The End of The World: February 14, 2016

by SanJohn

The Ghostbusters are back to battle their old enemies for the end of the world is at hand. Will Professor Spengler's daughter get married? Will Ray lose his daughter and wife? Are Dana and Oscar lost to Peter forever? And what about Winston and the new Ghostbuster team, what is going to happen to them?

36. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Verdie lie on her left side, eyes open, staring at the small black box that sat on her nightstand. She knew what was inside. Egon had given her the box at his birthday party a week ago. Her head was hurting her and she closed her eyes, thinking back to her time spent with Egon, hoping her headache would go away.

Dean Egon Einstein Spengler was her colleague at work. Verdie had been hired by President Bollinger the following week, back in July, when she had gone in for her interview. She replaced Professor Harrist and took over teaching his classes in September.

Now here it was November and she had known Egon since July. Four months of dating and seeing each other had led to that one night, at Egon's home in New Jersey.

Verdie had seen Egon's home before that night. When she had first seen the small, what looked like a one-story home, she had been surprised to see the inside.

"The architectural students at Columbia designed and built the house," Egon told Verdie when he had first given her a tour.

From the outside the house reminded Verdie of a log cabin. Simple in design with wooden half logs, a chimney in the middle, and two windows on each side of the chimney that faced the road. The roof was plain and slightly sloped. But when she entered the house it was far from simple.

The front and back doors were on the sides of the house. When Verdie entered from the right side of the house, that faced the road, she entered into the living room. The house was open in design with just a wall on her right side that ran the length of the house.

The living room was the first place that she stepped into and it had two windows. One window that look out onto the road and the other one that sat by the front door, on the right side, and looked out onto the side yard. The living room was painted light green in color.

In the center sat a fireplace. Half was in the living room while the other half sat in the dinning area, which was also open. The kitchen was on the other side of the house with one window facing the road and the other one over the kitchen sink, facing the side yard again.

Verdie remembered that the kitchen was unique in design because it wrapped around a set of stairs and a laundry room. The cupboards had been built into the ascending stairs to what she had thought was the attic. How wrong she had been.

That was the second place that Egon had taken Verdie on her tour. She had followed Egon up five steps to turn to her left for another set of five steps. She had expected to see a typical attic full of unwanted items and had been surprised when before her eyes she saw a large finished bedroom.

Like below, in the living room/dining area, there was a fireplace. It sat in the middle of the room where the ceiling was slightly sloped. Rows of glass shelving sat along the length of the wall, broken only by the fireplace and then continuing on to the other side. The shelves reached to where the ceiling met the wall. Five rows in total, that each contained a row of model horses. Verdie thought that the models all looked alike until she walked closer to the wall. Behind the sliding glass doors, that were top lit by recessed lights in the ceiling, were different molds of horses. Verdie stopped and bent down to admire the collection.

She could see that one mold had many different colors of models, all lined up together. There were eighteen different models in the one set that she was looking at just now. The first one; a red stallion with black legs, mane, and tail had his head turned to the left, ears up, legs in a moving pose as if he was coming out of his stall to check out what was going on.

"Yours?" Verdie had asked Egon turning her face away from the collection for the first time to see that there was more to the attic.

"No," Egon had said as he stood next to a white oak sleigh bed, "they belong to Echo, my daughter."

"How many are there?" Verdie asked standing up to join Egon on the side of the house, next to the bed.

There was a window here, above the bed, that looked out over the side of the house. "They must be over the front door," Verdie thought as she came to stand by Egon's side. Even though the right side of the room was sloped she could stand up straight by the bed. The roof was higher here, like a normal room, and had two skylights.

"I don't remember," Egon said as he reached out for Verdie's hand, "you'll have to ask Echo when she returns."

Egon then led Verdie over to one of the two windows, set between a beautiful antique looking dresser, that faced the back of the house. As she looked out the window, all she could see were trees, but she didn't look down to the ground because Egon started talking to her again.

"We converted the attic into Echo's room," Egon said to her, "when Daniel came to live with us."

"Echo's fiancé," Verdie asked turning away from the window.

"Yes," Egon replied as he led Verdie back to the stairs.

"Why doesn't Echo stay with Daniel?" Verdie asked following Egon as he started down the stairs.

Egon laughed and stopped in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs, "I wish. Then I could get my lab space back."

"The attic was your lab?" Verdie asked as she stepped down into the hallway.

"Use to be," Egon said reminiscing, "now I'm banished to the garage. But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Why?"

"Because Daniel's been so good for the both of us," Egon said as he opened up a door across from where they had just come from.

This room was medium in size and overcrowded with stuff. There was a full sized bed under a window in front of her with two end tables on each side. The headboard of the bed held books while the walls of the room held pictures of a young boy playing a violin.

"This is Daniel's room," Egon said allowing Verdie to step inside, "It use to be Echo's before he moved in to stay with us."

"Now I see why Echo doesn't want to stay here," Verdie said as she moved into the crowded room.

"Daniel's still trying to go through his stuff," Egon said pointing to the wall behind the door that contained a closet full of brown boxes, "it's been hard for him."

"Not enough time?" Verdie asked as she moved around a dresser that was full of musical awards on top.

"No," Egon said as he picked up Daniel's jacket that was hanging off of a black music stand in the corner to his left, "too many bad memories."

Egon crossed to the closet and hung up the jacket inside.

"Bad memories?" Verdie asked coming full circle to stand by Egon next to the closet.

"Yes," Egon said taking her hand once again, "Daniel's basement apartment, where he used to live in NYC, was flooded out during Hurricane Sandy."

"All that he has left is sitting in this room," Egon said waving his other hand out over the bedroom. "This was all that Echo could pack into her car when he had to evacuate."

"Daniel wasn't upset about losing the furniture that he had," Egon said as he led Verdie from the room, "he was more upset about losing his programs, certificates, and pictures from his boyhood days."

"I don't understand," Verdie said as she followed Egon down the hall, back out into the open living room to stop by yet another door.

Before Egon opened the door behind him he turned to face Verdie to explain.

"Daniel's been playing the violin since he was two years old," Egon said.

"When Daniel was six years old, a vacationer staying near their house, heard him playing his violin outside. This man played the violin himself and was intrigued by the young boy."

"The man approached Daniel and asked him if he knew any classical pieces, to which Daniel replied that he knew a couple. Daniel then played Vivaldi's 'Summer' for the gentleman. When he was done the gentleman asked Daniel who his teacher was. Daniel replied that it had been his stoatin grandmother."

"Stoatin?" Verdie asked.

"Stoatin is Gaelic for great-grandmother," Egon told Verdie.

"His great-grandmother had been his teacher?" Verdie asked surprised, "How old was she?"

"Well, she died when she was 103 when Daniel was young. I know Daniel never told me or Echo how old he had been when she died, but at any rate Daniel was without a teacher. He had been teaching himself since Jane Havens died."

"Havens isn't a Scottish sounding name," Verdie stated.

"No, Havens is Welsh. Jane Havens grew up in Aberystwyth, Wales and married Neil Mathieson from Inverness, Scotland. They gave birth to Daniel's grandmother in Port Glasglow, Scotland," Egon said as he opened the door to another bedroom.

This room was spotless just like Echo's room and painted a pale green color like the living room/dining room/kitchen area. In front of Verdie was a four poster bed with night stands on either side. Attached to the corners of the bed hung pale green sheer drapes that draped gracefully along the sides. A chest of drawers stood to her right under a window that looked out to the side of the house. On her left was a closet with another window looking out into the backyard. As Verdie walked over to the window she asked about Daniel.

"So, what happened to Daniel?" Verdie asked as she stopped at the window and looked out onto more trees.

"Well," Egon said crossing quietly to take her hand, "the gentleman's name was Mr. Weller. He was the principal conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra."

"No way!" Verdie said turning away from the window.

She let Egon lead her out of the bedroom and back towards Daniel's room. They stopped in front of two doors as Egon went on with his story.

"Yep," Egon replied as he opened the door on the right first to reveal a bathroom, "imagine Daniel's father, Allen's, surprise when he was told that Mr. Weller wanted Daniel to play for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra as a soloist."

"He probably died," Verdie replied as Egon closed the door and opened up the next one.

This one had stairs leading down into the basement. Verdie followed Egon down the flight of stairs to yet another door. She wasn't surprised when Egon opened this door up to reveal another beautiful room.

To Verdie's left was a workbench with tools hanging overhead and two drawers underneath, in the middle sat a chair with wheels. Pictures hung on the wall next to a clock, in the middle, while a collection of pieces sat on the workbench waiting to be put back together again. To her right was a computer desk.

A noise behind her made Verdie jump and turn around. Before her were shelves. On the top row of shelves there was a collection of petri dishes, but that wasn't what had made the noise. Underneath these shelves were an assortment of reptiles each housed in a fish tank complete with wire mesh lids and light bulbs for heat.

Verdie could see snakes, lizards, and a turtle in a large tank on the bottom, yet she still couldn't see what had frightened her. Suddenly a medium sized lizard rushed towards the front of its fish tank, mouth opened wide, big pieces of skin ruffled out around its neck, hissing at her. Its tail rolling around in its enclosure for added effect. The lizard then got up on its hind legs and ran to the back of its tank.

"I'm sorry Verdie," Egon said as he moved the light bulb over to another tank and lifted the lid off.

Verdie took a step back as Egon reached inside the tank. She was expecting him to get bit, but the 26 inch long yellowish brown lizard just let Egon pick it up.

"Verdie meet Maximilian," Egon said as he cupped the lizard's body in his right hand, the lizard's tail hanging down beyond his cupped hand at least another 17 inches.

"I call him 'loud mouth'," Egon said as he stroked the lizard's head with his left hand.

"This is Echo's newest pet," Egon said, "He's a frilled-lizard from Australia. And as you have already witnessed he's very famous for trying to intimidate his foes."

Verdie looked closer at the lizard as its eyes started to close from Egon's petting. The large frills were now folded up against the lizard's body. Egon stopped petting the lizard and turned around to put Maximilian back into his fish tank.

"Once he gets to know you Verdie," Egon said as he let the lizard walk out of his hand, "he'll stop his hissing."

"Frilled lizards are considered to be moderate difficult to care for," Egon said as he replaced the wire mesh lid back on top and replaced the light bulb back to where it belonged.

"Echo's come a long way with him," Egon said smiling, "although she does like to set Maximilian on Peter Venkman sometimes. That lizard sure hates Peter."

"Instead of backing away like frilled lizards are supposed to do, Maximilian will literally chase Peter around the house. And since the reptile is arboreal, when Peter climbs onto the kitchen table to get away from him, Maximilian climbs up the table's leg right after him."

"Next year Maximilian will be going to the Denver Zoo."

"Echo doesn't have time to spend with him?" Verdie asked sadly as Egon turned her away from the reptiles.

"No, that's not it," Egon said as he led Verdie around a raised platform in the middle of the room complete with chair and music stand, "it's just that Maximilian will grow too big."

"He's only six months old now. He'll be at least three feet when he is full grown. We just don't have the room for him here. Echo knew that when she rescued him," Egon said stopping.

Verdie had been looking at Egon while he had been talking to her. When he stopped talking she watched him lean over to the wall on his right and turn on a switch. She looked forward when Egon gestured with his right hand out in front of her. Before her was a beautiful walnut finished Steinway Grand Piano.

"You have a Steinway?" Verdie questioned softly as she slowly walked forward to run her hand along the finish.

Egon watched Verdie caressing the surface of the piano as she walked around it. Eden had done the same thing when she had first seen the Steinway. How he missed having a woman around and he wasn't going to let Verdie go without at least having her play the Steinway. He had heard her practicing at Columbia University each night after classes were done. Verdie was good, not concert pianist, but Egon was sure she could hold her own.

Verdie, speaking to herself, caused Egon to come out of his musing.

"I've always dreamed of owning a Steinway," Verdie said as she pulled out the bench and sat down, "I wish that I had brought some music."

"What do you want?" Egon asked as he crossed to his right to a bookshelf full of file boxes with lids.

Verdie got up from the piano and moved to stand by Egon. She could see that on each box was a composer's name. Quickly seeing that the boxes were in alphabetical order she reached for Chopin. Lifting the lid off she saw that the contents inside were also alphabeticalized by each piece. She pulled out the sheet music that she wanted and replaced the lid. As she placed the box back onto the shelf she could see Egon opening up the piano for her.

Verdie walked back over to the piano and sat down, placing the music on the stand. She hadn't played this piece since she had left home. Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 was written in 1831 during the composer's early years in Vienna. The piece reflected Chopin's loneliness in a city far away from his home, where a war was happening against the Russian Empire's oppression.

As Egon pulled over his wheeled chair and sat it next to Verdie's left side she thought about her home. She had been lonely here until she had met Egon. Egon nodded his head for her to start when she was ready.

Verdie placed her hands on the keys and took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. This was one of the most challenging pieces that she had ever taken on in her piano repertoire and even though she hadn't touched the piece in a year, it was the one that she liked the most.

Beginning with a brief introduction Verdie continued on to the two main themes, Egon carefully turning the pages when she got to the end of each one. When she came to the Presto con fuoco coda, written in 2/2, she had to pause and start over. The thundering chord that ended the piece in a fiery double octave scale, that ran down the keyboard, had gotten the better of Verdie. She tripped over the fingering until on the third try she was able to get it right.

"Sorry," Verdie said when she had finished.

"What are you sorry for?" Egon said as he took the piece of music back to the file box.

"For ruining the end," Verdie replied as she came over and looked the boxes over for another piece of music, "I haven't played that piece since I left home."

"You didn't ruin the end," Egon said sliding the box back onto the shelf that he had just finished placing Chopin back into.

"Yes I did," Verdie said as she pulled down the box marked Beethoven and opened up the lid.

"I'll prove to you that you didn't ruin the piece," Egon said walking away from her.

"Pull more than one piece of music," Egon said as he went to the middle of the wall, "enough for about half an hour."

"What are you planning?" Verdie asked as she replaced the Beethoven box and pulled out the box marked Mozart next.

"A surprise," Egon replied as he lifted an unseen latch in the wall.

To Verdie's surprise the dark brown wall slid away from itself, in panels, to each side of the basement. These were hidden away in the side wall on each side of the house. Bright sunlight now reflected into the basement through the glass windows that were the same height as the walls that had just been removed.

As Verdie took the music over to the piano she watched as Egon opened up each glass panel, like the wall, and turned them sideways letting in the outside air. She could see a wooden deck outside. She could also hear kids laughing and splashing in a pool somewhere as she sat back down at the piano, Egon joining her.

"It's beautiful," Verdie told Egon admiring how the design of the basement centered around the Steinway.

"Thank you," Egon replied with a smile, "now play."

Verdie did as she was told, warming up with Beethoven's Fur Elise, fumbling around for the notes and finally settling in after her second piece. Soon she noticed, towards the end of her musical selection, that the noise from the pool had stopped. Her stomach rumbled as she finished up with a piece by Liszt. She thought she knew why the noises had stopped. It was probably dinner time and the neighborhood kids had gone inside for the night. It wasn't until Egon said, "That all," that applause broke out from outside.

Verdie stood up from the piano to see at least half a dozen kids and their parents sitting on the wooden deck outside. "Where had they come from?" Verdie wondered as Egon took her hand and led her towards the glass panels. He slid one to the side so that they could go outside onto the deck.

"This is Professor Vladislava Tvardovsky," Egon said presenting Verdie to the crowd that had gotten to their feet, "she believes that she has ruined the end of some of her songs that she has just played. What do you think?"

Opening up her eyes Verdie sat up in bed. She had been surprised to hear the crowd telling her that she had not messed up in anyway, shape, or form.

"You see," Egon said as he led Verdie down a flight of stairs leading off of the deck to a pool area that she hadn't seen before, "no one knows that you messed up but yourself. They all think it's part of the piece."

Verdie tossed the covers aside and walked towards her bedroom door. Her head still ached and it was late. She was supposed to meet Egon, Echo, and Daniel at ten o'clock at Kleinfeld Bridal Shop on 110 West 20th Street downtown. She would have to take the B or D subway to 23rd Street and walk three blocks from there, but to get to the subway that she needed, she had to take the #1 train from 116th Street to transfer at Columbus Circle.

Opening the door to her bedroom she crossed the hallway to the bathroom, knocking on the closed door before she opened it up to make sure that her roommate wasn't inside first. Or better yet her roommate's boyfriend. Receiving no answer Verdie opened the door, shut it, locked it, and turned on the shower. She let the water heat up as she pulled her satin teddy off over the top of her head.

"Why did you have to be so nice to me Egon?" she questioned aloud before she stepped into the shower.

Verdie had to give Egon an answer today, yet she was afraid of doing so. How she liked being with Egon. His hand holding hers as they walked the streets of New York together. Could she come to love the man that she had grown to know better over only four months?

"No," Verdie told herself sternly, "he's just going to turn out like all the others."

Verdie's head throbbed worse and she turned off the water, dried herself off, and wrapped the towel around her body before she stepped out of the shower. She would have to find some aspirin soon. Next she opened up the bathroom door only to be blocked by her roommate's boyfriend. She could tell that he was drunk from his breath and partly closed eyes. He stood there with a glazed look in his eyes, not knowing what was happening, before he pointed to his lower half with his right hand.

"Pants?" He questioned.

"Nope," Verdie replied side-stepping around the naked man and heading towards her bedroom door.

"At least Egon's got a better looking body," Verdie said to herself as she locked her bedroom door and tossed her towel into the hamper in the corner.

Verdie had seen Egon in a speedo swimsuit on more than one occasion when he had invited her over for a swim. His tall, slightly muscular built body, that carried a certain mystique about it.

"Got to lose some weight," he told her as he took another lap around the pool.

"So do I," Verdie said as she opened up her closet to look into the mirror that hung on the back of the door.

At forty-one years of age she was seventeen years younger than Egon was. Her hourglass figure was becoming slightly less then hourglass shape in the middle. It was because she had never been able to lose the weight from her last baby. Grabbing a pair of capri pants Verdie slammed the closet door in anger, the mirror falling off and shattering into a million pieces in front of her bare feet.

"Vybliadok!" She cursed jumping backwards to avoid the glass, but not before she stepped onto a piece cutting her right foot open.

"Why," Verdie shouted at the ceiling of her room her headache now unbearable, "Why me?"

"Vladislava?" A female voice came from outside the door to her bedroom, "Are you okay?"

"Leave me alone!" Verdie shouted as she fell backwards onto her bed, pulling the glass from her foot, and throwing it at her bedroom door.

Her eyes fell upon the small black box that sat on the night stand. Verdie's heart beat faster in her chest. Egon always made her feel special.

"No!" She shouted at the ceiling, "Love is the cause of a shattered heart, remember. You'll be used and broken again if you ever love again."

Bringing her eyes back to her night stand Verdie sadly stared at the small black box again. Love. Love, to her, was like falling down a set of stairs. You get brain damage, amnesia, and either you end up dead, or someone's there to catch you.

"Why," she cried to the box, "why couldn't I have meet you earlier in my life?"

The black box only sat there on the nightstand, saying nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Verdie lie on her back crying. Her foot hurt her, her head hurt her, and the noise of the ambulance was becoming too much for her tired mind.

"Can't we turn the siren off?" She asked the paramedic sitting at the head of her gurney.

"We're almost there," he replied as he adjusted her bag of fluids overhead, "good thing you live close to St. Luke's Hospital."

Verdie just nodded, turned her head away from him, and clung tighter to an old stuffed black and white dog.

After she had taken the glass out of her foot, Verdie had decided it was time to go. She was tired of everything that had happened in her life. Her children that she would never see again in her lifetime. Her useless excuse of a husband that she had divorced. Her second lover that had abandoned her and taken off with her son. If she just let herself go she wouldn't have to worry about the pain of being used again by another man. So she lie in bed ignoring the beating on her bedroom door to come out, slowly letting the blood run down her right foot, onto the bed, and eventually to drip onto the floor.

It didn't matter if anyone cared about her poor lonely soul. Her roommate certainly didn't care. All she cared about was her drunken boyfriend who walked around the apartment with no clothes on.

The noise only got worse when her roommate called the police. As the police beat on her door, eventually breaking it in, Verdie looked towards an old black and white stuffed dog that had belonged to her son. Reaching out she pulled the dog to her chest as the paramedics examined her naked body lying on the bed. The noise that they made took Verdie back to Thanksgiving day at Egon's friend's house.

Doctor Raymond Stantz lived in the Bronx and was hosting dinner. Egon had stopped by her place on West 120th Street and Morningside Drive to pick her up.

"Are we driving?" Verdie asked as she locked the door to her apartment.

"Not unless you want to see me lose my sanity," Egon replied.

"No, we'll take the subway. The stop is only a few blocks from Ray's home in Pelham Bay Park," Egon said as they walked up the street.

Verdie followed Egon glad that he was leading the way. She was still very confused with the subway system. The only thing that she knew was uptown was towards the George Washington Bridge, while downtown was towards the Statue of Liberty.

Columbia University was a couple blocks south of her apartment so Verdie walked to work everyday, letting herself into the Schermerhorn Extension on Amsterdam Avenue.

On Thanksgiving day they had caught the subway at 125th Street, gone downtown on the A train to 42nd Street. That much Verdie knew how to do. She would get off here and go into the Port Authority Bus Terminal, to catch the DeCamp Bus, to go see Egon in New Jersey. But that day had been different. Egon had led her down a narrow tunnel to Times Square where they had caught the S subway. This subway only went from Times Square to Grand Central. Here they got off and went uptown on the #6 train.

"So," Verdie said as she sat next to Egon on the train, "we went downtown, cross-town, and now we are going uptown again."

"Yes."

"Why didn't we just take the A train uptown?"

"The A train doesn't go into the Bronx," Egon replied, "only the B and D trains go into the Bronx from 125th Street."

"So why didn't we take those trains then?"

Egon smiled at Verdie and leaned over to whisper into her ear.

"Frankly we could have," Egon said, "but I don't know where the transfers are."

"You?" Verdie said surprised, "You don't know how to get around the city?"

"I didn't say I don't know my way around New York City," Egon said taking Verdie's hand and squeezing it. "I just don't know my way around the Bronx. That's Ray's hometown not mine."

Verdie and Egon had arrived early at Ray's home. She had helped Melody with preparing the turkey while the boys had set the table until all hell had broken loose.

"Nokomis," Verdie remembered Melody calling her daughter's name, "come down, the parade is about to start."

But Melody's daughter hadn't appeared and Melody had slowly climbed the stairs to her daughter's room. Verdie remembered being pregnant like Melody was now. Melody was due in April of next year with a baby boy. Verdie could still see herself four months pregnant standing in front of the mirror with her own baby body, but the thought was quickly wiped from her mind when she heard Melody's cry from upstairs.

"Raymond! Nokomis is gone again!"

Within the next hours came confusion. From searching the house, then to searching the outside, then to searching the neighborhood with no Nokomis to be found. All the while this was going on Egon's friends were arriving at Ray's house and each in return helped in the search. The police were called somewhere in the mess of it all and they came to join the mad house of crazy people. Ray and Melody were continually arguing with each other while Peter tried to calm them both down. That only backfired when Peter's own wife started in on him about losing their own son.

Into the midst of all of this came Egon's daughter with her fiancé arguing with each other about a new car that Daniel had just bought the other day.

"You don't need a new car!" Echo fumed at Daniel.

"Yes I do," Daniel replied, "my old one died."

"The engine just died," Echo retorted back, "it wasn't going to cost more than a couple thousand dollars to replace the engine. But, NO, you had to go out and trade the old car in for a new one that is worth more money then we have."

"If you are going to get on the 'WE' stuff again," Daniel said with both of his hands on his hips, "then yes it is worth more money than 'we have' but 'WE' are going to need it when we get married."

"WE are going to need a new car when WE can afford one!" Echo yelled back. "AND it will not be a sports car either!"

Verdie had left the room to answer the doorbell when it had rung to find the younger group of Ghostbusters standing on the doorstep. Roland and Garrett were arguing about who was supposed to be on call that night, while Kylie and Eduardo were arguing about some cards that Kylie held in her hands.

"Why did you bring those stupid things here," Eduardo said to Kylie.

"I need Ray's help with them," Kylie replied back, "I still don't have an answer for all of the cards."

"Ray's not going to be able to know why your great grandmother Rose gave them to you or what they mean," Eduardo shot back.

"Yes he is!" Kylie said storming away from her husband.

Janine was the last one to show up with her husband and their twin teenage boys. The boys had been fighting on the trip over and they continued with their bickering at their Uncle Ray's house.

All the fighting stopped for only a moment when Janine went into the kitchen for a glass of water and yelled out, "The turkey's on fire!"

The fighting went into a higher volume of pitch as the police, who were there, called the fire department, who came and in return put out the fire in the oven.

Melody accused Ray of not watching the turkey and he in return blamed her. Unable to stand the noise anymore, Verdie had had enough and opened up the front door and left.

Verdie's head still hurt her from the yelling at her apartment moments ago and she closed her eyes trying to fall asleep to the swaying of the ambulance.

"You have a bunch of demented friends," Verdie told Egon when he had found her sitting on a park bench after she had left Ray's house.

"Sometimes," Egon replied sitting down next to her, handing her a bottle of water and some aspirin, "but still if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

Verdie narrowed her eyes at Egon not understanding what he was saying.

"They didn't do that at your house last week, at your birthday party," Verdie said pointing her thumb back over her shoulder to where Ray's house was.

"Eden set down the law long ago," Egon replied.

"Look Verdie, why don't you take a look at each individual person and try walking in their shoes," Egon told her.

"Start with Ray," Egon said proudly. "Here's a man trying to be a good father and husband and what does he get? A wife that up until July didn't want anything to do with him. A daughter, who I'm sure can't stand her parents fighting, running away for weeks on end."

"Ray had the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on his back trying to pin Nokomis' disappearance on him when she was just getting over her small pox infection. Now the CDC has an outbreak of the small pox disease because one of the hospital workers didn't follow the standard protocol when leaving and brought the disease home to his young infant son who died."

"Not only are there outbreaks here in the United States, but the small pox has traveled over to Europe and is now reported to be in Africa."

"Ray was brought into the police station for questioning for hours on end by the CDC. The only reason he wasn't arrested was because the CDC couldn't put him at the hospital at the time of Nokomis' disappearance. The only man who was there that night was Caesar Rutledge and he's been fined for going back without his partner."

"And now today Ray finds out that his daughter, who had come back in October, is gone once again. How do you think he feels?"

Egon turned to face Verdie.

"Then there is Ray's wife Melody. She finds out she is pregnant and that the pregnancy is considered high risk because of her advanced age. Ray wants her to retire but she can't as she is in charge of a new exhibit that is going to be opening up next year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art."

"So Ray, who is worried about her, gets her co-worker Ethan Harkness, that went with him to China back in June, to 'baby-sit' his wife while at work. You know, in case something happens Ethan can be there to call the paramedics."

"You would think that Melody would like this arrangement, but no. All she gives Ray is a hard time about it. There is something going on there but I don't know what it is because I'm not around Melody all day."

"Melody is also upset about her daughter which doesn't help her pregnancy any."

"And if you ask me Nokomis' disappearances aren't random like her parents think they are. I believe they have a relationship, but I just can't put my finger on it yet."

"First it was in June on the second," Egon said counting off on his fingers using his thumb first. "She was gone for 30 days coming back on July second with small pox."

"Nokomis was in the hospital at Jacobi Medical Center for 29 day," Egon said placing his index finger down, "before she left."

"You don't want to see the bill for that one" Egon leaned over to whisper into Verdie's ear.

"But at any rate," Egon continued straitening back up, "Nokomis goes running off, not fully cured from her small pox for another 29 days. The CDC can only guess where she went by tracing the outbreaks of small pox. She returns August 29th with yet another surprise for her parents."

"Was that the wakizashi imbedded into her left side?" Verdie asked.

"Yes," Egon replied placing his middle finger down now.

"Richard Forrest, he's Caesar Rutledge's partner at the CDC, had the sword analyzed after the doctor's at Jacobi Medical Center surgically removed it from Nokomis."

"The wakizashi had been hand forged from bright silver tamahagane. Tamahagane is a high quality steel that the analysts found on the hadagane, or outside of the sword, while the inside was made from a softer steel."

"The hadagane had been heated, hammered, split, and folded back upon itself at least 400 times!"

"There was a design cut into the nakago or hilt section of the blade, that was covered by the tsuba, the wooden handle. It was this clue that gave the sword's time period in which it was made. Inside was an emblem of three triangle's and the name Hojo Ujimasa."

"Mr. Rutledge traced the name. Hojo Ujimasa was born in 1538 and died August 10, 1590. He was the fourth head of the Hojo clan in Japan."

"That traces the making of the sword back to the 16th century at Odawara Castle most notably because Ujimasa was a powerful territorial lord at the time. The sword would most likely have been made by Ujimasa's subjects."

"Upon Ujimasa's death his son Ujinao took over as head of the family. Ujinao married Toku Hime and they had two daughters, but Ujinao died without a son."

"Toku Hime was forced to marry again and she gave birth to five sons."

"Mr. Rutledge believes that the wakizashi sword was passed down from father to son and then maybe to Ujinao's daughters or Toku Hime's sons, but Mr. Rutledge is just guessing here."

"Anyways the sword was stolen from the Museum of Art in Atami, Japan along with other items two days before Nokomis shows up with it thrust into her abdomen. Mr. Rutledge believes that Nokomis was fighting over the right of the sword and she got impaled by her colleague. Nokomis never told anyone where the sword came from either."

"Now," Egon said placing his ring finger down, "Nokomis stayed in the hospital for 29 days and then poof, she's gone again."

"She misses Dana's, her father's, and Peter's birthdays, which she has never done, and returns 29 days later."

"Now here it is 30 days later and Nokomis in gone once again. When she came back at the end of October she was placed under house arrest. She had to wear an ankle monitor and you saw with your own eyes the ankle monitor sitting on her bed just now."

Egon clenched his fist that he had just used to count down on and pounded it against his leg.

"There has to be something that I'm not seeing," he said looking away from Verdie.

Verdie opened her eyes as the ambulance came to a stop.

"We're here," the paramedic said as he got up from his seat.

Verdie could only hope that the emergency room personnel would stitch up her foot, give her something stronger than aspirin for her headache, and release her so that she could go back home quickly. She hated hospitals and clutched the stuffed dog closer to her chest as the paramedics wheeled her gurney through the double doors.

"What have you got?" A male voice asked as Verdie felt herself being lifted off of the gurney and onto the emergency room table.

"Forty-one year old female, with a cut on the bottom of her right foot from a piece of broken mirror. Catheter placed and fluids started in route because of loss of blood at the scene," the paramedic who had been sitting with her in the ambulance said.

"Does she have a name?" The male voice asked.

"Her roommate told us her name is Vladislava Tvardovsky," the same paramedic replied.

"That's Professor Tvardovsky to you!" Verdie sternly said to the man.

She was upset about having to be here and it didn't help her spirits any when the people around her didn't call her by her right name.

"Sorry," the paramedic said walking away.

"So," the male voice said to Verdie as a face appeared before hers, "Professor Tvardovsky, I'm Doctor Paul Stringham and I'm going to be taking care of you today."

Verdie liked the older man's face immensely and relaxed just a little bit.

"The first thing that I need to do is take a look at that cut," Paul said as he pulled on a pair of gloves, "can I do that?"

"Yes," Verdie replied.

"Be right back," Paul said as he disappeared from her sight.

Verdie lifted her head up to see the doctor cutting away the white bandage material that the paramedics had applied to her foot at the apartment. Her head hurt her the way she was holding it just now and as Paul pulled away the wad of gauze blood started to flow once more from her foot.

Verdie heard Paul cursing as she suddenly felt light headed and her head started to throb again. She felt weak and placed her head back down onto the emergency room table.

"Professor," Paul said as he shook her by her shoulders, his face in hers.

"Head hurts," Verdie muttered as she closed her eyes and welcomed sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Something beeping woke Verdie up. She was laying on her back staring up at the dropped ceiling. As she blinked her eyes she realized that her head didn't hurt her anymore. It had been hurting her for two days now. A migraine that she hadn't been able to get rid of.

Verdie reached up to touch her head with her right hand and felt a bandage wrapped around her head.

"What was going on," Verdie thought as she dropped her hand back down to her side.

Closing her eyes she tried to remember back to what had happened. There had been a screaming match at a Thanksgiving dinner at Ray's house, which had started Verdie with the headache that she had had. She had cancelled her date with Egon on Friday night, but had promised him she would go with him and help Echo pick out her wedding dress the next day. She had stepped on broken glass and cut her right foot open pretty badly. Now she knew what had happened as she opened her eyes back up.

She was in a hospital, but why was her head bandaged up. She had hurt her foot not her head. Verdie's thoughts were interrupted by her door being open.

"I see you're awake," Doctor Stringham said as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.

He crossed to the side of Verdie's bed and pulled the chair away from the wall, turning it around so that the back of the chair faced her.

"So," Paul said sitting down on the chair and crossing his arms across the chair's back, "Do you remember who I am?"

Verdie narrowed her eyes and turned her head to look at him. He wasn't dressed in the lab coat when she had first met him. Now he had on jeans and a buttoned down long sleeve shirt. Of course she knew who he was. Maybe he didn't think she remembered him because of his clothes.

"You're Doctor Paul Stringham."

"Good," Paul replied, "and do you know what day it is?"

"It's Saturday," she replied.

"Why did he want to know what day it was?" Verdie thought to herself.

"Very good," Paul said getting excited. "Just two more questions. What is today's date and what year is it?"

"You are trying my patience," Verdie said looking away from Paul and back towards the ceiling. "It's Saturday, November 28, 2015 and I came into the hospital for you to suture my right foot because I had cut it open by stepping on broken glass."

"Any other questions?" Verdie asked.

"Just one."

"What is it?"

"Who do you want me to call?"

"Excuse me?" Verdie asked confused by the question, turning her head towards Paul.

"I need to call someone from your family to let them know that you are here," Paul replied.

"I don't have any family here in the states," Verdie stated dryly looking back up at the ceiling.

"Oh," Paul said sounding disappointed, "that's going to present a problem."

"Why?" Verdie asked turning her head back to look at Paul.

"Well, for one thing I want someone with you for the next three weeks just in case something goes wrong with your surgery."

"Surgery?" Verdie questioned, "You put sutures into my foot, that's all. I'll be fine."

Paul narrowed his eyes at Verdie and cocked his head to the side studying her.

"Do you honestly not remember or didn't your doctor come to see you after he was done?" Paul questioned getting worried about his patient.

"What are you talking about Doctor Stringham?" Verdie asked, "You're my doctor and I don't remember anything past falling asleep in the emergency room when you went to look at my foot."

"Ah!" Paul said nodding his head, "I'll have to talk to Doctor Spencer about his bedside manner."

"Professor Tvardovsky," Paul said with a serious tone in his voice, "it's a good thing you stepped on glass today and cut your foot open. How long have you been having headaches?"

Verdie was taken back. How could he have known?

"Since Thanksgiving day," she replied quietly.

"So for two days now," Paul said to himself looking up at the ceiling.

Looking back to Verdie he continued, "Have you told anyone about your headaches?"

"No," Verdie replied, "it was just one big long migraine. I feel much better now."

"It wasn't a migraine," Paul said leaning over the top of the chair to take Verdie's hand. "You had a seizure when I pulled your bandage off of your foot."

"It wasn't a Grand Mal type seizure, but what we called an atonic seizure. A sudden and general loss of muscle tone, particularly in the arms and legs."

"At any rate you lost consciousness and dropped this," Paul stated as he released Verdie's hand, reached behind the head of her bed, retrieved an old stuffed animal, and handed it to her.

"That must be very important to you," Paul said as he watched Verdie gently take the black and white dog from him and hold it lovingly against her chest.

"He is," Verdie said sadly.

"So," Paul continued, "I ordered an Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) to find out what was causing your seizure. I wanted to rule out a provoked seizure that can occur as a result of hypoglycemia."

"What did you find?" Verdie asked looking away from Paul to the old stuffed dog she cradled.

"I found an aneurysm that was leaking a small amount of blood while you were undergoing your MRI. This would result in a subarachnoid hemorrhage if left untreated."

"But all I had was a headache," Verdie said.

"I know," Paul replied, "and it was probably the worst headache in your life."

"Yes it was," Verdie replied, remembering back a few days ago and the pain that had been in her life.

"A person with an aneurysm often doesn't have any symptoms. They may only discover that they have an aneurysm during tests for another, unrelated issue," Paul told Verdie.

"Your headache was a warning sign of a rupture coming soon," Paul said, "and like I said before, good thing you came in today."

"So did you do a coil embolization surgery?" Verdie asked looking Paul's way.

"I didn't perform your surgery," Paul said as he stood up from his chair, "my colleague, with the worst bedside manner that I have ever seen, Doctor Spencer did your surgery. But don't tell him that. He's really a fine doctor."

"Doctor Spencer filled your aneurysm with a mesh embolization and you just won yourself a stay in intensive care at my wonderful place of work."

"So," Paul said replacing the chair back where he had gotten it from, "who do you want me to call?"

"How long am I supposed to stay in the hospital for?" Verdie asked.

"At least until Monday," Paul replied reaching over and adjusting the volume on Verdie's monitor, "I know you told me that your family isn't here in the states, but how about a friend?"

Verdie looked back towards the ceiling and thought about what Paul had just asked her. She had her roommate, but she didn't want to call her. Verdie wasn't very friendly with her roommate. She and her boyfriend were just two people who helped pay the bills. Verdie didn't really get involved more than that.

Verdie did have people at work that she could call, but she hadn't brought her cell phone with her. The paramedics had wrapped her naked body up in the sheet off of her bed and placed her onto the gurney. She didn't even have a change of clothes. Maybe Egon could help her, but she didn't want to call him if it was late at night.

"Do you know what time it is?" Verdie asked Paul hoping that it wasn't too late to call Egon.

Paul looked at his watch, "It's midnight," he replied, "Why?"

Verdie sighed. It was too late to call Egon tonight. She would have to call him in the morning.

"I was going to have you call a very close friend of mine from Columbia University, but it's too late. He's probably asleep by now."

"You work at Columbia?" Paul said surprised, "I have a very dear, old friend that works there. In fact he made Dean of his department last year."

Verdie turned to look at Paul wondering if the man that he was talking about was the same man that she was thinking of. But it couldn't be. There were many departments at Columbia.

"What department?" Verdie asked, hoping against hope.

"Psychology," Paul said proudly, "His name is Egon…"

"…Spengler," Verdie and Paul said together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"For the love of…," Egon said as he trailed off tossing his duffle bag onto his bed. "Why, why didn't Verdie think to call me?"

"I don't know," Daniel said as he watched Egon quickly rummage through his dresser drawer for clothes. "I'm still trying to figure Echo out."

That was true, Egon thought. On more than one occasion he had to tell his daughter to stop raising her voice to Daniel. She was becoming more and more irritable lately and he wondered why.

Egon tossed a pair of underwear into his duffle bag and looked up at Daniel.

Daniel had been the one to answer the house phone just a few minutes ago. Daniel couldn't sleep if he heard any noises in the house. Echo's paramedic alarm would keep him up for hours after it went off. But he, Egon, could sleep through anything.

Egon had heard the phone ringing, around midnight, and had rolled over and gone back to sleep. If it was an emergency whoever was calling would call his cell phone, which Egon keep on the nightstand next to his bed.

"Daniel," Egon said walking over to the young man who stood in the doorway of the bedroom, "I'm sorry. I wasn't talking to you," Egon said stopping before Daniel, "I was talking to myself."

"It's okay," Daniel replied sleepily, "it's been a long day."

Egon placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder in understanding. It had been a long day.

Egon, Daniel, and Echo had gotten up early and had driven into the city to Klenfeld Bridal Shop where Iris's wedding dresses were sold exclusively. Echo wanted a dress made by Iris for her marriage to Daniel. Verdie was to have met the trio there at ten, but by ten-thirty Egon got worried.

Egon knew that Verdie wasn't very familiar with the subway system. He had shown her a map of the subway system, at Ray's house on Thursday, and had explained to her what she needed to do.

But Egon knew that if Verdie had accidentally gotten onto the express train, and not the local train, she would have missed her stop. He also knew that if that happened Verdie wouldn't know what to do.

"But Verdie would have called me if she got lost," Egon thought to himself as he watched Echo appear from the dressing room in her first dress.

Echo had been a beautiful sight to see in a ball gown with cap sleeves. As Echo stood on a platform facing a trio of mirrors; her attendant sat on the floor, reaching under Echo's skirt, to pull the netting apart to make the bottom of the wedding dress look more fuller.

How Egon had loved the sight of Echo dressed all in white and wondered why Verdie wasn't answering his question he had put to her a week ago.

Egon signed, released Daniel's shoulder, and walked back to his duffle bag.

"Could you please wake Echo up?" Egon asked as he opened up the closet door, "I need her to drive me to Newark Penn Station."

"I can't Egon," Daniel said looking down to the ground, "she's not here."

"What do you mean Echo's not here?" Egon asked concern creeping into his voice. "She went to bed when I went to bed at eleven."

"Her paramedic alarm went off at eleven-thirty," Daniel replied, "she left then and took the car. That's why I answered the house phone when I heard it ringing. I couldn't fall back to sleep."

"I didn't hear Echo's alarm go off," Egon stated as he took a pair of blue jeans from off of a hanger. "That alarm is loud enough to wake the dead."

"I," Daniel said as he placed his right hand onto his left arm, "turned it off right away."

Egon had just finished folding his blue jeans and placing them into his duffle bag when Daniel had answered him.

"What do you mean you turned it off?" Egon questioned Daniel looking up at the young man.

"How could you have…," Egon started to say but never finished as he saw Daniel in the doorway, right hand rubbing his left arm, face turned towards the floor, looking anywhere but at Egon.

The young man looked like he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar when he had been told he couldn't have one. Suddenly Egon knew what Daniel had said to him. Daniel had been able to turn off the alarm because he had been sleeping in Echo's bed. Before Egon could open his mouth to say something Daniel turned away from him.

"I'll drive you Professor Spengler," Daniel said as he retreated down the hallway to his room, "Just let me put some clothes on first."

Egon stood still for a moment shocked at what he had just learned before he shook his head and continued his packing. "When had all this started?" Egon wondered as he zippered up his duffle bag. Pulling his night shirt off over the top of his head he tossed it onto his bed.

He had never heard Echo, or Daniel for that matter, in the middle of the night. Egon crossed to the dresser and opened the drawer, pulling out a white tank top. Even though Echo's room was above his, her bed was situated above the living room. He hadn't heard the furniture moving around and wondered if both parties were quiet when they went about loving each other.

Egon pulled the tank top on and grabbed a grey long sleeve Henley out of the bottom drawer. He wasn't upset about what Daniel was doing, after all Egon knew that in three months Echo would be Daniel's wife.

If truth be told, Egon would have gladly slept with Echo's mother long before they were married, but he hadn't wanted the press to find out. Egon knew how cruel the papers could be to someone of Eden's stature.

"That must be why Echo and Daniel didn't say anything to me," Egon said to himself as he put his Henley on and grabbed a pair of socks from the dresser before returning to the closet.

After Daniel had crashed the rental car in Pennsylvania and Echo had been air lifted to the hospital, the EMT's had called Egon and had woken him up.

Egon stopped at the closet and grabbed another pair of blue jeans taking them back over to the bed. Taking his pajama bottoms off, he pulled on the blue jeans, before sitting down on the side of the bed to put on his socks and shoes.

News had traveled fast and by the time Egon had arrived at the hospital at eight in the morning, where his daughter and future son-in-law had been taken, the news reports were there to meet him.

"Is it true that Mr. McQuarrie had been drinking Professor Spengler?"

"How do you feel, Professor Spengler, about Mr. McQuarrie nearly killing your only child?"

"Why was Mr. McQuarrie driving the rental car Professor Spengler?"

"Why didn't 'The Amazing Duo of McQuarrie and Spengler' stay in Cleveland like their itinerary had said Professor Spengler?"

"How do you feel Professor Spengler about Mr. McQuarrie being alone with your daughter for two months?"

"Is it true Professor Spengler that Mr. McQuarrie and Dr. Spengler are engaged?"

These questions had been asked of him from his car to the hospital before security had stopped the reporters at the door. Then came the headlines later that day.

Mr. Daniel McQuarrie's drunk driving caused one fatality.

Doctor Spengler critically injured in car accident. Full recovery questionable.

Mr. McQuarrie being questioned about his involvement in the near death of his partner Doctor Spengler.

Was Mr. McQuarrie jealous over Doctor Spengler and their newly engaged status to commit double suicide?

Professor Spengler almost loses another family member.

Egon got up off of his bed and grabbed his duffle bag. Yes he knew how reporters worked, sometimes twisting the truth to make their story look better.

Walking to the bedroom door Egon paused before he turned out the lights and shut the door behind him. Maybe that was why Verdie hadn't called or given him an answer yet. Maybe she was afraid of what the papers would say about them as a couple.

Daniel was standing in the hallway, dressed, head to the ground as Egon walked up to him.

"Shall we go?" Egon asked the young man coming to a stop in front of him.

"I'm sorry Professor," Daniel muttered.

"Sorry," Egon said. "What are you sorry about Daniel? And when did I tell you to start calling me Professor again? It's Egon, remember."

"I'm sorry Professor Spengler," Daniel said never once looking up from the floor, "but I don't think that you want me to call you Egon after what has happened."

"After what has happened?" Egon asked surprised. "Daniel I expect you to call me Egon, especially after what has happened between you and Echo."

Egon placed his left hand on Daniel's right shoulder.

"Look Daniel," Egon said, "the most sacred intimacy is shared in a relationship characterized by genuine love. You love Echo and she deeply loves you. She has for many years."

"And," Egon said with a sly smile on his face, "one of the best things about simultaneous climaxes with a partner is feeling her afterquakes. It feels like she's unconsciously milking every last drop."

Daniel's face shot up from the floor, eyes opened wide, the bottom of his mouth dropped down.

"Egon!" Daniel nearly shouted, "Yer aff yer heid! What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?" Egon questioned back dropping his hand from Daniel's shoulder. "I'm talking about you sleeping with Echo. What do you think I'm referring too?"

"Aye," Daniel replied softly, "I have been sleeping with your daughter, but I've not been shagging Echo."

"Intimacy which stems from a desire for selfish pleasure is unthinkable in my book," Daniel continued. "I'm not about to give up what I want most in life, which is Echo as my wife, for something I think I want now, which is being intimate with her."

"Sexual indulgence whets the passion and creates morbid desires outside of marriage."

"My father has taught me to remember these three things about my future wife."

"One that she should be queen of her own body. The covenant of marriage doesn't give me the right to enslave her or abuse her; or to use her merely for my gratification."

"Two, that I remember that gentleness and consideration after the ceremony is just as appropriate, necessary, and beautiful as gentleness and consideration before the wedding."

"And three, that chastity is the crown of beautiful womanhood and self-control is the source of true manhood."

"I've been sleeping in the same bed as Echo and that is as far as it has gone Professor Spengler."

Egon slowly nodded his head in understanding. Daniel was truly a good, righteous man, and a great addition to the family. Taking Daniel's arm, Egon gently turned the young man around and started walking towards the back door of the house.

"It's fine Daniel," Egon said as he grabbed Daniel's coat off of the hook by the back door and handed it to the young man.

"I understand," Egon finished as he put on his own overcoat and held the back door open for Daniel.

Daniel led Egon towards his red, two door, sports car.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner Professor Spengler," Daniel said as he opened the drivers side door up and slid into the car.

Egon opened the passenger side door and climbed into the car. He closed the door to the Ferrari before he spoke again.

"Daniel," Egon said, "it takes nothing to join the crowd but it takes everything to stand alone. I thank God Allen raised such a wonderful son."

"AND, for the last time call me Egon!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Verdie opened her eyes and smiled. Lying next to her was the man that she had come to love and she inched her body closer to his. He felt her hand on his bare chest and opened his eyes.

"Is it morning already?" He asked.

"No," Verdie whispered back, "it's three in the morning."

He lifted his left arm up to allow Verdie to place her head on his shoulder as he draped his arm around her naked body.

"What my love?" He asked.

"Nothing," Verdie replied as she closed her eyes once again.

After several moments she heard him speaking gently into her ear.

"Verdie, it's me. I'm here and I love you."

Verdie screwed up her face, puzzled.

"Of course you're here silly," she muttered, "I can feel you under my head and I love you too."

"Verdie," he said back to her, "the only thing under your head is your pillow. It's me, Egon."

Verdie opened up her eyes. Gone was her former lover and in his place was Egon's face next to hers.

"What?" Verdie stammered, "How?"

Finally she found her thoughts.

"It's late Egon. Why are you here?"

"Paul called the house," Egon said as he sat down into a chair that he had pulled up to the left side of her bed. "He told me what had happened to you."

"Go home!" Verdie sternly told Egon sitting up in her bed upset that Doctor Stringham had called Egon so late against her wishes.

"When I get my hands on that good Doctor Stringham I'm going to have a few choice words to say to him," Verdie muttered to herself.

"Like what Verdie?" Egon asked, "Maybe thanking him for calling your boyfriend would be the first on my list. And I'm not going home. I love you. What is wrong with you, Verdie?"

Verdie frowned.

"How can you say that?"

"Say what?" Egon questioned, "I love you? Are you sure Doctor Spencer didn't mess something up in that beautiful head of yours when he was doing your mesh embolization?"

Verdie sighed and looked away from Egon. He didn't know about her past. Her ex-husband or her second lover that had abandoned her. She hadn't told Egon when he had asked. She had skipped around the question and had changed the subject whenever it was brought up. That was why she hadn't given Egon an answer when he had presented her with the small black box a week ago.

And yet her heart beat faster in her chest and it suddenly became quite difficult to swallow whenever she looked at Egon. He was a warm beam of sunshine in a cold dark room.

Verdie reached out and pulled the old stuffed dog to her chest trying not to cry. There was no way on earth that she was going to let herself fall in love again. Not ever.

"Egon," she finally said, "I really can't picture anyone having a crush on me. I can't picture someone thinking about me before they fall asleep. I can't picture anyone getting butterflies simply because I said "Hi" to them or even just smiled at them. I can't picture someone smiling at the computer screen or their cell phone when I'm talking to them. I mean like…," Verdie trailed off.

"Why would you even do that?" Verdie asked turning her face back to Egon. "I'm nothing extraordinary or special."

"I'm just me," Verdie said with a downcast face, "Used garbage thrown to the curb."

Egon quickly got up from his chair and wrapped his arms around Verdie as she broke down crying. Why did she think of herself as used garbage, Egon thought.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Sorry?" Egon questioned stroking the back of her head, "Verdie you don't have to say sorry to me. Your feelings are your feelings and you never have to apologize for how you feel!"

"I just wish that you wouldn't refer to yourself as used garbage," Egon said holding her tighter, "You're beautiful and I'm crazy about you. So smile Verdie. Life is too short to be unhappy."

"There is nothing in my life to be happy about," Verdie cried.

"Nothing?" Egon questioned her as he released Verdie from his grasp to hold her at arms length.

"Nothing," Verdie replied back as a new round of tears came to her eyes.

Egon gathered the crying woman into his arms once again and let her sob into his shoulder. Something was deeply troubling Verdie. He had seen her like this one other time. That had been in Morningside Park.

The pair had been out for an evening walk, one Friday night, when they had come across a young mother and her three children. Two of the children were playing on the playground while the mother's infant sat crying in his stroller.

Verdie knew this mother, she lived in her apartment building a few floors above Verdie's place. The young mother was trying to gather her older children to go home with her, but the children didn't want to go.

"Professor Tvardovsky," the young mother called out when she saw Verdie and Egon walking by, "Can you watch Jordan while I gather Edith and Noah?"

"Sure," Verdie had said as she pulled Egon over to the stroller.

Egon had watched as Verdie gently lifted the crying infant out of his stroller.

"There, there Jordan," Verdie said softly holding the infant up against her shoulder, "what's the matter?"

Egon was amazed at Verdie as she quietly calmed the crying infant down by talking to him in Russian. How he wished for another child someday. When the young mother had gathered her older children she came back to get Jordan from Verdie's arms.

"Thank you Professor Tvardovsky," the young mother said holding out her arms for her infant.

Egon saw Verdie reluctantly hand the infant back to its mother.

"You're welcome," Verdie had said sadly as she watched the children and their mother walk away from her.

Egon remembered how after the young mother had rounded a corner that Verdie had walked over to a nearby park bench, sat down, and cried.

"What's the matter?" Egon had asked Verdie having only known her for two weeks at that point in time.

"Nothing," she had answered back wiping her eyes with the back of her right hand.

Egon released Verdie and placed his right hand on her left arm letting the grieving woman take whatever time she needed. He watched as Verdie reached out and took an old stuffed dog, that she had dropped when he had wrapped his arms around her, into her right hand and buried her face into it. Suddenly Egon saw Echo instead of Verdie.

Echo, sitting on the couch, blanket draped around her, clutching an old stuffed horse that her mother had gotten for her a week before Eden had died.

It all made sense now. The stuffed animal, the young mother's child; Jordan, and Verdie telling him that there was nothing in her life to be happy about. Just like him and Echo, Verdie had lost someone very dear to her. Egon had a pretty good idea that it had been a child.

Eden had been this way after she had miscarried their second to last child before Eden had become pregnant again and then had died. Eden had lost the child when she was five months along. They had buried their little girl in a NYC cemetery. It had been devastating to them both.

After five months of planning knowing that Eden would carry this child to full term, Egon's second daughter had been found by a routine ultrasound to have no heartbeat. Paul had called Egon at work right away. Egon had arrived to find Eden holding a stuffed animal that Grace had given her to help ease the pain. The couple had gone to the hospital to have Paul induce Eden and help her deliver a stillborn baby girl.

Egon nodded his head in understanding. Ever so gently he sat down on the side of the hospital bed facing Verdie.

"I'm so sorry for your loss Verdie," Egon said in Russian.

Verdie stopped crying for a moment to look up into Egon's face.

"How could you have known?" She asked back in Russian.

Egon smiled lovingly at her. He suddenly felt a presence behind him and a hand on his shoulder, but when he glanced back no one was there. Yet Egon knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the personage was Eden. As tears started to fall from his eyes Egon started to turn his face back, but stopped halfway. In front of him, dress all in white, he could see a young child with curly, dark brown hair looking at him. The child had the same face as his stillborn girl. Egon smiled at the child sadly and turned the rest of the way to face Verdie.

"Verdie those we love don't go away. They walk beside us everyday, unseen, unheard sometimes, but always near. They are still loved, missed extremely, and are very dear," Egon said in Russian.

Eden's hand squeezed Egon's shoulder before he felt her, and the young child, leave his side. Releasing Verdie's arm Egon gathered her hands into his.

"Please," Egon pleaded in Russian, "tell me what has happened in your life."

"I still miss them," Verdie softly choked out in Russian, "even as the days and years have passed. I would think that the pain of grief would soften as the years went by, but it hasn't for me."

Egon softly nodded his head in understanding but said nothing.

"Time hasn't dulled the pain or dimmed the memories of my loved ones lost," Verdie continued on in Russian.

Squeezing Egon's hands Verdie looked away from his face. If she told him the truth would he still want her? How could any man want to have an intimate relationship with her after what she had been through. No one wanted someone else's used garbage and yet, Verdie reminded herself, her last lover had. Would Egon? There was only one way to find out. Tell Egon about her past. He had been asking about it for awhile and see if she still held a place in his life after he heard the truth.

Verdie sighed and looked into Egon's face. This was it. Either he would leave or stay. It was going to be his choice, but Verdie already knew the answer deep down in her heart. Egon wouldn't stay. There was no one on this earth that wanted her, even if she felt something for the man in front of her.

"I was married when I was twenty-one years old," Verdie spoke in Russian trying to keep her emotions in check, "We had been living together since I was nineteen years of age."

"At first it was just little things that bothered my husband. Not having supper ready when he got home from work, even though he knew I was working full time and attending the university at night. Calling my mother, which was a long distance call, when I could have written her a letter. Not letting me go out with my friends. Keeping all the money, including mine, in a bank account with only his name on it."

"Verdie," Egon interrupted in Russian, "that's abusive behavior."

"I know that now," Verdie said in Russian, "But remember I was twenty-one years old. I didn't know any better back then."

"At any rate our first child, a boy, was born to us four years later. At that time my husband's grandmother had a stroke. His family forced me to move to Kaluga so that he could take care of her. I had just graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv at the time."

"The arrangement was to live in her house, rent free, and be paid 250 rubles a week. I was also going to be allowed to attend Kaluga State Pedagogical University two days a week to get my doctoral degree. The only problem was that the arrangement never happened."

"As soon as we were moved into his grandmother's house, in the attic I might add, my husband told me point blank that it was too depressing to see his grandmother bed ridden day after day."

"It was going to be my job to take care of her while he went out to find work. 'After all,' he told me, 'I was the reason that we were in debt'."

"In debt?" Egon questioned in Russian.

"My student loans," Verdie said back in Russian. "Remember I had just graduated."

"So," Verdie continued on with her story in Russian, "I was left to take care of his grandmother and our newborn baby. Eventually after four years, during our stay there, I became pregnant again. That's when the abusive behavior became worse."

"My mother sent me money so that I could buy a train ticket for me and my son, who was just getting ready to turn four in September to come visit her."

"My husband called my mother to tell her that if I wanted to go that was fine, but HIS son would not be coming along."

Egon sucked in a breath but let Verdie continue on.

"My mother told him that it was her grandson too and she had a right to see him."

"After a yelling match with my husband in which I was told that if I stayed more than one week with my mother that he would have me arrested for kidnapping and trying to leave the country with HIS child I was allowed to go."

"My mother and older brother tried to convince me to stay with them. Tried to make me go to the police. Told me I would be safe with them, but all I could think about was the threatening way my husband stood over me, fist pulled back, ready to strike if I didn't say what he wanted to hear, the day before I went to see my mother."

"Your husband hit you?" Egon asked in Russian, anger creeping into this voice.

"Many times," Verdie replied sadly in Russian, "the worst one was in December when I was five months pregnant with my second child."

Verdie closed her eyes, her voice trembling as she told Egon what had happened.

"It was the night before Christmas day and our son woke up crying in the middle of the night. I had stopped sleeping in the same bed as my husband when I had come back from my mother's house. I was asleep on the floor, next to his toddler bed, and so I reached over and picked him up."

"I took him over to the rocking chair, next to his bed, and tried to rock him back to sleep, but it didn't help."

"Soon my husband's angry voice came from the next room to shut the stupid kid up. That's when I got up, carrying my son, and slammed the attic door on the way down the stairs."

"No matter what I tried I couldn't get my son to stop crying. Soon loud footsteps were heard above me and then coming down the stairs."

Verdie's voice stopped and tears came to her eyes as she remembered back to that awful day.

"I told you to shut that brat up," my husband yelled at me.

"I'm trying," I told him, "if you would just please go back upstairs. You're making it worse."

"I'm making it worse!?" My husband hollowed at me as he came towards me threateningly, "You're making it worse. Either shut that kid up or I'm going to shut him up for you."

Verdie could no longer hold her emotions in check. As she opened her eyes and looked into Egon's face she lost it.

"My husband came after us," Verdie said softly in Russian, "I tried to get away with my son held tightly in my arms. My husband grabbed me by the back of my hair. It was longer back then, to my shoulders. He pulled us towards the basement door. He opened the door…,"

Verdie stopped, she couldn't go on.

Egon's face held sadness as he finished the sentence that she couldn't speak aloud.

"Let me guess," Egon said reverently in Russian, "your husband threw you and your son down the basement stairs."

Verdie could only nod her head yes as she wept openly.

Egon gathered Verdie to his chest and rocked her back and forth. He didn't say a word, only held her tight until her tears finally subsided. When she was done Verdie held on tight to Egon and whispered into his ear in Russian.

"My son was killed instantly, the hospital told me, broken neck. My daughter was delivered by emergency cesarean-section stillborn. As for me I suffered a broken left leg and arm."

"The courts found my husband guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to life in prison. The courts divorced me from him the next day."

"I'm so sorry," Egon said back to Verdie as he continued to rock her back and forth.

Egon knew exactly how Verdie felt, having lost his own girl at five months of gestation.

"Do you know what the worst part about all of this was?" Verdie asked in English for the first time pulling away from Egon's grasp. "It was that after my husband threw us down the stairs he slammed the door, locked it, and yelled at me that that was how I was supposed to get the kid to stop crying."

"A neighbor found me," Verdie choked out, "A neighbor who heard the noise and came over to see what was wrong."

"The neighbor saw me lying on the floor, through the basement window, with his flashlight and called the police. I would have died that night if I hadn't been found."

"I'm glad that neighbor found you Verdie," Egon said, "now you're here, safe."

"I don't understand you," Verdie said a little taken back, "here I tell you that I've been a punching bag for an abusive ex-husband and you still seem to care for me."

"You left out the loss of your two children also," Egon said sadly, "Even if we forget the faces of our loved ones, we will never forget the bonds that were carved into our souls."

"Look Verdie," Egon continued, "you're abuse resulted from your ex-husband's unrighteous attack on your freedom. It is destructive to your body, mind, and spirit. In fact, long after physical injuries heal, the emotional scars of abuse are still present, but you don't have to stay this way."

"I love you Verdie," Egon said taking her hands into his and holding them gently as he rubbed his thumbs over the top of hers. "I want to be part of your life and I want you in mine. We can get over your past together."

"But," Verdie said, "I don't think I can."

"After what had happened to me it took me a long time to trust another man. That was until I meet Sergei."

"Sergei was kind, gentle, everything my ex-husband wasn't."

"We saw each other for over a year before he moved in with me. We had our first child together a year later."

"So, you've been married twice?" Egon questioned as he still held her hands.

"No," Verdie replied, "we were never married. I…," Verdie trailed off.

"I'm sorry Egon," she said, "but after I tell you what happened with Sergei you will see why I never answered your question."

"Everything was fine, or so I thought, until I showed up one day after work. Sergei and I were planning on getting married in the fall of the following year. Everything was planned. The church was booked, the invitations were picked out. My dress was ordered."

"Anyways," Verdie sighed and then continued, "I came home to find that the house had been cleaned out. The only things that remained were my belongings."

"I went to the police only to find out that Sergei hadn't paid the rent and that we had been evicted from my apartment."

"What did you do?" Egon asked gently.

"I went to court," Verdie stated, "but since I hadn't been the one who signed the renewal of my lease, Sergei had done that, I had to leave."

"Everything that I owned went into a storage unit for five months. I lived out of a hotel room until I could find another place to live."

"How old was your son at the time?" Egon asked.

"My son, Luka, had been four and a half years old at the time this happened to me," Verdie said as she took her right hand away from Egon's grasp to wipe her eyes.

"Had?" Egon asked confused, "Don't you mean was?"

Verdie shook her head at Egon.

"Sergei won custody of Luka. I fought for many years to get Luka back, but was unsuccessful."

"Last Christmas Luka was supposed to go with his father for the day. Sergei came and I personally placed my nine year old son into the backseat of the car. Luka wanted to take his stuffed dog with him so I ran back into the house for it."

Verdie took her other hand away from Egon's grasp and gathered the black and white stuffed dog to her chest.

"Sergei had taken off without Luka's dog. I never saw my son alive after that day," Verdie cried burying her head into the stuffed dog's face.

"Sergei committed suicide by driving the car, with Luka in the backseat, head-on into oncoming traffic."

"Luka survived the crash, but the doctors told me that he was brain-dead. I asked them to take Luka off of all life support and to donate Luka's organs once he was gone. I was only keeping his body around for my selflessness. Luka would never be able to give me hugs again or tell me that he loved me. I saw no need in letting his body suffer."

Verdie lifted her head up to see Egon's sad face, tears in the corner of his eyes.

Here was a man that truly cared for her. He hadn't chastised her or told her that she was bad. In fact he had told her that he was sorry for her loss. How could he have known about the loss of her child? Suddenly it hit Verdie.

A couple of years back she had seen the headlines on a local tabloid.

"Professor Spengler reveals loss of unborn son."

She never bought into the tabloid news and had shaken it off as a lie, but here was her idol from when she was a young teenager sitting next to her. Comforting her about her loss. Allowing her to grieve.

Suddenly Verdie heard her mother's voice. It was something her mother had told her after Sergei's suicide and Luka's death.

"Mom," Verdie cried to her mother right after they had heard about the accident, "who is going to want me now?"

"Oh Verdie," her mother said as she held her crying daughter close, "one day you'll find someone who doesn't care about your past because they want to be your future."

"But when?" Verdie asked her mother as Verdie pulled away from her mother's arms.

"I don't know," her mother replied, "but someday you will know."

And today Verdie knew. Beyond anything else that she had been taught, she knew. She knew that the man sitting before her was a man that only cared about her future, not her past. Friendship, to Verdie, wasn't about who she had known the longest. It was about who came into her life and never left her side. Those friends had been far and few. Egon was her friend and yet he was more than that to her. Egon wasn't just her boyfriend, he was a gentleman. Helping her, being there for her.

She had tried not to fall in love with him and yet she couldn't help herself. Poets had often described love as an emotion that we can't control. One that overwhelms logic and common sense. Verdie didn't plan on falling in love and she certainly hadn't planned on Egon falling in love with her. But on the first day that she had met him it had been clear to her that neither of them could have controlled what had happened to them both. They had fallen in love, despite their differences. Every minute that she had spent with Egon had been a precious memory and she would never forget a single moment. Yes, Verdie had fallen in love no matter how much she had tried to talk herself out of it.

Verdie leaned forward and kissed Egon on his lips. Pulling her head away she said, "Thank you," in Russian.

"Why are you thanking me?" Egon asked.

Verdie smiled warmly at Egon before she answered.

"Egon there is something I've noticed about you these past four months."

"What?"

Verdie placed her right hand onto Egon's face.

"You're a classic introverted intellectual," she said, "yet you let very few people into your close circle."

"But," Verdie said gently letting her forefinger trace the outline of Egon's cheek, "once you do you're a fiercely protective friend. I've seen it with Daniel and Ray."

Verdie dropped her hand from Egon's face and took his hands into hers.

"Egon you immerse yourself in your work and prefer to focus most of your energy on your professional life. But," Verdie said as she leaned in close to Egon's ear, "you know how to let loose when the occasion calls for it."

Egon snuck in a kiss before Verdie could pull her face away.

"You didn't know that I knew how to dance did you?" Egon questioned Verdie.

"By dance," Verdie replied, "I thought you meant the new dancing the kids do these days, not ballroom dancing at your birthday party."

Egon brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"Verdie," Egon said as he placed her hand back into her lap, "Everybody is a genius."

"But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

"Who said that?" Verdie asked.

"Albert Einstein," Egon replied, "so now Verdie we are back where we started from."

Egon got up off of the hospital bed and knelt down onto the floor on his right knee.

"A love that has not friendship for its base, is like a mansion built upon the sand," Egon said, "The truth is that there is only one terminal dignity-love. And the story of a love is not important-what is important is that one is capable of love. It is perhaps the only glimpse we are permitted of eternity."

"I offer you my hand, my heart, and a share of all my possessions. My bride is here," Egon said squeezing her hands, "because my equal is here and my likeness. Verdie, will you marry me?"

"That's not fair," Verdie said as a tear came to her eye, "you know how much I love Jane Eyre."

"Yes," Egon stated, "and you are very much like Jane Eyre in every way."

"Emotionally and physically abused by your ex-husband and former lover. Suffering oppression by their hands. When Jane went to Thornfield she and Mr. Rochester enjoyed each other's company and spent many evenings together, just like you and me."

"Am I that hideous Verdie," Egon said quoting from Jane Eyre, "that you won't commit to marriage from someone who is older than you?"

"You know," Verdie said with a twinkle in her eye, "you aren't that hideous."

"So," Egon said leaning in closer, "has God tempered judgment with mercy? Can you forgive those who wronged you? Can you be strong and offer good for evil? I believe you can."

"That last part is not from Jane Eyre," Verdie stated, "who told you that?"

"My father," Egon replied, "He also told me that when we leave this world the injustice, pain, and sin will fall away from us and if our hearts are true we can be accepted into a wonderful place."

"There's no such thing as 'Heaven' or 'God'," Verdie said bitterly, "not after what I've been through. What higher being would take away my children? Why would they do that?"

"I don't know Verdie," Egon said as he pulled his face back from hers, "I don't have all the answers, but I do know that there is a wonderful place for us to go to after this life."

"In that place there is no pain, no worries. Instead there is music, children, and most importantly our family members."

"How do you know?" Verdie asked.

"I've been there," Egon stated. "When I was thirty-two years old I had an adverse reaction to some ketamine that I was given. I was on muscle relaxing pills at the time, Klonopin."

"What doctor combined benzodiazepines and barbiturates at the same time?" Verdie angrily said to Egon, "You could have died!"

"It doesn't matter what the doctor's name was Verdie," Egon said quietly, "and yes I did die."

"But you're right here," Verdie said confused, "I can feel you. Unless I'm dreaming all this."

"You're not dreaming," Egon said smiling at her, "I was dead for eight minutes before I was brought back to life on December 30, 1989. That's why I know about a better place than where we live now."

"But," Egon said, "that's in the past. Verdie life is too short to argue and fight with the past. Count your blessings, value your friendship with me, and move on with your head held high."

"I…," Verdie started to say but Egon cut her off.

"Look Verdie," Egon said lovingly, "the best place in the world right now is in the arms of someone who will not only hold you at your best, but will pick you up and hug you tight at your weakest moments."

"I've been afraid of loving another person for fear of losing the person I love," Verdie said sadly, "I've wondered if there was anyone out there that was afraid to lose me."

"I think I've finally found that person," Verdie said.

Egon smiled, "Verdie you've got what it takes to forgive and move on, but it will take everything you've got to do so."

"But don't worry I'll help you," Egon finished and stood up.

"Now," Egon said as he kicked his shoes off an sat on the edge of the hospital bed, "scoot over."

"Why?" Verdie questioned.

"Because I'm tired and I'm going to sleep with you tonight."

"Egon!" Verdie nearly shouted.

"Come on," Egon said, "move over it's nothing like that. I'm not going to 'shag' you as my future son-in-law so pointedly told me a couple hours ago. I'm just wanting to share the same bed with you until tomorrow okay?"

"Alright," Verdie said skeptically, "I guess."

Verdie moved to her right to allow Egon room to climb in. It was a tight fit but she found pleasure in cuddling up to Egon's right side, her head on his right shoulder. Just before she dosed off to sleep Egon spoke to her one last time.

"Verdie," he said, "you can give me your answer when you are ready, but remember this. Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."