Chapter One "Walking on Sunshine" Early September 1985

(Song suggestion- "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves)

Wendy Donaldson (formerly Walterson)

1985 was an exciting year for the Ghostbusters and their families and friends. First, Winson and Maura married at Niagara Falls on Valentine's Day. They recently discovered that she was expecting in April of the following year. The couple couldn't be more pleased. In May, I blissfully married my long-time boyfriend, Roger Donaldson, and Janine was one of my bridesmaids.

Four months ago, Ray began dating an elementary school teacher, Tiffany, in Tribeca near the Firehouse. He was "gaga" over. It all started when Zeddemore and Stantz went to her school's career day and spoke to his new girlfriend's second-grade class about being a Ghostbuster.

Everything was wonderful for everyone except Peter Venkman, who was recently dumped by Dana. He became scared when she brought up marriage. They had been dating for six months when Dana had enough of his antics, and she left him. As a result, Peter immediately began dating every woman in sight, making sexual conquest after sexual conquest, hoping that it would assist his loneliness at Dana's departure. It didn't. Regrettably, that made it hard for Janine, who wanted her friend at their wedding in one month, and Peter as Egon's best man.

"What am I going to do, Wendy? Dana's my friend, and I want her at my wedding," Janine whined at her and Egon's new two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. They were going to move in after the wedding. Since I was an interior decorator, I offered my assistance for free which both gratefully accepted.

"Have you talked to her about it?"

"Yes, but she's afraid that Peter will behave like an ass," Janine groaned. She

flopped on the couple's new dark gray sofa that Egon had moved back and forth in their living room three or four times already at his fiancee's insistence.

"Peter stated that he wouldn't cause a scene," he earnestly reminded Janine, kissing the top of her head, " I don't think he would."

"Venkman's a mess," Janine confided, "he's heartbroken at the fact that Dana left him even though it is his fault." Egon sat next to her and held her hand.

"I know, my Angel, I have spoken to him multiple times," Egon quietly informed.

"He is acting extremely nonsensical."

"And his personality has kind of backslid to that less loveable womanizer version of himself with the steel-tipped tongue."

Janine squeezed her fiancee's hand as they sat on the sofa together.

" Peter has to be my best man," Egon reminded her.

"I know, and I want him to be at our wedding too," my former roommate commented, putting her head on the brainy Ghostbusters shoulder. Egon kissed the top of her head again and laid his head on hers.

"Maybe you can get Venkman to sign a statement saying he won't cause a problem," I wondered.

Raising her head, Janine gave me a withering look, and I withdrew my comment.

Peter

Dana left me in July because she wanted to move our relationship to the next level, marriage, and I felt trapped and panicked. Many gorgeous ladies threw themselves at me with the fame and media attention the Ghostbusters received after the colossal defeat of Gozer. Not long after, I succumbed to the idea of sleeping with as many women as possible again. It wasn't until a month before my two best friends, Janine and Egon would marry, that I realized the severity of my decision and the loneliness and sadness that appeared.

"Where are you taking me for breakfast," a blonde bombshell named Brittany questioned next to me. My head ached from the amount of alcohol I drank last night.

" Call room service," I sardonically mumbled. Reluctantly, I rolled out of my bed and walked to the bathroom.

A shower would help me feel better, so I shut the door to the room, then locked it. A dark cloud drifted over me, and I felt myself frown as I entered the shower. I wanted to be alone right now.

As the water washed over me, I contemplated the reason for my sudden moodiness for several minutes before I uncapped the shampoo bottle and worked the liquid into my hair.

"Oh shit," I moaned. My heart beat fast when I remembered that I saw Dana last night with her new boyfriend, that "stiff" violinist. My girlfriend of three weeks and I ran into them at a bar last night. I spotted him and Dana kissing passionately in the corner of the establishment, necking. Consequently, I felt an acute pain in my heart and stomach. As my sexy date with an unbelievable body babbled about something, I observed the couple, and it made me sick to my stomach.

"Oh, hi, Peter," Dana greeted awkwardly when they left the establishment with the group they were with and accidentally bumped into us. Disregarding her at first, I ensured I didn't acknowledge her and kept my attention on Brittany's date.

"Hello."

"You remember, ...," she introduced, with a slight smile, but I didn't hear his name because he would always be "the stiff" to me.

"Yes, the 'violinist,' " I stated, "this is Britany."

The bleach blonde bubbled with happiness as she was introduced and persisted in talking nonstop.

"Oh, and what do you do," Dana contemptuously questioned my curvy date with false curiosity and gave me a knowing look. She knew I was dating a bimbo of sorts because that was my type before her.

"Oh, I am a Communications major at Rutgers. I also model some," Brittany answered with a broad smile showing her pearly white teeth, "and what do you do, Dana?"

After they finished the forced conversation, Dana quipped, " I see somethings don't change, Pete."

"No, I guess not, Dana. Since you are back with the 'violinist", " I retorted snidely.

Dana and "the stiff" had dated casually for a month before Gozer. She had admitted it nervously but assured me that they hadn't gotten intimate or severe yet. I was jealous when she informed me, I admit it. Brittany obliviously spoke to "the violinist" as he scrutinized Dana's interaction with me.

"His name is Andre..."

"I don't care what his name is," I snapped, feeling hot around the collar, "it didn't take you long to run back to him."

" I hear from Janine that you are trying to sleep with every woman in the City because you are a big star now."

Dana retorted evenly, crossing her arms. This zing hurt me deeply, causing my mouth to drop open.

"Let's leave, Dana. You don't need this melodramatic bullsh— from this primadonna," "the stiff," crossly said in an angry voice.

That is when I punched him.

As I recalled the scenario, I realized that the club's bouncer removed me roughly from the establishment. Speechless, Brittany followed with her mouth wide open.

"You are trash, Venkman," "the violinist angrily spat as he and Dana walked past me. However, Dana seemed preoccupied with me because the bouncer had thrown me on the ground, and the back of my head smacked the concrete hard. My eyes shut for a second, and the next thing I knew, a crowd of people had gathered around me. Dana was gone.

"Pete, Pete. Come on, Pete," Brittany's voice coaxed, "are you OK?"

"Y-y-e-s-s, call a taxi. Our night is over," I grumbled, taking a moment to sit up as my body felt achy because I wasn't in my twenties anymore. Swiftly, I pushed myself off the ground as Brittanyhurried to the curb and let out a loud whistle.

I drank myself to sleep last night, and I think Brittany felt obligated to watch over me. She also screwed my brains out before we started drinking, but it felt empty.

"So that was Dana, huh?" Brittany questioned, sitting in my bed with a sheet over her as I strolled into my room with a towel around my waist. The shower didn't improve my mood.

"Huh?" I felt frustrated that she was still there and frowned at her.

"Can't Brittany take a hint," I grumbled as I went into my closet to find some clothes?

"Dana, from last night."

"Oh...yeah," I finally admitted, removing a pair of blue slacks from a hangar and eyeing a white polo shirt from the overhead rack.

"Want to talk about it?"

"No," I quickly said, walking towards my drawers to remove a pair of white fruit from the loom underwear.

"You called her name during sex. At least once."

"What!?" I indignantly declared," no, I didn't!"

"Yes, Pete," Brittany irritatedly answered, grabbing her clothes and pulling them on her lovely body. Frustrated, I put my pants on in the closet, zipped and buttoned them, then tripped over a pair of shoes in the middle of the floor. I hit the ground hard but not so much last night, and I started to curse.

"Bye, Pete. Call me when you are over, Dana," Brittany stated as she slammed the door after dressing.

"I am over, Dana," I yelled as she left, locking my door, flopping on my bed, and beginning crying. I didn't even believe myself in that lie.

Dana Barrett

My relationship with Peter ended because he wouldn't commit to me. Even though we both felt strongly for each other, it didn't work out, and I was disheartened. I had come to believe that Peter was my true love stupidly, and he trampled all over my heart. That meant my initial assessment that he was a player was correct.

Fame didn't come all at once for the Ghostbusters after their defeat of Gozer. Honestly, Peter was the only one who thrived in it. He relished participating in interviews, taking his picture, and receiving honorary titles for heroes. It was too much for me, but I did it because I loved Peter. He also loved women fawning over him, and as a celebrity, he also had that. When I told Peter, he laughed it off. Before my initial jealousy, I asked Peter about our future, and he balked repeatedly.

Andre Wallace, the man the great Peter Venkman once referred to as a 'stiff' and a fellow orchestra member, protectively nursed my broken heart. We were just friends at that time, and it wasn't until August that we became romantically involved again.

It was a cozy and straightforward relationship. Furthermore, I decided that I didn't need all the sensual feelings that "being in love" brought. The times that my heart skipped a beat over Peter or the tingles that I felt when we kissed didn't amount to anything but pain. I did care for Andre, though.

Although I cut off ties with Peter, I didn't with the other Ghostbusters or Janine. Ray, Egon, and Winston checked up on me after our breakup. They were worried about my mental health, about becoming possessed, and Peter's ill-treatment of me.

Janine, Maura, and I became good friends after Gozer. The Brooklynite invited me to her wedding, but I felt reluctant because Peter was Egon's best man. In fact, I was surprised to find out that the outspoken redhead and serious scientist were a couple at first.

When Janine seemed downcast when I initially declined, she spent a significant amount of time persuading me until I agreed. However, she did agree with my assessment that Peter would be mature enough if I was there. I didn't want to cause problems on my friend's big day.

The night Andre and I ran into Peter, and his date was a total revelation. We were celebrating a friend's birthday and enjoying the evening together. I couldn't believe my own absurdity in thinking Peter had matured enough to be able to be civil to Andre.

My boyfriend's patience was already limited with Venkman, as Peter had always rubbed Andre the wrong way. That was common, I think, with most men, however.

One thing that I couldn't believe was Peter's outright display of jealousy at Andre, and I couldn't imagine the reason for it after he broke my heart. The nerve of him! Nevertheless, Peter Venkman punched out Andre.

I did feel trepidation for Peter when the bouncer threw him out. His head pounded the ground hard, but I had to leave to take care of Andre.