A/N: So this, my friends, is a sequel to "The Ghost of You," set a year later - Serena's still scarred, she and Ric are together and Chantelle's still suffered with Serena in all of it. If you haven't read that, you probably should before reading this or it might not make much sense. But I hope this goes as I planned it. Nothing ever does though.

Sarah x

"James Swinley, forty-eight," Chantelle said brightly, taking Serena over to the bed. She was proud of the young nurse for how far she'd come in the past year – they'd fought and survived together, and Serena intended it to remain as such. "Mr. Spence thinks it's a liver problem but the scans didn't show much worth seeing."

"I see," Serena smiled. A woman she assumed was his wife stood next to James, staring at Serena. She just smiled up at the woman as she felt James' abdomen. Serena rattled off the usual tests to Chantelle, her mind trying to work out if Michael's suspicions were founded.

"Serena McKinnie?" the woman asked as Serena turned her back to them. No-one had called her that in years. Not since she'd been married. Not since she cut all ties with everyone to save herself.

"Serena Campbell," she corrected as she turned with a smile, not mentioning her maiden name was McKinnie.

"You don't recognise me?" the woman asked, pushing her thick curly blonde hair behind her ears. Serena quickly racked her memory but had no recollection of a tall, skinny blonde.

"No, sorry," she smiled, her hand automatically coming up to touch the scar on her throat, as she always did in an uncomfortable situation. "Should I?" she added, definitely confused. She didn't know this woman. How could she? She left a whole life behind for a new one over and over again, and never really made any lasting ties until now.

"Mariah?" she smiled at Serena. "Mariah Martin?"

Serena felt herself rooted to the spot. She'd not heard of, or even thought of, that name in years. She'd blocked it out for its connection with her torment. Everything came flooding back, the good and the bad, and she didn't know what to do. In fairness, what happened was not Mariah's fault, and Serena knew that. But she was a connection, and connections were the things she was desperately trying to avoid.

She recognised the thick, unruly curls and the green eyes now. She didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything. She was shocked; she just walked away and hid in her office, just waiting for Chantelle to grass her up to Ric. This felt all too familiar. The last time someone from the past was on her ward, she nearly died. Chantelle was abducted and attacked. Eleanor discovered everything Serena never wanted her to know. For those reasons, she was wary now.

She sat there, just thinking and remembering, for a good half an hour. She felt incredibly uneasy by that woman's presence on her ward. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to clear her mind. She tried to believe she'd fooled Mariah, but she doubted it. She looked at the scar on her arm, remembering how she'd got it. How she'd nearly died a year ago. How she'd tried to run away. How it had all come back to haunt her. The ghost of him still followed her, but always in the background, only ever showing himself when she felt lost and vulnerable, as a reminder of the potential evil in everyone.

She jumped when the door opened, having been lost in her own little universe. She stood up and tried to look composed, hoping Ric hadn't heard yet. He came over to her; she clearly looked worse than she'd hoped. He stroked her cheek lightly and asked, "Are you alright, Serena?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "I'm fine. I'm just tired."

"You slept fine last night," he reminded her, and she could have hardly forgotten anyway. It had been the first time in months she'd gone through the night without waking. She knew he wasn't stupid; he become accustomed to her shutting out the painful parts of her life. He could tell something was bothering – of that, she was more than sure.

He leaned in and kissed her gently, his hands taking hers. She smiled against his lips as she realised what he was up to. "That's not going to work," she sighed. He didn't stop, and she didn't mind. She'd overcome any fear of him, realising he wasn't like Fraser in any way. "You're not going to kiss it out of me, as much fun as it is to try," she told him, pulling back. "It's nothing, OK? I'm just being silly."

"Try me," he smiled. His concern touched her and she felt a lump forming in her throat; she didn't know why she was so sensitive about this. It was just yet another reminder, just like what she saw in the mirror every day.

"Mariah M-Swinley," she corrected herself, remembering the woman was married now.

He thought for a moment and asked, "James Swinley's wife?" She nodded, and Serena felt her eyes sting with tears. She didn't even know why. Mariah had never hurt her. She'd never told Mariah. She never spoke about him to her. She never once mentioned Mariah's step-brother to her after that. She just kept silent and disappeared.

"Serena?" Ric said, more urgently this time. His hands were resting on her arms, as if he was ready to pull her into a cuddle if it was called for. "Who is she?"

"She was my best friend, Ric," she answered, finally looking him in the eyes. She felt her heart break a little as she admitted it. "She was my best friend, and I disappeared on her. And I just lied to her," she added. "I told her I wasn't Serena McKinnie, when I knew what she meant."

Ric sighed with a sad smile. "Come here," he ordered her, pulling her into his strong arms. She let him hold her tight, never once having to question him. That was why she loved him; she trusted him not to hurt her. She was amazed that, after everything, after trust issues destroyed both her and her marriage, she found someone to love and trust.

There was a knock on the door, and Chantelle came in. "Ms. Campbell, Mr. Hanssen wants to see you out here," she announced, looking rather worried. Serena glanced at Ric, wondering what had been said about her. Had Mariah been shooting her mouth off? Or had she said something to Chantelle?

She followed, regardless of her misgiving, to the nurses' station, where Hanssen was staring at the computer screen with an odd expression. "What's going on?" she asked, going round to look over his shoulder.

"Does this mean anything to you, Ms. Campbell?" he asked her, glancing over at Mariah, who looked very guilty sitting by her husband's bed. What on Earth was going on now? It seemed there was always something or other unfolding. And even a year after her past was dredged up, she and Chantelle both still struggled with the consequences.

"Missing persons?" she read the icon on the screen. Why would he ask about missing persons? "I've never reported anyone missing before."

She read further and felt her heart beating faster and faster. She looked up over the screen and saw Mariah watching her. What? What was this? Serena couldn't get her head around it. Ric came up behind her, and she looked at him briefly as he looked over her shoulder, his arms subconsciously loose around her waist – everyone knew they were together and she didn't care – and she felt his head move to see her face when he read the monitor. She turned her own head and met his eyes.

Could they all see the confusion in her? Could they see the fear of her past being brought to the surface yet again? Could they see that she didn't know, in her own mind, what was going on right now?

Serena met Chantelle's eyes, and saw that worried look. That worried look she'd seen in her the last time all this was dragged up. It always set her nerves on edge. "Serena?" she asked. "Is this right?"

"I-" Serena stuttered, unable to rearrange her thoughts so they made some sense. "I don't understand," she said. "How could that-" she began, but it was a stupid question. "I mean, what's going-" she faltered. Again, another idiotic question.

"I would've thought it was obvious," Hanssen said. "There it is, in black and white, so to speak."

"Serena," Ric said into her ear. "According to this, you've been missing since 1994."

Hope this is OK!
Please feel free to review and tell me your thoughts!
Sarah x