Can You See Me?

"Ummm....Olivia?" Nick was curious how a ghost....lived. Did they eat? Did she need sleep? How does it all work?

"Yes?" Olivia was intently watching the television in the Jonas' upstairs living room. It had been at least ten years since she seen any television. Things were quite different even in such a short period, which seemed like forever to someone as young as Nick.

"Do you eat...or sleep? I can make up the guest room if you need me too," he rubbed his arm awkwardly. What would his family say if just made up the spare room for somebody who wasn't even there. Or one they couldn't see at least.

"Oh," she was taken aback. She never even thought about what it would be like to finally meet the person who could see her...and then explain her world to him, "no you don't have to do that. My universe is....different."

"Your universe?"

"Yes. It's different than your world," she didn't want to confuse or weird Nick out so she figured she'd keep it simple, "I can see your house and you but I can also see things you can't. It's like own perfect universe. It's how life would be If the world was perfect...at least to me. It differs for every...dead person. But that's one thing we all can see. We can see other dead people."

"There's a lot more to it than meets the eye, huh?"

"Yeah. There is," she smiled weakly, "I hope this doesn't scare you or anything."

"No, it doesn't...I have a few more questions though,"

"Shoot,"

"Why can't I see the others?"

"There's always only one person who can use. One livi person per dead person," she snorted her voice sounding bitter for the first time since Nick has met Olivia. He'd probably be bitter too if he had to wait almost forty years for someone to finally help him.

"You had to wait all that time...for me?"

"Yes," her smile returned to her ruby red lips, "it's about time you showed up!"

"So do you like sleep or anything?"

"No. We don't have to eat or sleep. We just exist until we have fulfilled our purpose and can move on,"

"What happens after you move on?"

"We become a memory. Some of us fulfill our purpose right after we die and some take a long time...like me. Basically we just fade from being and become distant memories in peoples' lives," she explained. These were all questions Olivia had had when she first realized what she now was. She had a mentor, but her mentor had crossed over a few decades ago.

"I don't think I could forget you," Nick replied and stared at her. She still seemed so real to him, so solid and alive, he couldn't believe she was dead. That someone like her could have been so brutally killed.

"You will though," the sound of the front door opening met their ears, "everyone forgets after time."

"Nick?" Joe's voice drifted upstairs and Nick had a moment of panic. But then he realized they wouldn't see her.

"I'm upstairs!" He yelled back downstairs, "you're more Han welcome to stay as long as you want. Just...stay, okay?"

"I don't really have much of a choice do I?"

"I suppose not," he almost laughed.

"Nick? Who are you talking too?" Joe's eyebrows were raised with curiosity.

"I was uhhh....talking to myself," he answered lamely and stood up. He saw Olivia stand up and follow him.

"You okay? You look a little...odd,"

"No, no. I'm just a little tired," he lied as Olivia laughed lightly.

"Oh? Well, we got a call from the library today. One of the women said she saw you in the Hall of Records this afternoon. Said you looked worried,"

"I wasn't there this afternoon. She must have mistaken someone else for me," he avoided making eye contact and walked into the kitchen.

"Right...right," Joe still looked suspicious but decided to drop it.

"Smooth. Real smooth," Olivia laughed at Nick who silently rolled his eyes at her.

"Nick? Earth to Nick!"

"Huh?"

"Do you want me to help you make dinner? Pay attention, kid," Joe sighed and pulled out some pans so they could start cooking.

"Yeah," Nick nodded before getting one last glare in at Olivia. She stuck her tongue out at him and watching the two Jonas boys make dinner.

______

That's how life continued for the next two weeks. Olivia would arrive at the Jonas house in the morning and follow Nick on his daily adventures. Somedays they'd go back to the Hall of Records and research the few murders they had had in Wyckoff, including Olivia's. They had found few leads and even fewer clues to solving the old mystery.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon when Olivia and Nick had decided to take Nick's dog for a walk. They walked all around the small community, discussing their plan for when they arrived in Los Angeles in a few days.

Until the dog started tugging and tugging at her lease.

"Leah?" Nick asked as he let the dog loose and they followed her. She went to the edge of the wood and started digging like crazy.

"What's she doing?"

"She's found something," he said as the dog turned to him and plopped something on his foot. Nick bent down and picked it up.

"That looks like-"

"An elbow," Olivia finished for him as he stared at the old bone.