Two

"Today is going to be busy, they delivered two bodies overnight, and I still need to finish the report on the accident victim from Friday," I said as I read the email I'd been sent in the middle of the night. "Apparently, they've moved the morgue up to a more active position. They used to send more bodies to the other hospital across town, but they've lost their medical examiner and need us to take up some of the slack." I knew that meant more work for both of us, and a need to step up the pace to keep ahead of the demand. It also meant Jordan would probably be spending more time in the backroom than he wanted to.

Jordan took a bite of his toast before kissing my cheek. "It's okay. I can help in any way you need me to."

He was so sweet, and the time we'd been together had been some of the best of my life, but there were times I felt like he was holding back, and I wasn't sure if it had to do with his feelings for me, or his abilities that I still wasn't completely sure about. "Thanks, I know you don't like to be around the dead more than you need to be."

His eyes met mine and he grinned. "But I do like spending more time with you. Don't worry about me. It's about time I start getting used to the dead if I'm going to keep working at the morgue."

"Did you not want to work there anymore?" The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I loved working with Jordan, but I didn't want him to be miserable all day.

"No, I love working there. The hospital staff is great, and I love the fact I don't have to deal with many people throughout the day. I'd miss Buddy keeping me company, plus, we get to go to lunch together."

I relaxed with his words. Our relationship was something completely new to me. Most people got a weird vibe from me and weren't willing to have more than a one-night stand, so the fact that Jordan also shared some strange quirks was something I'd come to appreciate. "I'd miss you too much." Admitting that should have been hard, but it wasn't.

"Aww don't worry, you're stuck with me now," he said and after finishing his coffee, walked over to the sink to rinse his cup before tucking his plate and cup into the dishwasher.

I walked up behind him and looped my arms around his waist. "I think it's more like you who's stuck with me." I ignored Justice who was just at the edge of my vision making a gagging motion. The longer I spent around him the more I saw his sarcastic sense of humor emerge. But I didn't care, nothing was going to make me hold back my feelings for Jordan.

"Okay, lover boy, let's get going." Jordan walked to where Buddy waited by the door and slipped his jacket on before opening it. "I can't wait until the rain is done. Remember when April used to be warm and sunny?"

"Yes, but I also remember when it was warm, and everything was brown from the drought. The rain is annoying, but I love seeing everything green." We both hurried out to the car, and Buddy and Justice appeared in the back seat as soon as the doors closed.

"Looks like there's yard work in our future," Jordan said.

"Yes, one of the glamourous sides of homeownership." I started the car and we chatted about anything and everything on the short drive. But as soon as we walked up to the hospital doors, Jordan's mood changed, and he went from friendly and talkative to quiet and guarded.

"Morning, guys," one of the nurses said as she hurried past us on her way to who knew where. I ignored the three ghosts wandering around lost as we continued down the hall. Hopefully they'd figure out where they were on their own. Taking Jordan's hand in mine I led him back to our office where he collapsed into his chair. Buddy was immediately at his side trying to offer support where he could.

"Jordan?" I knelt next to him with my hand on his knee. Some days were okay for him, but others were painfilled, and I was at a loss for how to help him through those.

"It'll pass," he said, and covered my hand with his.

"Do you need your crystals?" When his pain was overwhelming Jordan would siphon off some of the pain with crystals or the words that had been passed down to him from his ancestors. Sometimes neither worked, and he was left in blinding pain for hours.

"I think I'm okay. I'll wait and see how I feel in a little while. Go ahead and get to work. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." He met my eyes then, and even though his were pinched with pain I knew there was nothing I could do to change his mind. I'd met my match in Jordan. As stubborn and hardheaded as I was, he was equally so.

After a kiss to his forehead, I walked into the morgue. "I'm worried about him," Justice said as I settled in to work.

"He'll tell me if there's something wrong," I reassured him, and possibly myself.

"I'm not so sure about that," Justice mumbled before fading through the wall.

Flipping through the notes I'd started on the body I needed to autopsy, I was relieved there was nothing out of the ordinary and hoped, just for today, that we could get through this shift without anything paranormal happening, but of course as soon as that thought crossed my mind, I worried something was about to happen.

"Justice, are there any other spirits nearby?" I asked. Being a necromancer, I could feel them, but the spirits were good at hiding and making it hard for me to find them. Especially if they had something in mind, they didn't want me to know about.

Justice reappeared in front of me before he disappeared again for a moment, before popping back into the room exactly where he'd been before. "That old lady is at the edge of your control. She's trying to reach in and contact you, but she can't get through your protections. Not for her lack of trying. She's pretty pissed off."

"She's always pissed off. Which is why I blocked her. She does nothing but yell in my face without telling me what she wants, and now I think she's trying to reach Jordan while he's asleep." I walked over to the symbol I'd drawn that kept her out and changed it slightly. Allowing me to drop my defenses enough to let her speak, but nothing more. She wouldn't be able to enter here but she could tell me what she wanted. "I have locked you out of here, Edith. You need to move on." Justice and I both waited to see if she'd answer now I'd permitted it. At first there was only silence, then a voice as soft as a breeze came to me. Which was a big improvement over the yelling.

"Necromancer, I know you've tried to stop me from reaching out to you and the empath, but there is much I need to tell you."

"What do you want, Edith? I tried to show you the light, but you've obviously ignored it."

"There is much to be done before I can move on." Her voice was even softer now, and I knew she couldn't counter my defenses if I didn't let her.

"What do you mean?" I asked, just as Justice walked over to stand next to me.

"You and your boyfriend are not the only ones with abilities. If you're willing to listen, call me. I know you have the power to compel me to answer, but that won't be necessary." Her words faded away, leaving us in silence.

"Where has she been hiding?" I asked Justice.

He shrugged his shoulder and once again faded into the wall without answering, proving to me once again just how unpredictable the dead were. They spoke when they wanted, and ignored you as they pleased, and more times than not they were not completely honest. "Time to spend some time with the dead," I said to myself as I slipped on my lab coat and got ready to finish the first of a few autopsies.