~ Jed ~

"Is it just you that's running the house then?" I asked, chopping a knife through some veg to help with tea. So far there had been no sign of any parents or siblings, no husband or boyfriend, though they could be at work, I supposed.

"Yep, just me," she said with a sad little smile.

"So who is we?" I asked.

"How do you mean?"

"You said we take in boarders when you first invited me. Who else did you mean?"

"Oh. Sorry, force of habit, I expect. It's just me now that… now that my family has all gone."

Shit. She looked so fragile, I hated for bringing it up. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It's been years now and I like to think they're sort of watching over me," she said with a soft smile. The lights flickered and her face lit up. "See?"

More likely the electrical had gone to shit, like she'd said. If there was a ghostly presence there, I'd feel it, wouldn't I? The idea that she was taking strangers into her home though when she was all alone didn't sit right with me. Especially ones she hadn't properly vetted.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to be taking in boarders, particularly male boarders with a past of instability when you're on your own? Not that you have anything to fear from me, but… please tell me you haven't done this before?"

"See, you worrying about me proves you're not a danger to me," she smiled, pointing a wooden spoon at me. The lights flickered again and she scowled at the switchplate. "And besides which, we are not alone. I have another boarder."

"Oh. Another guy?" Maybe she collected them? Men who were down on their luck. Somehow, I didn't like the sound of that any better.

"No, her name is Lilah and you won't see too much of her, she's nocturnal."

"As in she's allergic to the sun or something?"

"As in she works nights. Though actually, she could well be allergic to the sun. I've never come out and asked her if she's a vampire or anything, to be honest. That's not something you usually ask on the rental application."

"Is there an application I need to fill out?" At least then she'd be running a credit check on her boarders, not that I had the best credit.

Gemma shook her head with a laugh. "No, I was just kidding. To be honest, she might actually be a vampire though. She is awfully pale and I've never seen her eat or drink anything. And I did invite her in…" She turned speculative, and I laughed at that.

"I'll bet it saves you a mint on utilities, and she provides her own meals, that must save on cupboard space."

"See! I knew you were a glass half full kind of guy," she grinned, and I shook my head.

"I don't think anyone's ever said that about me. I think I'm more of a realist. As strange as that sounds for someone who deals with the unreal more often than not."

"Have you always been able to…" She broke off, biting her bottom lip. "Sorry, does it bother you to talk about it?"

"It's not my favorite topic," I admitted. "Mostly because people either believe it's all a load of wank or they ask me for favors."

"What kind of favors?"

"To talk to their long lost gran or their mum. It doesn't work like that. I can't do it on command."

"No? How does it work then?"

"They just come to me whenever they please. I can't control it. I'll be doing something perfectly normal and then… bam, they'll appear out of nowhere or I'll get a vision of their violent death."

Her nose wrinkled. "That sounds inconvenient."

"You have no idea." More than once I'd been chatting someone up only to have them look at me in disgust after I'd gone all rigid and out of breath over the sudden image of someone having the life choked out of them. "They really have no sense of personal space."

"They really don't," she murmured. The lights flickered again and she looked almost annoyed by it. "But do you see all ghosts or only ones that died violently?"

"It's hard to say. I think most of the ones still hanging about have issues to work out, so it's more likely I'll see one that died a violent death. I think those that passed peacefully in their sleep go right into the light."

"That sounds about right," she nodded. "So… is that all it takes then, for a ghost to move on? Work out their issues and then they'll go into the light?"

"For the most part, yeah."

"And you help them do that? Find that peace?"

"If I can. "

"I think that's wonderful," she smiled. The lights started to flicker like mad and she said, "Oh, I didn't mean it that way!" There was a pop and the lights went out completely. "Of all the stupid, childish…" she muttered, stomping out of the kitchen, only pausing to grab a torch from a shelf.

What was going on here? "Gemma," I called out, following after her.

"It's only a blown fuse, I have spares," she said, and I caught up her arm, holding her in place.

"Did you mean it when you said your loved ones are watching over you?"

"Sure, why not? It's a comforting thought, isn't it?" She tucked the hair behind her ear.

I was starting to grasp what she was so nervous about. "But do you have actual loved ones here… watching over you right now?"

Her gaze flicked about the room. "Not at present, no."

"But you do sometimes?"

Several emotions flitted across her features, but I didn't know her well enough to gauge what they meant. Finally, her chin came up in a challenge. "You tell me. Have you seen any ghosts around here?"

"No," I admitted with a frown. "Then again, I haven't seen any since I woke from the coma."

"Do you think you've lost it then?" She looked almost disappointed by the idea.

Was that even possible? "I don't know. Like I said, I've never been able to control it. Did someone die in this house?"

"No, not here. At least, I don't think so. Dad died in the Army, and Mum died in hospital, and Jilly…" her face twisted with emotion, "…she died somewhere else."

"Who's Jilly."

"My sister."

"I'm sorry," I said softly. The pain was obviously still fresh for her. I realized I was still holding onto her arm and gave it a comforting stroke.

Gemma gave a tremulous smile. "Thanks. It's been six years now and I still feel like it was yesterday."

"And do you think that one of them is still here? Is that why you brought me here?" And here I'd thought she'd been trying to help me out from the goodness of her heart, and now she was just like all the others, wanting something from me. "I'm sorry to disappoint. I don't see anyone here," I bit out, stalking toward the stairs.

"No, that's not…" Gemma chased after me, her face pinched with distress. "Jed, please, don't be angry with me, that's not why I asked you to stay here at all. I just thought you might understand, that's all."

"Understand what?" I stopped at the top of the stairs, looming over her.

"What it's like to talk to… to ghosts."

"Of course I do. Haven't I had to my whole fucked up life?" But then I realized what she was saying. Yes, of course, I understood what it was to talk to ghosts, but so did she. She wanted me to understand her.

~~~ Feedback is Love ~~~