Another boring day. After scaring the two ladies off, nothing else out of the ordinary had happened. Now Vera was just flicking through channels on the television in the first floor common room of the house, resting her head against her palm as she sat back in a big armchair. It felt strange to her to do that, since she couldn't even understand what it meant to feel comfortable anymore in her ghost form.

The first show was some children's show talking about how everyone was unique and special. Vera rolled her eyes and clicked the remote. Next was a scary movie about, of course, a vengeful ghost trying to kill people for revenge.

"I find this kind of racist," Vera muttered, flicking the channel again. A cartoon about a half boy/half ghost going around and stopping bad ghosts from causing damage to the real world. "Meh... he's kinda cute." She flicked the channel again. A news station.

"Nope," she said, raising the remote to change it again, when words on the screen caught her eye. Catching Ghosts... a Family Business?

She turned the volume up and the newscaster started to speak. "Dr. Katherine Robison, formally from New York, has gone across the country to seek out some of these ghostly cases that have been popping up recently all over the country. Dr. Robison, heir to a large sum left behind by her father..."

"Ghostly cases?" Vera said with interest, moving closer to the screen. She had very rarely heard of any other ghosts other than herself and, well... them.

"No one's quite sure why so many people have recently come forward with tales of ghostly encounters. Some say it's a big hoax. Others say it's a sign of the end times. But whatever the reason, Dr. Robison is determined to seek them out and get to the bottom of these creepy cases. Together with her son Dean Robison, this seemingly normal mother and son pair have become a well-known dynamic duo across the country..."

Vera found herself blocking out the newscaster's voice completely as a handsome boy suddenly graced her television. With a fluttery feeling in her chest, she let out a breath and a small giggle, feeling very shy at the moment. "Oh my gosh..." she whispered. "Sooo cute..."

The picture of him was unsmiling, but he didn't look angry. He had a contemplative look in his eyes. His bright blue eyes seemed to stare right at her through his dark black hair slightly covering his eyes. She stared back.

"Experiments such as the one recorded in this old museum, believed to be a hot spot for paranormal activity..." The newscaster continued. "Dr. Robison believed that cameras could catch images of spirits lingering in the air..."

The image changed to a recording of one of Dr. Robison's "investigations". The woman had several cameras set up with strange looking equipment as her son stood in the middle of a room, holding some kind of device for measuring ghostly signals.

Vera chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that's not how it works..."

"However, despite spending two weeks on the case, there was no result from the good doctor's experiments... the young Robison declined to comment on the experiment..."

The footage then switched to cameras approaching Dean as he seemed to be walking home from school, or one of his schools around the country, anyway. He looked up in surprise as questions rang out and cameras flashed in his face. Reporters asked questions about his mother's work, what his opinions were on it, and other dumb things that he clearly didn't want to answer. Vera smirked as the teenager simply popped some headphones into his ears and kept walking, intent on not answering any questions.

"What a babe..."

The newscaster's voice returned. "According to Dr. Robison, they're next goal is apparently the infamous and long abandoned Nightingale Manor, where..."

Vera snapped out of her daze. "W-w-wait... what? He's... coming to live here? He's gonna be living here?" She gulped. "Oh, boy..."

A station wagon with suitcases packed into the back and even tied on top of the car sped along the open country road. Inside, Katherine Robison was singing loudly along to a Nicki Minaj song on the radio, while Dean was sitting and glowering beside her, growing more annoyed as the lyrics became more suggestive. He cringed and shut off the radio, still looking out the window in annoyance.

"I don't think I was that bad this time around!" Katherine gave him a sympathetic look as he didn't even smirk from her joke. "Honey, I'm sorry about that last school..."

"Whatever," he muttered. After their failure at the museum, they'd been the talk of many gossipers and bullies at the last school he'd been temporarily enrolled at, which had led to a shoving match and a broken nose for the kid who had something vulgar about his mother. They hadn't stayed very long in that town afterwards, though Katherine had left a decent amount of money at the school for the no doubt angry family of the boy.

"Don't dwell on those dumb kids," she continued. "They don't know you at all, so don't take anything they say to heart."

"They weren't talking about me, mom," Dean muttered. He'd been the victim of bullying before, but he was able to defend himself just fine and didn't care about idiots insulting him. But as a general rule of thumb, if anyone insulted his mother, he would make sure they apologized for it. Even now, annoyed with her as he was, he would still do everything possible to defend her.

"Well, in that case, I don't have to take their words seriously," Katherine said with a chuckle. "Sweetie, most people just don't have the open-mindedness to question the nature of our world. But you and me... we're doing something extraordinary."

"No, mom," Dean said bitterly. "We're not doing anything. You're the one who's taking us around the country on these wild goose chases."

"Ghost chases," Katherine corrected with a smile, but Dean wasn't amused.

"That got old three years ago," he grouched. "And so did this. Three years of moving, three years of different schools, trying to explain paranormal research to a bunch of high schoolers because I have no idea what other people my age are into..." He trailed off. "Just... staying long enough to make an actual friend for once would be nice."

"I'm sorry, hon..." Katherine said softly.

He shrugged. "Yeah, well... it's not like we can't afford it, I guess." He slouched again, looking out the window.

The car suddenly pulled over onto the curb and slowed down, coming to a rather sudden stop. Dean went forward into his seatbelt before falling back, looking around and brushing his bangs out of his eyes with an annoyed look. "Gentler stops would be appreciated, mom."

"Sorry, sweetie!" She kissed him on the forehead and smiled at him. "I just suddenly had an idea. You know what? Let's do what you said. It won't be a week or two kind of deal. How about you stay the rest of the school year?"

"Really?" Dean asked excitedly.

"Of course," she said, glad to see her son with more life in him now than before. "Your reward for putting up with your silly old mom for so long. And cheer up! The town's called Friendship, for crying out loud! Maybe even I'll make some friends."

"Well, you better," Dean teased. "Kids aren't usually supposed to be the ones telling their parents to go outside more often."

She giggled. "You certainly have your father's wit."

The two went silent for a few seconds, and Dean looked out the window. Katherine placed her hand on his, giving it a small squeeze. "I miss him too, sweetie."

"Is that why you were so eager to do this after he... after he passed away?" Dean asked softly. "Hoping maybe we might find him?"

Katherine didn't respond for a moment, focusing on the road. "Not exactly. But... maybe figure some things out. I'd like to think he had unfinished business."

"Sure, but... ghosts have to exist first for that to mean anything. I mean, I tried believing, but... we've been through so many of these cases and we haven't found a single bit of evidence. Just sounds that were probably coming from busted water pipes, and some jackass going 'whoooo' outside."

Katherine giggled. "That one doesn't count. Personally, I think he scared the ghosts away when he did that."

Dean smirked, shaking his head at his mom. "Well, if that's all it takes, I gotta admit I'm not impressed."

"You're a teenager, when are you impressed?" She asked with a giggle. Her face then turned more serious. "I'll tell you what," she said. "We go up to this old house. Check things out. If we find nothing, if nothing happens... that's it. We're done. No more moving. No more ghost hunting. We just settle down."

Dean's expression changed to a smile. "Really?"

Katherine smiled, reaching over to touch his cheek. "If you're not feeling the passion anymore, then it's definitely not right for me to keep dragging you around. Last thing I want is to be borderline abusive to you."

"Mom, you're not..." Dean quickly protested.

"I don't intend to, but I still could be," Katherine interrupted, wiping some tears from her eyes. "Without realizing it. I just... I need you to know that no ghosts, no research... nothing in the world is more important to me than you, okay?"

Dean nodded, taking his mom's hand and kissing it. "I love you, mom."

Katherine smiled, bringing him close to kiss his hair. "I love you too, sweetie."

"And if we do find something that makes a believer out of me, I won't say no to more traveling around." Dean held up a finger. "But... one full school year here before that."

"Sounds like a deal."

"You promise?"

"Promise."

"Deal," he said, holding his hand to shake hers.

"Oh, no you don't," Katherine giggled, holding out her pinky. "We need a pinky swear for this."

"No, we don't."

"Yes, we do."

"Let's not and say we did," Dean said, clearly holding back a laugh.

"We're not going anywhere until you seal the deal," Katherine said, her pinky waiting.

"Then I guess we're starving out here."

"I can live with it if you can!"

Dean groaned and accepted, linking their pinkies together with a smirk.

"Pbbft! What a quitter!"

"We made the deal. Now drive, crazy lady who calls herself my mom."

Katherine laughed and leaned over, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Dean groaned and rubbed at his cheek in annoyance, making her laugh again.

The car continued its journey once again, heading for a new town and a new life. Big changes were about to happen, for mother and son both.