A/N: this is the last post until after the 11th of July – on holiday yippee!!

Annoying voice that comes on before shows to catch you up Previously in AaR:PD – Nick finally 'accepted' that Alex wasn't natural and called on her help.

Alex stretched her back out as she stood against Nick's car at the crime scene. It had been a few weeks since they'd finally come to the understanding that Alex didn't really exist to other people and they'd also agreed that she could follow Nick around. So here she was, at the edge of the scene watching Nick work and smiling foolishly to herself. Nick would occasionally glance at the car surreptitiously and flash her a tiny, but happy grin.

After they'd gotten over the whole mess of Alex being a 'ghost' they'd settled into a comfortable routine of sorts. Nick had found that his house was neater than ever – Alex having made it her personal task to not only give him absolution, but a house that the fussiest housewife would be proud of. Alex had found that Nick was more than ready to listen on the few occasions that he'd found her raging silently at life as she knew it. The two of them still ate meals together and Nick now found himself taking Alex shopping with him where she'd tell him off when he picked up the items high in sugar. He now knew that to be Alex's most annoying habit (besides predicting when he was going to burn his toast) that she was a great believer in healthy eating.

He headed over to her, processing finished and loaded evidence and kit into the back before sliding into the driver's side while Alex took her usual seat beside him.

"What are you thinking?" she asked after a few minutes of watching him.

"Something about that scene doesn't add up," Nick admitted to her. "There just seems to be something odd about it – like a feeling that won't go away. Something nagging at me."

Alex frowned and gestured for him to continue.

"Almost like how it feels just before you appear. Sort of a tingly feeling all through my body…I don't know. I thought I could feel fear."

Nick glanced over at his companion who was staring at him.

"What?"

"I think you might be developing psychic inclinations," she told him pensively. "I know you didn't have them when I first came, and I never saw it in your timeline, but…I think it might be happening."

"What?" Nick repeated, hoping for clarification. Alex shrugged helplessly.

"The best I can describe it is that you'll probably start being able to see other 'ghosts' and hearing psychic residue at scenes. I could feel the fear you were talking about, much clearer than you could I'm sure – purely because I'm well, part of that dimension – that nagging sensation was the start of that coming into your mind."

Nick mouthed soundlessly at her and she gave another helpless little shrug.

"Can't say anything more about it, sorry. I don't really understand psychic inclination anyway."

They'd pulled up at the lab by that point and Nick sat for a moment, hands on the steering wheel before Alex prodded his shoulder.

As they climbed out Alex froze, hearing a voice she hadn't heard in years.

'It won't work you know,' the voice whispered around her, inside her head, she couldn't block it out. 'You'll fail again. You can't succeed, you'll screw up, just like you have before.'

Alex could hear the voice laughing at her, taunting her. She closed her eyes and willed it to stop.

'You're not alone. We're always watching, we always will be. You'll slip up, and when you do, we'll be there to carry you down to hell. Or maybe…maybe it'll happen sooner than you think. We're always there remember that Alexandria White-Summers. We are always watching you.'1

And just like that it was gone. She straightened and glanced around the crime lab car park, assuring herself that the owner of the voice wasn't anywhere near by. They could watch all they wanted to. This time she wouldn't screw up – she promised herself that. That was when Alex noticed Nick glancing at her as he unloaded his car. She flashed him a big, toothy, and false grin. It obviously didn't placate him, but he let it slide.

As per usual, Alex took her usual place around the lab, sat on benches, on chairs (making them spin round for the fun of people's reactions) and wherever she was comfortable. Nick got forever frustrated at her doing things that made other people stare at him – knock over stuff he wasn't using, spin chairs around when he was near to them etcetera, etcetera, etcetera2. He could tell however that something was bothering her. She kept looking around herself, as though making sure that something wasn't creeping up behind her – she was acting (in Nick's opinion) like the character that was just about to get horribly slaughtered in a horror movie.

He looked around himself to ensure that there was no-one near by before looking back to her. She was doing it again.

"You do realise that it is highly unlikely that the monster-stroke-psychotic-mass-murderer from the horror films will be sneaking up behind you right now don't you?" he commented, making her jump and look at him with wide, shocked eyes.

"What makes you say that?" Alex asked, completely confused. "I'm fine."

"You've been looking around yourself like you expect something to jump out at you since you froze up in the car park."

"It's nothing, just a…just a feeling."

"Aye right."3

"Maybe a little bit more than just a feeling, but seriously, I'm fine. I just need a little time to stop feeling so jumpy, if I'm still acting like a character about to be killed in a horror movie by the time we get home you can call me on it then. But now really isn't the time."

Nick scowled at her and turned his attention back to the evidence. He could feel Alex wincing behind him as he thumped his way around the lab.

"I think I'll go home early," she commented at him suddenly. "You're annoyed at me, I'm too jumpy to be much use and I'm quite honestly exhausted." She kissed his cheek, just like she always did when she left, or arrived, or in the mornings/evenings when they got up. "See you when you get home."

"See you Al," Nick replied vaguely and 'felt' her disappear. Greg walked in suddenly.

"Hey Nicky," he waved slightly. "Question, where did the girl that was in here just go?"

"Girl?" Nick's heart almost stopped. How could Greg possibly see Alex? Unless he was one of the psychically inclined. "What girl?"

"Dark hair, quite pale, suddenly disappeared, or could you not see her?"

"Greg…"

"You could see her couldn't you? Do you know who she is?"

"Greggo I'm confused. You lost me at the sharp turn left somewhere in there."

"The woman, dark haired, was talking to you, you replied. Do you know what she is?"

1: Clichéd I know, but it sounded damn good in my own head.

2: Credit, where credit is due, those three little words (well, one word, repeated three times) comes from The King and I (I love that film)

3: Probably not a very American phrase (or is it? Someone let me know) but I say it all the time and it fits.

That's all folks!! (Or at least I think that's all, if you spot any more numbers give me a shout and I'll correct the stuff!!) Hope you enjoyed! There's a little bluey purple 'Go' button down in the left hand corner of your screen next to 'Submit Review'. Please, take five seconds of your time and review!

Next time (when I write it/get back from Turkey): can Greg really see Alex? Or is he hallucinating? Who is Alex to Greg if he can? Why is he calling her a 'what' instead of a 'who'? And do you even care about the answer to these questions? If you do, tune in next time for instalment three (if you count the prologue) of AaR: PD!!

(That's Absolution and Redemption: Personal Demon for those of you who aren't the best with acronyms, or at least figuring out exactly what they mean/stand for – I know a few. And for those of you wondering AaR: PD is how I refer to it.)