Chapter 3:

All dressed up and cute as a doll.

Dec 2,3,4 2000

Peter walked out of the dark bathroom and back into the empty bedroom. He changed clothes so he would look like a bum and took the dog, Picka, from next door. He put a note of the gate saying that he took their dog to the park for a walk and that he would be back in hour. Hoping that it wouldn't last that long. Meanwhile at Central Park, Egon and Janine got out of the car. They went to the side of the lake. That was her idea. Egon pulled out a towel and she sat of on it.

"Sit with me." she called to him.

"I'll sit in the grass." He sat close to her but not as close as she wanted him too. She couldn't complain though, she finally got him to take her out on a date. Well, she considered it one. They sat there for a few minutes just staring at the ducks going by. Egon and Janine didn't notice that Peter was sat on the bench watching them. They just thought it was a homeless man and his dog. That's exactly what Peter wanted them to think.

"So tell me about this dream you had about me? I'm really curious." She looked over at him trying to get his attention. He didn't look at her though. He could feel her burning eyes all around him. He knew if he looked straight into them he would be trapped forever.

"Well, I uh…don't know where to start?" Egon stuttered. He didn't want to remember it. He thought that it might bring on more nightmares about her but he knew Janine wasn't going to let it go.

"Start from the beginning and let it all flow. It will help you get over it. I know it would. It always helps to get everything out in the open and talk to someone about it."

"I'll try to. Here goes." She listened intensely and watched his expressions change as he told her the whole dream that he had encountered. She knew that this was hard for him to open up to anyone, especially her, about things that were bothering him. He also told her that he had read some journal of hers. Well, he thinks he did. She was socked when he told her about his past. She felt that this was a good sign, how he opened up to her but felt bad about what had happened to him. She felt like they were getting closer by the minute.

"Is that why you run away from me like you do?" she had to know the answer to that.

"Um…Yeah, I guess. I don't really know why I do."

"To tell you the truth…" she looked up at him again. "There is a journal inside my desk. That's why I was upset with you going in my desk this morning. I didn't want any of you guys to read any of it especially Peter. I know that if he reads it, I will be the center of all his jokes. He will make fun of the things that I write."

"Yeah he's that way, you have to look past that. I think his jealous of me."

"Of you?" she gave him a funny look. "Why?"

"All the girls like me when I started teaching as a Professor. He didn't like that, for he never ended up with a date." She giggled at that. He finally looked over at her. "Then you didn't tell Peter about having a crush on me?"

"No I only wrote that in my journal. Did you read my journal?" his eyes were tensed as she looked away from him.

"I must have." He gulped. He knew this would push her deeper away from him. He didn't want to upset her even more. "I don't remember but I had it in my hands when I woke up. I also had a suit and tie on. I can't explain any of it. The only thing that I came up with is that, I was sleepwalking all night and went through all the motions of my nightmare." She took a few minutes to answer him. He knew that she was upset with him for telling her truth but he couldn't just lie. Not when the communications between them was going good.

"That's really weird Egon. You've never sleepwalked before and I know that you hate to dress up for no reason." She was kind of mad at him but she wanted to know the whole truth. She was glade that he had the curtsey to be honest with her. They just sat there looking at the lake for a while. Janine was curious about how much he had read of her journal, if any at all. When she looked over at him, she saw that he had that glassy look in his eyes, like he had just left reality. She wondered what he was thinking about.

"Look at the time." She said to break the silence. He snapped back to reality.

"Yeah, we better get back before the guys read to much into this."

"Your right Egon, I know that Peter will joke about this for days."

"Uh… Janine" he started.

"What is it Egon?" she looked concerned.

"Uh…um…. Would you like to go grab some dinner at Gina's tonight, say 8?"

"Sounds great!" She gave him a great big hug that almost choked the breath out of him. She had been waiting a long time to hear him say that. Peter on the hand knew that it was coming but not this soon. Peter had to get to the firehouse before they knew that he was gone and see the sign on the gate next door. He saw her pink car turning the corner of 42th St. where they lived. He did just make it. He jumped inside. "Just did make it back in time." He said out of breath. He ran over to his desk and sat with his feet on the edge with his chair back. "That was close." He said under his breath. He placed a newspaper in front of him. He had to make it look normal so that they would not know anything was up.

"Janine, great you're back." Peter called as he got up from his desk.

"Did anyone call Dr. Venkman?"

"Not that I know of, I took at nap. I woke up when I heard you and Egon come in." He was lying through is teeth. Janine sat at her desk. She was waiting for him to joke about her time with Egon but he didn't. That was not like him. She was always in his jokes. Why not this time? She knew that that would be the first thing out of his mouth. The guys got a late call. When they got back it was 6 o'clock.

"Janine?" Egon questioned when he stepped out of the back of ecto. He had slime dripping off of him; it even messed up his hair.

"Yes." She knew what he was about to ask. She didn't really want him to turn down the date though. He thought for a few seconds, "never mind." He winked her direction.

"Taxi!" she shouted out. Peter gave her a funny look.

"You are supposed to yell that outside, not in here." He rolled his eyes toward the sky.

"Yeah that's it." She rolled her eyes back at him. "8" she looked at Egon. He smiled at her. He walked up the stairs to get ready. Peter knew what was going on. He had a plan to follow them. He wanted to see how far they would go. He knew that Egon would not admit anything this personal to him. Janine left the back way like she always did. Peter followed Egon upstairs. Ray was dragging from the bust. He didn't even watch any cartoons. He went straight to bed and laid down.

"Hey Ray, I need your help." Peter went over to him, making sure that Egon didn't over hear them.

"What is it Peter?" Ray asked as he looked at Peter's smirked face, "What scheme did you mind come up with this time or am I afraid to ask."

"Where's your blond woman's costume you had years ago for Halloween?"

"Still in the closet. It has everything with it. Why?" he shook his head "you aren't going to dress up and follow Egon on his date are you?"

"Who me?" Peter pointed to himself.

"Peter."

"Come on it won't hurt. It's not like I'm going to start anything. I just want to know who he is beginning so secret about."

"Peter he will tell us when he is nice and ready. He tells us everything you know that."

"This is different. It's personal. Can you fix me up?"

"Sure, ok but if you get caught…" he was cut off.

"I wont."

"Well, if you do you are on your own. I had not part in this plan."

"Sure Ray. Just help me."

"Fine." Ray didn't want Peter to go and do this but he knew there was no way he would change his mind. He would let Peter get himself out of this one if he got caught. Ray knew that he would. Ray was getting his things together when Egon came out of the bathroom. He had to stop. Egon didn't seem to notice anything odd. He just went to his wardrobe and picked out a white tux. He hated to dress up and to be in situations like this one. He had no one to blame this time but himself. He didn't feel real comfortable with Janine. She was like a sister to him and nothing more. He couldn't just break her heart by canceling on her. He knew that she was waiting for this since they met. He also knew that she was happy and things were getting back to normal between them. He didn't wont to destroy that. He got dressed and went downstairs to wait for her to call.

"Now," Peter called "we can get back to what we were doing he's gone."

"Wow," Ray explained, "It must be someone special. He went all out."

"That's why I want to know who it is." Even though he already knew.

"First thing, shave." He handed him a razor.

"Sure, I do that everyday."

Ray looked down towards the floor. "I mean your legs."

"What? What have I got myself into?" Peter said under his breath not knowing that Ray could hear him.

"You're the one that wants to do this." He reminded Peter. Peter had to think for a minute. Was it worth it? He thought to himself. It was. He knew that Egon and Janine would get together one day and he wanted to see it all. He came back from saving.

"Nice." Laughed Ray. He sat Peter down and tried to put some make-up on him. "Hold still. I can't get any of this done if you don't." Peter finally sat still and Ray finished up. Peter got up and looked in the mirror. He smiled. He turned to face Ray.

"How do I look?"

"As cute as a doll."

"Great! Thanks." Peter wore a long blond wig, red blouse with a black Mimi skirt and red high heels.

"You need a handbag." Answered Ray, "this one that my grandmother had should do the trick nicely." He handed the bag to Peter. "Perfect. Now you are complete."

"Let's get the show on the road." Called Peter, as he heard the phone ring down stairs.

"Good luck Peter, for all our sakes." Ray gave him the thumbs up. Peter could hardly walk in the high heels. They were too small for his feet. He knew he had to endure some pain to see the date first hand. When he finally made it to the first floor Egon was gone. He walked outside and yelled "Taxi." Just like Janine did inside the building earlier. One of the orange cabs pulled up beside him. The driver had the windows rolled down. He whistled at Peter.

"Where to Ma'am?" He said looking Peter up and down.

"Oh Gina's." He said in a female's voice as he opened the cab door.

To be continued………………………..