"I'm scared to go any further," Amy whined and planted her feet. "What if I disappear and can't go in?"
Ty was crouched down in front of the porch so that if anyone looked out the window, they wouldn't seem him talking to thin air. He had spent most of his life hiding his abilities to avoid looking like a creep; just because Amy was one of the more interesting dead people he'd ever met didn't mean that he was going to sacrifice his secret for her. Besides, he needed the people living at Heartland to continue liking him. If all went here, he could live out his probation and then continue on with his life rather than going back to where he had been before. But, before he could get on with the rest of his life, there was still Amy.
"I don't think there's anything specifically keeping you out," Ty told her.
Amy fixed him with a look. "You don't sound convinced. What are you actually thinking?"
"I do have a theory," Ty admitted. "Come here."
She walked away from the porch steps to stand in front of him. Staying in his crouched position, Ty offered her his arm. She stared at the limb skeptically.
"That's not a theory. And I can't touch you."
"I'll explain later," Ty promised, "And I think you can."
"I couldn't touch Soraya," Amy protested.
"Do I look like Soraya?" Ty asked her. When she looked frustrated, he backpedalled, "Trust me, okay? I'll explain it all later if this works."
Coming to a decision, Amy slowly reached forward. She and Ty both stared at her inky looking fingers, waiting for her hand to pass through his forearm. Instead, he was faced with the icy pain of a dead person's touch. He trembled violently, waiting for the frozen feeling to pass. Amy lifted her hand from him and then touched him again, her eyes going wide.
"I can touch you," she exclaimed.
"You also touched Spartan," Ty pointed out.
"I did," Amy realized. "I don't get it."
"Tell me this," Ty asked her, "Were you ever in my truck? I mean, before today."
For a moment, Amy looked like she was going to lie, then she clucked her tongue and said, "Maybe."
"Did you go through the passenger side door?"
She shook her head.
"But did you sit in the passenger seat?"
She nodded.
"I think that you can touch things that you were able to touch before you died. That's why you could sit in the passenger seat but go through the truck door."
"I guess it makes sense." Amy momentarily took her hand off of Ty and she looked down at her palms. "But won't that mean that I'll just fall through the floor of the house?"
"Part two of the theory," Ty said, "I think that, if you keep holding onto me then you'll be okay. Because I'll be grounding you to the human world."
"Like possession?" She looked grossed out by the idea.
"No, because you're not taking over."
"Will I be able to go into the house without you after? Because I've already touched it as part of the human world, because touching you makes me part of the human world again, right?"
Ty shrugged. "Maybe … That'll be the experimental part."
"One more question."
"Of course."
"Why couldn't I go in before?"
"It's only a theory."
"Do you know anything for sure?" Amy exclaimed.
"Do you?" Ty retorted.
"Sorry," she said automatically, but she didn't sound all that apologetic. "What's this theory?"
"Your mom has been really upset since your accident. I think that her depression combined with spirit energy, that black sparkly stuff you have all over you, is keeping you out."
"Why would it? If Mom wants to see me, shouldn't that pull me in?"
"You're the source of her pain," Ty pointed out, trying to be gentle, as he always was around her.
"Right." Amy squared her shoulders. "Come on. I'm ready."
Ty popped up to his feet. "I don't know what will happen if you let go of me."
"I don't know if I will," Amy said honestly. She wrapped her hand securely around his elbow.
"Remember, I can't talk to you anymore," Ty said as they approached the steps.
"You could," Amy said. She put her foot down on the first stair and her grip became tight. But she didn't vanish; she continued with him to the front door. Ty could practically feel the relief radiating off her. "You just don't want to seem crazy."
Ty shrugged and open the front door. It was a little awkward, getting Amy through. It became apparent, very quickly, that while holding Ty, she was once again able to impact the human world and it was able to impact her. When he was opening the screen door, it awkwardly cracked against her shoulder. Amy could only grin at the impact; at the fact that it didn't go through her. Ty got her through the front door. Taking off his shoes wasn't a problem, but when it came to his coat, he and Amy stared at each other for a moment. He unzipped the front of his jacket and she planted her other hand on his chest so she could let go of his elbow.
"Not close to my heart," Ty had to his under his breath. She was cold enough to stop it … At least, that's what it felt like.
Amy looked at him oddly, but dropped her hand further down his ribs, closer to his belly button. Once he had his coat off, she put her hand back on his arm, tugging him into the kitchen. Ty had to clench his bicep and hold it tightly to his side; he couldn't let anyone watch him be tugged into the house by an unknown force. He walked side by side with Amy into the kitchen. Lou was stirring something in a pot on the stove.
"Oh, Ty! Dinner won't be ready for a few more minutes. I hope that's all right."
"Fine," Ty answered. He took a seat at the kitchen table, watching Amy strain toward her sister. "Don't touch anything," he hissed at her out of the corner of his mouth.
"But, my sister," Amy whimpered. "I haven't seen her for so long."
Ty jerked her back toward him, and then, keeping a careful eye on Lou, reached over to her hand on him. He threatened to let go of her, and she quieted down immediately.
"Okay!" She shrieked. "Your rules. I'll follow."
"How was your day, Lou?" Ty asked.
"I just went into town," Lou replied vaguely. Ty thought she looked a little suspicious, but it really wasn't his place to be suspicious. "I was catching up with old friends. I haven't been able to see any since I got back."
"It must be nice to see them."
"It makes Hudson feel a little more like home," Lou said. "I left because I hated it. I still love New York so much more but I can't leave Hudson and Heartland again, not now."
"She shouldn't have to give up her dreams in New York," Amy murmured. She tightened her grip on Ty. "Did you know I hated her? I hated her for so long because she went to New York and she left me behind and I … I was so mad. I want … I wish that there was some way that she could know I never really hated her. I just missed her."
Ty maneuvered his hand up so that he was holding Amy's. He tucked their clenched hands under the table because anyone who saw his invisible grip would start questioning if there was something wrong with him.
"It must be difficult," Ty managed to say. "Did you see anyone interesting?"
"Oh … Marnie."
"Marnie was her best friend here. Has she seen Scott?" Amy asked.
The vet?
"They were together in high school," Amy giggled. "I think he's always still thought about her, you know? Plus, he's a lot nicer than Carl sounds."
And now she was playing matchmaker. Ty would have laughed, if he were able. She was strangely surprising.
"Sounds fun."
"I need you to tell me if I'm crazy," Lou said suddenly as she lifted the pot off the stove.
"Me? Why?"
"Because Grandpa's cranky, Mom is … who even knows … And my friends don't know what life is like here because they don't live here. You do. You're the only person I can turn to."
Ty watched her curiously as she strained the pasta she was making. "It's not like I live in the house."
"Play along, please," Lou stressed.
"Playing along," Ty agreed.
"My boyfriend, Carl, is coming to visit soon."
"That's nice," Ty said.
"No way," Amy disagreed.
"Right," Lou said, "And he's going to be staying here. Which isn't the big deal. See, my friends in Hudson want to meet him and he wants to meet them and I was thinking … why not have a little get together here for him?"
"That sounds reasonable," Ty said, a little unsure if that was the reaction he was supposed to have. "I mean, you live here. It's your house."
"Having Carl here is not reasonable. He makes Lou snobby whenever she's around him, which means he's worse," Amy whined.
"It's Grandpa's house."
"That's true," Amy agreed quickly. "I don't think Grandpa likes him either. I mean, we've never met him in person, but we know what he's like."
"But you live here. You're his granddaughter. If Carl means something to you, then that must mean that he means something to Jack."
"If Grandpa's thought process made sense, I'd agree with you." Lou sighed. "Just, tell me this: do you think the universe will end if I have people over here?"
"YES!" Amy shouted.
Ty winced, but said, "No? I don't know if I can make a call on that, but … No?"
"That's all I needed." Lou brightened. "Everything's ready. Do you mind taking these dishes into the table? Grandpa should be around here somewhere. I'm going to go talk to Mom, see if she wants to eat with us tonight."
After managing a smile that would never be called authentic, Lou swept out of the kitchen, and Ty went to pick up the large pasta dish from where she'd left it on the counter, Amy tagging beside him all the while. When they were stationary, it was almost possible to ignore how cold she was but whenever either of them moved, fresh icicles would bolt through Ty's vein. His arm was going numb.
"Please start rotating where you hold me," Ty requested. "You're freezing."
"I wish I could let go altogether," Amy whined. "I wish –"
She cut herself off as they rounded the corner to the large dining room table. Jack was already standing by it, pouring water into glasses.
"Grandpa," she breathed, and Ty was able to hear tears in her voice. He had heard her cry far too much in the time he'd been around her. It was to be expected, considering why they were meeting like this, but it didn't make him feel any better. He wished he had a chance to know her when she was alive and wasn't plagued by the pain she was now.
"Hello, Jack," Ty greeted him.
"Ty." Jack nodded at him. "I see you got the horse into the barn."
"It wasn't easy," Ty said.
"Piece of cake," Amy bragged.
"Nothing about that horse is easy," Jack grumbled.
"Why do you sound like you hate him?" Amy demanded of her grandfather, getting as close to him as she could without letting go of her human leash. "He's just a horse, Grandpa."
"Is Lou with Marion?" Jack asked.
"Yeah," Ty confirmed as Amy turned to look at him.
"Does Grandpa hate Spartan?"
Ty nodded.
"Does everyone? Is that why you need me to take care of him? Is that why he was so dirty and gross?" Without waiting for his confirmation, Amy exploded. "He needs love! He needs to be shown that people love him. They can't do this to him. He deserved to be saved. He still deserves to be saved and he still needs it. How could Grandpa do this? How could … Mom?"
Ty turned at the change in Amy's tone. Lou was coming down the hallway, her arm wrapped around the shoulder of a woman that he'd only seen once in a photograph; one where she had been with Amy, sitting on Pegasus. He could barely make out any of her features under her black death mask, made darker and less filmy by the intensity of her grief. Marion looked confusedly at Ty, and then he swore her eyes fixed on the place where Amy was standing next to him, tears flowing freely down her full cheeks.
"Mom!" Amy's shout was more like a scream. In her wild emotion, she released Ty and raced for her mother, desperate to touch her. Amy never made it to Marion's side; she vanished, her hand still outstretched.
Chapters are published every Tuesday, by the way.
I don't own anything recognizable.
~TLL~
