Hey y'all! Enjoy another update, Happy New Year and I hope you're still enjoying the story!

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Ray walked into the loft, it was chilly outside and April had the heat on, but the problem was with it being colder out she wasn't opening the windows as much and oil paints- well they had a tendency to overpower. Ray blinked a few times, the smell making his eyes water before noticing April standing in the living room, her Walkman on, a tray of paint next to her and and her hand moving over a huge canvas.

Watching her from the doorway for a moment Ray smiled before he kicked off his shoes and walked over to the bedroom, opening the window in there and then walking into the living room and opening the window in there, catching April's attention as he did the living room window.

"Hey," she smiled as he walked over to her, cupping her cheek he gently kissed her before pulling back, not wanting to get oil paint on himself. "When did you get here?"

"Not even five minutes ago," he assured her as he moved to look at the canvas. "Whatcha working on?"

"Something for the wait list," she shrugged. "Cecil says I've got more people waiting for a painting." she explained. "And he wants to do another show at the beginning of the year,"

"Wow, he's really pushing you huh?" Ray asked as he rested his hand on April's lower back.

"Mhmm," she agreed. "But it's nice feeling wanted." she smiled up at him cheekily, Ray letting out a laugh before shaking his head.

"You're terrible," he whispered before kissing the top of her head.

"You love it," she pointed out as she hit pause on her Walkman and then took it off, setting the paint splattered tape player on the table next to the paints. "We still meeting the guys tonight?" she asked as Ray walked over to the kitchen, putting the bag of groceries he'd picked up onto the table.

"If you still want to," he told her, pulling out a loaf of bread and turning to put it on the counter where she kept the bread. "If you're too busy you don't have to come."

"Well, what if I want to come?" she asked as she walked over.

"Then I want you to come," Ray smiled as he looked at her, pulling out a package of pasta and a jar of sauce.

"Good," she smiled. "Then, I'll go hop into a shower, and we can head out in a bit, okay?" she offered and he nodded, looking back at the grocery bag. "Ray? Is something wrong?" she couldn't help but feel like he wasn't telling her something, there was something just sort of… Off about the way he was behaving.

"Of course not," he smiled as he looked at her, though she wasn't entirely convinced. "I'm fine." April frowned slightly before she nodded.

"Okay." she said with a shrug before she walked over, stepping in front of him and standing on her tip toes as she pulled him down for a kiss. "I adore you," Ray smiled softly, wrapping his arms around her middle, resting his forehead against hers before he nodded gently.

"I adore you too," he told her, his eyes closed as he held her for a long moment, finally letting out a long sigh before he opened his eyes and looked down at her. Cupping her cheek he gently ran his thumb over her lips, April smiling as he did before she gently kissed his thumb.

"You gonna tell me what's up?" she asked and he quirked an eyebrow.

"Not right now." he shook his head after a moment as he slowly loosened his grip from around her waist. "Go take your shower." April pouted softly at the dismissal as he let go of her before she turned, walking towards the bathroom.

After turning on the shower she undressed, tossing her clothes into the hamper before stepping into the shower. As the hot water ran down her body, drenching her hair- reaching for the shampoo she swore when she remembered she was out and stepped out of the shower, cracking the door to the bathroom open. "Ray!" she called and heard him jump up from the couch.

"Sorry sorry, I forgot to give this to you before you got in the shower," he said as he went to the kitchen table and then walked over to the bathroom door.

"Oh you're a lifesaver," April sighed as she took the two bottles of Faberge Organics from him.

"I noticed you were running low this morning," he explained as she smiled at him.

"Okay, I'll be out soon," she told him, closing the door and then climbing back into the shower. Drawing the curtain closed she set the bottles down and then picked up the shampoo, after lathering her hair she was standing under the stream, sighing at the feeling of the hot water rolling over her hair, rinsing the shampoo out when she heard the shower curtain pull back, opening her eyes she smiled at Ray as he stepped into the shower. "I thought we had to leave soon,"

"We can be late," he told her, wrapping his arms around her waist, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips and then down to her jaw, down her neck and across her shoulder.

"Mm, Ray," she chuckled before biting her lip as his hands moved down her body.

Leaning back against the wall to the shower April panted lightly as she ran her fingers through Ray's hair as he kissed her thigh, nipping at the skin inside her knee softly. "You still don't want to tell me what happened today?" she asked, looking down at him as he paused at what he was doing before he shook his head.

"Not yet," he told her, making April sigh and then offer her hands. Taking them she gently pulled him to his feet before she leaned in and kissed his chest.

"Take your time," she told him, looking up at him with a smile before she started to kiss down his chest.

By the time she was dine Ray's knees were shaking and she looked up at him with a small smile. "Okay, I'll talk," Ray's voice cracked as he spoke and she smiled.

"You know I didn't do that just so you would," she assured him, making him nod.

"I know," he told her. "But wow." April smiled as she stood up, Ray's arms snaking around her as the slightly cooler water washed over both of them.

"Hang on," she said as she reached over, adjusting the water and then leaned against his chest, looking up at him expectantly.

"We got fired today."

"Ray, what?" April moved back slightly, looking at him with a frown as she looked him over quickly. "Why wouldn't you just tell me that?"

"It's embarrassing," Ray sighed as he looked at her. "I mean, it started out as such a good day- we got a call about a ghost sighting at the New York Public Library and we went and- Oh April, the PKE Meter was off the charts, the ionization levels- the ghost was-"

"Wait you saw it?" April interrupted. "You saw the ghost?"

"Yeah," he beamed as he looked at her. "Honey it was amazing-it was like from here to the sink," he pointed to the sink across the bathroom and when she looked back Ray couldn't help the small rush of adoration he felt towards April as she looked at him like there was no other place she'd rather be in the world right in that moment then standing in the shower, listening to him talk about the ghost they'd seen. "We got pictures, but like I said- we were fired- the university took the camera-"

"Okay wait," April interrupted. "Was this the camera you brought from home?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Then they have no right taking that from you." April frowned. "I'm going to call Amanda, you're getting those pictures back Ray," she told him, "What else did Dean Yeager take?"

"Everything."

"Everything? Oh no, I don't think so." she shook her head. "Amanda's coming to the bar tonight, we're going to figure this out."

"Do you really think she can?" Ray asked and she nodded.

"Of course I do," April smiled at him. "She's my best friend and her dad is one of the best lawyers in the state. We'll make sure you get at least the camera back."

After getting out of the shower April was standing in the bathroom, wringing out her damp hair with a towel as she looked in the mirror to see what she was doing. "Hey babe?" Ray stuck his head into the bathroom. "Have you seen my good socks?"

"They're in the hamper," she said turning to look at him, nodding to the hamper in the corner of the bathroom. Ray walked into the bathroom making her gasp. "Eww Ray!" she laughed. "They haven't been washed yet!"

"Well, I mean, I need socks for tonight."

"Wear some of mine!"

"Oh sure, I'll wear your pink socks with the yellow monkeys on them," he said sarcastically as he moved past her, kissing her cheek as he passed.

"Gross, Ray, get out!" she laughed as she turned, pushing him away from the hamper. "Go put on some of your other socks!"

"I don't have any more! They're all in the hamper."

"You need to bring more clothes over," she said as she shook her head, pushing his chest gently.

"You need to do laundry!" he replied as he pulled her closer, making her laugh as he buried his face in her neck, kissing her damp skin gently.

"Mm," April sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hey, you never told me- why did you get fired anyways?" Feeling his arms around her stiffen she tilted her head slightly looking at him. "Ray?" He sighed as he slowly pulled away, looking away from her, placing his hand over the pile of clothes, running his thumb over the soft shirt on the top of the pile.

"Dean Yeager said that Peter was a bad scientist, and that his methods were bad, his conclusions were questionable, and that he saw science as some kind of a dodge or a hustle-"

"What's that have to do with you?" April interrupted with a frown, wrapping her towel around her body and looking at him. When he didn't reply for a few moments she crossed her arms over her chest. "Ray? What does that have to do with you?"

"A few months ago Pete asked me and Egon to talk to Dean Yeager, because he'd been complained about by a student who happened to be a pretty big alumni's son. So we talked to him and ended up telling the dean that if Pete left, we'd have to leave with him…" April stared at him for a moment before blinking a few times.

"I- I'm sorry, you told him what?" she asked as she stared at him in surprise. "Why- Why- Why would you say that?"

"He asked us to! He said that the university would never get rid of the entire team."

"Ray!" she gasped as she stared up at him. "Oh my god- So Peter actually asked you to tell the dean that? Why would you do it?"

"Because he's my friend- and I thought that he wouldn't actually fire all three of us."

"What was Venkman doing that got people complaining about him?"

"Oh- he was conducting a series of experiments that were thinly veiled attempts to hit on cute grad students and punish the boys who dared show up." he explained waving a hand as if to brush off the thought of what Venkman had been doing to grad students.

"What. The fuck."

"I know- I just- I don't know what to do from here."

"Well, I mean," April sighed, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. "How are you doing financially? Do you have enough to pay your mortgage?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Ray assured her, kneeling down in front of where she sat, taking one of her hands and gently kissing her knuckles. "That's not something you need to worry about April," he assured her as he gazed up at her.

"Well, no, I mean, if you need some help, until you find a new job, you know I'm happy to help, I'm doing really well right now."

"I know you are," he smiled. "And I'm proud of your success, I would never want to impose on it." he assured her, listing his free hand, the one that wasn't holding one of her hands, to gently trace her jaw. "Keep your money."

"Ray," she sighed. "We're supposed to be partners. If you go through something, I help, if I go through something, you help. I just want to know how I can help here."

"I don't need financial help," he told her. "I've got some savings, so long as I don't make any big purchases, and I don't do anything stupid, I should be okay until I can find a new job."

"Okay." she smiled at him before leaving forward and pressing a kiss to his lips. "Alright, I'll get dressed and we're still going to go?"

"So long as you want to."

"I do," she nodded. "God knows I could use a drink after this talk." she added with a smile, Ray chuckling as he put his hands on the bathtub edge and pushed himself up. He bent down, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, April looking up at him, earning her another sweet kiss to the lips before he left the bathroom, leaving her sitting there wondering what could possibly happen next.

When the cab pulled up in front of the bar April looked at Ray, it had started raining, and hard since he'd gotten home. "Go ahead," he told her. "I've got the cab."

"Okay," she agreed, opening the door and running to the door of the bar, ducking inside as a large biker looking man with a shaggy grey beard stepped out, holding the door open for her. "Thanks," she smiled at him as she slipped into the bar, droplets of water falling from her hair to the already damp wood floor she pushed her hair behind her ears as her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit Spring Lounge.

"Hey!" Amanda called from where she was sitting next to Egon with a pitcher of beer and a few glasses.

"Hey," April said as she walked over to them, taking off her jacket and hooking it over the back of a chair. "Egon, Ray told me what happened, I'm sorry to hear about it." she offered her apology while Amanda poured two more beers.

"Ray did come right?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah, he's paying for the cab," April said as she settled on the chair.

"Thank you April," Egon said, taking another drink of his beer.

"Yeah, Egon was telling me about it," Amanda said.

"I notice Venkman isn't here," April pointed out as she sipped her beer, looking at the door as Ray ran in and waving at him. As he walked over she took another sip of her beer.

"He's running late," Egon said, making April roll her eyes.

"Of course," she mumbled as Ray got to the table.

"Hey," he smiled at Amanda, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Ray, sorry to hear about everything." Amanda said making Ray nod.

"Thanks. Egon," Ray sighed as he sat down at the table. "Pete?"

"Running late,"

"Of course." Ray rolled his eyes with a small scoff before glancing at the pitcher of beer that was almost gone. Picking it up he looked at Egon who stood up along with Ray and the two headed to the bar.

"Boy talk," Amanda scoffed as she took another drink of her beer.

"Yeah, speaking of what happened today I need you to write a strongly worded letter to the dean of the university."

"Dean Yeager?" Amanda asked as April took another drink of her beer and nodded. "Yeah no problem, happy to do it, what did he do?"

"He stole the guys work and equipment when he fired them- why were you so happy to write the letter if you didn't know that?"

"Dean Yeager? Always happy to help fuck that guy over," Amanda scoffed. "Remember that alumni dinner I helped out at? Dean Yeager spent half of the cocktail hour with his hand on my ass."

"Ew, isn't he married?"

"Oh yeah, his wife was there too," she nodded with a scoff. "But I'll get something written up and sent to Yeager by the weekend."

"Thanks," April mumbled as Ray and Egon walked back over to the table. "Hey babe, what secrets were you two swapping at the bar?"

"The kinds of secrets I'm not ready to tell you about," Ray said as he wrapped his arm around April, kissing her temple.

"So you admit you have secrets?" she asked making him freeze as he looked at her, a blank look on his face before he quirked an eyebrow.

"No."

April laughed as she shook her head, rolling her eyes as she leaned against him. "You're the worst,"

"No." he told her, making her laugh again.

"Egon," she looked at Ray's friend. "What do you think of this whole thing?"

"I think it's a miracle it didn't happen sooner," Egon answered bluntly.

"I get that," she nodded. "Especially after what Ray told me happened."

"I also think-" at that moment Egon's thought was cut off by Peter joining the foursome at the table with a young blonde woman in tow.

"I thought I'd run into you guys here," Peter said as he looked at them all.

"You're the one who asked us to meet here," Ray pointed out with a slight roll of his eyes.

"Jennifer, these are my friends, Dr. Stantz, Dr. Spengler, and April and Amanda." he ignored what Ray had said as he looked at the woman who had joined him.

"Hi," she smiled. "Are you all gifted too?"

"Oh honey you don't even know," Amanda scoffed as she grinned, taking another drink of her beer.

Washing her hands in the sink, April looked at the mirror, happy to see she hadn't missed any spots of paint on her face or in her hair earlier in the shower when Ray distracted her. So far the night had taken a weird turn since Venkman had gotten there, Ray, Egon and Pete had been in their own world, which normally would have been fine, but that left April and Amanda to talk to Peter's date, a girl a few years younger than them whom Peter had convinced she had a special gift.

As April washed her hands the door opened and speak of the devil,Jennifer walked in, smiling at April before turning to the stalls. April let out a sigh as she balled up the paper towels she'd been drying her hands with and tossed them away before she heard a voice behind her speak. "Do you have a problem with me?"

"Sorry?" April turned back to see Jennifer standing there with a slight frown on her face.

"I just- I feel like you don't like me or that you have a problem with me and I don't know what I did so I was wondering if you had a problem with me?"

"No- no, I don't have a problem with you." April shook her head as she leaned back against the counter, water from people shaking their hands out at the sink soaking into the back of her jeans, making her sigh and move away from the counter. "Why would you think I had a problem with you?"

"Well, Dr. Venkman says that people have a problem with people like me," she explained making April frown as she tried to think of what the hell this girl could possibly mean by that.

"...Grad students?" she finally asked making Jennifer sigh and shake her head as if she were sad at the thought of April not knowing what she meant.

"Psychics."

"Oh god-" April shook her head before sighing. "Okay, Jennifer, you're a lovely girl, but you are not psychic."

"I am- Dr. Venkman, he showed me cards and I got them all right."

"And let me guess, there was a kind of dorky guy getting shown cards too, and he got them all wrong and when he got them wrong he was electrocuted?"

"...Yes."

"Okay honey, do you know what Dr. Venkman is a doctor of?" Judging by the blank look on her face April could tell the answer. "Dr. Venkman is a doctor of para-psychology, and psychology." she explained before continuing. "Dr. Venkman knows how to manipulate people into feeling affection for him, affection that he hasn't earned. Loyalty that he hasn't earned."

"But- I got all the cards right?" Jennifer looked crestfallen as she listened to April.

"Did he just say they were right? Or did he show them to you?" April asked making Jennifer look down in thought.

"Why would he want me to feel affection for- Oh." she seemed to realize the answer to her own question halfway through it before she sighed, running her hands over her face. "Oh I should have known."

"I'm sorry," April said softly. "I just didn't want to watch him take advantage of you."

"No," she said with a smile. "No I appreciate it, God and after I listened to him talk about his stupid ghost hunter business." she roller her eyes as she turned, walking into the stall.

"What ghost business?" April asked as she heard Jennifer unzip her pants.

"Well, Dr. Venkman and his friends, they're going to leave the university to start a ghost hunting business." Jennifer explained from inside the stall. "I guess it's going to make them a lot of money."

"You know Venkman was fired today right?" April asked as she pulled a few paper towels from the dispenser and wiped off the water on the counter.

The cab ride back to the loft was quiet, Ray was looking out one window, April the other, each lost in their own thoughts as they watched the rain pour down on the city.

"I can't believe how mad Jennifer was when she came back from the bathroom," Ray said, breaking the silence. "I can't believe she threw the whole pitcher of beer on him,"

"I know," April laughed as she looked away from the window and over to Ray. "I have to admit though- I kinda made her do it."

"You?" Ray asked with a laugh. "How?"

"Well she came into the bathroom and started asking if I hated her because she's a psychic and that I'm jealous of her and I just explained to her that Venkman was a piece of crap who was lying to her." she explained as she shrugged.

"Oh god," Ray sighed. "That again?"

"Yeah," she said and shook her head. "Apparently Venkman also told her some crap about you three all starting a ghost hunting business together," she smiled as she shook her head. "The guy is insane." When Ray was silent for a long moment April looked over at him. "Right?"

"April," he said slowly. "I was going to tell you tomorrow, but we're starting a business."

"Hunting ghosts?"

"Hunting ghosts."

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! We're getting into Ghostbuster the movie now!

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