A/N: I'm a big fan of this show, and like most of you disagree with the whole Jim taking over another body..I like Jim, but he is too perfect. I came up with this because there aren't enough Rick and Melinda fics and I wish he didn't leave the show! Anyway, I tried to keep everyone in character. Please R&R! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Professor Rick Payne was leaving on Sabbatical to the Himalayas tonight. He was at home making sure he had everything he would need packed and ready to go. Payne was wearing a blue-gray dress shirt, light brown slacks with a dark colored tie that had light blue diagonal stripes. Melinda was taking him to the airport and would be at his house any minute.

Payne hated leaving her, but knew it was for the best. His feelings for her had grown over the course of their friendship, though he would never admit it. He cared for Melinda deeply, but refused to tell her because she was married. He did not want to do the same thing to her and Jim that his own wife did to him. Payne noticed Melinda's feelings for him grow and Jim got increasingly suspicious and jealous of their closeness. That is the reason he had to leave.

A knock on the door brought Payne out of his thoughts. He walked down stairs and opened the door. Stunning, as always. Payne thought as she walked past him into the house. Melinda was wearing a strapless black just-above-the-knee length dress with a sweetheart neckline that accentuated her cleavage. She had a black shawl-wrap draped over her shoulders and her hair was in that 'fancy' ponytail she wore at times.

"You about ready to go?" Melinda asked as she looked around the big house Payne lived in alone for sometime now, since his wife died.

"Yeah, let me just go grab my bags." Payne replied, heading up the stairs.

"Do you need a hand?" Melinda called after him.

"Actually, yeah I do. Why don't you come up to my boudoir and give me a 'hand'." He answered suggestively giving her a look that matched. Professor Payne's crass behavior never changed even though his feelings for the brunette did.

Melinda just shook her head and followed after him. She had gotten use to his comments over the years.

"By the way you look gorgeous. Did you dress up for me?" Payne said smiling at her once they reached his bedroom.

"You'd like to think that wouldn't you?" Grinned Melinda back at him with her hands on her hips.

"A man can dream can't he?" Payne exclaimed, then he continued in a softer voice, "You have a date with Jim after you drop me off, don't you?"

Melinda nodded. Payne smiled. "I can't believe your leaving."

"Me neither. But, it's a chance of a lifetime, and I need to get away for a while. Need a vacation from your ghosts!" Payne joked. "Here, take this bag and I'll grab the rest." Payne handed Melinda a carry-on size roller board suitcase. He put a garment bag on one shoulder, grabbed a rolling briefcase in one hand and a duffle bag in the other.

OOOOOO

They were halfway to the airport when a car swerved directly in front of them causing Melinda to jerk the wheel hard to the left, flipping the Saturn multiple times until it came to a stop upside down. Melinda woke up in horrible pain and the feeling of blood rushing to her head. "You ok?" She looked at Payne, he was unconscious, blood dripping from his head.

"No! Rick, wake up. Wake up Rick!" Melinda shouted at his unmoving body. She opened the console between the seats, the contents falling out. Picking up the knife that Jim insisted she keep in the vehicle at all times for emergencies, Melinda cut herself out of her seat belt with one hand and the other positioned on the roof of the car to keep her from falling. Once out of her seat restraint, Melinda threw the knife out of the vehicle then hand-walked out of the Jeep through the hole that used to house the windshield.

She let herself fall against the pavement littered with glass, plastic, metal, fuel and oil to catch her breath. Melinda picked up the knife and crawled to the passenger side of the vehicle were Payne was. She checked his pulse, it was barely present. A passerby that witnessed the accident came up to Melinda's side to help her. The man held onto Rick Payne to keep him from falling while Melinda cut his seatbelt. The man dragged Payne out of the vehicle while Melinda guided his body out the side window.

The passerby had already called 911 and was now on the phone with Melinda's husband, Jim. Melinda was trying to get Payne to regain consciousness by talking to him and shaking him. He was barely breathing and barely had a pulse. He had hit his head on something, probably the window, she wrapped his head wound tightly with her shawl to control the bleeding.

He started shaking and sweating profusely, but his skin was cold to the touch. Noticing these as signs of a body going into shock, Melinda told the man that was helping them to grab a blanket from her vehicle and something to use to elevate Payne's legs some. She sat beside him and cried, begging him not to die, when she noticed a presence next to them, kneeling on the over side of Payne's still body.

"No." Melinda whispered through sobs. "Not you. Please, not you."

"So, this is what it is like to be dead looking down at yourself."

"You can't leave now, you have so much left to do." Melinda was squeezing the hand of her friend laying on the ground, talking to his spirit next to them.

"Wait, I don't think I'm dead. I can feel the pressure of your hand on mine. I think I'm still attached to my body." Payne replied softly holding his hand to his face, inspecting it.

Melinda smiled faintly and continued to let the tears flow. "You must be having an out of body experience. You are in shock from too much blood loss." They could hear the sirens getting closer.

"Melinda, I need to tell you something in case I don't make it." Payne said softly and a little nervous.

"Don't talk like that. You are not going to die. We are going to save you."

"Melinda! Are you alright?" A voice called from behind, then arms around her body.

"Jim!" Melinda cried. "I'm fine. Help Rick." Jim looked down at Payne and called for the equipment he needed and got right to work treating his injuries and shock.

Melinda was loaded onto a stretcher of her own and received an assessment of her injuries. A possible broken collarbone and arm and a possible concussion. When she looked back over to Payne and Jim, she could no longer see Payne's spirit. Surveying the crash scene, the car that caused this accident was no where to be found, and there were a few fender benders behind her Saturn caused by others trying to stop and get out of the way of the somersaulting SUV. She also saw a very familiar man standing amidst the crowd of people. He made eye contact with her and grinned devilishly.