Epilogue
A/N: This is it! The very last chapter of the So Weird epic "One of Them"! I must say, this has been quite a ride. However, I don't think I'll be doing any fan fiction this long for a while. At least for only one show.
Anyway, thank you all for the reviews. It was what kept me going at times. I'd especially like to thank B Oots, who has stuck by me every single chapter. You rock! I really hope that you all (assuming that more than one person is reading this fic) review and tell me how it turned out.
Ok, you ready? Here it is! Does drumroll
Oh, and P.S., the lyrics at the end of this chapter belong to Johnny Nash, and I got them off the website l-y-r-i-c-s-k-e-e-p-e-r-.-c-o-m
Thursday, November 23, 2000
Thanksgiving
My life has never fit into the category of "normal." You know the one – two parents, school, homework, friends, a boyfriend or two. Hah, yeah right. The one boy who ever even considered me was a clone of his father. What does that tell you?
As for everything else…it's pretty hard to have best friends and go to classes when you're constantly on the road. Not that I've resented it. Believe me, I love it. Just the thrill of being in a new city every week, meeting new people, greeted by dozens of fans (ok, so they're not mine, but still) is enough to make my head spin. I can tell my mom is the happiest she's ever been when she's on stage; that's always a bonus. And I've collected so many email addresses and phone numbers that I've had to stash them in a rather large box in the back of my closet. But, I must admit, I've never forgotten which person each one belongs to.
Now add into the mix my obsession with the paranormal. I do enjoy it; it's my passion. But it's been difficult to pursue it when others used to consistently tell me that it didn't exist. And it wasn't only my mom and Jack. There have been a few incidents at school where I was sent to the guidance counselor or, even worse, the principal's office. Do you realize how challenging it is to convince someone that there actually was a ghost haunting the cafeteria? Since day one people have been telling me that my gifts were nothing but a dream or a figment of my imagination. Or, my personal favorite – a cry for attention. Like I'm desperate for affection. Between my mother, my brother, and the Bells, I never get a moment's peace.
These past weeks have been the most life-changing yet terrifying times I've been through. None of my other supernatural experiences come close to this, except maybe the one in New York with my dad. Now, for once, I'm not the only crazy one. Everyone around me is going through the same thing I am. I no longer have to fight with my mom about whether witches exist or not. She is one! Which I still can't believe. How could she do that to me all these years? Never trusting a word I said about the spirit world, discouraging me every chance she got. True, she had cast that spell, but part of me knows that she remembered on some level…
But the best thing about this entire adventure was that I got to spend quality time with my dad. To me, it's still incredible that he's even here. I guess I've been searching for him for so long that I'd begun to believe that I would never contact him. Now, he's a few rooms away in the kitchen, helping Mom, Irene, and Aunt Rachel, who are attempting to make Thanksgiving dinner. All I can say is, good luck to him.
"Fi, come here!" Melinda exclaimed from her position on the couch in front of the living room TV. "You have to see this!"
"I'll be there in a minute," Fi responded, then when back to typing in her diary that she kept on her laptop.
Yeah, Aunt Melinda's here, as are the twins. They were all thrilled when we broke down and told them what had been going on for the past month and a half. How could we not, with my supposedly dead father greeting them at the door? Aunt Melinda was so happy to see him that she cried for more than a few minutes. Maggie and Miranda were more ecstatic about the other stuff – they always knew I was a witch, even when I didn't. Hm, maybe they inherited some of my mom's psychic abilities. They are twins; it wouldn't be that weird.
Did I just say that having psychic powers wouldn't be that weird? Wow, I think I've gone over the edge. Ah, well, at least Jack will finally be right about something.
And he's been right about another thing, too. I am definitely far from "normal." But you know what? I don't mind it at all.
"I can't believe this!" Fi exclaimed. She had joined her aunt and cousins in front of the TV. Jack, Clu, and Carey had come over too, wanting to know what the excitement was all about.
It was quite funny, really. It turned out that all of Hope Springs had felt the shaking caused by the explosion a week ago. Police were still trying to find out what the source of it was. This was Colorado – it wasn't like it could have been an earthquake. They were convinced it was some sort of bomb, but couldn't find any evidence that it was.
The screen was displaying the immediate area affected by the so-called bomb, known to those in the Phillips' household as the land above the Protector's hideout. The place was leveled; not a single tree remained standing. Except, of course, for the tree that served as the caves' entryway. The cops couldn't for the life of them figure that one out.
It had been hard for investigators to dig deep into the underground cavern, but they had done it. Everything was in ruins. Thankfully, no leftover demons had been found. They had probably vanished or been destroyed by falling boulders.
"Uh oh, I think we have trouble." Carey pointed to the footage. Men wearing black uniforms were scraping some substance off the ground. It looked like blood. "If that belongs to one of us…and our fingerprints have got to be all over that cave…"
"Don't worry about it, bro," Clu told him, "Whatever happens, happens."
"Besides," Jack reassured him, "even if they identify us, what can they do? All it proves is that we were there – not that we set off anything."
Carey considered their explanations, then asked, "So, is there any chance that they might find out about you guys?"
The three teens deliberated his question for a moment, then smiled and responded simultaneously. "Nah."
"Can I come in?" Jack questioned as he knocked on the door to his sister's room, where she was taking a break from all the chaos downstairs. He had to smile. After all that's happened, she was the same – curled up on her bed, typing furiously on her laptop.
Fi looked up in surprise. Her big brother never knocked when the door was open, let alone asked permission to enter. Therefore, she regarded him with suspicion. "Um, yeah, sure."
When she made no move to get up, he sauntered over to her bed and casually glanced at the computer monitor. "You're still on that whole website thing?"
"Yeah, why not?"
Jack shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I figured that since you know all the answers now you wouldn't update it anymore."
"I don't have all the answers. Just a lot more than I used to." Fi sighed and shut down the machine. She didn't need her ESP to tell her that he wanted to talk to her about something. "So…what'd you come up here for?" She didn't mean to sound so blunt, but Jack only came to her room for important stuff.
Jack pretended to be hurt. "What? An older brother can't check up on his favorite little sister…"
"I'm your only little sister, Jack," Fi rolled her eyes, then commanded, "Come on, spit it out."
"I wanted to say…" Jack paused. This was really hard, especially for him. "I'm sorry. You were right."
Fi blinked once, then another time. She must have been mistaken, for it sounded like her stubborn brother had just admitted that he was wrong about something. Trying not to go into a state of shock, she stammered, "About w-what?"
"Don't make me say it…" Jack groaned when he realized that she really didn't know what he was apologizing for. "You know what, Fi. About all this paranormal business. There must have been a few dozen times when you've tried to convince me that magic existed and I thought you were crazy. I've seen enough to know how horribly wrong I was, and…I'm sorry for what I put you through."
Fi sat there a minute, stunned. Finally she got off the bed and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck. "Thank you so much, Jack! You have no idea how good this feels! All these years I've been trying and trying to get someone to believe me; to convince them that I'm not completely insane. And now…" A bit reluctantly, she let go of her brother, after seeing that she was choking him. "Well, let's just say that it's very nice to know that I'm not alone in this anymore."
"Alone in what?" Molly stood in the doorway, after having caught only a few seconds of the conversation. She came over and sat on the bed next to Fi, across from Jack, who had sat down on the computer chair.
"Oh, nothing important…" Jack began, not wanting his mother to be told his moment of weakness.
"Jack was just saying something that I've been wanting to hear for a very long time. He apologized."
Molly did not need to be told for what. "Yeah, baby, I guess I should too." She took a deep breath and started. "I'm sorry, Fi, for not believing in you, and also for not trusting you. But you have to understand that I was worried! Thanks to your father, I knew that the spirit world was a dangerous place. I was just so nervous that the same thing would happen…I didn't want to lose you, too."
"It's ok, Mom." Seeing that she needed it, Fi gave her a hug. "I know you were looking out for me, but it was so frustrating…"
All three were relieved when Irene's call came from downstairs. "Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes, everybody!" Then, a little softer, but still audible, "If I don't burn anything else."
They laughed, glad that the serious moment was over. Molly and Jack went downstairs, leaving Fi on her bed, at one of the happiest times in her life. She was about to join everyone when she noticed a spark outside her bedroom window. Maintaining her cool, she went over to make sure that she was seeing what she thought she was seeing.
Sure enough, Bricriu burst through the open window. "Well, Little Duck, that was certainly interesting."
Fi wasn't sure whether to be happy or angry. She then decided that she was in fact happy to see the spirit. "Bricriu! What happened? Last time I saw you was when we were in the caves."
Bricriu laughed. "I got out of there as soon as I noted that I was no longer needed. I doubt I would have been much help in the battle. Besides, I have to look out for me own safety, don't ya know."
"Oh, I know." Fi rolled her eyes, then said, "Well, at any rate, I'm glad you're ok. You gave me a lot of headaches, but you did help us out in the end."
"Yes I did," Bricriu confirmed. "And I must say that I will miss you, Little Duck."
"Miss me?" Fi repeated, not comprehending. "Why, where are you going?"
Bricriu sighed. "Back into the world. I've served my purpose here and kept you and your family out of danger – "
"And put us into it more than once," Fi muttered.
Ignoring her, he continued. "So there's really no reason to stick around. Besides, I've wasted too much of me life here. There are so many other humans out there to hound that it surprises me that me stayed this long."
"Gee, doesn't that make me feel special," Fi said sarcastically. Then she turned serious. "We've had our low points, but, I gotta admit, I will miss you…in a way."
"And I you, in a way," the spunkie mimicked, then flew over to the window. "Good bye, Little Duck." With that, he zipped away into the afternoon sky.
"Good bye, Bricriu," Fi whispered. A little emotional, she got up to go downstairs and be with her family.
"Fi, show us!" Miranda jumped up and down, using the armrest on the easy chair that Fi was sitting on as support.
"Yeah, show us Fi!" Maggie echoed, jumping on the other side, her blonde curls bouncing behind her.
Fi sighed and mentally counted to ten. "Guys, it takes a lot of effort to turn into an animal! I'm not doing it just so you can say how cool it is!"
At their cousin's outburst, the twins calmed themselves somewhat. Maggie then asked, putting on her best pleading face, "Come on, Fi! You're the only one who hasn't shown her powers yet!"
"Pretty please?" Miranda pleaded, making her eyes as wide as she possibly could. When she realized it wouldn't work, she got another idea. "Hey, Maggie, maybe we can get Irene to blow something else up!"
Catching on, Maggie nodded her head, "Yeah, let's go! See ya, Fi…" They started to go towards the kitchen – very slowly.
"Alright, I'll do it!" She moaned when the twins came rushing back to the chair. She had fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker. You know, you think that with this whole ESP thing I would be able to tell when someone is trying to trick me.
"So, Fi, what animal are you going to turn into?" Maggie asked excitedly, promptly resuming her bouncing.
Miranda looked thoughtful. "Turn into a really big cat! Like a panther!"
Fi shook her head. Then she got an idea. "No, I don't think a panther would fit in our living room. Besides, I'm not going to change into an animal."
Both girls stared at her bemusedly. Finally, Maggie questioned, "Then what are you going to do?"
Fi laughed. "You honestly don't think that turning into animals is the only power I have, do you?" While the girls' eyes widened, Fi raised her palm. Then, after thinking about it for a second, she pivoted to face the open window. There, I think that's a lot safer. Her palm still raised, she fired a blue lightning beam.
"Whoa…" The younger girls whispered in unison, then cried, "Fi, watch out!"
"What?" Fi had glanced at the twins after firing the shot, but now turned back. Instead of soaring into the sky, the beam had ricocheted off a tree and was heading towards her. Fi simply stood there, frozen like a deer caught in the headlights.
Fortunately, Carey chose that moment to walk in from the kitchen. Noticing the danger, he leaped toward the immobile witch. "Fi!" He jumped on her, tackling her to the ground right as the beam hit the wall that had been directly behind her head.
Fi laid on the ground for an instant, startled both by her near-death experience and the fact that her latest love interest was on top of her. "Thanks, Carey." Her voice was husky – she didn't think she could take his body touching hers for another minute.
Apparently, he couldn't either. "No problem, Fi." Then he planted a very passionate kiss on her shocked but welcoming lips. Maggie and Miranda watched in a mix of disgust and happiness as the new couple proceeded to make out on the floor.
Losing all track of where he was, Carey pushed his hand up Fi's back and reached for her bra. He stopped immediately when he sensed two people standing over them. He gazed up, a guilty look on his face. Sure enough, both his and her mothers were there, arms crossed…smiling? "Uh, hi Mom. This isn't what it looks like."
Irene tried not to burst out laughing. "What, you and Fiona not on top of each other and kissing?"
"Ok, maybe it is what it looks like." Moaning, Fi pushed a shocked Carey off of her and stood up. "But that's not the whole story. See, I was showing those two over there," she pointed to Maggie and Miranda, who were attempting to escape to the kitchen, "my new lightening beam power. It backfired, and I would have gotten killed if Carey hadn't shoved me out of the way. We fell on to the floor, and, well…you know the rest."
Molly stared at Carey, thinking. "I'm not sure whether to thank you for saving my daughter's life or yell at you for almost causing her to lose her virginity."
"Who are we kidding, Mol?" Irene interrupted. Turning to a surprised Carey and Fi, she explained. "We've been wanting you two to get together for a while. We're practically family already – why not make it official?"
Fi blushed. "I don't think we're quite ready for that yet…"
Irene laughed, "That's not what I meant. I just wanted to say that we're really happy for the both of you."
"Yeah," Molly agreed. Then she added, only half joking, "Of course, that doesn't mean that there won't be rules…"
Carey and Fi groaned in unison, imagining what those rules might be.
Jack laid on his bed, rubbing his stomach. Man, I forgot how good a cook Dad was. Even though the women had magical powers, they were clueless when it came to making Thanksgiving dinner. Therefore, Rick had taken over. The turkey had been so perfect that Jack already couldn't wait to dig in to the leftovers tomorrow.
Just then it hit him how much he's gotten used to having his father around. It was a little scary. You would think that after a guy's been dead for thirteen years it would be hard to adapt to having him around. But it turned out to be the opposite – this past month, it was like he had never been gone.
And now he had to say good bye again. Rick had announced last night that he would be leaving today, despite everyone's vehement protests. Mom started crying on the spot. Then again, who can blame her? It was like they were losing him for the first time. And after all they've been through, he knew that the next few months were not going to be pleasant.
It's just not fair! Jack thought angrily, punching his pillow. Why did he have to leave? The rational part of him knew that his dad couldn't stay. Or if he did, he wouldn't be able to go anywhere. Oh yeah, that'll go over real well with the neighbors. What would we say – that he's our dad's long lost twin brother? Jack paused. Hm, that's actually not a bad idea…
No, stop it. Jack chided himself. How could he let his imagination go so off course? He then reasoned, well, I guess it's not that far-fetched when you're living with four witches and a ghost.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock. Jack sighed, then called, "Come in." If he turned whoever it was away, they would tell the others. And a pity party wasn't what he needed right now.
Then again…He froze when he saw his father come through the doorway. Jack sighed. "Hey Dad."
"Hey," Rick's eyes seemed to be fixated on his shoes. "Mind if I sit down?" He motioned to the bed. Jack shrugged nonchalantly. Rick took it as a yes and sat. He cleared his throat nervously. "You know I'm, uh, leaving tonight, right?"
"Yeah, I know," Jack replied sharply, his voice bitter.
Rick did not fail to notice the tone. "Look, Jack, if I had a choice I would stay. But unfortunately this is not my choice to make."
"But it's your life!" Jack exclaimed suddenly. Then he realized his mistake. "I mean, afterlife! And it's our lives too! They have no right to take you away from us! We need you!"
Rick closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them. "Yes, it's not fair. But what do you want me to do, Jack? I don't have that kind of power where I can say 'screw them' and come back to life!"
Jack was now sitting straight up on the bed, tears threatening to flow. "But Mom, Fi, Aunt Rachel and Irene do! And you know that!"
"There's more to it than that!" Rick responded, almost shouting. "I know you don't want to hear this, but there's a reason I died! It was something that had to happen!"
"Why?" Jack challenged. "Why did you have to go and let Fi and I grow up without a father?"
Rick suddenly became quiet. "Honestly, I don't know. But I do know that it wasn't just bad luck that I got into that car."
That did it. Tears streamed down Jack's face. He tried furiously to wipe away each one, as a result getting his shirt sleeve soaking wet. Sensing his son needed it, Rick hugged him, then let it go after a few seconds. Looking him square in the eye, Rick said, "Alright, I need you to listen to me. Are you listening, Jack?"
Jack only nodded. But when his father stared at him harder, he muttered, "Yes."
"Good. Now, in a few hours, I'm going to leave. And will probably never see any of you ever again. I don't mean to frighten you – those are the facts. What I need you to do, no matter what, is to stay strong. I don't care what it is. Always keep your chin up. Your sister and mother look to you for strength – yes, even Molly. Sometimes it may seem like they don't pay attention to or respect you, but they do.
And another thing. Watch out for them. Your mom's most likely not going to be very emotionally unstable for the next few days. Make sure she doesn't go into a rut. And if she starts dating again, don't give her a hard time, understand?" Rick sighed when Jack half-smiled at his pathetic attempt at humor. "And, Fi, oh man. She's going to get into a lot of trouble, that much I can tell. Some of it will be the normal teen trauma, but then there's also demons and other beings that she may encounter. Keep an especially close eye on her. Don't let her get into too much trouble, ok?"
"Okay," Jack said, his voice barely a whisper. "I'll miss you, Dad." Not able to contain himself, he gave his father another hug.
A bit surprised, Rick responded, "I'll miss you too." When they separated, he got up.
Jack began to panic. These were going to be the last few minutes that he would get with his father. Gathering his courage, he managed to utter the one thing he'd been wanting to say ever since he could remember. "Good bye, Dad."
Somehow knowing that his son did not want him to answer, Rick just smiled sadly at him as he left the room.
SugarCandy: Hey, Fi! What is up, girl? I haven't talked to you in weeks!
Fi smiled as she read the instant message on her laptop screen. No matter what happens, Candy will always be there for me. That's a nice feeling. Only thing now is that I have to tell her my little secret. Ok, maybe it's not so little.
Attempting to sound casual, Fi replied:
Rockerbaby: nm. Just…hanging out.
There was a long pause, then:
SugarCandy: You know, you're a really bad liar. I can tell you're not telling the truth, and this is the Internet!
Rockerbaby: lol. Look, a lot's happened since you came over a few weeks ago–
SugarCandy: No kidding! You haven't been at school in more than a week! Are you ok?
Rockerbaby: Remember what I said about when I was going to tell you what was going on?
SugarCandy: thinks Oh yeah! You said "sometime in the future"… omg
Rockerbaby: Yep. Come over tomorrow and I'll spill everything. I just need you to promise me two things before I do.
SugarCandy: WHAT?
Rockerbaby: Whoa, calm down girl, lol. Number 1: Don't tell ANYBODY what I tell you.
SugarCandy: Of course!
Rockerbaby: And number 2: Keep an open mind. A REALLY open mind.
SugarCandy: is very confused what… Fi, are you pregnant?
Rockerbaby: NO!
SugarCandy: Calm down, just making sure.
Rockerbaby: I am so not pregnant…
SugarCandy: Ok, Fi, I believe you.
Rockerbaby: Right. Anyway, come over tomorrow any time. I gotta go – Dad just walked in.
SugarCandy: Ok…hold up…you just said Dad…Is that the secret? That he wasn't dead and was actually a secret agent in hiding?
Rockerbaby: smiles secretively Something like that. I'll explain TOMORROW. gtg – ttyl
SugarCandy: Wait, maybe he was in the Witness Protection Program!
Rockerbaby: GOOD BYE, Candy
SugarCandy: Hold on, maybe he –
Fi never read the last part of Candy's sentence as she turned off her laptop and looked up at her dad, who had walked in while she was still typing. He had casually glanced over her shoulder and was now very curious. "Who was that, Fi?"
"My best friend, Candy." She slid over and made room for her dad on the bed. "She was trying to guess what I was hiding."
"You're not going to tell her, are you? That's against the rules," Rick warned, concerned.
Fi shook her head. "No, it's not. The Bells know about us. I mean, Irene's a witch, but the guys aren't."
"But they would know anyway," Rick protested. "They're Irene's family, and therefore would be allowed to know."
Fi thought about that a minute, then shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not like it matters. Bricriu said that a witch could tell the people she trusts. And I definitely trust Candy. She's been my best friend since kindergarten." Seeing that her father still wasn't convinced, she sighed. "And besides, Mom was skimming through the spell book and found a memory erase spell. Worse comes to worse, we can use that."
Rick visibly relaxed. "I guess you're right."
"You know, that's the third time I've heard that today. And I must say that it is kind of nice." Fi grinned, pleased with herself. "Anyway, I assume you didn't come in here just to discuss privacy issues."
"You assume correctly." Rick paused, not really knowing how to proceed. "I, uh, came to say good bye."
Fi froze, shocked by his abrupt words. Her tension eased when she remembered that he had announced it last night. "Oh, yeah, um…so are we gonna hug or what?"
Rick laughed lightly, at the same time knowing that he was going to miss his daughter like crazy. "Not so fast. I've got a few words of wisdom I want to pass down."
"Oh," Fi uttered quietly.
Rick was put off by his daughter's silent acceptance of him leaving. "Is there anything you want to say before I start?"
Fi hesitated, then said in an even voice. "I just…I'm going to miss you so much. This past month has been…amazing. I have to tell you – I was beginning to lose hope that I would ever find you, contact you. And, you just show up in my living room one night. I've dreamed about having this conversation ever since I was little, and now…I don't know what to say. All the questions I've been gathering in my head flew out the window."
"Or maybe you don't need me to tell you the answers anymore," Rick suggested, and grinned when she nodded her head. He sighed, momentarily not know what to say. He had mentally prepared a whole big speech. But it had ended up like Fi's questions – thrown out the window. "I love you…so much, Fi," He was startled to see tears forming in his daughter's eyes. Oh no, not again. "And I would do anything to protect you. But at the same time, you have to be careful."
Fi nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I know, but it's so hard some times." Her voice was becoming hoarse, and she felt a sob coming on. "I try, I really do, but sometimes…"
"I know, I know." Rick wrapped her in his arms and held her. "But you have to make an effort. There are others out there just as powerful and evil as the Protector. And would love to get a piece of you guys. Just don't go looking for spirits like you used to, ok? Things have changed. It's not safe for you anymore. Come to think of it, it never was."
"I'll try to stay out of trouble," Fi assured him, her tone now a whisper. "I promise."
"That's my girl." Rick kissed the top of her head, then held her a little more. "I love you, Fiona."
Fi sobbed, reluctant to let go. "I love you too, Daddy."
Molly frantically skimmed through the spell book that lay on her bed. Rick would be leaving soon. Right now was her last chance to find a way to make him stay. "Potions…power binding…punctuality…no, no, and man, there's a spell for everything in here." Molly let out a frustrated sigh. She had been doing this for hours, and had come up empty handed. There had to be something,
Sensing that someone was at the door, she lifted her head. Rick. Ashamed, she closed the book as quietly as possible and shoved it under her stretched-out legs. She smiled at Rick innocently. "Hi, baby."
"Melinda and the girls went home," Rick mentioned, then came over and sat next to her on the bed, copying her position. He looked at her, obviously knowing that she was up to something. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Oh." Sighing, Molly pulled the book out from under her legs. "I thought there might be a spell in here that could, um…"
"Molly," Rick shook his head. "I'm going to have to go sooner or later."
"I know," Molly closed her eyes and flopped back on the bed. "I just…it's not fair! It's like losing you all over again."
Here we go. "Honey, I talked with Fi and Jack, and they said the exact same thing. Don't make this any harder on me than it already is." He too lied down, his head resting slightly above hers on the pillow.
"I'm sorry, but I miss you…so much," Molly inched closer to Rick, snuggling into his body. "It's so hard living without you."
"That's only because you've made it that way." She glanced up at him confused. Putting his arms around her, he explained, "Most widows are over their deceased loved ones by now. They still love and miss them, but many manage to marry again and start new families." At her slightly insulted face, he grinned. "And, let's face it, you haven't been on a date in, what, months?"
Molly pulled back, offended. "Excuse me? That's none of your business! And besides…how do you know what my love life has been like?" She sat up straight on the bed against one of her pillows, not in the mood to cuddle anymore.
Rick chuckled. "It was a shot in the dark. I had a feeling you haven't been a key player in the dating game."
She rolled her eyes and relaxed against the pillow a little more. "I just haven't met anyone that I'm interested in. And with all the traveling…"
"You've been home for quite a while," Rick pointed out. "And, Molly, you're a famous rock star. I'm sure there are tons of guys who would love to go out with you."
"I wouldn't say famous, exactly…" Molly shrugged modestly, then sighed. "I would date more, I just feel like…I know this sounds silly, but…like I'm betraying you. And not to mention I still think about you every day."
"Molly, Molly, Molly," Rick shook his head. "Ever hear of the phrase 'moving on'? I'm dead." Seeing that she was about to protest, he cut her off. "Promise me that from now on, you'll at least attempt to go on a date more often. Every other week, maybe?"
Molly looked at him strangely, "You know, there's something weird about your dead husband telling you that you need to get out more."
"No, not like that," Rick laughed. "All I'm saying is that you should try to think about me a little less often. Not forget about me completely, but…oh, you know what I mean."
"Yes, I do. It's just…hard."
"I understand." Rick stared at the floor, a tad awkward for a moment. "I'm, uh, really going to miss you. I mean, some days I wish I could physically be with you all the time. Being a ghost is not all that."
"I'll miss you too. I have for the past thirteen years," Molly paused, then wiped a tear from her eye. She wasn't going to cry right now. Crying could always be done in excess later. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rick tense. Fi and Jack must have broken down before. Not that I could blame them. Remaining strong, she pulled over the book over to her and began to skim through it. It was time.
Rick slid next to her on the bed and put his hand on the book so she couldn't turn the pages. "There, ah, is one thing I'd to do before I go." She looked at him, confused. He leaned in and planted a full-force, passionate kiss on her lips.
Molly responded eagerly. She would have liked to go a little farther than a kiss – he still technically was her husband, after all. But they had discussed the possibilities last night, and he had said that it was physically impossible for a ghost and a witch to go to "third base." Both were very disappointed.
They parted after a few minutes, dazed in their emotions. Molly wished they didn't have to. This is so damn hard. It's bad enough I had to lose him once, but twice? That's just plain cruel. Even so, there wasn't one single thing she could do about it. Sighing deeply, she went back to the spell back. "I guess it's time to, uh, send you back."
Again, Rick put his hand on the pages, then took it out as he closed the book. "This doesn't require a spell."
"Oh." Molly suddenly felt incredibly stupid.
"No, it's ok. Most witches don't have to do this." Rick smiled, reading her thoughts. Molly couldn't help think that he was psychic too and just never told her.
Rick stepped back from the bed and towards the wall behind him. He paused. "You know I'll always be with you, right, Mol?"
"Of course," Molly smiled. "That goes without saying."
"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure." Rick grinned for a second, then suddenly became serious. "I love you so much."
"I love you too. That's another thing that goes without saying."
Rick stood still. A blue and white swirl or light twisted around him, and pretty soon engulfed him completely. His disembodied voice whispered, "Good bye, Molly."
"Good bye, Rick." Molly watched the swirl of light shoot upwards out of the room. Then she broke down and cried.
"It's about time you came out. A few minutes later and I would have sent in the hounds." Irene chided Molly, referring to the four teenagers sitting around her in the living room. Satisfied when the singer formed a small smile, she slid over on the couch and made room for her on the couch, kicking Carey off the end in the process.
"Hey!" He protested. He had been sitting next to his new girlfriend, Fi. Fi glanced down at him on the floor and stuck out her tongue, teasing him. Glaring at her, he whispered, "I'll deal with you later."
Fi only grinned in response. "I can't wait."
Chuckling to herself, Irene turned back to the crestfallen Molly. Her tone placating, she asked, "Is he…?"
Molly nodded solemnly. "Yeah, he's gone." She sat on the couch next to Irene and put her head on her shoulder.
There was silence. Ned, on the recliner, hung his head in reverence and sorrow. On the floor, Clu and Carey consolingly slapped Jack on the back, a guy's way of saying that everything was going to be ok. And on the couch, Molly, Irene, and Fi put their arms on each other's shoulders for comfort.
Wanting to break the growingly uncomfortable quiet, Jack happened to glance at the left corner of her room. Getting an idea, he went over and picked up his mother's guitar. Holding it out to Molly, he suggested, "Play something, Mom."
She began to object, but everyone cut her off with support of their own. Shrugging, she took the guitar out of her son's hands. When Jack sat back down, she strummed the chords a few times, checking that it was in tune. She cleared her throat, then started to play. "I can see clearly now the rain has gone…"
Ned, Irene, and Fi joined in. "I can see all the obstacles in my way…"
By the end of the first verse, everybody in that room was singing. "Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind, it's gonna be a bright, bright, bright, bright, sun-shiny day."
And, in a way, they all related to those words. This past experience had been taxing on every one of them. But had opened their eyes and the clouds had cleared. They now knew that whatever they might have to face in the future, they would be able to handle it – no matter how weird it may be.