A/N: I am *SO* sorry for the long wait! Life just hasn't been that good to me lately, and it has been difficult getting back into the swing of writing WIPs. However, I'm back! I'm sure you're all excited to see what's going on next!

Review Replies:

None: Sorry. I actually already have certain scenes planned out in advance, like Tim's reveal. I can't have the chapters I'm still working out contradicting what will happen later on. It throws me off kilter.

Gottahavemyncis: Thanks! :)

Bookloverz22: Thank you! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

crocadile1986: Thank you! :)

Peglet: Holy cow, I hope you've been extra patient! And yes. It was Kate. This chapter will explain that incident.

Phillipa: Alice is actually my Tony stand-in for Tim's new life. Flirty, but doesn't actually mean it. You'll see that develop more in later chapters.

Samspotsu: Yes, I am continuing this. I hope you enjoy the new chapter. :)

lily anson: You get brownie points for the pun! :D

Now that I have all of that covered, onward to the chapter!

Conversations

"So..." Jade began, her eyes focused on Tim. The whole group had moved into the main area of the mall, and Jade and Tim were sitting on a bench as the others were in line at the Starbucks kiosk. "You're addicted to Nutter Butters?"

"Kate gave you excellent information to use to make a believer out of me." Tim cut straight to the point, taking a guess at who spoke to Jade from the other side. Lying to Jade now would be useless as she would see right through it.

"Yes, she did. I must admit, though, that I'm surprised to finally meet someone who knew Kate when she was alive." That caught Tim's attention and he turned to look at Jade face-to-face.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm a conduit between the land of the living and the realm of the dead, Tim," Jade reminded him of what she was. "That can be quite dangerous if the wrong spirit wishes to use me. They could permanently possess me against my will if they're strong enough. It means I require protection. Kate is one of what I like to call my 'spirit guardians'."

"'Spirit guardian'? Sounds complex," Tim admitted. Even though he and Abby spent loads of time together, he never actually paid attention when she would get ranting about anything paranormal. He was usually busy working.

"It certainly is. It's why I have about five or six at any one time. They make sure spirits possessing me for contact with loved ones actually leave me when their time is up. They make sure poltergeists and demons don't make it into me to begin with. They fetch other spirits that I need to speak with, as well as any information I may need about any of my paranormal clients. They also make sure any curses and hexes placed on me don't actually work," Jade explained for Tim.

"I see." Tim scrunched his face as he sorted through the mass of information he was just given. "How does Kate fit into that? How did you come by her in the first place?"

"Kate chose me for some reason. She never got around to explaining it to me. Time in the spirit realm doesn't pass in the same way it does here, though. It is possible she knew you would end up here and decided to attach herself to me so she could speak with you after your arrival. I would not be at all surprised if that were the case. Kate speaks very highly of her team from NCIS." Jade gave Tim a smile to show that she wasn't that concerned about Kate's reasoning.

"Does that happen a lot? Spirits speak with you and you don't know why?" Tim felt uneasy at the idea that anyone dead could approach Jade and tell her anything. He wasn't going to ignore the fact that he had created many enemies over the years, with many of them dead.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I believe them all. They're just as capable as us when it comes to lying and deceiving. Just because they're dead doesn't change that," Jade said. She turned to look at the others as they neared the front of the line, crossing her arms tightly. A frown grew on her face. "When I was a child, before I had any guardians, I used to speak with spirits on a regular basis without thinking about the consequences. My great-grandfather from my mother's side contacted me and... let's just say that seeing a Nazi's bigotry first hand is not a pleasant experience for an 11-year-old. My father's side of my family is Jewish. My great-grandmother on that side died at Auschwitz. The confrontation I had with my great-grandfather is what led to my first guardian latching on to me."

"Was it another family member?" Tim asked. He focused on the others as well, sensing that looking at Jade wasn't the thing to do at that moment.

"No," Jade answered. "The name she gave me is Shannon. Never gave me a last name. I think she was a military brat when she was alive because her vocabulary is littered with military jargon. You'd like her. Shannon is just as feisty as Kate."

"What did she do to your great-grandfather?"

"Banished him. Haven't heard a word from him since. Shannon is quite effective at what she does."

"That's good," Tim commented. Noticing that the others were finally finished with their caffeine hunting, he stood up and lightly prodded Jade on the arm. "You can tell me about your other guardians later. And Kate. I'm sure Kate wants to speak with me."

"Oh, yes," Jade's frown disappeared and a smile took its place. "Kate has missed you all. She wants to catch up. But, as you said, that's for later."

"Any luck in converting him?" Regan asked as the group approached Tim and Jade.

"Ehh... I may need a bit more time," Jade answered, giving Tim a mischievous look. "There's only so much you can talk about without resorting to getting information from the other side."

"You can do that later," Alice stepped in before one of the others could say anything else on the matter. "Tom, I've been dragging you to stores all morning. Was there anything you wanted to look for while we're here? I know your place isn't going to win any home decoration awards any time soon."

"Oh, dear god, I need a television," escaped Tim's mouth before he could stop it. "And a computer. The internet and cable were already installed when the FBI moved me here, but the modem and cable boxes are useless without a television and a computer."

"There's a Best Buy just down 76th. We could go there," Edmund suggested.

"Yeah, pickings are going to be slim here at the mall. We should go to an actual electronics store if we're going to be looking at TVs and computers," Regan said.

"Fine. Tom, any issues with going there?" Alice asked. Tim shook his head, knowing Regan and Edmund had a point. He'd have a better selection at an electronics store. "Anything else you want to get today, then? Clothes? Kitchen supplies? Decorations? I really don't know how desperate you are to make your new home yours."

"The home makeover can wait for another day. I just need something to keep me busy when I'm at home. I can only stare at the wall for so long before I go crazy." The others laughed at Tim's pseudo desperate tone as Alice rolled her eyes.

"I could have taken you television and computer shopping before this. You've been here a month."

"I've used this last month to read through every book I've bought from the Walgreens, CVS, and Dollar Tree near my house," Tim pointed out. He'd be the first to admit that he was surprised by the selection of books at those three stores. Some of the books he got from the Dollar Tree he saw on the shelves of regular book stores back in DC. However, he had now read through all the ones he cared to buy and needed another form of entertainment. There were only so many options within walking distance of his house, and he was still wary about driving too far away.

"Alright," Alice gave him a knowing look.

"Yay! I can look for another external hard drive," Portia clapped. "I've filled my last one and can't afford to delete anything off of it yet."

"Let's get going, then. I know Portia, Regan, and Edmund well enough to know that we're going to be in that store several hours. It'll be dinner time by the time we leave," Clark cracked. Portia smacked her husband in the stomach while Regan and Edmund adopted contrite looks, earning snickers from Jade and Alice.

"Tom, have you ever heard of Topper's?" Jade asked

"No. Why?" Tim wondered.

"It's what we're ordering for dinner before leaving Best Buy," Jade declared, giving the others a look that said she would accept no argument. "I'm sure you're going to love them."

"O...kay..." Tim said, unsure of what type of food the place served.

"Oh, and exactly where are we gonna eat it?" Alice asked with a poke to Jade's shoulder.

"With the amount of electronics that Tom wants to buy, it is only fair for us to help him set it all up. That way we can learn where he lives and take you out of the equation!" Jade grinned, as if that had been obvious. Tim rolled his eyes as the group exploded in laughter again. Less than a day and he could already tell that they frequently gave each other shit. It was going to be an interesting rest of the day.