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Chapter Thirty Six

I knew something was wrong when I found myself stood alone in the shop.

I was downstairs, the lights were off and the curtains were drawn over the large windows. I instantly knew we, I, was home; only Dad would pick curtains with little footballs over them.

Dad...

I spun around, hoping I was not going to find myself staring at a pair of corpses, my heart racing.

But I was alone.

I simply stood for a moment, gazing around me. It was cold, it was dusty and it was empty.

I didn't mean literally; all the funiture hadn't even been touched. I meant empty as in...atmosphere. When I lived there as a teenager, it was fun and friendly. We could just relax. But now...

"H-hello?" I called out hesitantly, my voice barely louder than a whisper. Swallowing, I tried again. "Hello?"

"Joey?"

I froze. I knew that voice.

Turning around slowly, my mouth fell open.

"Ant?"

Ant grinned at me. "In the flesh," He glanced down at his body, which was slightly transparents, and his grin grew. "Well, kinda."

"This isn't happening."

Ant put his hand on his heart (or where it should be) and feigned a hurt expression.

"Oh, babe, that got me. That got me right here! You're so cruel!"

"ANT!"

Without thinking, I ran forwards and threw myself into his arms.

I don't know how, but just somehow, I could lurch myself at him and not fall through him. In fact, my husband felt solid.

"Oh, Ant, I've missed you! I love you! Please don't leave me again!" I babbled, tears trickling down my cheeks as I clung onto him.

"Hey, don't cry," Ant said softly. "You're not supposed to cry."

"Why not?"

Ant smirked. "It'll ruin your eyeliner, duh."

I snorted, pulling away and glaring at him.

"I'm not wearing any!"

"Ok...because your eyes go all red and your face goes blotchy and you pretty much look like a bit of a twonk."

"Hey!"

Ant laughed as he transferred his hand from the small of my back to hold mine, his other hand reaching up to caress my cheek.

"Seriously, Joey, please don't cry." He said softly. A few more tears spilled over my cheeks, but I composed myself.

"I'm home, Ant," I said. "We did it."

"I know," Ant said with a smile. "I've been following you the whole time."

"What?"

"You never felt alone. You barely missed me."

I blushed. "Ant, I - "

"Because I was with you. I stayed with you through everything."

"But...why?"

"You know when we were sixteen and watched Casper?"

I grinned. "I remember."

Ant laughed. "Cheeky."

My grin grew.

"Anyway, remember how Casper and his uncles never crossed over because they had unfinished business?"

I nodded.

"You're my unfinished business, Joey," Ant told me softly. "You, Ben, Nellie and Amy. I knew what was going to happen and I had to make sure you were all safe."

"But, Turpin - "

"I know," Ant interrupted me, his eyes darkening slightly. "And I can assure you that he is rotting in hell."

"Ant..."

Ant's expression softened. "I'm sorry."

I smiled. "I know."

There was a brief pause, in which Ant and I simply gazed at each other. The hand holding mine suddenly loosened and twisted out of my grasp.

"I want to try something," Ant whispered as I opened my mouth to protest. His hand rested gently on my other cheek and he smiled at me.

I waited patiently as Ant steadied himself and, still gazing into my eyes, leaned forwards.

His lips met mine.

We weren't kissing, not really. Our lips were just...together.

Then Ant's hands slid from my cheeks to my waist, pulling me closer as the kiss grew more urgent. My hands moved to rest on his shoulders, and then slid around his neck.

We needed each other. We had both gone on for so long without each other and now we couldn't bear to let go of each other.

When the kiss ended, we were both panting for air, our hands clinging onto each other's clothes.

"Wow," Ant finally said. "I've missed that."

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

I smiled and Ant smiled back before sighing.

"What's wrong?"

"You know the Casper thing?"

"Yeah...?"

"I think my unfinished business is, well, finished."

"No, Ant, please," I begged, my grip on him tightening. "Don't leave me! Not again!"

Ant carefully loosened my grip, holding onto both of my hands. "I've got to, baby. I can't stay in the land of the living, can I? Look what happened to Mr Todd and Mrs Lovett!"

"I don't want you to go." I murmured.

"I don't want to go, either, but I've met some amazing people where I am! Can you believe that I have met Washington Irving?"

I gave him a blank look.

"Joey, the author of Sleepy Hollow!"

My blank look remained.

"The book that the movie was based on."

It didn't leave.

"Johnny Depp was Ichabod."

"Oh, I remember!"

Ant laughed. "I thought you might."

I sighed. "That's really cool, but it doesn't stop me from missing you."

"Hey, I'm with your Mum and Dad. They asked me to tell you that they are so proud of you it's unbelievable."

I smiled. "Can you tell them that I love them?"

"Of course."

I swallowed, blinking back the tears that had sprung to my eyes. Ant sighed as he took my face in his hands again.

"You need to go."

"I don't want to."

Ant laughed. "Go on, Joey. I'll always be with you."

"Quit being so soppy."

Both of us laughed before Ant bent down and gave me one last kiss.

"You're crazy, Joey."

"But you love me?"

"Of course I love you. Hell, I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you in Pizza Express! I delibarately tried to find you afterwards. I'm so sorry I hurt you so much when we were teenagers, because I was such a fool and I didn't realize how brilliant you were," Ant swallowed. "I love you, Joanna Hope, and you have made me the happiest man on earth."

"I love you too, Anthony Hope." I whispered.

Ant gave me a cocky grin. "I know!"

ANT!"

My eyes snapped open. My heart was racing, my head was pounding and a thick layer of sweat was covering my forehead.

But I wasn't alone.

Carefully sitting up, I found myself in my room, curled up on my bed. At the end was Ben, Nellie lying in between him and I. On my other side was Amy. All three of them were asleep.

I couldn't help but smile as I lay back down and fell asleep.

We were home.