Peter shot up in bed when he heard a clatter from another room in the
firehouse. He looked around the room and saw that his three friends were
sleeping soundly in their beds. He looked at the extra bed Ray had brought
up from storage for Dani and noticed it was empty. Peter contemplated
waking his auburn-haired friend, but decided against it so he could spend a
few minutes talking to the young woman by himself.
"I hope she isn't getting into trouble," Dr. Venkman muttered. He got out of bed and walked out of the sleeping quarters. Peter saw the light coming from out of the kitchen and headed toward it. He peeked in and saw Dani attempting to clean up a mess with her one uninjured hand. Slimer was trying to help as well, but he was making more of a mess than actually helping.
"Gotta clean it up," Dani said. "Clean it up."
"Clean," Slimer repeated. "Clean up."
"Mind if I help?" Peter asked. Dani jumped up and backed into the counter as he entered the kitchen. "Hey, it's okay. Everyone makes a mess now and than."
"Slimer startled me," she told him watching him carefully as he bent down to finish cleaning up the floor.
"He does that a lot," Peter replied. "Want to hand me some more paper towels?" Dani reached for the roll next to the sink and handed them to Dr. Venkman than went back over to the counter. "What's wrong?"
"I messed up," Dani answered.
"No you didn't. You just spilled some ice cream because Slimer scared you. You didn't mess up." He picked up the pile of dirty paper towels than tossed them in the trash. "Slimer, tell her it's okay."
"Dani, be happy," Slimer told her.
"So, are you still hungry?" Peter inquired.
"I don't need anything. I'll just go back to bed," Dani said. Peter stood in the middle of the kitchen and watched her start forward than stop.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Dr. Venkman said.
"I know."
"Than why are you looking at me like I'm going to slap you or do something worse?" She stared at him with her intense sky blue eyes. "Dani, I realize you've been through a difficult time, but you've got to know no one here is going to hurt you. We just want to help you. You asked and we answered."
"I know." Dani slid down on to the floor and cradled her injured arm. "I just have a hard time remembering. For eighteen years I've lived in a house where whenever I did something wrong I was hurt. Than I come here and everyone's really nice. They just want me to feel better. I'm so scared that I might let them down."
"You can't let us down," Peter said. He sat down next to her and she moved over a little bit. "Dani, you can only let yourself down."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You try to get so much out of yourself because you want to be the best person you can, but you fall a tiny bit short and take it out on yourself doing more damage than any other person could."
"He did a lot of damage."
"Well, you can repair it. The guys just want to help. You've got Ray falling all over you and it's not just because you're beautiful, Dani. He wants to help you. The boy really hates seeing people hurt. He lives in this world where he doesn't understand why bad things happen. Ray still reads comic books and sleeps with either Stay Puft or that Dopey Dog stuffed animal." Dani smiled at the thought. She had remembered the man sitting on the couch with her holding Dopey Dog as they watched television.
"He's a great guy," Dani commented.
"He is," Dr. Venkman agreed. "He's a bit over enthusiastic at times, but Ray is one of the best guys I know. Egon and Winston are just as great. Janine's pretty good too. You couldn't ask for a better group of friends. We've gone up and down, but our friendship has almost never faltered."
"I've never really had any friends," Dani admitted quietly. "I was never really any good at making them."
"Well, girl, you got yourself five of them." He looked up at Slimer. "Six if you include the floating blob." Slimer mumbled some words Dr. Venkman couldn't make out. "Hey, buddy, you know I love you."
"Love you too, Peter." The green specter came down and gave Peter a hug covering him in green slime.
"Aw, Slimer," Peter groaned. Dani laughed.
(To be continued. There are a few more twists in store for everyone.)
"I hope she isn't getting into trouble," Dr. Venkman muttered. He got out of bed and walked out of the sleeping quarters. Peter saw the light coming from out of the kitchen and headed toward it. He peeked in and saw Dani attempting to clean up a mess with her one uninjured hand. Slimer was trying to help as well, but he was making more of a mess than actually helping.
"Gotta clean it up," Dani said. "Clean it up."
"Clean," Slimer repeated. "Clean up."
"Mind if I help?" Peter asked. Dani jumped up and backed into the counter as he entered the kitchen. "Hey, it's okay. Everyone makes a mess now and than."
"Slimer startled me," she told him watching him carefully as he bent down to finish cleaning up the floor.
"He does that a lot," Peter replied. "Want to hand me some more paper towels?" Dani reached for the roll next to the sink and handed them to Dr. Venkman than went back over to the counter. "What's wrong?"
"I messed up," Dani answered.
"No you didn't. You just spilled some ice cream because Slimer scared you. You didn't mess up." He picked up the pile of dirty paper towels than tossed them in the trash. "Slimer, tell her it's okay."
"Dani, be happy," Slimer told her.
"So, are you still hungry?" Peter inquired.
"I don't need anything. I'll just go back to bed," Dani said. Peter stood in the middle of the kitchen and watched her start forward than stop.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Dr. Venkman said.
"I know."
"Than why are you looking at me like I'm going to slap you or do something worse?" She stared at him with her intense sky blue eyes. "Dani, I realize you've been through a difficult time, but you've got to know no one here is going to hurt you. We just want to help you. You asked and we answered."
"I know." Dani slid down on to the floor and cradled her injured arm. "I just have a hard time remembering. For eighteen years I've lived in a house where whenever I did something wrong I was hurt. Than I come here and everyone's really nice. They just want me to feel better. I'm so scared that I might let them down."
"You can't let us down," Peter said. He sat down next to her and she moved over a little bit. "Dani, you can only let yourself down."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You try to get so much out of yourself because you want to be the best person you can, but you fall a tiny bit short and take it out on yourself doing more damage than any other person could."
"He did a lot of damage."
"Well, you can repair it. The guys just want to help. You've got Ray falling all over you and it's not just because you're beautiful, Dani. He wants to help you. The boy really hates seeing people hurt. He lives in this world where he doesn't understand why bad things happen. Ray still reads comic books and sleeps with either Stay Puft or that Dopey Dog stuffed animal." Dani smiled at the thought. She had remembered the man sitting on the couch with her holding Dopey Dog as they watched television.
"He's a great guy," Dani commented.
"He is," Dr. Venkman agreed. "He's a bit over enthusiastic at times, but Ray is one of the best guys I know. Egon and Winston are just as great. Janine's pretty good too. You couldn't ask for a better group of friends. We've gone up and down, but our friendship has almost never faltered."
"I've never really had any friends," Dani admitted quietly. "I was never really any good at making them."
"Well, girl, you got yourself five of them." He looked up at Slimer. "Six if you include the floating blob." Slimer mumbled some words Dr. Venkman couldn't make out. "Hey, buddy, you know I love you."
"Love you too, Peter." The green specter came down and gave Peter a hug covering him in green slime.
"Aw, Slimer," Peter groaned. Dani laughed.
(To be continued. There are a few more twists in store for everyone.)