AN: So I beat Ghost Trick the other day (and yesterday, the game is just that good!) and I noticed it didn't have a lot of fanfiction. Plus, this was something playing around in my head, and it just had to get out. It's not beta'd, or even spellchecked, so you'll have to forgive me for that. If you see and mistakes, or if you think someone is out of character, then please let me know!
"It's been 10 long years, Yomiel."
I looked up from my painting at the guard who had entered my cell. It seems I was so imersed in what I was doing that I hadn't noticed him come in. I looked up and nodded in agknowledgement.
"The young woman who always comes to visit you is waiting outside."
Sissel. How she has been able to deal with waiting for me for so long, I'll never know. But she'll never know how grateful I am for that. But today, her wait is finally over. In just a few short minutes, I'll be able to see her face to face, without the inconvience of bars between us.
I follow the guard out of my cell, without bothering to look back at my newly finished painting. I have no need for it anymore. After today, I won't have to rely on paintings to help me remember faces.
"Yomiel!"
I look up at the familiar voice and smile. I hardly have time to take in her beautiful face before she is wrapped around me. I hesitantly return the embrace, unsure of how to respond. She either doesn't notice, or pretends not to. I'm betting on the latter. She grabs my arm and pulls me good-naturedly towards the car with a smile.
"I can't wait to get you home! I've spent the last couple of days cleaning, getting ready for your arrival. And you know how much I hate cleaning!" She joked.
I chuckled. Yes, I certainly did know, and the fact that she had actually cleaned said more to me than could be expressed with words.
"Actually, could that wait for a bit?" I asked, and she looked over to me, confused.
"What? Why?" She asked. Valid questions.
"I need to see someone." I answered. "It won't take long, I promise." I added, after seeing how put out she looked.
"Alright." She answered, to my surprise. "Do you have the address?" She asked, and I gave her the details.
I hesitated in front of the apartment door. I left Sissel waiting in the car, after assuring her that this wouldn't take more than a few minutes.
What was I thinking? This had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that I was here, I knew that I wouldn't be welcomed. However, the thought of seeing him again, and not just in a painting was enough to make me raise my hand and knock on the door.
A little girl answered the door. Kamila, if I remembered right. She stared at me uncertainly.
"Dad!" She yelled back behind her, and in response, we were joined by a man. Detective Jowd. We just stared at each other mutely for a few moments, before he broke the silence.
"Kamila, why don't you go back and join the party?"
"Ok Dad." She answered happily, and disappeared inside the apartment.
"So you're celebrating something?" I asked, mostly to break the awkward silence.
"We're celebrating Lynne's promotion to detective." He answered.
"So she's here too, then." I said. He nodded as an answer.
"So today's the day you got out, huh?" He asked.
"Yeah." More awkward silence.
"I'm guessing you're here to see him?"
"If that's alright?" I answered, phasing it as a question. I waited for an answer, and that moment seemed like an eternity as a new thought struck me. What if he said no? I hadn't even thought of that. However, my fears proved ungrounded.
"Come on in." He said, stepping out of the doorway to allow me entrance.
I looked around the room. It certainly was festive. I noticed a familiar set up, one that worked the way it should have. The people around the room were enjoying themselves, a stark contrast to what I had caused in the other past. But before I could wallow too much in my guilt, a soft meow pierced my train of thought.
I looked down at the source of the sound. A black cat, the one I had come to see. Wait...
"That's a very special cat, you know?" Kamila told me. I hadn't realised she was there. "He's 10 years old, but he's still a kitten. He hasn't grown at all!"
She said this happily, with such innocence, unaware of the horror that simple statement caused me. And then she went back to rejoin the party. I picked up the cat, and my surroundings changed. The red chaos, I recognised it as ghost world.
I saw the form of the black cat. Of Sissel. I knew I should have been happy to see him, but this wasn't how it was supposed to be!
"Hello Yomiel. I had hoped that you would come to see me." I just stared. How could he be so nonchalant about this?
"H-How!" I stammered. The question wasn't specific, but was sure he knew what I was talking about.
"How do I still have my ghost tricks? I'm pretty sure you know the answer to that." I'm pretty sure I did too, but I didn't want to accept it. "That day, 10 years ago, when we saved your life, remember when the Temsik fragment pierced through Detective Jowd's leg?"
I nodded, suddenly realising.
"Apparently, it went right through... into my body."
"But in that case, we didn't avert my fate, it was simply swapped!"
"That's true." He answered. "But it's not so bad. I may not be living, but I'm content to sit back and watch those who are. And besides, if this means that no one else has to die, I'm okay with that."
That was something I couldn't understand. When it happened to me, I was consumed by anger, jealousy, and loneliness. I couldn't understand how anybody could be okay with it.
"Are you sure?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Though it does get a little lonely at times." That was something I could understand. "Since we went back and changed the past, nobody but you, Jowd and Missle remember me. And since they never died in this new present, they don't have a core, so I can't talk to them. That's why I'm relieved that you came here. I just wanted to be sure that that night actually happened."
I didn't really know how to respond to that. I don't think there is any right way to respond to that.
"I'll tell you what." I decided on. "I'll make sure to come see you every now and again. I promise. And Sissel, I'm sorry. And, thank you."
"For what?"
"Everything. Now I'd better get going." He nodded.
"You better not forget your promise." He said, before leaving my mind.
I looked around, everything was exactly the same. It made sense, time doesn't pass in ghost world.
"I'd better get going." I informed Jowd.
"You're not going to stay for the party?" He asked.
"Nah. I've got someone waiting for me outside, and I'd hate to keep her waiting. I'll be back though, I have to keep a promise, after all."
AN: So what did you think? Please let me know!
