Songfic about Maxie dealing with Coop's death. She hasn't reacted much, and this songfic will show a culmination of her feelings about everyone's deaths around her, and other circumstances. I'm not much for ghost stories, but that's the way this story went. I like it, and I will miss this couple.

Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air

Maxie Jones sat in her room. She felt a riot of emotions going on inside her, but she didn't know how to express them. How do you deal with it when the people you love most die?

She had pushed the pain out of her mind.

If I should die before I wake
It's 'cause you took my breath away
Losing you is like living in a world with no air

She could still see his body in her mind. Hanging from the rafters, so lifeless…not the warm, loving, wonderful man she had learned to love completely. She didn't believe he was the TMK, no matter what they said. She knew him better than anybody. She loved him, and he loved her.

I'm here alone, didn't wanna leave
My heart won't move, it's incomplete
If there was a way that I can make you understand

Coop watched Maxie as she barely held herself together. He wished he could comfort her, but he knew he was dead. He only hoped that she would find a way to prove his innocence and clear his name. He ached to hold her. His entire being wanted to return to her, if only for long enough to kiss her one more time, and to tell her to never give up on love. She had had such a hard time with it.

But how do you expect me
to live alone with just me
'Cause my world revolves around you
It's so hard for me to breathe

Maxie shivered as she thought about all the times her and Coop had made love. She couldn't believe they never would again. She would miss his kiss or even just the way he held her, making her feel comforted and safe. She tried to wrap her mind around the fact that he had killed himself. It just wasn't him. He would never do such a thing. Would he?

Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
Can't live, can't breathe with no air
It's how I feel whenever you ain't there
It's no air, no air

Coop felt the tears slid down his face. Wiping them away, he looked at them shimmering on his fingertips in surprise. He wasn't supposed to be able to have tears. He could feel, but his emotions weren't supposed to be this powerful…what could this mean?

Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gonna be without me
If you ain't here, I just can't breathe
It's no air, no air

Coop realized he was becoming more and more substantial as he felt the rush of adrenaline course through his body. He gasped, shocked at the fact he could feel his body again, and Maxie turned at the sound. Her eyes widened and she looked as if…well, as if she had seen a ghost.

I walked, I ran, I jumped, I flew
Right off the ground to float to you
There's no gravity to hold me down for real

"Coop…Coop is that you? Oh my God I am losing it. There's no way this can be real," as Maxie said this she began to break down and started shaking with the suppressed tears she hid inside.

"Maxie. It's me, but you can see me? I don't understand. I'm dead. I know it. I was just watching you, wishing I could hold you in my arms, and tell you goodbye. I-I-I can't understand how this happened. Am I being given a second chance?" Coop was as confused as Maxie looked. But he wasn't about to waste time waiting to see if this would work or not. Rushing over to her, he grabbed her and kissed her with all the love and sadness he felt.

But somehow I'm still alive inside
You took my breath, but I survived
I don't know how, but I don't even care

Maxie kissed him back. She had a feeling this was a one-time thing. She didn't know why God was letting this happen, but she would have to remember to thank him more often. She sank into Coop's arms, and he pushed her back on the bed.

But how do you expect me
to live alone with just me
'Cause my world revolves around you
It's so hard for me to breathe

As they made love to each other, for what they knew was the very last time, they never broke eye contact. Maxie knew that she would remember this forever. And Coop knew he had to do some serious thanking of the big guy upstairs. He was surprised that this could happen, but no way would he question it. He had the woman he loved back in his arms, if only for a short time.

Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
Can't live, can't breathe with no air
It's how I feel whenever you ain't there
It's no air, no air
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gonna be without me
If you ain't here, I just can't breathe
It's no air, no air

A short time later, both of them got dressed. They still hadn't truly spoken to each other, and Coop knew as soon as they said goodbye he would return to his spirit form. Oh he would miss he so much. He knew in his heart that eventually she would find love again. And he also knew that if that lucky bastard that ended up with her treated her wrong, he would find a way to come back again and scare the bejeezus out of him.

"Coop. I love you. I don't understand how I just made love to a ghost, but I don't care. I know I need to say goodbye to you. But I want you to know that Spinelli and I are working on clearing your name. Do you remember anything that happened?"

"No Maxie, I don't. But thanks for doing this. I do know that if I were the TMK, I wouldn't be doing this right now. Somehow, the truth will come out. I love you. And I am going to miss you with every aching moment I spend. And you will have me as your guardian angel, even though you already have a couple up there. Please, say your goodbyes, I feel that I am fading away. I wish it didn't have to be like this…" he trailed off, unable to express how much he was feeling right then.

Maxie started to cry. She tried to grab Coop's hand, but she saw he was fading too. "Goodbye Coop. I love you. I'll never forget you. Please take care of my family that is up there. God, Coop, I love you so much. I miss you!" Maxie was unable to say anything else.

But how do you expect me
to live alone with just me
'Cause my world revolves around you
It's so hard for me to breathe

He was gone.

Maxie finally released that pent up emotion she had been holding back for so long. She cried and cried for hours, then pulled herself together. She knew he would stay true to his word and watch over her, so she had to stay true to her word. Picking up her phone, she dialed.

"Spinelli? Hey it's Maxie. Can you meet me? I think it's time we got serious about doing this…"

But somehow I'm still alive inside
You took my breath, but I survived