Never A Better Time Than Now
As Dr. Egon Spengler descended the seemingly never ending flights of stairs, his body ached and he felt every one of his thirty nine years of his age. There wasn't an area of his body that didn't feel pain, but it didn't deter him. Swiftly, Egon reached his right hand into his pocket and felt around for his talisman. He knew as a scientist that luck didn't exist, but he also knew that the item in his pocket saved his life. When Egon felt the smooth surface of the coin, he felt relieved instantly despite its irrationalness.
His thoughts usually flowed unceasingly like a stream into a larger river, and it was a challenge to concentrate only on one at times. However, Egon's thoughts were easily discernible today- his mind was on Janine Melnitz.
The usual lanky physicist knew that it was quite common for a person's mind who experienced a disturbing and severe circumstance like Gozer would focus on the person or things that truly mattered in life. Ray's gigantic and alarming Stay Puft marshmallow man conjecture made Egon conclude the end was indeed near, and he thought only of Janine. He felt terrified, not only for himself, but the company's snarky redhead secretary with a petite body, a bright smile, a free spirit and a big heart. Frowning, Egon wondered how many opportunities he had squandered.
The physicist's lips gradually changed into a smile as he went down the next set of stairs while he allowed his mind to consider his interactions with Janine in the past.
Up until a month ago when Ray and Peter spent an hour describing how Janine flirted with him, Egon didn't recognize that she gave him special treatment. He wasn't used to receiving a woman's attention, anyway.
Peter pointed out that Janine would bring him a cup of coffee if he had been stuck in the lab, but she didn't do that for the others. Then Ray mentioned that she always intently listened when he spoke, and she often asked questions or offered her opinions. All of which Egon found to be accurate when he scrutinized their claims later on in private.
Sighing, the tall man shook his head and grumbled, "how could I have been so blind?"
Yesterday night, Janine clasped his arm tightly with her own when Vinz came into the Firehouse as she complimented him for being kind about taking him in.
Her faint touch on his body made him feel almost giddy even though he fought to disregard it and stoically said that Vinz "wasn't human."
Janine's assistance with the estranged Vinz was charming as usual, but the thing that bothered Egon was her perturbed wide eyed glances when she was usually unflappable. When she laid her head on his chest and grabbed onto him for support after observing their guest's bizarre behavior, he felt his heart melt. Egon didn't think he was going to die at the time or that Janine was psychic, but he noted that both her fear and affection for him was real. Privately, he vowed to protect her, at that moment, anyway he could.
That was why he grabbed her hand when Peck shut down the containment unit and out of the building. As they ran, he felt a little happiness while holding her hand. However, with the explosion and all the commotion, Janine slipped away, and his mind had focused on the problem at hand.
At City Hall, Egon felt blissful to view the beautiful Brooklynite unharmed despite his inability to exhibit his feelings. He appreciated the gift of her lucky coin, and recalled that their embrace was warm and tender. Egon felt forlorn not only when Peter teased her but as she waved goodbye to them as Ray drove away.
On the rooftop of Dana Barrett's building, his mind was preoccupied about Janine when he woke up after the Stay Puft disappeared. Egon recognized that he did have a tenderness for her, and that now he must act on it.
The physicist's pulse rate increased as he reached the last few flights of stairs. Cheering and clapping became
more audible as he arrived at the bottom floor, and Egon prayed that Janine was there waiting for him.
Throwing open the door, he anxiously turned his head to the left and the right in a hurried search for her. Egon's eyes finally discovered the red head running towards him with her arms in the air, screaming his name.
"Janine," he replied with a thin lipped smile as she hugged him and concluded, "you're safe."
Egon put his hands on her waist then pulled her closer all the while lowering his head down to her level. Surprised, Janine put her hands on his cheeks then he leaned down to kiss her. When their lips united for the first time, Egon and Janine finally found their happiness together. The kiss was innocent enough, but there was a sense of urgency and want. Both felt amazed at the amount of vigor and affection it contained after they broke the kiss off in order to breathe.
"Come on," he urged, and Janine beamed at him. Egon clasped her right hand and led her to the others who were yelling their names. The crowd roared as the two had kissed, but neither the Ghostbuster nor the secretary noticed.
"You coming with us too, Red, " Peter quipped in his usually sarcastic way as the other Ghostbusters put the equipment away. Venkman evading work was hardly a new thing.
"It would seem that way," Janine dreamily responded in her thick accent without missing a beat, ignoring his teasing.
"Seems Romeo finally woke up," Venkman continued, putting his other arm around Dana's waist. She seemed like a ragdoll, appearing lifeless almost, and Janine felt sympathy pains for what she must have endured.
"Ok, let's rock and roll," Ray announced, closing the trunk. Winston took the passenger seat in the front, and Dana sat on Peter's lap. Egon raised an eyebrow offering the same option to Janine, who joyfully complied. Before the others knew it, the couple tightly wrapped their arms around the other's body and commenced noisily kissing. Playful protesting and teasing ensued from the other passengers, but the lovers didn't hear a thing.
"What's next for us Egon," Janine breathlessly whispered up to him afterward ignoring the teasing of the Ghostbusters
"I do have some ideas," he suggestively replied, a twinkle in his brown eyes.
"Me too," Janine coyly flirted then kissed him.
The end