The next morning was tension filled for everyone. Peter actually washed the dishes from the night before. Ray kept tidying the same space in the living room, and Egon, who couldn't deal with the ominous air, had left with Winston to get donuts.
Peter was wiping off his wet hands when he heard the doors open downstairs. He walked into the living room. Ray was frozen in place, half peeking down the firepole, trying to get a better look. Peter hit his shoulder as he passed.
"You'd get a better look if you went downstairs with me," he joked.
Ray followed him and they walked down the face the unexpected. Ray was the first one to spot Christopher. He stopped, grabbing Peter's shirt. Peter glanced back at Ray, then to the spot he was pointing. His eyes widened when he caught sight of the blond man.
Janine was putting her bag on the desk, quietly talking to the man next to her. Christopher was listening to her, while looking around the firehouse fascinated. He was wearing brown pants, and a matching shirt, so new looking Peter knew Janine had gone shopping for him in the last couple of days. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he wasn't wearing glasses. He glanced behind him, then turned around, staring in shock as he caught sight of both Peter and Ray.
"By God," he said, taking a tentative step towards them. "It's as if my own brothers were before me."
Peter had no answer for the exact copy of their friend standing before them. For a brief moment, he was tempted to ask Janine how she talked Egon into helping her pull off this huge con, but then the front door opened and the question was forgotten. Standing inside the door was Winston and the real Egon Spengler, staring in wide-eyed shock at the man in the reception area, the donut boxes in their hands forgotten.
Peter recovered quickly and walked down the rest of the stairs, his best Venkman smile firmly fixed on his face.
"I'm Dr. Peter Venkman," he said approaching the still startled man. "You must be Christopher DeWinter. We've heard so much about you." he gestured towards the stairs, and the front door. "These are my colleagues, Dr. Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddamore, and Dr. Egon Spengler."
At that name, Christopher spun around. Blue eyes met blue eyes across the room.
"This surly must be some sort of sorcery," Christopher said. He broke his gaze from Egon, and turned back to Peter.
"Please, excuse my rudeness gentlemen," he stated. "It's only your resemblance to my brothers and myself is frightening." He glanced over at Winston, who was following Egon towards him. "And that man...Winston, he seems familiar to me also."
Janine, who had edged towards Christopher when Egon and Winston walked in, reached up and whispered into the blond alchemist's ear. Frowning, he looked down at her. "The one Michael whipped you for?"
She nodded. Peter cringed inwardly. He knew who Michael resembled.
"Why don't we go upstairs?" he suggested, changing the subject. "We can talk more there."
"When Janine told me stories of this place, I must admit, I didn't believe her," Christopher told them. They'd gone up to the living room and were comfortably seated. Christopher smiled up at Janine, who was sitting on the arm of his chair. He patted her hand. "It seems like she was telling us the truth."
Egon hadn't joined the other, instead heading for the kitchen, putting out donuts and half-listening to the conversation in the other room. His mind was reeling. True, this man in the living room could pass for an exact physical copy of him, but his demeanor wasn't at all the same. Christopher DeWinter was an alchemist and an aristocrat. The way he sat in there now, with Janine hovering over him made him sick. How could she love him? She'd once said that it wasn't necessarily this physical self she was attracted to, but rather the person he was. If that were true, then why fall in love with Christopher? They were nothing alike. There had to be some underlining reason.
"That is, if Janine agrees to return with me," he heard Christopher say.
"Christopher..." Janine warned.
"I know, but there are only two more nights until I must return, my love. But I did agree to speak no more on this subject."
Egon realized his fists were clenched.. He leaned against the counter, both horror and hope swelling in him.
How dare he try to take Janine back.
But she sounded like she was undecided.
But there was two days, how could he convince her to stay by then?
But in two days, Christopher DeWinter would be gone for good.
But would Janine be gone also?
"Janine told Raymond and I of a place where the spirits you capture are kept," Christopher was saying. "I would love to see it."
"No problem," he heard Ray said. "We'll give you the ten cent tour."
There was some shuffling, then silence. Egon turned back to the counter, letting the cool marble hold him up, willing himself to clam down. Behind him, he heard a noise, then a soft gasp of pain. Turning, he saw Janine standing in the kitchen doorway; one hand on the door frame, the other holding her midsection. "Are you all right?" he asked. Her head jerked up as if she didn't expect him to be in here. Then she nodded.
"Fine. I think I have an ulcer. I thought you'd be in the lab," she said, walking towards him and the cabinets.
"Don't go."
He had meant to make some excuse as to why he was in the kitchen, but that wasn't what came out. Janine froze, and looked over at him for a long time. Finally, she shook her head. "Egon, please don't..."
"Don't leave with him," he repeated, this time intentionally saying it.
"Egon, I've asked Christopher to let me decide on my own and..."
"I'm not Christopher," he interrupted angrily, walking towards her. "Christopher doesn't have to bother you; he knows there's a pretty good chance you will leave with him. I don't have that guarantee. I can't lose you Janine. I won't. You have to make a choice; tell me you'll stay, or tell me you despise me and leave."
Janine stomped her foot. "Dammit Egon, don't make me choose like that," she snapped. "I can't."
"You have to make a choice," he snapped back. "You can't go and stay. Somehow, either Christopher or I will end up hurt. I won't lose you," he repeated firmly.
"Why is it suddenly so important to you I stay?" she insisted. "Why won't you let me go?"
Egon's hand lashed out and grabbed her, knocking her off balance. She fell into him, as he pulled her closer. She looked up at him, about to protest, when he bent his head, and kissed her.
Everything he couldn't say, wouldn't say, or didn't know how to say was in the kiss. Once, before this all happened, Janine worried that he'd never look at her like she wanted him to. That the only way they would be together would be in her fantasies. Now, here she was, kissing the man she had loved since day one, while the man she loved now was in the basement with the others.
Slowly, Egon pulled away, leaving her dazed.
"I shouldn't have done that," he told her. "But I won't regret it. Please Janine, don't leave."
He let her go, and walked out of the kitchen. Janine fell into the nearest chair, felling very confused. She touched her lips, still feeling the pressure of Egon's mouth on hers; tasting the remains of the jelly donut he'd had for breakfast. At one time, her heart would've leapt into her throat if he'd kissed her like that. Now, her stomach just hurt.
Peter was wiping off his wet hands when he heard the doors open downstairs. He walked into the living room. Ray was frozen in place, half peeking down the firepole, trying to get a better look. Peter hit his shoulder as he passed.
"You'd get a better look if you went downstairs with me," he joked.
Ray followed him and they walked down the face the unexpected. Ray was the first one to spot Christopher. He stopped, grabbing Peter's shirt. Peter glanced back at Ray, then to the spot he was pointing. His eyes widened when he caught sight of the blond man.
Janine was putting her bag on the desk, quietly talking to the man next to her. Christopher was listening to her, while looking around the firehouse fascinated. He was wearing brown pants, and a matching shirt, so new looking Peter knew Janine had gone shopping for him in the last couple of days. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he wasn't wearing glasses. He glanced behind him, then turned around, staring in shock as he caught sight of both Peter and Ray.
"By God," he said, taking a tentative step towards them. "It's as if my own brothers were before me."
Peter had no answer for the exact copy of their friend standing before them. For a brief moment, he was tempted to ask Janine how she talked Egon into helping her pull off this huge con, but then the front door opened and the question was forgotten. Standing inside the door was Winston and the real Egon Spengler, staring in wide-eyed shock at the man in the reception area, the donut boxes in their hands forgotten.
Peter recovered quickly and walked down the rest of the stairs, his best Venkman smile firmly fixed on his face.
"I'm Dr. Peter Venkman," he said approaching the still startled man. "You must be Christopher DeWinter. We've heard so much about you." he gestured towards the stairs, and the front door. "These are my colleagues, Dr. Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddamore, and Dr. Egon Spengler."
At that name, Christopher spun around. Blue eyes met blue eyes across the room.
"This surly must be some sort of sorcery," Christopher said. He broke his gaze from Egon, and turned back to Peter.
"Please, excuse my rudeness gentlemen," he stated. "It's only your resemblance to my brothers and myself is frightening." He glanced over at Winston, who was following Egon towards him. "And that man...Winston, he seems familiar to me also."
Janine, who had edged towards Christopher when Egon and Winston walked in, reached up and whispered into the blond alchemist's ear. Frowning, he looked down at her. "The one Michael whipped you for?"
She nodded. Peter cringed inwardly. He knew who Michael resembled.
"Why don't we go upstairs?" he suggested, changing the subject. "We can talk more there."
"When Janine told me stories of this place, I must admit, I didn't believe her," Christopher told them. They'd gone up to the living room and were comfortably seated. Christopher smiled up at Janine, who was sitting on the arm of his chair. He patted her hand. "It seems like she was telling us the truth."
Egon hadn't joined the other, instead heading for the kitchen, putting out donuts and half-listening to the conversation in the other room. His mind was reeling. True, this man in the living room could pass for an exact physical copy of him, but his demeanor wasn't at all the same. Christopher DeWinter was an alchemist and an aristocrat. The way he sat in there now, with Janine hovering over him made him sick. How could she love him? She'd once said that it wasn't necessarily this physical self she was attracted to, but rather the person he was. If that were true, then why fall in love with Christopher? They were nothing alike. There had to be some underlining reason.
"That is, if Janine agrees to return with me," he heard Christopher say.
"Christopher..." Janine warned.
"I know, but there are only two more nights until I must return, my love. But I did agree to speak no more on this subject."
Egon realized his fists were clenched.. He leaned against the counter, both horror and hope swelling in him.
How dare he try to take Janine back.
But she sounded like she was undecided.
But there was two days, how could he convince her to stay by then?
But in two days, Christopher DeWinter would be gone for good.
But would Janine be gone also?
"Janine told Raymond and I of a place where the spirits you capture are kept," Christopher was saying. "I would love to see it."
"No problem," he heard Ray said. "We'll give you the ten cent tour."
There was some shuffling, then silence. Egon turned back to the counter, letting the cool marble hold him up, willing himself to clam down. Behind him, he heard a noise, then a soft gasp of pain. Turning, he saw Janine standing in the kitchen doorway; one hand on the door frame, the other holding her midsection. "Are you all right?" he asked. Her head jerked up as if she didn't expect him to be in here. Then she nodded.
"Fine. I think I have an ulcer. I thought you'd be in the lab," she said, walking towards him and the cabinets.
"Don't go."
He had meant to make some excuse as to why he was in the kitchen, but that wasn't what came out. Janine froze, and looked over at him for a long time. Finally, she shook her head. "Egon, please don't..."
"Don't leave with him," he repeated, this time intentionally saying it.
"Egon, I've asked Christopher to let me decide on my own and..."
"I'm not Christopher," he interrupted angrily, walking towards her. "Christopher doesn't have to bother you; he knows there's a pretty good chance you will leave with him. I don't have that guarantee. I can't lose you Janine. I won't. You have to make a choice; tell me you'll stay, or tell me you despise me and leave."
Janine stomped her foot. "Dammit Egon, don't make me choose like that," she snapped. "I can't."
"You have to make a choice," he snapped back. "You can't go and stay. Somehow, either Christopher or I will end up hurt. I won't lose you," he repeated firmly.
"Why is it suddenly so important to you I stay?" she insisted. "Why won't you let me go?"
Egon's hand lashed out and grabbed her, knocking her off balance. She fell into him, as he pulled her closer. She looked up at him, about to protest, when he bent his head, and kissed her.
Everything he couldn't say, wouldn't say, or didn't know how to say was in the kiss. Once, before this all happened, Janine worried that he'd never look at her like she wanted him to. That the only way they would be together would be in her fantasies. Now, here she was, kissing the man she had loved since day one, while the man she loved now was in the basement with the others.
Slowly, Egon pulled away, leaving her dazed.
"I shouldn't have done that," he told her. "But I won't regret it. Please Janine, don't leave."
He let her go, and walked out of the kitchen. Janine fell into the nearest chair, felling very confused. She touched her lips, still feeling the pressure of Egon's mouth on hers; tasting the remains of the jelly donut he'd had for breakfast. At one time, her heart would've leapt into her throat if he'd kissed her like that. Now, her stomach just hurt.