Chapter One
5 YEARS LATER-1989
We had been out of business for about five years now. Did I hate it? Yes. It was horrible. At least I got a good night's sleep every night. We were sued by everyone. I mean every state, county and city agency in New York. It was horrible. Egon, now my husband of two years, has a science lab of his own and I perform nights at a club singing Stevie Nicks songs and work with Egon in his lab during the day.
I was writing something down when Dana came in. She told us about what happened this morning.
"It went right out into the middle of traffic and I started really running after it." She said. She was talking about her son's baby buggy. "And then it just suddenly stopped, right in the middle of the street."
"Mmhmm, and did anyone else see this happen?" Egon asked.
"Well, sure, hundreds of people." Dana replied. We looked at her. "Egon...I didn't imagine this."
"I'm not saying you did. It's just in science we always look for the simplest explanation."
I went over to Dana and rubbed her arm comfortingly. Being a mother myself, I could understand her fear. Except Alexandria was about to turn two, she wasn't about seven or eight months like Dana's son was.
"We're ready, Dr. Spengler." One of Egon's new assistants said.
"Good. We'll start with the negative calibration." Egon held a device in his hands. I walked over and stood next to him as he was performing the test. Dana did the same.
"What are you two working on?" she asked.
"Trying to determine whether human emotions affect the physical environment." Egon responded. There was a couple in the room, in what my parents used to say an 'animated discussion'. "It's a theory Ray and I had when we were still Ghostbusters."
"Can they see us?" Dana peered into the glass. The couple just went about their argument as if nothing was going on. I was writing down notes in my notepad.
"No. They think they're here for marriage counseling. We kept them waiting for two and a half hours and I've been gradually increasing the temperature in the room. It's up to 95 degrees at the moment." A man walked into the room where the couple was. "Now my assistant has asked them if they'd mind waiting another half-hour." Egon's device went off the charts as the man started shouting. At least it looked like he was shouting. "Oh, good. Very good. Very, very nice." The man banged on the wall, making me jump.
"So Egon, Nancy...what do you think?"
Egon was writing something down. "Excellent, just excellent." He replied "Do the happiness index next." He told his new assistant.
"You kidding? This shit's awesome." I replied and kept writing things down. Dana shook her head.
"I mean about the carriage."
"Well, I'd like to bring Ray in on this if you don't mind." Egon went over to a camera and examined a little girl who was playing with her stuffed animals.
"Sure. Whatever you think. But not Venkman."
"Oh, no." Egon shook his head.
"We wouldn't dream of it. Don't worry."
"Thank you." Dana shot me soft smile. "Do you ever see him?"
"Occasionally." Egon answered.
"How is he doing these days?"
"Peter? Well, he was borderline for a while. Then he crossed the border."
"Wasn't it right after I had Alex?"
"I think so." Egon was delved into his work but was conscious enough to speak to us.
"Does he ever...mention me?" Dana tried to hide a smile.
"No." Egon waved his device at her and it went off like crazy. Dana's shoulders sagged in disappointment.
"Well, we—we didn't part on very good terms...and then we sort of lost track of each other after I got married."
"We're ready for the affection test." The assistant said.
"Good. Send in the puppy, please." Egon told her. The woman left.
"I thought of getting in touch with him after my marriage ended, but..." Dana trailed off. We all knelt down as an assistant handed the little girl in the glass box a puppy. "Isn't that sweet?" Dana smiled. She looked at us. "I appreciate your doing this. Both of you."
"Try not to worry." Egon sent her a soft smile. We stood.
"Here's my phone number. You'll call me?" Dana handed him a slip of paper.
"Yes." Egon answered.
"I'd rather you didn't mention any of this to Peter if you don't mind."
"We won't. I promise." I smiled.
"No, I won't. I won't." Egon shook his head. Dana kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks." She smiled and left. Egon smiled a bit, blushed, and then stopped. He looked at the assistant.
"Let's see what happens when we take away the puppy."
I just looked at him. "That's just evil. Just pure evil."
"It's a test." Egon shrugged. "I'm going to give it back to her."
I nodded. "You're the mad scientist." I smiled, kissed his cheek, and walked over to my station.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
We were at Ray's bookstore looking at cases similar to Dana's. I held Alexandria because we couldn't get a babysitter for tonight. Her blonde curls were up in pigtails and her big blue eyes examined everything in the room. Egon was looking at a book.
"This one's interesting. Berlin, 1939. A flower cart took off by itself, rolled half a kilometer. Three hundred eyewitnesses."
"My best to the coven." Ray said after the blind guy who took a book and left. He looked at Egon. "Berlin, huh? You know, you should also check Duke University studies on psychokinesis."
"I pulled it." Egon said. He put the book back. The three of us were looking at books that could possibly help us.
"Perhaps you can help me," a voice said. "I'm looking for a love-potion aerosol that I could spray on a certain Penthouse Pet to obtain her total submission." Peter walked in and put his coat down.
"Hello, Venkman." Egon said.
"Hi, Pete, how's it going?" Ray asked.
"Very well." Peter said and then lost the accent. "Hi, Egon. How's school? Bet those science chicks really dig that large cranium of yours, huh?"
"I think they're more interested in my epididymis." Egon smirked.
"Besides, there's only one chick he's interested in." I cocked an eyebrow at my brother.
"That's right. You."
"Yeah his wife." I nodded slowly. Peter held back a grimace at the word. After all, he didn't exactly like the fact that his baby sister could find someone she really loved and beat him to starting a family. If he hadn't screwed things up with Dana he might actually have one by now. Alexandria tugged on her uncle's hair lightly.
"Ow, watch it! I don't want to be bald before my time." Peter rubbed the sore spot. Alexandria seemed to be taking pleasure in it because she clapped and smiled. Peter looked at his niece for half a second, smiled, and then walked over to Ray. "Ray, let's close this place up so you can buy me a calzone." He said.
"Oh, I can't really do that right now, Pete. I'm working on something. But your book came in." he picked one up and handed it to Peter. "Magical Paths to Fortune and Power."
"Thank you."
"Good luck with that, Venkman." Egon chuckled quietly. He walked over to the counter and showed me something in the book.
"That's a good one." I nodded.
"No kidding."
"Will you put this on my account, please?" Peter asked Ray.
"Sure." Ray answered. Egon handed Ray the book.
"Ray, take a look at this." He said.
"Oh, yeah." Ray analyzed it closely.
"What're you guys working on?" Peter asked.
"Uh, well we're just kind of..." Ray started. Egon cleared his throat. "Checking something out for an old friend."
"Neat. Who?"
"Uhh..." Right before Ray could answer the phone rang. He picked it up. "Ray's Occult. Seven o'clock on weekdays. Midnight on Saturdays. Thank you." He hung up and looked back down at the book Peter lifted his chin up.
"Who?" he asked. I watched this intently, swearing to myself that if Ray spilled the beans I would kill him personally.
"Who?" Ray repeated. Peter nodded. "Just someone we know."
"Oh." Peter removed his hand and Ray turned back to the book. Peter grabbed him by the ears. "Who?" Ray groaned in pain. Egon and I looked at each other and sighed quietly, knowing it was going to come out.
"I can't! No! No! No!"
"Yes, you can. Who?"
"Nobody! Nobody!"
"Can you tell me now?"
"I can't!"
"Now?" Peter's tone got stern.
"Dana Barrett!"
Peter let go of Ray's ears in a flash. Ray reached up and rubbed them. Peter just looked astonished.
"My Dana Barrett?" he asked.
