A few days later.
The phone on Janine's desk rang and the blonde sitting behind the desk put down her magazine and picked it up.
"Ghostbusters Central," Dani said into the phone. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Kroger. The Ghostbusters still aren't going out on jobs. They're on a long needed rest." She sighed. "Yes, Mrs. Kroger, I will make sure they get over to your house as soon as possible. I promise." The young woman hung up the phone. "Of course, I might also loose the billion and a half messages you left."
"Who was that?" Ray asked as he came up to the desk.
"Mrs. Kroger," Dani answered. "For the umpteenth time."
"You did tell her we would get to her as soon as possible, right?"
"I did. You want to sit down and answer the phone all day?"
"No, you're doing a great job," Ray responded. He leaned over the desk and kissed her. "A really good job."
"Yeah, but I'm not helping the guys," Dani said. She sank into Janine's chair. "This sucks."
"You're doing a lot, Dani. You've been keeping this place running since they guys back from the hospital."
"Ray, the guys told you to ask me to do this because they don't want me around upstairs. I know what happened because I was in there heads and they don't want to think about that again."
"That's not true." His girlfriend gave him a look. "Dani, they just need some time. I'm sure they'll come around."
"When, Ray?" Dani asked as she stood up. "Egon, Peter, and Winston don't want have anything to do with me anymore."
"You can't believe that. You're an important part of the team. They'll come around soon. I promise. Cross my heart." He made a motion over his heart and Dani walked around the desk to him.
"Fine," Dani muttered. She leaned against him. "At least I still have you."
"You always will."
"Raymond, would you do me a favor?" Egon asked as he came down the stairs flipping through a pad of notes. "I need you to run down to the occult shop and pick up a few things." He looked up and stopped at the base of the stairs. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were busy. I'll be up in the lab." Dr. Spengler turned to go back up the stairs, but Dr. Stantz pulled him back down. "Ray, I really must return to the lab."
"Not anymore," Ray replied. He took his friend over to Dani. Egon looked at her a moment than at Dr. Stantz.
"I really do need to get this done, Raymond."
"You aren't in school, Egon. You don't have a deadline. Talk to your cousin."
"I believe I have," Dr. Spengler responded. "She knows how I feel. I apologized for anything I did."
"I don't want you to apologize," Dani told him. "I want you to look at me without freaking out that I'll end up back in your mind. I know I saw some personal stuff, but it won't help either of us if you can't get over it."
"I am over it," Egon replied. "Now if you'll excuse me I have some work to do." Egon turned around and headed back to the stairs. Ray watched him go feeling let down.
"I did cry, Egon." Dr. Spengler froze. "I didn't go to Ray though. I was alone. I sat in the firehouse alone and cried."
"I didn't mean what I said," Egon told her quietly. He turned back around. "I never want to hurt you, but I couldn't stop myself."
"It was a nightmare, Egon. I understand, but the part that hurts me is the fact you won't talk to me anymore. It's over and I don't care what happened. I just want our old relationship back. The one where you play the over bearing cousin." Dani walked over to him and looked him right in his eyes. "Please, Egon." Her eyes searched for an answer in the scientist's.
"I can do that," Egon finally said. "I'm sorry."
"I know," his cousin replied than gave him a big hug. "So, whatcha researching?"
"I'm merely going through some old notes," Dr. Spengler answered. "Some early theories Ray and I had when we started all of this. We've been able to debunk a few and prove others. I'm working on a paper for the Paranormal Journal."
"Okay, well, you go work on that some more," Dani told him. "I'm sure it'll be great." She walked back over to Ray rolling her eyes.
"Yes, it shall be." Dr. Spengler walked back up the stairs.
"One down," Ray told Dani. She let out a big sigh. "Hey, it's okay."
"Yeah, I know." She looked at him with wide, bright eyes. "Let's do something fun, Ray." He gave her a slightly uncertain look.
"What exactly?"
"Dancing," Dani answered. She twirled in a big circle. "I wanted to be a ballerina when I was a little girl."
"You're not going to make me take lessons, are you?" Dr. Stantz inquired. "I'm not exactly very coordinated and I don't think I'd look good in tights."
"The greatest measure of a man is whether or not he can pull off tights," his girlfriend said with a smile.
"I'd certainly pay just to see you get him in them." Dani and Ray looked toward the voice to see Peter and Winston coming towards them. "I always wondered what you two discussed when no one was around. This is more interesting than I thought."
"I could have lived without it," Winston told them. The two men both looked at Dani at a moment than focused on Ray. "So, Ray, what's our lab rat up to?"
"He's writing an essay for the Paranormal Journal about some theories we came up with," Ray answered. "Where did you guys go?"
"Out," Peter responded. "I guess we'll go upstairs and grab a snack. I really like all this free time. I haven't been slimed in over a week. I could get used to this." They headed towards the stairs and Ray gestured for Dani to go after them. She raced past them and jumped up on the bottom step.
"Halt," the blonde ordered them. They stopped in their tracks.
"Dani, in order to go up you'll need to get out of the way," Winston said. "That's the way it works with stairs."
"I'm tired of you going up. I want you to stay down here a moment."
"You're not getting us in tights," Dr. Venkman told her. "I actually have an image I'd like to keep unlike the rest of these guys. Now, I'm hungry. Move."
"No." She spread herself across the bottom step. "Not until we talk."
"We are," Peter responded. "Talk over. Let us pass." The blonde shook her head quickly allowing her blonde hair to fly around her head.
"Is this a protest?" Winston inquired. "Have we been making to much noise going up the stairs at night while you're trying to sleep?" She looked at the two Ghostbusters with a serious face.
"You both know what I'm talking about," Dani said firmly. "I'm not going to let you go up these stairs until we get this over with. I hate the fact you're avoiding me and I want to clear the air." Dr. Venkman sniffed the air.
"The air is good. Nice perfume."
"Damn it, Pete. Cut it out. Your attempts to ignore this just makes me feel worse."
"What the hell do you want us to say, Dani?" Zeddemore asked. "Sorry we didn't listen when we thought our worlds were crashing around us. Those nightmares aren't something you take lightly and the fact you saw them makes it that much worse." He shook his head. "Dani, what happened wasn't right and I don't want to think about it."
"Than don't," Dani told him. "I'm not in there anymore. I don't want to be. I just want to be the girl you taught how to change a tire. I'm still the same person, Winston. I don't think any less of you. You're still a good man in my eyes." He eyed her carefully.
"You mean it?"
"I do."
"Alright," Winston said. "I can do this."
"Good." She gave him a hug and moved aside. "You may pass." He chuckled and went up the stairs. Peter attempted to follow, but the girl pushed the man back.
"Cut it out, Dani. I'm not in the mood for games."
"Than stop playing them."
"I'm not doing it. You are." He looked at her than walked away. He started toward his office than turned and headed back to doors. "Peter, wait." Dr. Venkman turned around and looked at the blonde.
"No, Dani," he told her trembling where he stood. "I'm not going for all that crap you pulled on Winston and probably Egon. I'm not that weak."
"You're not," she agreed as she walked toward him.
"Stop it."
"Stop what?" She walked closer to him and stopped a few feet away.
"Just stop it, Dani. I can leave right now and not come back."
"You can," Egon's cousin agreed. Ray realized what Dani was doing. The young woman was imitating her cousin in an attempt to get Peter to talk.
"I know what you're doing and it's not going to work. I'm smarter than that. I can walk away from this without another thought." She merely looked at him. He shook his head. "No. That's not fair."
"What's not fair?"
"You're doing the same thing Egon does," Peter admitted. "I guess the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree."
"I'm his cousin, Peter. Not his daughter." Dr. Venkman let out a little laugh as he leaned against the car. He looked at the blonde with his emerald green eyes.
"I screwed up, Dani. You took a lot of crap from me you didn't need to take."
"I learned to live with that a long time ago, Peter."
"You don't need that now. I'm supposed to be a good influence and all that other stuff Egon told me when I wasn't really listening. He really needs to just tape record everything he says and label them so I can refer back to them when I need to."
"He wouldn't let you off that easy;" Dani replied. She leaned up against the car next to Peter. "Do you see this? We're talking." He groaned.
"I'd like to call a penalty. You cheated."
"Did not."
"Did to."
"Baby."
"Teacher's pet."
"Am not."
"Are to." Peter smiled at the young woman. She grinned back. "So, when are we going to see Ray in those tights?"
"I'll need help."
"I like to help." They looked to Dr. Stantz who was tiptoeing towards the staircase. "Hey, Tex, we're gonna make you a ballerina."
"No, you're not." Ray dashed up the stairs with Peter and Dani right on his heels.
THE END
The phone on Janine's desk rang and the blonde sitting behind the desk put down her magazine and picked it up.
"Ghostbusters Central," Dani said into the phone. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Kroger. The Ghostbusters still aren't going out on jobs. They're on a long needed rest." She sighed. "Yes, Mrs. Kroger, I will make sure they get over to your house as soon as possible. I promise." The young woman hung up the phone. "Of course, I might also loose the billion and a half messages you left."
"Who was that?" Ray asked as he came up to the desk.
"Mrs. Kroger," Dani answered. "For the umpteenth time."
"You did tell her we would get to her as soon as possible, right?"
"I did. You want to sit down and answer the phone all day?"
"No, you're doing a great job," Ray responded. He leaned over the desk and kissed her. "A really good job."
"Yeah, but I'm not helping the guys," Dani said. She sank into Janine's chair. "This sucks."
"You're doing a lot, Dani. You've been keeping this place running since they guys back from the hospital."
"Ray, the guys told you to ask me to do this because they don't want me around upstairs. I know what happened because I was in there heads and they don't want to think about that again."
"That's not true." His girlfriend gave him a look. "Dani, they just need some time. I'm sure they'll come around."
"When, Ray?" Dani asked as she stood up. "Egon, Peter, and Winston don't want have anything to do with me anymore."
"You can't believe that. You're an important part of the team. They'll come around soon. I promise. Cross my heart." He made a motion over his heart and Dani walked around the desk to him.
"Fine," Dani muttered. She leaned against him. "At least I still have you."
"You always will."
"Raymond, would you do me a favor?" Egon asked as he came down the stairs flipping through a pad of notes. "I need you to run down to the occult shop and pick up a few things." He looked up and stopped at the base of the stairs. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were busy. I'll be up in the lab." Dr. Spengler turned to go back up the stairs, but Dr. Stantz pulled him back down. "Ray, I really must return to the lab."
"Not anymore," Ray replied. He took his friend over to Dani. Egon looked at her a moment than at Dr. Stantz.
"I really do need to get this done, Raymond."
"You aren't in school, Egon. You don't have a deadline. Talk to your cousin."
"I believe I have," Dr. Spengler responded. "She knows how I feel. I apologized for anything I did."
"I don't want you to apologize," Dani told him. "I want you to look at me without freaking out that I'll end up back in your mind. I know I saw some personal stuff, but it won't help either of us if you can't get over it."
"I am over it," Egon replied. "Now if you'll excuse me I have some work to do." Egon turned around and headed back to the stairs. Ray watched him go feeling let down.
"I did cry, Egon." Dr. Spengler froze. "I didn't go to Ray though. I was alone. I sat in the firehouse alone and cried."
"I didn't mean what I said," Egon told her quietly. He turned back around. "I never want to hurt you, but I couldn't stop myself."
"It was a nightmare, Egon. I understand, but the part that hurts me is the fact you won't talk to me anymore. It's over and I don't care what happened. I just want our old relationship back. The one where you play the over bearing cousin." Dani walked over to him and looked him right in his eyes. "Please, Egon." Her eyes searched for an answer in the scientist's.
"I can do that," Egon finally said. "I'm sorry."
"I know," his cousin replied than gave him a big hug. "So, whatcha researching?"
"I'm merely going through some old notes," Dr. Spengler answered. "Some early theories Ray and I had when we started all of this. We've been able to debunk a few and prove others. I'm working on a paper for the Paranormal Journal."
"Okay, well, you go work on that some more," Dani told him. "I'm sure it'll be great." She walked back over to Ray rolling her eyes.
"Yes, it shall be." Dr. Spengler walked back up the stairs.
"One down," Ray told Dani. She let out a big sigh. "Hey, it's okay."
"Yeah, I know." She looked at him with wide, bright eyes. "Let's do something fun, Ray." He gave her a slightly uncertain look.
"What exactly?"
"Dancing," Dani answered. She twirled in a big circle. "I wanted to be a ballerina when I was a little girl."
"You're not going to make me take lessons, are you?" Dr. Stantz inquired. "I'm not exactly very coordinated and I don't think I'd look good in tights."
"The greatest measure of a man is whether or not he can pull off tights," his girlfriend said with a smile.
"I'd certainly pay just to see you get him in them." Dani and Ray looked toward the voice to see Peter and Winston coming towards them. "I always wondered what you two discussed when no one was around. This is more interesting than I thought."
"I could have lived without it," Winston told them. The two men both looked at Dani at a moment than focused on Ray. "So, Ray, what's our lab rat up to?"
"He's writing an essay for the Paranormal Journal about some theories we came up with," Ray answered. "Where did you guys go?"
"Out," Peter responded. "I guess we'll go upstairs and grab a snack. I really like all this free time. I haven't been slimed in over a week. I could get used to this." They headed towards the stairs and Ray gestured for Dani to go after them. She raced past them and jumped up on the bottom step.
"Halt," the blonde ordered them. They stopped in their tracks.
"Dani, in order to go up you'll need to get out of the way," Winston said. "That's the way it works with stairs."
"I'm tired of you going up. I want you to stay down here a moment."
"You're not getting us in tights," Dr. Venkman told her. "I actually have an image I'd like to keep unlike the rest of these guys. Now, I'm hungry. Move."
"No." She spread herself across the bottom step. "Not until we talk."
"We are," Peter responded. "Talk over. Let us pass." The blonde shook her head quickly allowing her blonde hair to fly around her head.
"Is this a protest?" Winston inquired. "Have we been making to much noise going up the stairs at night while you're trying to sleep?" She looked at the two Ghostbusters with a serious face.
"You both know what I'm talking about," Dani said firmly. "I'm not going to let you go up these stairs until we get this over with. I hate the fact you're avoiding me and I want to clear the air." Dr. Venkman sniffed the air.
"The air is good. Nice perfume."
"Damn it, Pete. Cut it out. Your attempts to ignore this just makes me feel worse."
"What the hell do you want us to say, Dani?" Zeddemore asked. "Sorry we didn't listen when we thought our worlds were crashing around us. Those nightmares aren't something you take lightly and the fact you saw them makes it that much worse." He shook his head. "Dani, what happened wasn't right and I don't want to think about it."
"Than don't," Dani told him. "I'm not in there anymore. I don't want to be. I just want to be the girl you taught how to change a tire. I'm still the same person, Winston. I don't think any less of you. You're still a good man in my eyes." He eyed her carefully.
"You mean it?"
"I do."
"Alright," Winston said. "I can do this."
"Good." She gave him a hug and moved aside. "You may pass." He chuckled and went up the stairs. Peter attempted to follow, but the girl pushed the man back.
"Cut it out, Dani. I'm not in the mood for games."
"Than stop playing them."
"I'm not doing it. You are." He looked at her than walked away. He started toward his office than turned and headed back to doors. "Peter, wait." Dr. Venkman turned around and looked at the blonde.
"No, Dani," he told her trembling where he stood. "I'm not going for all that crap you pulled on Winston and probably Egon. I'm not that weak."
"You're not," she agreed as she walked toward him.
"Stop it."
"Stop what?" She walked closer to him and stopped a few feet away.
"Just stop it, Dani. I can leave right now and not come back."
"You can," Egon's cousin agreed. Ray realized what Dani was doing. The young woman was imitating her cousin in an attempt to get Peter to talk.
"I know what you're doing and it's not going to work. I'm smarter than that. I can walk away from this without another thought." She merely looked at him. He shook his head. "No. That's not fair."
"What's not fair?"
"You're doing the same thing Egon does," Peter admitted. "I guess the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree."
"I'm his cousin, Peter. Not his daughter." Dr. Venkman let out a little laugh as he leaned against the car. He looked at the blonde with his emerald green eyes.
"I screwed up, Dani. You took a lot of crap from me you didn't need to take."
"I learned to live with that a long time ago, Peter."
"You don't need that now. I'm supposed to be a good influence and all that other stuff Egon told me when I wasn't really listening. He really needs to just tape record everything he says and label them so I can refer back to them when I need to."
"He wouldn't let you off that easy;" Dani replied. She leaned up against the car next to Peter. "Do you see this? We're talking." He groaned.
"I'd like to call a penalty. You cheated."
"Did not."
"Did to."
"Baby."
"Teacher's pet."
"Am not."
"Are to." Peter smiled at the young woman. She grinned back. "So, when are we going to see Ray in those tights?"
"I'll need help."
"I like to help." They looked to Dr. Stantz who was tiptoeing towards the staircase. "Hey, Tex, we're gonna make you a ballerina."
"No, you're not." Ray dashed up the stairs with Peter and Dani right on his heels.
THE END