Unfinished Business

Authors Note:

So this is an experiment to see if you's guys would like if I started a Casper story. I'll still write 'My Savior', but I've always loved the Casper movies, especially the first one. So heres a little preview of the story I've been thinking of writing. I I'm a little rusty but I haven't been doing much writing this summer. Hope you's like it. (:

Casper

Casper opened his azure eyes suddenly and turned slightly to face the sleeping form of Kat, who was curled up close to him. He smiled half-heartedly at how peaceful she looked and for a moment let the memory of the Halloween party come to surface and temporarily take over his consciousness. He would never, for as long as he existed forget how beautiful she'd looked in his mother's dress- not that she didn't always look beautiful to him.

But that night she'd looked like an angel in the long sleeved lace gown- which was funny because he'd just had his wish granted by her mother- a real angel. He smiled happily to himself remembering their dance; her clinging to him so she wouldn't fall when he lifted them into the air (not that he'd ever let her fall), and of course- the kiss they had shared as the clock struck 10.

It had been the best night of his life and he'd never wanted it to end, but to his misfortune he couldn't have stayed human forever. He'd already lost that ability when he gave Dr. Harvey his 2nd chance at life so Kat wouldn't have to grow up without a living parent. While he wished with everything in him that he could be human again, Casper didn't regret his decision. It was the right thing to do and if it made Kat happy, he was happy. Wasn't he?

He quickly snapped out of his reminiscing when Kat began to stir in her place next to him. Just as Kat was slowly opening her sleepy eyes Casper closed his, slowing his breathing so she would hopefully believe he was asleep.

"Casper?" Kat asked in a tired, half-asleep voice. So much for his last minute acting. "Are you awake?"

He opened his eyes slowly, figuring he might as well try and play on the chance that she may not have seen. He was lucky enough to have a real yawn escape his mouth and impressively put a sleepy, dazed look on his face. "Now I am." He answered with a small smile.

"Casper," Kat sighed and leaned on her elbow, running her fingers through her hair to push back a few loose strands that had found their way onto her face while she slept. "I know you weren't asleep."

Casper dropped the act immediately. Why had he even attempted to fool her? She knew him all too well, just as he knew her. He let out a stressful sigh, shutting his eyes for a moment. "I just can't sleep, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"No, I am going to worry about it Casper. You're my bestfriend and I care about you." She told him with a fierce edge to her voice, all traces of tiredness gone from her face. Somehow along with her determined fierceness, there was a look of pure concern in her dark orbs.

He winced slightly at the comment. How did she still not know how he felt about her? He had been planning on telling her since the Halloween party so many years ago but had never had the guts to actually go through with it. "Maybe that's the problem, Kat."

Her expression went from confusion, to shock, and then finally settled on hurt. She looked as if he had slapped her in the face. "Are you- you don't want to be my friend anymore?"

His eyes widened and he took hold of her now shaking hands in his own nearly transparent ones. "No! That's not it at all... I just..." He let out another sigh as he looked up at the ceiling of the darkened bedroom.

"You just...?" Kat questioned, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. He hesitated and she squeezed his hand, not even seeming to notice how odd it was that she could do so even though he was a ghost. "Casper, you can tell me anything. You should know that by now."

Casper nodded in agreement, opening his eyes and focusing them on the beautiful but disheveled girl before him. This is it, he thought. I'm going to finally tell her. He was just about to open his mouth to let out the secret he'd been keeping from her for almost 5 years now when there was a knock on the door. Who could possibly be awake at this hour? He thought to himself. A moment later, the door opened to reveal a sleepy but dressed and ready to go Dr. Harvey.

"Um, I was just coming in here to tell you that I just got a call from a client outside of town and well, I'll be back later tomorrow

afternoon." Dr. Harvey scratched the back of his neck in confusion. "What're you guys doing up so early?"

"Oh, I just had a nightmare and I guess I must have woken Casper up." She explained easily and without hesitation to her father.

"A nightmare?" Dr. Harvey asked, looking concerned for his daughter. "Is everything alright, Kat?"

Kat nodded in reply and Dr. Harvey hesitated a moment, glancing between the two of them before shutting the door. She waited until she couldn't hear her father's footsteps moving down the hall and towards the steps before turning to continue their conversation.

"Now what were you saying?" Kat asked, looking very interested in what he had to say. How the hell was he going to get out of this?

He have her a pleading look, putting as much emotion into his expression and words as he possibly could. "Please Kat? It's 3 in the morning and I know you're tired. What I have to tell you can wait until later today."

Kat hesitated before agreeing and snuggling back under the covers, and moving closer to Casper as if for warmth.

"Goodnight, Casper." Kat murmured as she shut her eyes.

"Goodnight, Kat." He whispered back, thinking of what he'd have to tell her later that day. But he had quite a few hours to go and could probably manage to go "missing" for a couple hours. But what was he going to do when the time arrived? Casper wasn't sure.

Kat

Kat awoke in the morning to rays of sunlight spilling in through the open doors of the balcony. Casper must've left it open, she thought to herself glancing around the room for her bestfriend who was nowhere in sight. Maybe he's outside. Kat threw off the covers and sat up, combing her fingers through her messy locks. She stood and made her way over to the open doorway of the balcony.

"Casper?" Kat called, searching for her ghostly friend. "Casper are you out here?"

"He left, sweetheart." A familiar voice informed her from the doorway.

Kat whirled around to face Stretch. "Left? Where did he go?"

Casper's usually sarcastic uncle shrugged. "Don't know. All I know is that he must've left awhile ago because he didn't even leave us breakfast. But here," He handed her a folded up piece of paper that Kat hadn't even realized he'd been holding. "He left that on the counter for you."

Kat took the note and thanked Stretch in a quiet voice, turning to look out at the beach that was visible from where the house sat on a cliff.

"Don't worry about short sheet, he'll probably be back by lunch." Stretch informed her.

"And if he's not?" Kat asked, not taking her eyes off of the view before her.

Stretch shrugged. "He'll come back when he's ready. But in the meantime, how about some breakfast?"

Kat's stomach chose that moment to grumble hungrily. "I'm not hungry, Stretch."

Stretch scoffed. "You may not be, but we are."

Kat narrowed her eyes and turned slightly to face her bestfriend's uncle. "Go to hell. Your own nephew ran off and all you can think of is food? Figures."

Stretch glared at her intensely before disappearing through the doorway. And hopefully he'll stay away, Kat thought to herself, opening up the note that Casper had left.

Her name was written on the front of the folded paper in his distinctive cursive handwriting and when she opened it, she felt her heart stop.

Kat,

I'm sorry to leave without saying goodbye but I have some things that I need to take care of involving the Lazarus machine. I don't know when I'll be back but I couldn't leave without telling you this; I love you Kat, as more than a bestfriend. I know there's a very good chance that you don't feel the same but I had to tell you this. Before I met you, my unfinished business was how I'd died; young and violently. But when I met you, that changed. You became my unfinished business, Kat and that's why I'm going to find a way to be human again. And because I love you, please don't come after me. Hopefully the next time I see you I'll have good news.

Love,

Casper

Casper

Casper watched silently from a distance as Kat read his letter. She looked absolutely devastated and would have made his heart pound guiltily given the fact that he still had one. You're doing the right thing, he counseled himself knowing that if ghosts could truly shed tears, he would be. You and her will never work unless you're a human.

And with that, Casper took one last look at the only girl he'd ever loved and flew off to the west, away from the manor, the little town of Friendship, and most heartbreakingly; Kat Harvey.

Kat

Kat sat in her Chemistry class, half-asleep and trying- no fighting to stay awake and alert. But her attempts were obviously a complete waste because just as she felt her eyes slip closed yet again to give into the hangover that was making her head feel like it was going to explode, her Chemistry teacher Mr. Birch rapped on her desk with his pointer stick.

"Ms. Harvey," he began in his usual harsh, irritated voice. "I'd highly appreciate it if you could take some time out of your busy schedule to actually pay attention to my lesson."

Yeah? She thought to herself, Well I would highly appreciate it if you would speak at a lower volume. But all she could say in reply was a simple, "Yes Mr. Birch."

The older teacher just shook his head and returned to the board muttering to himself about how a teacher's salary wasn't worth dealing with these students.

Kat sighed and rubbed her temples. How much had she drank last night? She'd had to have had at least 7 beers. Casper would be ashamed, her conscious whispered to her suddenly making her angry.

No, he left 2 years ago to go chase his dream of being human and never came back. For all she knew he was never coming back.

"Kat," Her friend Cameron whispered from the seat behind her. "Kat."

She glanced at the board to be sure Mr. Birch wasn't looking and half faced Cameron. "Yes?"

Cameron chuckled a bit at his friend's nervousness. "Calm yourself. Since Birch had to snap you out of it, he'll be totally into wrapping up his lesson before the bell rings. And that will happen right about… now." Just as the words came out of Cameron's mouth, the bell rang making her head pound painfully.

"Shit." She cursed, trying to keep herself together while she picked up her books and purse.

"Hangovers are a real bitch, aren't they?" He observed, watching Kat clench her teeth as her head pounded like a drum.

"Ya think?" Kat snapped sarcastically. When she realized how mean she sounded she apologized. "I'm sorry. It's just that everything is too loud, my head hurts like hell, and I have the sudden urge to puke my guts up."

He laughed. "That should be attractive."

Kat and Cam entered into the loud, busy hallway and she groaned, once again fallen under the pain that errupted in her head.

"I am never drinking again." She announced, as she approached her locker and turned the dial in order of her combination. "Nothing is worth this migraine."

Cam shrugged. He'd been drinking for quite awhile and he'd grown so used to the hangovers that they barely affected him anymore. "They go away after awhile."

Kat scoffed and pulled out her History textbook and notebook. "Not soon enough."

Cam gasped. "Are you implying that your hangover isn't worth all of the fun I brought you?" He asked in a joke-offended way. "Maybe I should take Maria Russo instead next time."

Kat laughed and smacked Cam's arm jokingly. "You wouldn't dare."

Her friend smirked, his green eyes shining with held-back laughter. "Wouldn't I?"

Cam turned and started walking down the hall towards a girl with a tan complexion and big dark eyes. Maria was the head cheerleader and most popular girl in school, and while Cam wasn't exactly the starting quarterback, (but he was a star on the soccer field) Maria had been flirting with him all year; which he'd promptly ignored… until now.

Kat sighed in defeat and slammed her locker shut. "Fine, I give."

He turned and smiled his signature lazy smile. "What was that Ms. Harvey? I didn't quite hear that."

"I said fine." Kat said again in a more agitated and slightly louder voice.

Cam opened his mouth; probably to make her repeat herself again when she sent him a glare that clearly told him to shut up if he knew what was good for him. He smiled good-naturely and ambled back over.

"Now, was that really necessary?" Kat asked as they made their way towards the cafeteria.

Cam smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Of course it was. I mean, I couldn't lose my new party buddy now could I?"

"No," She replied to his rhetorical question though she could just imagine what Casper would say if he knew. "I guess not."

Casper

"So wait," Casper asked. It'd been 2 years since he'd begun his quest to find another way to become human and this was his first real lead. "What exactly do I need to do?"

The young witch smiled, showing off her pearly white teeth. She was about Kat's age with long wheat-colored blonde waves that went down to the middle of her back and friendly hazel eyes; introducing herself as Wendy. "It's very simple actually. I can turn you into a human right now, that'll be the easy part. But staying human? That'll be much harder. To stay human you must complete your unfinished business."

Casper blinked in confusion and shook his head. "But I always thought that once you completed your unfinished business you moved on..."

Wendy nodded. "That usually is the case. But with the use of my spell it will turn you into a human, and humans don't usually have unfinished business."

Casper considered this and figured it made sense. "How soon can you change me?"

Wendy raised a brow and smiled. "You got a hot date or something?"

Casper blushed and looked always from Wendy. "Something like that."

"Ohh, she must be someone special to make you blush like that. What's her name? What's she like?" Wendy asked as she leaned towards him, placing her head on her hands and looking extremely interested.

"Her name is Kat," Even saying her name was hard. It'd been two years since he'd seen her and he missed her like crazy. "And she's... amazing. She was my first kiss, my bestfriend, my everything and it killed me to leave her."

"And she's your unfinished business." said Wendy in a knowing voice, while she examined her nails, which were a rich blood red.

Casper was shocked. "H-how did you know that?"

Wendy shrugged and smiled again. "Witches are extremely intuitive, but you know- it could just be the lovesick look on your face."

Casper avoided meeting her eyes. "Yeah um, so you said you could do the spell right now?"

Wendy eyed him carefully before answering. "I can, but Casper- you should know... you only have a week."

"A week?" He was surprised by this. Only a week? Would he be able to fix things with Kat in that little amount of time? Casper hoped so.

"Yes, I know that's not a lot of time to to up the loose end that's holding you from moving on but it's the longest the spell will last. You have until midnight on Halloween."

Well, at least you have until midnight this time. He thought to himself. "I can make it work."

"Good, good. But Casper, I will need to know something first."

"Yes?" He asked.

"Casper, how old were you when you, you know-all died?" She questioned, looking like she felt guilty for even having to ask.

Casper sighed and turned to meet her nervous gaze. "I was 12 years old when I died," He shut his eyes, letting the memories take him back to that awful day. "There was a blizzard the night before and they had canceled school. So I decided to take my new sled up to a big hill near the house, but I didn't tell my father because I knew if I did, that he wouldn't have let me. That was all I cared about and because of it I'm dead, crashed into a rock and flew off of my sled. I broke a couple of ribs and blacked out, but would've lived if someone had found me before I caught hypothermia."

"Oh my God, Casper... that's awful." Wendy commented.

Casper shook his head. "I think the worst part was having to watch my own funeral. My father- he tried to talk me out of it, but I had to be there. I had to have a chance to say goodbye to my life; my teachers, friends, family- everyone. And about 3 years later my uncles found me."

"Casper, I'm so sorry." Wendy murmured. "You were so young..."

"Why did you need to know?" Casper asked suddenly.

Wendy was surprised by his suddenness but answered. "So I could be sure of exactly how many years I'll have to add. You want to be her age, right?"

Casper nodded. "17."

Wendy smiled and stood up. "Okay then, knowing that. Are you ready to be human again, Casper?"

"I've been ready for 90 years." Casper replied smoothly, mentally preparing himself to face his new future.