(no subject)

[gone_byebye]

May 29, 2004
14 North Moore Street
Manhattan

The police of New York City's mounted division had long since learned to ignore their neighbors in the old Hook & Ladder No. 8 building on the side of North Moore. It just wasn't worth their while to pay attention to anything that didn't go far enough to frighten the horses.

New Yorkers are really, really good at ignoring things. Even when it's two men appearing on the sidewalk between one moment and the next.

"Well, here we are," Ray said, looking up at the familiar sign from the first movie. "Home sweet Firehall. You good, Venkman?"

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Peter stares, and then sits down, "Ok, I'm listening. What is it?"

Venkman sighs and says, "Alright, first of all, Mom wasn't crazy. The ghosts were real, that's first and foremost. You're going to have to get over this skeptic attitude. Keep the bullshit detector, but the rest isn't going to do you any good. Trust me on this. There are things in this universe beyond what anybody can comprehend. Ok, I spent the past couple of days taking a major mental vacation because I had come to terms with this the hard way. Don't do the same."

Peter asks, "But she was, Dad, and the doctors said so. And I didn't see anything."

"Alright, that bullshit detector I was talking about? It just went off, because we both know that what you said is just that. We saw and heard them. You know it, I know it. Let's move on."

Peter had a look of disbelief, but then he seemed thoughtful. And then his expression changed, "Wait, she had to be. She needed help."

"She needed help, but not from them. She needed us, and we let her down," Venkman placed a hand on his other's shoulder. "Now we need to make up for it. She wasn't crazy, and we're not crazy for believing. It doesn't work that way."

Peter sadly looks at him, "But how? How come she saw them, and I, we did?"

Venkman sighs and says, "Ok, I don't know all the details on that. But there's something else. I found out why we're ghost magnets."

[gone_byebye]

There was silence in the lobby of the Firehouse.

"But we saved the city," Winston pointed out. "I know there was property damage along the way, but-"

"Actually, it makes perfect sense," Egon mused. "New York has traditionally eaten its heroes alive. Nothing short of perfection, or ongoing rescue from ongoing threat, is enough to keep the people of this city happy. Between that and the fact that we had no real-time witnesses atop the Shandor BUilding, I'm a little surprised we weren't torn to pieces by the angry mobs ourselves."

"News helicopters," Ray said absently. "There were a couple of them still live despite Gozer's Force lightning."

"That wasn't the Force, Ray."

"I didn't exactly have my meter in front of me."

Egon shook his head. Janine was watching Ray with a look of mingled fascination and horror. "So what happened after that?"

"Well," Ray said, "we went out of business, like I said, and then came the bad years. Janine, you're going to want to sit down for this."

"I already am."

"Sit down some more, because I don't think you're going to like how it unfolds..."

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"But I'm not..." Peter starts to say, and then remembers the busts. The ghosts did go after him especially half the time. True he'll goad them on a bit, but even without that, they go right for him.

On the change of expression, Venkman nods grimly, "We are. This is why. Ray's got a really sensitive PKE meter with him. And I asked him to scan me, since I had an idea something might come up."

Peter slowly asks, "So what did he find?"

"Get this, it's minimal, but we're walking PKE generators. It's not much, just enough being thrown off from us for spooks to pick up on it." Venkman adds, "Speaking of which, I want to get that checked out more since there's more detection equipment either."

"So what does that mean? We're not human or something?"

Venkman shakes his head, "We're human as I know, just slightly freaky humans."

[gone_byebye]

"ENGAGED TO LOUIS TULLY?!?"

Ray flinched, hard. "THat's what he said.

"ENGAGED?"

"Yep."

"TO THAT LITTLE- to-" Janine appeared to have been struck speechless with rage. Apparently the only people in Manhattan who weren't smitten with the latest King of the Geeks were the ones who'd known him when. "You have GOT to be pullin' my leg!"

"I'm afraid not, Janine. That's what Pete told me. River of slime, judicial restraining order lifted, Vigo the Carpathian, Dana Barrett's baby, you and Louis."

"Bleeaagh!" Janine shuddered. "And you're sure he's not crazy?"

"Possibly he's simply from some kind of dystopian nightmare of a future," Egon said distantly. "Even if, chronologically, he appears to be from our past- the events you describe could still be positioned further along our time-stream."

"Like Hell they are!" Janine exclaimed, jumping out of her seat. "I am never going near that twerp! Have you seen him? He's exactly the same guy as he was when he was here sniffin' the popcorn jar and drinking the boiling water!"

"Actually, considering that he was possessed at the time-"

"You know what I mean, Egon!" she snapped. "You can say all you like about futures, but that part of this one ain't gonna happen. That is so not in my future. It isn't even funny."

"Uh- Janine-" Winston raised a hand. "I think we're all missing the really important part here."

"What?"

"We're still in business, and the city doesn't have it in for us." He nodded towards the company fireproof safe. "Matter of fact, I seem to recall that we just recently got fifty thousand dollars out of 'em. Is that the action of a city out to sue our pants off?"

"You know, you're right," Janine said after a bit. "Thank you, Winston, I feel lots better. So what else is there, Ray?"

"Well... most of the rest is about Peter. You'd better let him tell you himself."

"Which one of him?"

"Whichever one decides to tell you, I guess."

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The two Peters continued their conversation a bit longer, before finally emerging from the room.

"Oh ok, everybody's here." Venkman says.

Peter adds, and points to him, "Uh, yeah, he's the new guy, in case you're confused." The two trade a glance.

Venkman holds up his right hand, showing a simple magnetic looking bracelet, "And I have this to tell us apart. Oh, and we're going to need to use the detection equipment at some point. Anything, and everything you got."

Egon asks, "On who?"

Peter answers, "Both of us. Long story. We'll explain after the results are in."

[gone_byebye]

Ray jumps up. "This is gonna be great," he says happily, clearly far too thrilled at the prospect of scientifically picking the mystery apart for his own good. "C'mon, Pete. Both of you. Let's get this party started..."