A/N: One of Meowser Clancy's favorite episodes ;) This one is for you! Enjoy xx Mariah
It was always the same, a crushing pain just on one side of Melinda's head that came and went in a pattern. It made her want to pace about, she couldn't sit, couldn't lie down or relax. One eye would water on the painful side and her nose would run. She hated it but knew what it meant.
Her ghost was trying to tell her something, and she was close, but not close enough to actually solving the mystery she needed to.
The pain would throb so violently around her skull that she wondered why it didn't just crack open. Today was one of those days and when Jim came home from work he found her curled on the sofa under a blanket.
Her husband fetched her a steaming mug of tea and urged her to sit up, then he curled up right beside her on the couch. She leaned into his embrace and took a sip of tea, suddenly too hot for the blanket and pushing it off to the side.
"You okay?" He asked, rubbing her back.
"My headache is kind of going away," she sighed. "Thank you."
"So tell me about this one," he replied. "What does he what?"
"This ghost is very complicated," she rose the mug to her lips and looked back at him. "He doesn't seem to understand anything I'm saying to him. It's almost like he can't hear or see me."
"So you can see this guy, but he can't see or hear you?" He asked, letting his hands press into her shoulders, rubbing the muscle between her neck and shoulder.
"Yeah," she answered softly and closed her eyes. She leaned into the slow rubbing sensation of his thumbs and how well they were workings the tension knots in her back. Her husband has always had marvelous hands and they've worked magic for her. "How's that for a cruel twist of fate?"
"Maybe this ghost is deaf and blind?" He replied, his eyes were drawn to the bend of her neck.
The smell of her perfume dabbed to the skin drew him in and he licked his lips. His lips were being pulled closer and closer, but he knew he had to listen. She had a lot going on and kissing her neck would not help. Not yet anyway.
"It's like he's trapped here." She explained. "Being trapped here by these Christmas ornaments."
"Not everyone likes the holidays," the pads of his fingers slid over her skin as he inched closer, the soft whisper of his voice beckoning him to go closer.
"He's definitely trying to get rid of them," she replied, sighing. "It's like they're alive, breathing," then his warm lips pressed to her neck, her lust for him building. She needed to keep her cool, for now. "I've never seen anything like it."
She felt his warm breath on her neck, then the tender brush of his lips, again. Burning as they made contact.
He sucked softly, the warmth of a mark on the back of her neck ignited her fire. "Where are they now?" he replied softly, then his lips trailed across her neck and to her cheek and she could feel the scratchy stubble of his beard.
She looked back at him and he shook his head, it must be known by her expression that they were here. "They are in the kitchen," she answered and stood up. "Come on. I'll show you."
"I was hoping the answer was hidden, somewhere deeply hidden away in your store." He followed her to the kitchen, gazing down at the box of wooden ornaments. "Well, they're pretty."
She gazed down at the illuminating wooden blocks and knew from the way he wasn't looking at them anymore that he couldn't see what she could. They were beautiful.
"I wish you could see this," she whispered, in awe of them.
She reached for the bunny and was instantly transported somewhere. Jim knew immediately just by the way Melinda turned away, walking a few blind steps toward the stairs.
"Melinda," he said as she stared ahead. "Melinda?"
She bent forward, head in her hands and began to wobble toward the floor. He reached out for her and wrapped his arms around her, feeling her heartbeat against her wrist immediately before she covered her ears.
"Come on," he eased her back to her feet as she gasped for air, kissing the back of her head. "Keep breathing." He moved in front of her and held her steady, hands strong against her arms. "Stand up, you're alright... I've got you."
"What happened?" She gasped, looking at him, eyes hazed and felt her shake in his grasp.
"You tell me," he whispered as he leaned back, looking into her eyes. "You just blacked out there for a minute." His hands went to her face as he watched her think, brows furrowing. "Are you okay?"
"I just felt scared," she breathed, shaking her head. "And then I was really angry. It was all overwhelming."
"Maybe you should sit down," he suggested, standing beside her as she set down the wooden ornament. "I'm going to get you some water, okay?"
"No, I don't think I can sit still right now." She replied, taking in a deep breath. "I just have to walk this off." She paced back and forth, breathing every few seconds, trying to contain her heart rate.
"You see anything?" He asked.
"Yes. I saw two people hitting each other." She replied, closing her eyes to picture it in her head again. "In some kind of fight. I don't know. It all happened so quickly. I need another minute to think it through."
His hands met her waist and he pulled her closer, rubbing her forearm lightly as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I wish I could take your pain away."
She smiled at him, "You do," she whispered, leaning up to meeting his lips with a warm and sensual kiss, but that quickly faded as the ghost appeared in the front entryway, banging an ornament on the wooden floor over and over until he disappeared and it dropped to the floor.
"Alright, I want this ghost out of here," Jim muttered softly.
She looked back at him and sighed, rubbing her forehead. This wasn't any good.
Melinda laid awake in bed, sleepiness had long since deserted her and ran to her husband who was fast asleep next to her. She and Jim had a nice night at home, which they didn't get very often. They'd watched a movie, made a nice dinner together and even had enough time to share a nice shower together.
He was fast asleep, and she envied him, leaning down to press a kiss to his damp hair as he further tucked himself under his pillow.
She wasn't sure which moments she loved best, she reflected, seeing Jim's broad shoulders as he slept peacefully beside her. The frenzied, passionate ones where she couldn't imagine not having this with him? The moments that took her breath away and her words and all coherency, leaving her lost in a whirl of desire and overwhelming touch and pure love emanating from her husband?
Or was it the moments after, when he just looked at her, blue eyes dark with lust, hands sweeping over her body, making every inch feel precious and sacred?
Was it when he was the one getting, and not giving as it always was? When he was dizzy from how she made him feel? Was it when she got to properly admire and remember how very truly Jim Clancy loved her... every piece of her... every imperfect lonely piece...
How it wasn't about the sex. Even when it was.
It was about him being passionately and thoroughly interested in every aspect of her life. Because he loved her, and that was enough.
"Staring at me?" he said, propping his head up on one arm.
"Can't sleep," she sighed.
"I know just how to fix that," he moved on top of her and lifted the soft material of the blanket, tugging the only thing covering her. "It's like you knew we'd make love again."
"We always do," she laughed as without warning, he ducked and spread her thighs, flicking his tongue over her, causing her to moan loudly as she leaned against the sturdy headboard. "Hungry much?" She gasped.
He pulled back, looking at her with the kind of look a hunter gives his prey. "You have no idea." He returned his attention to her, ravishing her with his lips and tongue until it was all she could do to keep from falling over him.
Running her hands through his damp hair, she tugged when he sucked on the hard nub of her swollen center, causing her legs to buckle beneath her. He placed one of her legs over his shoulder to gain greater access and greedily ran his tongue over her center, saying her name against her so the vibration reached all the way up to her cheekbones.
Her fingers tangled in his hair, her chest rising and lowering, hard breathing. He felt her compensate by arching up and grinding against his tongue, her thighs quivered and throbbed, as he pulled back just so. Melinda panted when he slipped his fingers inside of her, the rhythm he knew so well causing her to climb higher and higher. The air filled with the sounds of her pleasure and before she could completely finish, he was moving above her, pulling her to him as he entered her.
"Jim, oh Jim," She called out his name, moaning from the pleasure.
He kissed her and flooded her mouth with the taste of herself, a flavor she hadn't tasted in a while. "You feel so good," he growled, pulling her to his lap and sitting up against the headboard, his hand pressed to the small of her back and he watched her face writhe in pleasure as he brought her closer and closer, slowing his pace to suck on her breasts, firm and pert under his lips.
She ran her hands over his back, her nails tracing a pink path along his muscles. When he'd sucked on both breasts until their tips were standing at rigid attention, he brought his mouth up to kiss her again, slamming his hips into her, his legs quivering from the exertion. She ran her lips over his neck, her breath exploding from her as she neared another orgasm
This time, they came together, his teeth clamping down on her shoulder as she threw her head back with an abandon.
"Jim, oh yes!" She shouted as he shuddered, emptying inside her. "I love you."
"I love you," he breathed, leaning against her for a moment to catch his breath as he continued to push into her shallowly. He eased her onto her back on the bed, milking both of their orgasms as long as he could. "Oh, Mel, I love you." He slacked against her, slowly going to pull out as he softened inside of her and felt drained of everything.
"Stay," she breathed in his ear as she wrapped her legs around him, her hands roaming down his chest and stomach, fondling him gently. "That was amazing."
"Was?" He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her lips. "Are we done?"
"Never," she purred against his lips.