A dazzling display of five proton streams wrapping around the form of Augur, a resurrected demigoddess of destruction, lit up the roof top in a flash of orange that shown brilliantly against the dark blue tinted storm clouds overhead. The combined strength of the enhanced proton streams was enough to hold the powerful being at bay, unable to resist or fight back against the team of paranormal investigators and eliminators.

The high pitched whir of the five proton packs synchronized and drowned out the rebellious cry of the anger demigoddess.

"We have her!" Egon struggled to see their target through the blinding light emitted by the packs. "If we can push her through the portal," he yelled over the chaotic scene. "we can close it with our packs and stop her from destroying the city!"

"How?!" Ray asked as struggled to keep himself balanced with the injury in his side burning at his every movement. "We need all five streams just to hold her!"

"Like this..." Peter turned to Dana and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before taking a step forward. His proton stream isolating itself from the other four and holding Augur tightly.

"Peter!" Winston protested the move but there was nothing he could do to stop him or even help.

"He knows what he's doing!" Dana defended the bold move although she didn't approve of it. "Trust him!"

"I do trust him!" Winston responded as he turned his eyes from the intense light of the proton streams. "I don't trust her!"

As Peter boldly closed in on Augur the intensity of his proton stream increased, the power flourishing as the closer proximity to the target put less strain on the pack and required less energy to keep the continuous flow's power level consistent.

Augur snarled as she struggled to attack Peter. Her green eyes burned with an intensity comparable only to the fiery depths of Hell itself. "All mortals shall perish..."

"It doesn't take a god to know that!" Peter snapped defiantly as he put himself dangerously close to Augur, his proton stream illuminating the space between their bodies. Long dark shadows cast by both Peter and Augur stretched ominously over the surface of the portal as the mortal man stood toe to toe with a demigoddess. "All good things must come to an end," Peter flipped a switch on the wand of his proton pack that caused the power levels of the pack to shift up to its maximum, dangerous, level "even if that good thing wasn't as good as it could've been."

"Venkman!" Egon knew what the brazen psychologist was going to do and desperately wanted to talk him out of it. "Don't!"

With one final burst from his proton pack Peter pushed the wrathful demigoddess back and into the glass like surface of the portal.

"I will not go back alone..." Augur leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, draining him with a kiss from the damned.

Stunned into paralysis by the final gambit Peter felt all his strength being pulled from his body and the world around him going dark. His complexion paled and his eyes fell shut as every ounce of his strength was stolen away from him by the leaps of the demon. Falling forward his proton wand fell from his limp hands and clattered to the rooftop as Augur stepped back into the portal, her aura pulling Peter along with her.

"Peter!" Dana watched helplessly as Peter was pulled into the portal. She knew that if he was pulled into the portal that he'd never escape. Turning off her own pack and dropping it to the rooftop she bolted toward the portal and reached her hand out for him.

"Dana!" Ray shut off his pack as well, Egon and Winston following suit as to not accidentally strike her.

"I'm not going to lose him!" She called back as she reached the portal. Peter's body disappeared through the surface as Augur pulled him in. "No!"

"We... We have to close the portal." Egon reluctantly reminded the others.

"But... Peter..." Ray refused to leave his friend behind or condemn him to an eternity wandering through another dimension. "We can't abandon him!"

Dana stood before the swirling blue portal, the power of the gateway stirring up the air causing her dark locks of hair to whip wildly around his face. Lifting a hand she pressed her palm against the surface and slowly pushed her hand though. She felt no pain, only coldness.

"Peter! If you can hear me, take my hand!" She called through the portal. "Please! I know you're still there!"

Egon's eyes were wide with fear and indecisiveness. Stopping Augur, closing the portal was the only thing that could protect the city from destruction. Surely the fate of one person compared to millions of others would be the less of two evils. But to play god, to choose who lives and who dies was something that no one person or any person had the right to decide.

"Peter!" Dana continued to call out to her husband, knowing that he'd never give up so easily. "I know you can do it! Take my hand!"

A subtle but noticeable grip tightened on Dana's offered hand through the portal. A grip that suddenly lightened as if a weakness had abruptly taken hold.

"Peter?" She whispered, tightening her hand around the hand that reached out for her own. "I have him!"

Egon turned back to the portal and aimed his proton wand. "Pull him back through!" He looked down at his bleeding injured chest and swore at himself, feeling as though his carelessness when he first explored the hotel was now about to cost him the life of a good friend.

Ray and Winston waited anxiously for any sign from Peter before making a move.

Dana struggled but managed to pull her arm back through the portal. As she stepped back she saw that gloved hand of Peter locked in the firm grip of her own hand. "Peter!" An icy layer of ectoplasm clung to the fabric of his jumpsuit and dripped off in heavy, thick globs. The slick film made it all the more difficult for Dana to keep her grip, but she showed no sign of letting go.

"She has him!" Ray cheered as too aimed his proton wand. "As soon as they're clear, fire!"

Dana pulled on Peter's arm, using both hands until his upper body and head had emerged from the portal. Keeping one hand on his arm she used her other hand to grip the shoulder of his jumpsuit and continued to pull him forward.

"Peter!" She called his name but he didn't respond. His eyes were closed, his face pale and his entire body covered in an icy layer of ectoplasm. "Peter I have you!"

Wrapping her arms around his chest she stepped back and pulled him backward with her. His limp, motionless body fell on top of her as she fell and landed with an uncomfortable 'thud' on the roof.

"Now!" Ray called out as soon as he saw that both Dana and Peter were out of harm's way.

As the three proton streams erupted from the packs and struck the surface of the portal Augur burst forward with a snarling roar. She reached one hand out once more for Peter, gripping him around his ankle.

"No!" Dana saw Augur's hand and stomped down on the clawing fingers as hard as possible.

Augur lost her grip as the proton packs pushed her back through the portal. The proton streams causing the opened portal to steadily narrow and shrink in size as the energy flowed from within the portal was quickly being reverse.

"NO." Augur was losing her power, losing control over the body of the possessed receptionist.

No longer able to maintain control the body of the young woman fell forward and out of the portal in an unconscious heap, revealing the true face of Augur the demigoddess.

A writhing black, semi-translucent figure of demonic creature struggled angrily against the closing gateway. It's lanky and muscular body was covered in a fine layer of dark fur. Four piercing green eyes glared with utter hatred at the successful Ghostbusters of whom were only seconds from triumph. A long beast like mouth with four tusks, two on each side of the lower jaw, jutted upward like ivory daggers; with at least two dozen smaller fangs in between. Six cyclical horns protruded from the top of her head and wrapped downward toward her spine. Two lengthy arms, complete with massive hands and pointed claws desperately reached out through the portal in an attempt to drag Peter back through the portal.

Dana dragged Peter across the roof and away from the collapsing portal, the ectoplasm puddling beneath his stilled body.

With one final surge of collected energy from the proton packs the three beams forced Augur back through the portal where she whence came and sealed the surface before draining the portal of all power. In a bright, small flash the portal vanished and the clouds above began to break apart, the sky clearing after nearly eighteen days of chronic darkness.

The three proton packs were shut off as the three standing Ghostbusters looked to where their fallen teammate lay. Dana rolled Peter onto his side as she unclasped the proton pack from his back. Tossing the device aside she was able to roll him over onto his back. "Peter? Peter wake up." She put her hands to the sides of his face and shuddered at how cold he felt.

Egon, Ray and Winston all rushed to his side and looked down at the pale, lifeless body of Peter Venkman.

"Not like this." Ray stooped down and grabbed Peter's wrist to check his pulse, only to find none.

Egon knew that there would be no pulse to be found. From the look of Peter's body he was certain that the man had been so completely submerged in ectoplasm that he had drowned!

Moving quickly Egon unzipped the upper portion of Peter's jumpsuit exposing the black t-shirt beneath. Pressing his ear to Peter's chest he heard no breathing or beating heart. "Winston..."

Reacting on pure instinct Winston kneeled down beside Peter and began compressing downward on Peter's chest. Using controlled by strong pressure Winston began performing CPR in an attempt to revive Peter. "Come on Venkman, come on..."

As soon as Winston paused compressions Egon pressed his ear back to Peter's chest and near his mouth but still heard no signs of life.

Winston resumed compressions, continuing a steady pace with controlled pressure.

"Peter..." Dana felt warm tears pooling in her eyes as she watched the lifeless body of her husband remain unresponsive. A strong hand squeezed her shoulder as Ray offered some degree of comfort, his other hand still holding Peter's wrist to measure a nonexistent pulse.

Just as Winston was about to stop the compressions a white foam erupted from Peter's mouth as he began to cough up the ectoplasm that had invaded his lungs in a violent torrent. Winston rolled Peter to his side and supported his back as the drowned man struggled to clear his lungs of fluid and take in a much needed breath of air.

"Peter!" Dana put her hand on the back of his head and ran her fingers through his dark, tangled locks.

Egon and Ray let out sighs of relief the moment life returned to the once dead man. Ray pressed his fingers to Peter's neck. "Strong pulse!"

"Easy, easy man." Winston helped Peter to sit upright as he continued to cough and try to take in a full breath.

"What... What happened?!" He asked between coughs. "I was... I was on the other side..."

Peter wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "You're safe."

Egon weakly stood upright and looked about the roof, seeing no sign of Augur or the portal. "The portal has been shut, the gateway is locked."

Ray looked past Peter to the body of the receptionist who was still laying unconscious near the origin point of the portal. "We need to get these two to the hospital."

Winston laughed a little. "And you two. I can see the blood from down here."

Egon and Ray looked down at their bloodied and burned jumpsuits dismissively.

"He's right." Dana agreed fully. "I'm not going to play nurse to all three of you."

With the portal closed and the storm gone all returned to normal in the city. The power to the hotel had been restored and the citizens were no longer cowering inside their homes.

Winston carried the unconscious receptionist in his arms as the three injured Ghostbusters awkwardly leaned on each other, with Dana's help of course, in order to reach the elevator. Once down on the first floor Dana had called for an ambulance to care for the receptionist and requested a second to tend to the three injured men.

Inside the hospital it was near pandemonium as the waiting room was rushed by police, the mayor's office and even the press. One by one the four Ghostbusters explained everything to the police, who then compared the stories and passed along the information to the mayor's very worried and annoying assistant.

Peter, Ray and Egon were admitted to the hospital and were required to remain overnight for observation. The doctor's were worried that Peter might develop pneumonia from his near drowning, while the painful burns on Ray's side were showing signs of infection and would require extensive care. The severe injuries to Egon's chest had also shown signs of infection and risked exposing the man to an internal infection as well.

Bandaged and set up in a shared room the three men were finally able to let down their guard.

Peter an an IV of antibiotics hooked into his left arm and he had an oxygen mask over his face to assist his breathing. He found the device more annoying than beneficial and kept pulling it from his face.

"Don't do that." Egon warned as he watched Peter from his neighboring bed. "You need to additional oxygen."

"Medical advice coming from a man who was struck by lightning and refused to go to a hospital." Peter dramatically replaced the mask over his face, only to lift it away one more time. "How appropriate."

Egon had his chest cleaned, stitched and wrapped in fresh gauze. In due part to his fractured ribs and the physical exertion he had pushed himself through, he too was hooked up to an IV of antibiotics but only had a nasal canula as opposed to a full oxygen mask over his face.

"Fellas," Ray was his usual neutral self as he listened to his friends picking at each other, his bed across from theirs on the opposite side of the room. "you're both idiots." Ray was the only one who didn't require any oxygen, but he was on strong antibiotics to combat the puncture wounds and burns to his heavy wrapped up side.

There was a knock on the door and a moment later it opened with Dana and Winston carrying arm loads of flowers and balloons.

"That seems a little excessive." Ray remarked at the outpouring of affection. "Oh, I love daisies!"

Peter and Egon gave Ray an odd glance before Peter turned his attention to his courageous wife. "Did you two rob a party store?"

"These," Dana explained as she placed a large vase of flowers between Peter and Egon's beds. "are thank you gifts from the city. Everyone knows what you guys did and everyone is thankful." She lifted Peter's mask away and kissed him. "And I'm glad you're all going to be okay."

Winston returned to the door and held it open. "There someone else who wants to see you."

In walked Janine who was holding baby Oscar in her arms.

"Oscar!" Peter was genuinely happy to see the step-son, of whom he had decided was his own flesh and blood son and loved him as such. "Good to see you!"

Janine handed the baby to his parents and stepped back. "As soon as the storm cleared up Dana's sister called. I told her everything was safe again, so while you guys were being checked out by the doctors I swung by Jersey and picked him up as a surprise!"

"Thank you Janine." Dana kissed her son's cheek happily. "It's nice to be all together again."

Winston took a seat in a chair beside Ray's bed and explained the game plan that he and Dana had come up with while out in the waiting room. "So, this is what's going to go down. Tonight me and Dana are going to stay here with you guys, Janine is going to return to the firehouse and lock things down for the rest of the night, AND for the rest of the week. We're all going to take a vacation, no more busting until next week."

"But Winston," Ray started to protest like a little kid. "we can't just NOT catch ghosts. What if someone needs help while we're out of action?"

"That's why we got in contact with Hoss. He's going to head back to the city tonight and train his new recruits while their headquarters is being built and inspected in Chicago."

Egon was intrigued by Winston's plan. "Time off will do us all good. We need to rest."

"Well, if the brains of the outfit says it's playtime," Peter happily agreed as he snuggled with Oscar. "then it's playtime! Right Oscar?"

-The End