RATING: G to PG for Egon's slightly active imagination
DISCLAIMER: Boy, I wish I was rich; then, I'd buy the guys outright
and let all the authors play with them for free.
Egon sat at the window of his lab, staring out over the Manhattan skyline.
He had plenty of projects waiting for him to finish, but he wasn't interested in any of them. Packs has to be maintained, traps repaired, even something he started that made a really neat zap; but he just sighed and went back to staring westward out the window.
He heard the footsteps of the others come and go from the lab, trying to encourage him to come down and eat, watch some television, take a walk, anything. He ignored them all. There was only one voice he wanted to hear, but she wasn't there.
He remembered the morning that she'd won the radio contest, giving her a month's vacation in Hollywood, California, all expenses paid. Peter allowed her to take the time off for the trip, so she eagerly packed her bags and left. That was two and a half weeks ago.
He felt lonely ever since.
He missed her nasally voice yelling at Dr. Venkman, about being late with her check again. Or talking to Winston and Ray as they cleaned the garage, or maintained Ecto-1. Or the way that she seemed to purr at Egon, himself, as she tried to insinuate herself into his evening plans by hinting that they should go out together.
In retrospect, Egon felt as if he should have taken her up on one of her offers, because now, all he could picture was Janine, lying at the beach in her yellow polka dot bikini, attracting the attention of men everywhere.
What if she met someone else out there? A real ladies' man, with charm and panache and lots of money. How can I compete with that? he asked himself.
He imagined her going out on extravagant dates with her dream man; champagne and caviar every night. He would later escort her to her hotel room, and she would invite him in, with a kiss full of giggles and promises...
A tub full of bubbles; silk sheets on the bed...
A night of unbridled passion...with someone else.
Egon folded his arms on the window sill, and leaned his head down upon them. He sighed heavily, breaking the silence in the quiet room.
More footsteps coming down the hallway; he wished they would leave him alone to brood. The lab door creaked open, and boots clumped their way in.
A postcard was thrust in front of his eyes, but he could hardly see it because of his misted vision. Blinking, he brought into focus a picture of the Sunset Strip, lit up like neon at night. The card was flipped; on the back, the words: Wish you were here..., in her flowing script.
"Yeah, right..." he muttered glumly, turning his face away.
"Actually, it should have read: Wish I was there," said a nasally voice in a Brooklyn accent.
Egon's head whipped up in surprise as he beheld her; a vision of red and peach, dressed in a V-neck shirt with flared sleeves, black midi, and Doc Martens. She looked wonderful.
"Janine?" he breathed softly, as if the slightest sound would cause this vision of loveliness to vanish.
She leaned down and tenderly bussed his cheek. "I'm home," her smiling face told him.
"What are you doing here?" It seemed as though his mind still couldn't quite believe that she was actually there, kiss or no. "You still have another week and a half left on your vacation."
A tender smile, just for him. "I missed you, ya big lug."
A simple statement; one that shot straight to his heart, and warmed him throughout. With a sob that was half relief and half joy, Egon rose from the stool and wrapped her in his arms. He was determined not to let her go again.
Janine returned the hug in full measure, sighing into his chest.
The pair didn't hear the combined footsteps of the three men as they left the lab doorway.
"Isn't love grand?" Ray whispered, as the trio stepped lightly back down the hallway.
"Cost a grand, you mean," Winston snorted, glancing over at Peter.
"That's the last time I bribe Janine to come back early from a vacation," Peter growled softly. "Do you know how much those plane tickets cost? And I had to promise her another raise, too," he lamented.
"But Egon's happy again, and isn't that what counts?" Ray asked.
"Amen to that," Winston agreed.
"At least now we'll get a decent day's work out of him," Peter added.
"Killjoy," Winston said as he swiped at the brown shock of hair hanging over Peter's forehead.
The three of them left the two alone upstairs, and went to watch TV.
The End
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