders that she'd woken up with. She was being a little short-tempered, and Jack didn't deserve that. "I'm fine, really. I just don't have a lot of time to deal with these kind of things. I've got a big presentation this afternoon, and I need to get home early so I can put the finishing touches on Kevin's costume for tomorrow."
Jack's eyes were still soft and understanding, but his teasing smile was lurking, ready to flash forth at any second. "Don't worry about Fargo," he said, touching her wrist in quick reassurance. "I really don't think anything is going on, but I'll keep my eye on it."
"Thank you." Some of the tension at the base of her neck eased. Knowing Jack had her back made the difference some days. "I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but sometimes Fargo just..."
"Hey, you don't have to explain." That mischievous smile came out, making his eyes even bluer. "And maybe I could give you a hand with Kevin's costume. I sew a mean button."
Allison snorted. "Do you know how to formulate expanding spider webbing so that it's soap and water washable?"
Jack scratched at his ear. "Um, right. Forgot what town I was in there for a minute."
Allison patted his shoulder. "I appreciate the offer, though. It was sweet of you." She was sure she saw a bit of pink spread across the tip of Jack's ears, but he started walking before she could tell for sure.
"So, Spiderman, huh? Sounds like an awesome costume."
"It is," she said, and it didn't even come out sounding regretful, no matter how much she wished Nathan could be here to see his design come to life.
*****
Diane pulled the vestibule doors closed behind her. She let her hand rest on the sun-warmed wood for a moment. It had been good to get away, to spend time in a city where she didn't spend every moment tripping over memories of Daniel. But it was better to be back here, where they had built a home together. Where she could immerse herself in her faith and her music.
She pressed her hand hard against the wood, forcing herself backwards and out into the world. She couldn't spend all of her time here, wrapped up in comforting things. Her projects were waiting, and she wanted to order a small thank-you gift for Reverend Harper before starting work. One of the new ever-blooming peace plants for the nave, maybe. Snugging her wrap a little more tightly around her shoulders, she started the short walk towards town.
She'd just turned the corner onto Main Street when a cloud passed overhead. A breeze rustled through the remaining leaves on the streetside trees. Then the cloud was gone, the sun autumn bright again--and that's when she saw him.
"Daniel?" Diane pressed her right hand to her throat, but her voice wasn't the only thing that was shaking. She could only see him in profile, but she'd never mistake his beautiful face for another's. "Please, Daniel--"
But he was gone.
She stared at the spot where he had been for a long time, until her cheeks felt frozen from the breeze on her tears and her throat burned from her ragged breaths. Then she turned back towards where she had come from, gift forgotten as she went to seek out the reverend.
*****
Taggart hummed to himself as he eased the slide into place. The cloned cells were looking perfect, absolutely perfect. No sign of uncontrolled growth, no aggressive apoptosis. Just beautiful little cells mitosing away in sweet harmony with the universe. He needed to do another DNA analysis, make sure nothing had gone awry that he wouldn't spot under simple magnification, but he was confident that he'd be ready to move on to a live test in a matter of days.
He spun around on his stool--and froze. A particularly fine example of a Canis lupus sat in the corner, tongue lolling as it stared at him.
"Well, hello there," Taggart murmured. He eased off the stool and started inching towards the far side of the room, where the case full of tranq guns was. "Where did you come from, fella?"
The big guy looked perfectly content to hang out in the corner of the room. Its nostrils flared once, then it dipped its head and started snuffling at its hindquarters. Certainly a beauty of a specimen, but he still had no clue where it had come from. And one could never be too careful with creatures of the wild, no matter how relaxed they seemed.
His fingers made contact with the edge of the case. Taggart eased the door open, then lifted one of the guns by touch. He checked to make sure it was loaded with an appropriate dose, then swung the butt up to his shoulder and took aim.
That's when the wolf raised its head. Taggart caught his breath; he'd know that muzzle anywhere.
"Fred?" He let the gun drop to his side and took a step forward. "But...Wilma ate you. I picked up the pieces myself, mate." He reached out, remorse heavy in his heart--but the wolf disappeared like it had never been. Taggart waved his hand back and forth in the space where it had been sitting, but there was nothing. Nothing at all.
"Blimey," he said, dropping to his knees on the empty floor. "I'm being haunted by the ghost of experiments past!"
*****
Henry chuckled as he flipped the switch on his remote to turn on the last of the projectors. Jack was right; they really had outdone themselves this year. Any strangers who stumbled into town would hit the gas as soon as they saw the old buildings looming around them. He couldn't wait to see it at night, when the ethereal glow effect would kick in. Hell, half of the town's residents would probably be tempted to hightail it out of here.
He aimed the cherry picker towards the bed of his truck, already thinking ahead to the rest of his day. The only decorating left to do was in the school gym, but classes wouldn't be out for another couple of hours. He had plenty of time to grab a quick lunch and spend some time on his most pressing research. Or, better yet, he could get a couple sack lunches from Café Diem and bribe Jack into an hour of chess. Other than quick hellos, they really hadn't spent much time together lately, and he kind of missed his friend.
Mind made up, Henry wiped his greasy hands across the super-efficient microfiber hand towel he always carried, then climbed out of the cherry picker. Café Diem was five blocks down, but it was a beautiful day, bright for fall and only slightly nippy. Nothing like a short walk to put the edge on his appetite.
Half a block away from his truck, he spotted a woman outside Everett's Groceries, standing still in the middle of the sidewalk. He wasn't sure whether she was confused by the altered store front or simply admiring his handiwork. He picked up his pace, hoping for the latter--especially since she seemed to be a beautiful woman. He stared at her profile, trying to figure out who she was. She seemed so familiar, but--
Henry stopped. His whole body froze, unable to move as his brain finally processed what his eyes had been trying to tell him. "Kim?"
He ran. He didn't stop to consider the impossibilities, didn't worry about mistaken identities. He ran, no breath to call out to her--but he wasn't fast enough. Again, he wasn't fast enough. He stumbled to a halt in the spot where she had been, turning in circles as he tried to figure out where she had gone. But she wasn't anywhere. Not anywhere in this universe.
Henry closed his eyes. He counted to twenty under his breath, but it took a lot longer than that before he could make himself release his clenched fists.
*****
The door to the sheriff's office opened. Jo swiped at her eyes, but there wasn't anything more she could do. She kept her head down, gaze fixed on Guns & Ammo while Carter sauntered into the room. He probably wouldn't notice anything amiss, anyway. Not with good ol' Jo.
"Hey, have you gotten Fargo's report yet?" he asked, tossing folders around on his desk like he was desperate to find something.
"Yeah," she said, then cleared her throat. "Not much to it."
"Yeah, I didn't think it would be. I mean, come on. A ghost? I know we have some weird stuff go on around here, but I really can't believe Fargo saw the ghost of his dearly departed dad." Carter slapped his desk, then turned around to face her at last. "Have you seen my-- Jo, what's wrong?"
So much for Mr. Super Detective missing anything. She cleared her throat again. "I can believe it."
"Excuse me?"
Jo shrugged. She had known he wouldn't believe her, but she knew what she saw. "Fargo. I believe him."
"What?" He folded his arms across his chest and perched one butt cheek on the edge of his desk. "Okay, this you've got to explain to me. Why?"
Jo rubbed her thumb over the corners of the magazine, resisting the urge to shrug again. "I saw my mom."
He didn't say anything for a long time. At least it felt that way. She kept her eyes down, watching the floor until his boots crossed her field of vision. He squatted down as she looked up, and their gazes met in the middle.
"Jo?"
She swallowed. "Just for a couple seconds. I opened the door, and there she was. She looked like she did at my birthday party, when I turned five."
Carter took a breath and let it puff up his cheeks, like he always did when he wanted to ask a question that would hurt.
"I know what you're going to say. But it's not just me." She turned back towards her desk, grabbing her notebook. "The phone's been ringing off the hook all morning. That's where I was headed when I saw her, out to talk to Dr. Epstein. He swore up and down that Linus Pauling was haunting his lab."
"Okay," he said slowly. She had his attention at least, even if he still didn't believe her. "So what are we going to do about it?"
The front door opened again, only this time it slammed hard against the door stop. Henry raced in, looking short of breath and wild-eyed.
"Jack. We have to talk."
Part 2.