Hey all just wanted to squeeze in a few words before the story. This is my first Ghost Whisperer fic, so please be gentle when reviewing! I do not own the show or any of its characters. I only own the characters that you have never seen on the show. Enjoy!

It had been forecasted to be a partly cloudy day, and the weatherman had been right. The sun shown through the light, mist-like clouds in some parts, while the sky stayed a light gray in others. The people of Grandview wandered the streets of the small town in small groups, whether they were window-shopping or actually tending to business. It was an unusually warm day for January, and everyone seemed to be taking an advantage of it.

Melinda Gordon surveyed the outside scene with her bright brown eyes, vaguely skimming the streets as if looking for someone. But her thoughts, whatever they were, were suddenly interrupted. The soft jingle of tiny bells signified that someone had entered the shop. And sure enough, she recognized her friend, Delia, entering the shop with a pleasant smile.

"Hey!" Delia greeted warmly, setting down her purse on the nearby table.

"Hey," Melinda replied with an absent smile, turning back to the window. Delia, noticing this, narrowed her light blue eyes slightly and walked over to the store's windows to stand beside her. "So…what's up?" She asked tentatively, following Melinda's wandering gaze curiously.

Melinda started and glanced around, as if just actually noticing Delia. "Oh…nothing…" She replied, frowning slightly. "It's just….you didn't see Jim on your way here, did you?" The question was out, and so finally, she tore her gaze away from the window to meet her friend's.

Delia blinked, and frowned slightly. "Uh, no...why?"

"We were supposed to go out to lunch…an hour ago."

"Maybe he got hung up at work?" Delia suggested.

Melinda only nodded. With a sigh, she brushed past Delia and over to the cash register, beginning to arrange some papers, a task she had been putting off since this morning. "He isn't answering his cell, though."

"Worried?" Delia questioned wryly, watching her absent-minded progress. Melinda paused, and looked up, her expression sheepish.

"No, no," she replied with a smile, shaking her head, but then finally sighing. "A little."

Delia smirked, making her way to the back of the store to unpack a few items they had just bought out of their boxes. "You worry too much." She called back, and Melinda replied with a soft laugh.

Only fifteen minutes later, just as she had finished helping a customer, the shop's door bells jingled again. Melinda glanced up, and her brown eyes widened as she recognized who had just walked in. "Jim!" Relieved, she walked briskly over to her husband.

"Hey, Mel." Jim replied softly, taking her hands and kissing her lightly.

Melinda smiled, but quickly became serious as she surveyed him. "You sound tired. Is everything alright?" She asked, unable to disguise the concern that edged her voice.

"I'm fine," Jim replied, although he seemed rather shaken. "But….you're never going to believe this." As Melinda's interest increased, he went on. "I was running late, but only by a few minutes. But, as I was walking across the square, heard a scream, and noticed a crowd gathered over by the alleyway of Sam's. Apparently, someone had called 911 just after I left, and a few other paramedics were coming out just then behind me," He paused, frowning.

"A woman…around your age, I'd say, maybe a year or so younger, had been shot.

Melinda….we…we couldn't save her." Jim stopped; eyes narrowed, and fell silent. Melinda looked horrified, and she was silent as well for a moment before sighing and hugging her husband.

"Oh my god…I'm so sorry." Her own voice faltered, and the two held the embrace for a moment before Jim pulled away, shaking his head. "I just…don't understand it. How could someone get away with that in broad day light… in Grandview?"

"Do you know who did it?" Melinda's expression was calmly sober, although her eyes sparkled in shock. Jim shook his head.

"No one saw. Whoever it was ran after the gun was shot. They're questioning Sam now."

She just shook her head wordlessly. "That's horrible!" Jim said nothing, and after a moment more of silence, Melinda spoke again. "Do you need to go back to work?"

Jim nodded. "I'd better. I'm sorry the lunch thing didn't work out…"

"Don't worry about it. Everything's going to be okay."

"No," Jim answered grimly. "I lost someone. It isn't okay." But without waiting for a reply, he kissed her briefly again before turning and walking out the door. Melinda just stood there, watching him in sadness. She knew how much it affected him when he lost somebody on the job. She only wished that there was something she could do to help.

And then it occurred to her. Determined, she walked into the back of the store, where Delia was almost stocking the items. "Hey, do you mind if I go out for a few minutes? I'll be right back." Melinda told her.

Delia glanced up, her brow furrowing. "Uh, sure, go ahead." She replied. Muttering her thanks, Melinda turned to the coat-rack, grabbed her winter jacket, and walked through the shop and out the door.

It was colder than she remembered outside, and the icy winds whipped at her face and forced her to squint against them. Making her way over to where the murder had obviously happened, Melinda discovered that most of the crowd was clearing now, by command of the police, and the woman's body had been covered with a white sheet. She watched sorrowfully from a few feed behind the yellow tape, scanning investigators, paramedics, and police for anyone who looked out of place.

And then, Melinda saw her. Her eyes locked with a young woman's. Her hair was sleek and smooth, red in color, and fell only an inch or two below her shoulders. The woman's green eyes reflected her confusion as she stood, noticing Melinda's gaze. And then, for a split second, she was gone, re-appearing only a few feet away from Melinda.

"You're the one that can see us…."

A/N: Ach, short, and bad. Sorry, the next one will be better, but please Review!