First, I want to give a giant shout out to talentedgemx and ragingscooter for helping me with this chapter and my story line! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Once again, thank you all for your tweets, PMs, comments, suggestions etc...

When the deep purple falls

Over sleepy garden walls

And the stars begin to flicker in the sky

Through the mist of a memory

You wander back to me

Breathing my name with a sigh…

- Peter DeRose and Mitchell Parish

"You should try to get some rest." Jen says handing me two pentagonal tablets and a glass of water.

I nod and pop them quickly into my mouth. The house is quiet, and dark, and empty. Only Jen remains, having promised almost everyone that she would take care of me. The department shrink has come and gone, handing out Lorazepam like it was candy. I honestly can't wait for its effects to send me to a place of oblivion.

Traci and Steve have finally taken Gail's parents home after one final call from the Fire Department letting us know that one adult male body was recovered from the warehouse so far, but it's likely that dental records will be needed to make an ID.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" She asks with a concerned look on her face.

"No. No, thanks Jen." I sigh, far too drained to put up a fight if she insists. "I think I just want to be alone right now."

Denise, Christian and Chris's mom will be arriving at the airport on the ten a. m. flight from Timmins, and Laurel will be taking the red eye into town tomorrow night. I'm not sure when my parents will get here, but they called to say they are making arrangements to come as soon as possible.

"Are you sure?" She gives my knee a little shake.

"Yeah," I continue wearily, "People will be back tomorrow, and besides you should get home to Kate."

"It's totally ok. She understands. You know?" She persists.

"No, don't worry, I'll be drooling into my pillow soon enough." I try to crack a smile, and fail. "Go home and make love to that girl of yours, cuz you never know…"

"Ok, but I'll be back in the morning!" She gives me a hug and pushes herself off the couch.

"Ok." I get up and hug her briefly again. "And thanks."

Jen makes a rude noise in the back of her throat. She waves at me as she walks out the front door.

My body feels like it must weigh about five hundred pounds as I make my way up the stairs, down the hall, through our room and into our bathroom. God I look like shit! The gaunt face staring back at me from the mirror is barely recognizable as my own. I seem to have aged at least one hundred years since this morning. No wonder some cultures cover all of the mirrors in the house when someone dies. My phone stabs me as I crawl into bed, and I remember I promised Jen I wouldn't fall asleep with my clothes on. I pull it from my pocket as I drop my clothes unceremoniously on the floor. Gail would laugh at me. I am always getting after her to put her clothes in the hamper and to pick up after herself.

As I plug my phone in, Gail's last text flashes on my screen.

K (tiny heart symbol).

"I love you too." I whisper, a single tear rolls down my cheek as I let my body fall sideways onto the bed. The sweatshirt I find under her pillow smells like her, so I curl myself around it and allow sleep to descend.

In the wee hours of morning, as I toss and turn between sleep and something else, my mind racing in circles. I could swear I hear her footsteps in the hall. A faint tinge of acrid smoke lingers in the air. I roll over and clutch her pillow tighter. I know she's dead, and I don't believe in ghosts, but in my drug-addled state, I feel her side of the bed dip under her weight, even though I know she can't possibly be here. Normally I live in a world of scientific facts, and evidence. Superstition and hallucinations make me nervous. But tonight, if this apparition is an effect of the medication, I am all for it! I take strange comfort in the spectral lips that brush against the back of my neck and the angelic arms that surround me, pulling me into one last, longed for embrace.

Only now do the tears start to come, as I let my body relax into the warmth of a presence that cannot be. I know I can't afford to wake up, because when I do, she'll be gone. I feel her snuggle closer. Lips press against the base of my jaw at the juncture of my neck. I feel myself let out a moan of pain and ecstasy all wrapped together, as the disembodied lips make their way down my throat. Soft phantom fingers wipe the tears from my cheeks.

"It's ok. It's ok. It's just a bad dream." Her voice whispers in my ear, so real I can barely credit it.

I want to believe, so I turn and roll into her waiting arms. Her lips are on mine now, full and soft. God, she feels so real! Her mouth opens, and her tongue teases me, making me sigh and weep. I begin to melt into a quivering mass of jelly. The analytical part of my brain tries to tell me that having a full sensory wet dream about my dead lover is a natural response to the shock and stress of the past twenty-four hours. But I don't care, and let myself go with it.

"Oh Babe, why are you crying?" She murmurs into my lips before she kisses me harder.

She is on top of me now, her hand finding its way between my legs and into my aching center. I can feel her breathing hard, riding my thigh as her fingers work their magic on me. I am so turned on I can't stop, even though I don't want this dream to end! Oh God! I can't stop! The first wave of my orgasm hits me hard. It rips agonizingly through me, tearing a strangled cry from my chest, causing me to sob, and gasp for breath. It wakes me up fully to Gail bearing down on my thigh, crying out in ecstasy of her own. She is silhouetted against the window of our dark room, her full breasts jutting forward as her body arches back, her head thrown back all the way, gasping and crying out my name.

Or am I awake? No, this must still be a dream, or some kind of unexpected temporary insanity causing me to revisit the proof our passion induced by drugs, and grief, and my need for comfort. My logical mind tells me again this can't be happening. She thrusts her hand into me again. My body gives in to ardor so immediate and raw it stops my ability for rational thought. I gasp for air. Tears slide down my cheeks and pool in my ears as I feel Gail collapse, spent, on top of me.

The floodgates open, and memories come crashing in; the soft look on her face when she watches me from the door of my lab, but thinks I haven't noticed her yet; the way she walks, Oh God, the way she walks when she is wearing her uniform; the tiny smile that forms when she complains about my putting anything that even resembles a vegetable that hasn't been deep fried on her plate, and I know that I will spend the rest of my life eating poutine and wanting to pour gallons ranch dressing on anything green, listening to her favorite classic rock station, or swing, instead of classical, and waiting for her footsteps in the hall and her key in the door.

Her spectral lips kiss my eyelids, while her voice is crooning softly "I love you baby, please don't cry."

And so, I hug her tightly to me, willing her ghost to be real, as oblivion eclipses my senses, and I dream no more.

Sunlight, and a soft spring breeze stream through our open bedroom window as I open my eyes to find myself tangled in our sheets, alone. There is an ache in my head and a weight on my chest. It's going to be a beautiful day. I look at the time to see that it's barely eight o'clock. The events of the past day hit me with such force, I have to muffle a cry into my pillow. Our bed smells like her and of sex. I remember the dream I had last night, so good, so real.

"Oh Fuck! Oh Gail!" I sob into my arms, pulling the blankets up over my head, "How am I ever going to live without you?"

The delicate aroma of coffee comes wafting in from the kitchen. It hits me as I roll over. I guess Jen or Traci must have let themselves in. My stomach growls expectantly.

"Come on girl, get it together!" I mumble to myself, prying myself from the bed and stumbling for the bathroom.

I can't quite face the shower, yet, so I splash cold water on my puffy face and pull on the pair of Gail's cut-off sweats I find in a corner on the floor; so much for never wanting to share her things. I roll them low around my hips and pull on one of her black t-shirts from her drawer. The soft cotton clings to my skin, reminding me of her. I know my hair is wild and unkempt, and I must look like a mess, but I don't care. I move slowly down the hall and into our living room, remembering the first cold, snowy day that we stood right here, and she asked me to move in with her.

As I step into the doorway of the kitchen, Gail turns to face me with a smile on her face and a cup of coffee in her hand.

Wait! Wait! WHAT?

"Hey!" She says, grinning at me, "You didn't have to get up, I was going to bring you coffee and see if we couldn't pick up where we left off last night…"

The room swims. I clutch at the door jam trying to steady myself, but everything goes black, and that's the last thing I remember.

"Holly? Holly? Are you ok?" Gail's voice comes from far away. "Come on Holly, speak to me!"

Gentle hands, are on my face.

"Gail?" I mumble without opening my eyes. "Are we in Heaven?"

I hear her laughing softy at me, like music to my ears.

"No…" She answers cautiously, "We are on the floor of our kitchen…"

Opening my eyes I gasp, and sit up in shock, pushing her away roughly.

"Fuck! Holly! What did you do that for?" She complains loudly.

"Holy shit! Gail! You're dead! You and Chris! They told me you were…" I launch myself at her and cling to her neck like I might never let go.

"Ok, Holly, do you want to tell me what you're talking about?" She says cautiously, holding me close and rubbing my back in little circles as I sob incoherently.

I have never been so happy, so relieved, and so angry to see anyone in my entire life! I am in her arms and the sensation of her holding me makes my whole body sing! I pull back and look at her again with hungry, searching eyes.

"Fuck you Gail!" I say, a sharp wave of anger suddenly getting the best of me. "You are such an asshole! How could you fucking do this to me?" I hit her hard on her bad shoulder.

"Ow!" Gail complains loudly, holding on to her shoulder where I landed the blow. "What the fuck Holly?" She glares daggers at me.

Ok, now I know she's real.

"How could I do what to you?" She does look genuinely confused, and kind of hurt.

"You. You're dead. You're supposed to be dead… You and Chris… They told me…" Tears come again, as I struggle to form coherent sentences. I hit her again, softly this time, more out of frustration than anything else, and lean my forehead into her shoulder. My hands grip at her waist.

"Uh, well, obviously I'm not." She says uncertainly "Would you rather I was?"

Her hands run up my sides and around my ribs making me shiver.

"No, no, of course not." I finally manage to look up at her, biting my lower lip with a small smile.

"So, why am I supposed to be dead? I mean it has been a crazy twenty four hours, but really!" She tilts her head looking quizzically into my eyes.

"And Chris? He's ok too?" I give her a hard look.

"Uh yeah, or at least he was when he dropped me off last night." She looks puzzled, "So, um, who thinks Chris and I are dead?"

"Everyone." I answer.

"Everyone? Really?" She scowls at me.

"Uh, yeah." I tilt my head at her. My brain doesn't seem to be functioning properly, or fully processing this yet. I can't seem to stop touching her.

Gail's eyes grow wide as it finally clicks. "Oh shit! Chris is going to scare the crap out of Dov and Chloe when he comes out of his room this morning…" She starts to giggle hysterically.

"It's not funny Gail!" But her laugh is contagious, and I am having a hard time keeping a straight face.

"Sure it is." She snickers.

Ok, maybe it is just a little bit funny. Once I start laughing I can't seem to stop.

We sit on the floor of our kitchen, laughing so hard it hurts, foreheads together, her hands gripping my biceps, my fingers threading through her short hair. I kiss her hard and suddenly she is in my arms. She is here, and nothing else matters!

As we pull apart it hits me, "Wait! Wait, where the hell have you been? Tell me what happened! I feel like I'm going crazy right now." I sigh, and touch her face with trembling fingers.

She sighs heavily, shaking her head, "Wow, you really thought I was dead, didn't you. It has been a long, strange couple of days."

"Oh shit Gail! Your family!" I exclaim while scrambling to my feet. "We need to let them know you're alive!"

"Do we have to?" She moans.

"GAIL!" I give her my very best angry librarian look.

"I'm sure my mother is thrilled if she thinks I died in the line of duty. She'll be so disappointed." She goes on in a somewhat bitter tone.

"It's not like that Gail." I state firmly.

"Ok, ok…" She concedes as I pull her up off the floor and into my arms again.