She'd screwed up… again. They were dead… again.
Why is this so damn hard?
Portia bounced the ball, watching it bounce from the floor, rebound off the wall and land in her hand with a soft thump.
Sighing she closed her eyes and bounced the ball again using her hearing to sense where to catch the ball.
Bounce, bounce, thump.
Bounce, bounce, thump.
Bounce, bounce, thump.
Bounce, bounce, thump.
Bounce, bounce…
She sighed and squeezed her eyes tighter.
"What now?"
"The ickle ageless one is upset."
Her neck snapped upwards only to come eye to eye with Peeves, holding her ball hostage.
"That's mine you know."
"Peeves knows."
"Am I going to get it back?"
"Not yet. Peeves wonder if ickle ageless one will be okay."
"I don't know Peeves. Do you ever think of life from before you were a floating accident waiting to happen?"
"Peeves think it is not wise to linger on such thoughts."
"since when were you wise?"
"Since ickle ageless one got harder, picking on the broken is no fun."
"I know I've changed."
"Ickle ageless one hasn't changed as much as she thinks, Peeves just think she's forgotten her way."
Portia smiled sadly and stood taking the ball from the poltergeist. "Thanks Peeves." Leaning forward she pressed a kiss to his cold cheek.
Peeves frowned. "Peeves is a poltergeist, they is not for kissing."
"Don't worry, I'm being called you'll forget soon." Peeves watched as Portia was pulled by her upper arm with a loud cracking noise from the timeline.
"Peeves never forget. Never ever."
And the world went dark…