"No More Nighs" - A RBB by Tonje90

[tonje90]

Title: No More Nights
Author: tonje90
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 6160
Warnings: AU, ghosts, swearing
Disclaimer: Title comes from an Avenged Sevenfold song called I Won't See You Tonight (Part 1). Luke and Reid belong to ATWT and whoever owns that... I own nothing, which is probably a good thing!

A/N: Written for the LuRe Reversed Big Bang. 
I struggled more with this than I thought I would. My life got slightly turned upside down when a nationwide strike prevented me from taking some of my final exams, and thus resulting in my future being a giant question mark. So, sadly, writing has not been my priority lately.
I want to thank bhumimak for attempting to keep me sane through all of it. Thank youcasaluna for the amazing artwork that inspired me. I really hope this remotely lives up to your expectations.
And I am sorry if the layout looks funky. LJ has been a weird bitch to me today



The hunter lives his life alone, moving from town to town, unnoticed. 
Reid Oliver thrives in solitude, as he always has. 
Can one case change everything?



She sat up suddenly, awoken by the sudden loud sounds. She was out of bed before her eyes were even open, and the noises stopped as she reached the door. She stopped, leaning a hand against the cold door. She turned back, seeing the empty space next to her crumbled sheets.

She smiled, shaking her head at her own stupidity. “Penny, you’ve been watching too many horror movies late at night...”, she said softly to herself as she opened the bedroom door and looked down the stairs into the hallway. Lights were flickering in the living room, lighting the hallway up in shades of blue and white.

The switching between the evening and night shift had been tough on him, and he was having problems sleeping. The past four nights he had dragged himself to bed somewhere around 3. She was getting a bit concerned, but hopefully he would be getting that promotion soon and back on the day shift.

“Sweetie, please keep the volume down. It’s late”, she called softly, leaning slightly against the railing. She got no response, but the sounds of gunfire and screaming was silenced. “Thank you.”, she threw behind her as she dragged herself back into the bedroom. She left the door open, he would probably come to bed soon.

She snuggled into her pillow, sighing happily into the silence. The light on her phone flashed in the darkness, and she grabbed at the nightstand a few times before wrapping her fingers around the phone. She yawned softly as she opened the menu, and retrieved the new message. She shot up, gripping her phone tightly.

Sent 12.10 AM - “Hey babe, Rob didn’t show up for his shift, so I have to take the night shift as well. I’ll be home around 7 a.m, okay? Love you, sweet dreams.”

She didn’t hear the creak of the door as it slowly shut.

-

The car roared as it sailed down the highway. The windows were rolled all the way down, leading a soft breeze through the front seat. The man leaned back in his seat, mouthing wordlessly along with the music. One hand rested on top of the steering wheel as the other laid easily across the seat-back.

On the horizon, the sun was steadily moving towards the earth, leaving the world in a dim light. He cursed himself for not pulling over sooner. Driving alone in the dark, especially in unfamiliar territory, was definitely not a good idea. He had learned that the hard way.

He sighed happily as a sign indicated an upcoming motel. He glanced over at the map covering the passenger seat. He still had about 5 more hours to the Illinois border. He regretted not staying in South Dakota for the night, but he figured he wouldn’t be much welcome there after punching Phil’s lights out. He smirked at the memory. The bastard had deserved it. He had been doing fine where he was; there were more than enough evil to deal with on the west coast.

The exit for the motel came suddenly. Luckily he was alone on the road, and no one witnessed the sharp turn he made. He cursed himself again, wondering what on earth he was doing. Why had he agreed to drive out here for this amateur job? ‘Freaking hauntings...’, he thought as he rolled his eyes. He had enough going on, and now he was heading out to Nowhere, Illinois for a job so simple that anyone with a brain could do it. He cursed at Phil again, hoping the shiner he gave him was aching.

He slammed his door unnecessarily hard, and immediately apologized by stroking the side of the car. He grabbed his duffel bag from the trunk, stuffing a shotgun in it for good measure, before heading to the front desk. The elderly gentleman managed to check him in without even looking at him, and soon after he fell face-first into his bed. A headache was building, and he knew he needed a couple of hour’s good sleep before heading on. His brain, however, disagreed. Thoughts ran wild, screaming for him to take notice of them. He sat up with a groan, rubbing his forehead as he grabbed the papers from his bag.

A familiar voice at the back of his head kept reminding him that he could have been done with the job already. The crazy lady had offered to pick him up in a freaking private jet, without deducting anything from the ridiculously high paycheck. The advanced check, hidden carefully in his shirt pocket, was more than he had made in the past 6 months.. Hey, saving the world doesn’t pay all that well, unfortunately. The promise of an equally big check, possibly bigger, after finishing the job was too good to pass up. But he had drawn the line at the private jet. He’d do the job, but he would get himself there. He had never been good with tight spaces, especially not flying sardine boxes.

He tossed the papers back at the bah, reaching for a flask instead. A half-full bottle of brown liquid found his hand, and he took a quick swig. The burn down his throat eased him immediately. He rested back against the pillows, one hand behind his head. In, kill the damn thing, and get the hell out as soon as possible. Illinois was too close. This was as far east he had been for a decade. He took another swig of the flask, closing his eyes. “In and out, less than a day. No problem...”

-

“Mother, you’ve got to be joking.”

“Of course not.” Lucinda retorted calmly, a sly smile playing on her lips.

“Ghosts? You think you have ghosts in your house?” Lily continued undisturbed, rolling her eyes dramatically. She sent Luke a look, urging him to take action and do something. “Mother, don’t be ridiculous!”

“Oh, I knew you’d think I’d gone crazy.” Lucinda laughed, sipping her tea calmly. “But you would find out about my intentions either way, so I thought it would be best to inform you in person.”

“Grandmother,” Luke started, pondering how he could state his opinion without offending her. Despite her crazy ideas and doings, he looked up to her more than anyone else. She had always been there for him, through the whole mess with him coming out, being kicked out from home, and all of the drama with his first boyfriend.

He would do anything to keep her happy. But at the same time, he and his mother had finally started to work things out between them; finally beginning to really build up the relationship that had been destroyed all those years ago. 
“What do you mean by your intentions?” He tried, as diplomatic as he could muster. He didn’t miss the glare coming from his mother. He sighed. he knew that if he sided with his grandmother in anything, especially in this matter, she would not take it lightly.

“One of my contacts gave me the information of some people who...” She took a short break, tasting her words. “...specialize in this field. Experts, one might say.” She continued, satisfied with her choice.

Lily snorted, shaking her head as she paced the floor. “Experts on ghosts? This is the most-”

“Oh shut it, darling.” Lucinda snapped, sending her a sharp glare. “Something is not right in this house, and I am taking care of it.”

Lily rolled her eyes again, muttering something under her breath as she grabbed her purse and slammed the door behind her. Lucinda stared after her, not giving anything away. Luke sighed quietly, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

“So...” He tried again, “You’re hiring a psychic or something?”

Lucinda smiled as she glanced over at him. “Not exactly.”

-

He glanced up at the house, a frown painted on his face. ‘Old, probably pre-world war 2’, he thought to himself as he assessed the house. He hoped the lady had done the research as he had asked for. No way was he staying here longer than needed to do the job. He killed the engine and got out, leaving his stuff in the car. No point in freaking the woman out more than necessary.

As he turned, he nearly slammed into someone storming down the pathway. He took a quick step back, hand already reaching for the gun strapped to his hip.

He was met with a furious glare.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” She snapped, glancing him up and down.

“Reid Oliver.” He replied quickly, loosening the grip on the metal at his hip.

She looked quickly at the car and back at him, her eyes tightening into small stripes. “You should be ashamed of yourself; taking advantage of people like that.”

“You think you know something about me?” He set his eyes in her, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

“I know my mother called you here and that she is paying you. I just want to make it clear that I know that you are a fraud, and I will not let you play your little scheme on my mother.” She said, her voice tense but calm.

He chuckled darkly, glancing up at the house again. “Why don’t you just run along and let me do my job?” He crossed his arms, eyeing her outfit in distaste. Typical wannabe business woman; tacky suit, briefcase and all. “I’m sure you have some important dinner to get to.”

She huffed, straightening her jacket. “I am on to you.”, she said calmly before continuing down the street.

“Have fun with that.”, he said, but she was too far away to hear or she didn’t care to resume the banter. He rolled his eyes and headed up the pathway the woman had just left.

The door was open. He considered just walking inside, but figured he could at least attempt to behave. A lot of money at stake. He raised his hand to knock, and suddenly found himself ass first on the porch.

-

“Oh my god, I am so sorry!” Luke gasped, staring wide-eyed at the shocked and angry man sprawled on the porch in front of him. Luke was heading out to find his mother, smooth things over, and hadn’t seen the other man before the impact and landing him on the ground.

“What the hell is going on out here?”, his grandmother called from behind him before breaking into laughter. “Did you just run this poor man down? Luke, darling, help him up.”

The man refused Luke’s hand, quickly moving to his feet and dusting off his pants. “Mrs. Walsh?”, he asked gruffly, glaring at Lucinda.

“Indeed I am. And you must be Reid Oliver. I heard a lot of good things about you from Mr. Webber.” She smiled, reaching a hand out for him. He grabbed it, reluctantly, and shook it quickly.

“Yeah, well, he won’t be saying that anymore.” He grumbled before nodding towards the house. “You gonna let me in?” At least Phil hadn’t called her to tell her about their little violent encounter.

“Of course, of course.” Lucinda stepped back, pulling Luke with her to make way for him. “This is my grandson Luke.”

“Good for you.” Reid replied quickly, stepping through the door and looking around.

Luke cleared his throat, stepping towards him. “I am really sorry about that. I was trying to catch up with my mom, I didn’t think anyone would be there...”

“The crazy woman who tried to assault me in the driveway? Of course you are related to her.” Reid rolled his eyes, stepping into the living room.

Lucinda laughed delightedly, following him in. “Yes, my daughter isn’t quite... well, I apologize for her behaviour. Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?”

“Wonderful.” Reid nodded, plopping down in a recliner. He sighed to himself at the comfort of it, stretching his legs out over an ottoman... a fucking ottoman. Who is this woman?

“Alright, so here is the information you requested. Quite a bit bloodier than the realtor told me before I bought this place.” Lucinda chuckled darkly, handing him a file.

Reid nodded briefly, immediately browsing through the papers. Built in 1941, changed owners quite a few times, nearly burnt down in the 1980s, but rebuilt soon after. Two suicides, in 1950 and 1952, and... bingo... brutal murder in 2002. “Lovely...” he muttered as he closed the file.  “I take it most of the activity is located in the master bedroom, then?”

“No, it’s been all over the house.” Lucinda sat down on the couch, glancing over at Luke who was still standing by the entrance to the living room. He rested against the door frame, arms crossed and a puzzled frown on his face. She smiled at him, patting at the seat next to her, and he reluctantly sat down with her. “The television and the radio keeps switching on and off, mostly when I am in another room. There has been a lot of loud noises that I can never locate the source off, and whenever I buy some flowers or plants, they tend to die rather quickly.” She continued, leaning forward as she spoke.

Reid nodded absentmindedly as she spoke, eliminating the possibilities in his head. “Alright. And you’re sure it’s not just someone messing with you?” He had way too many cases where the children of the house thought they were being funny, or in that one case where there was a homeless man living in someones attic.

“No, Mr. Oliver, I am positive. I believe I know the difference between a prank and what is happening in this house.” She replied firmly.

Reid nodded again, standing up. “I’ll take a look around.”

“I can show you around.” Luke said quickly, standing up as well.

Reid sent him a weird look, shaking his head. “I’m sure I can handle it.”

“Well, I just figured-”.

Lucinda put a hand on his arm and shook her head. “Let Mr. Oliver do his job. We can wait in the kitchen.” She winked and led him in, leaving Reid behind, staring after them with a look of disbelief.

“I knew this was a bad idea.” He repeated to himself , as he pulled his EMF-meter out from his pocket and began his tour.

In the kitchen, Luke sighed as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “Grandmother, are you sure about this? I mean... he could be ripping you off.”

Lucinda chuckled as she lent against the counter, sipping from her own cup. “Don’t you think I did my research? I am not senile yet, you know?”

Luke chuckled at that. “Oh? So how do you know that he’s legit?”

“Like I said, research.” She winked, smirking over the edge of her cup. “You seem interested.”

“In what, him??” Luke stuttered, red tinting his cheeks. He dipped his head, letting his long hair fall in front of his face. “Grandmother, no. I just... I don’t want you to be scammed.”

“Sure, darling.” Lucinda smirked. “And don’t you worry, my source tells me he is gay and unattached.”

“Grandmother!” Luke stuttered, nearly choking on his coffee.

“I’m sorry, darling.” She laughed wholeheartedly. “That look on your face was worth it though!”

They waited in silence; Lucinda smirking, and Luke trying to get the furious blush off his face. He couldn’t lie and say that he was not attracted to the man. He was gorgeous! The curly hair was made for gripping, and those eyes...

But this Oliver might also be some sort of con-man. Or he could be a sort of ghostbuster. Luke chuckled silently to himself at the thought of the older man in a tan jumpsuit chasing Casper.

“Alright, something is definitely here.” Reid explained as he walked into the kitchen. “Any blind idiot should be able to tell you that.”

“Wonderful!” Lucinda clapped her hands together. “And you can take care of it?”

“Of course.” Reid fought to keep from rolling his eyes. Who did she think he was? “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Great. So what do you need?”

“I need you two to get out of here for the night so I can get my job done.” He continued, leaning against the door frame. “Can’t risk anyone getting in the way.”

“I understand.” Lucinda chuckled, putting her cup down on the counter. “Well, just let me get my stuff, and I’ll be out of your way!”

Reid nodded, turning to walk. “Good. I’ll get my stuff from the car.”

Luke grabbed Lucinda’s arm as she was leaving the room. “Grandmother, are you sure about this? He could be emptying your house while you’re gone!”

“Or he could be taking care of this problem.” Lucinda countered, patting her grandson’s cheek. “Don’t worry so much, Luke. You know I am not an idiot.”

“I know, but I still worry.” Luke forced a smile.

“If you’re so worried, you can swing by a couple of times during the night. Make sure he’s doing alright.” Lucinda winked, chuckling darkly. “I’m sure he wouldn’t object too much.”

“Grandmother!” Luke flushed red again, stepping back. “Fine, I’ll check up on him, just to make sure your house is safe.”

Lucinda laughed wholeheartedly as she walked up the stairs. “Wonderful, darling. Wonderful.”

-

It was closing in on 9 a.m, and Reid was starting to think that the whole thing might be in that old lady’s head. He had been sitting in the living room for about an hour and a half, absentmindedly browsing through brain dead TV shows and fearing for the future of the human race, and he hadn't heard anything.

He’d examined the house more carefully after the others had left. He had just done a quick swipe with his EMF during the first walk-through, but he hadn’t found anything useful as of yet. He had decided to wait and see what would happen. No point in forcing the thing out just yet. He still had to figure out what was hanging around.

He was deep in thought, trying to decide whether or not participating in a reality show was an obvious sign of demon possession, when barely noticeable sound caught his attention. He grabbed his shotgun, gingerly placed beside him, and silently stood up.

He listened, not moving for over a minute. Then he slowly moved back towards the kitchen, towards the sound. He stopped at the door, taking another minute to listen. Then he quickly pushed the door open and stormed inside, gun first.

“Hey, hey, don’t shoot!!” Luke gasped, arms straight up into the air and eyes wide, staring into the barrel of the shotgun pointed at his face.

Reid carefully moved his finger off the trigger, sighing annoyed. “What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“No, I just...” Luke bit his lip, leaning back against the counter, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. “I wanted to see what you were doing.”

“Uh huh...” Reid raised an eyebrow. “Don’t trust me, huh?”

“No, no, I do, but...” Luke started, stepping forward. “Well... no... I don’t know... I just don’t want my grandmother to be taken advantage of.”

“I don’t think anyone could pull anything over on that lady.” Reid chuckled darkly, striding back to the living room and slumping down onto the couch.

Luke slowly followed, sitting down next to him. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “I just... I don’t know, I guess I got curious.”

“Look...” Reid glanced at him, his face falling serious. “You should leave. You seem all blue-eyed and innocent. Something bad is going on here and I am going to take care of it, but I don’t want to have to take care of you when you get scared. That’ll get us both killed.”

“I’m not a kid.” Luke snapped, glaring at the older man. “If there really is something here... well, I won’t get in your way. But I want to be sure.”

“Fine.” Reid rolled his eyes as he threw his legs onto the coffee-table. “Just hope she won’t deduct my pay if you get yourself hurt.”

“I’ll be fine.” Luke shot back, crossing his arms across his chest.

Reid smirked slightly. “We’ll see about that.”

They sat in quiet for a while. Reid didn’t mind. He hated working with other people, not that he had ever really tried. He took out a wendigo with a bunch of other hunters a couple of years back, but that was it. And those guys had been experienced. This kid... Reid snorted to himself as he glanced over. College-aged, still living in the same old town he probably grew up in, obvious mommy-issues.... Not exactly what he wanted by his side if things got rough.

“So... If there really is something here, what do you think it is?” Luke asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Reid groaned quietly, rubbing his eyes. “Ghost of some sort. One of the people who died here, couldn’t move on.”
“Why?” Luke asked intrigued, tilting his head slightly.

“Different reasons. Some refuse to believe that they are dead. Some feel like they have to stay to correct mistakes, or say goodbye, or something. They don’t realize that when they stick around, they stick around forever.”

Luke sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. Could this actually be true? “So who do you think is here, then?”

“My guess would be the murdered chick.” Reid replied, closing his eyes as he rested his head back against the back of the couch. “Murder has a tendency to leave behind some pretty pissed off ghosts.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t know a girl was murdered here...”

Reid chuckled. “Probably your parents sheltering you. Wouldn’t want their little boy scared that some crazy killer was running around your ‘safe’ little town.”

Luke chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. That did sound like his parents. “I guess... Still, it’s weird that I didn’t know.”

“Well, it wasn’t really a big case. The girl, Penny Hansen, was murdered by an angry ex-boyfriend, who later walked into the police station covered in her blood. That’s only big news until something more spectacular comes around.”

Luke nodded, smiling in amusement. “Sounds about right. And in this town, something bigger and crazier always shows up sooner or later... So, if it is her, how do you get rid of her?”

“Well, that’s the tricky part. She was cremated, which means there is no body to burn.”

Luke wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Burn?”

“Boy, you don’t know anything, do you?” Reid shooked his head in annoyance. “That’s the way to get rid of a ghost. Salt and burn the bones. In this case, there are no bones, so there’s got to be something else keeping her here. But before I start a wild goose chase, I need to make sure it’s really her. Hence, the stake-out.” He motioned around them.

“And if it’s not her?”

Reid smiled to himself. “I checked that out as well. Cremated, just like dear Penny. So whoever’s here, is being kept here by something. Just gotta find out what.”

A loud bang sounded from upstairs, catching them both off guard. Reid quickly reached for his shotgun and flashlight, and was halfway up the stairs by the time Luke had even stood up.

“Wait!” He whispered loudly, following the hunter as quickly as he could.

Reid held up a hand behind him, slowly moving towards the master bedroom. “Go downstairs. Now.” He said sharply, as he opened the door.  He glanced inside the dark room, scanning the room for any signs of anything. He slowly stepped inside, reaching behind to hit the light switch.

“Is there something in there?” Luke whispered behind him.

“I told you to get downstairs.” Reid replied darkly, scanning the room again. There was nothing to be seen, but he knew how things easily could hide in plain sight.

“Reid, what’s in there?” Luke whispered again, slowly following him into the room. He looked around, but saw nothing. “Maybe we heard wrong...”

“Shh!” Reid glared, stepping further into the room. He could feel it in there, watching him. Waiting. “Why don’t you show yourself, so I know what I am working with?” He muttered quietly, half to himself and half to whoever was in the room with them.

“Reid?” Luke stammered, wrapping his arms around himself. He felt... strange... cold... watched.

The lights flickered above them. Reid raised his shotgun, looking for something to aim at. “Come on, show yourself.” The lights went dead, leaving the room in complete darkness.

“Wait.” A soft voice sounded.

Reid snapped around, shooting at where the voice had come from. The figure disappeared in a grey haze.

“Did... That... What was that?? Was that... the girl?” Luke whimpered, staring at where the figure had just been standing.

“I don’t know...” Reid replied quickly, eyes snapping around the room. “Whoever she was, we got to find whatever is keeping her here. Quick, before she comes back.”

“Uhmm...”Luke stuttered, staring at him, wide-eyed, in disbelief. “What...”

He resisted the urge to slap the other man. “Snap out of it, kid! Come on! Is there anything here that isn’t your grandmother’s?”

“I don’t...” Luke shook his head, trying desperately to clear his head. “I don’t know, I mean... fuck...”

“We don’t have all day!” Reid stressed, walking over to the wardrobe.

In the next second, he hit the wall. The shotgun fell from his hand, landing a few feet away, over by the bed.

“Reid!” Luke shouted, moving towards him, but soon found himself knocked back into the opposite wall. His head hit the floor, causing a brief moment of dizziness. “Ow...” He muttered to himself, gently touching his head to search for injuries or blood.

“Coward!” Reid warned darkly, quickly moving to his feet. “You okay??” He glanced over at Luke, eyebrows frowned in worry.

“Yeah, I’m... okay...” Luke raised slightly up on his elbow.

“Good...” Reid grabbed his shotgun, quickly moving over to him, giving him a quick look-over. “Alright, definitely vengeful spirit here. Think, Snyder, anything unfamiliar here?”

“I don’t know!” He frowned, twisting his brain to come up with something. “Fuck...” He muttered, letting his head fall back onto the floor with a small thud. “I don’t know.”

“Fantastic.” Reid groaned, still scanning the room for the ghost. “Okay, you need to get out of here, it’s not safe.” He grabbed Luke’s arm and tried to help him up.

“No.” Luke pulled his arm back, moving up in a sitting position. “We need to figure out how to get rid of this things.”

“Not if it’s going to end with you killed.” Reid glared.

“I’m fine, Reid.” Luke insisted, staring intently at him. “Just drop it.”

“Great.” He shook his head. “Then you better help.”

Luke nodded, rubbing his eyes. Focus! There has to be something here, somewhere... Then, out of the corner of his eye he noticed something; a glimpse of light. He was about to yelp, get Reid’s attention before whatever that thing was attacked again, but he stopped himself. Somehow he felt... calm... “Reid?”

“Got something?” Reid glanced over at him.

“I think I see something.” He got to his knees, crawling over to the side of the bed. He shifted the nightstand a little, and stared at the spot. “Do you see it?”

“What?” Reid warily moved closer.

“The floorboard.” Luke let his hand glide across it. “It’s different.”

“Damn, you’re right.” Reid said, bending down to get a better look. “Can you get it open?”

Luke searched the floor with his fingers, and soon managed to pull it up. “Flashlight.” Luke motioned with his hand, staring curiously into the dark hole.

Reid quickly handed him the flashlight. “A secret compartement in the floor... What the hell is this place?” He muttered to himself, earning a soft chuckle from Luke.

“Everyone’s got their secrets to keep.” He replied, directing the light into the hole. He carefully stuck his hand in, and came out with a piece of paper.

“What it is?” Reid asked, trying to get a look.

“It’s a photo.” Luke replied, brushing the dust off of it with his hand. A couple was smiling widely up at him; their arms wrapped tightly around each other. “Who do you think it is?” He asked as he handed the photo over to Reid.

“Look like it could be our ghost.” Reid looked at the photo, then frowning as he remembered where he had seen a similar picture. “Shit... This is the murdered girl, Penny... And this is her ex.”

“What?!” Luke faltered. “The guy who killed her?”

“I’m guessing this is what’s been keeping her here...” Reid muttered, digging through his pocket for a lighter. He just got it out when he found himself being tossed across the room, slamming into the wall with a loud thud.

“Reid!” Luke shouted, stumbling over to get to him.

“No, get the picture.” Reid winced, trying to get up to a sitting position. “You need to burn it.”

Luke dropped to his knees, searching the floor for the items Reid had dropped. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He muttered in annoyance and desperation. “I can’t find it!” He looked up again, and the figure was there again. He could see her more clearly this time.

It was almost ridiculous how ghost-like she was; long white dress, long white hair, a gray haze surrounding her. Her hands were held out and up, almost as if wanting to stop him. “Wait.”  She moved her left hand, motioning towards the bed.

She disappeared when a shot from Reid went straight through her.

“Reid!” Luke yelled, glaring at her. “I don’t think it’s her.”

“She’s a freakin' ghost.” Reid groaned, keeping his shotgun up. “Come on, hurry up!

Luke shook his head and rubbed his eyes. What the hell was going on here? He went with his instinct, and crawled over to the bed, where the ghost had been pointing. And sure enough, the photo was laying hidden underneath. “Got it!” He whispered, grabbing the picture and lighter.

“Watch out!” Reid yelled out from across the room.

Luke turned, and just managed to throw himself out of the way as the wardrobe smashed into the wall next to him. He jumped to his feet, and looked around. “Where is she??”

“I got it, just burn it!” Reid yelled back.

Luke swore silently to himself, desperately trying to get the lighter to ignite. When it finally did, a cold breeze blew it out. “It’s not wo-” He began, but got the wind knocked out of him when something threw him up against the wall, making it impossible for him to move.

“Hey!” Reid shouted from the other side of the room. He raised his gun, but couldn’t get a clear shot without risking hitting Luke. “Fuck!” He tried to run over, but was once again tossed across the room.

“Reid!” Luke yelled as he helplessly watched the other man slam hard into the wall. He struggled against the cold, invisible hands holding him in place, but to no avail. “Reid, are you okay??” He yelled again, when he felt something cold against his throat. “Reid!” He cried out again, his voice muffled by the pressure against his vocal chords. It was getting more and more difficult to breath and he was feeling more and more light headed.

He was giving up his struggle when he felt a different kind of cold pass through his body. The pressure keeping upright disappeared and he fell to the floor, heaving for breath. He looked up, watching two clouds of haze swirl around each other in the middle of the floor.

“The photo!” Reid croaked from the other side of the room.

Luke ignited the lighter again, and watched as the flames consumed the photo. A scream roared through the room. A burning figure appeared in the middle of the room, only to disappear seconds later in a fiery implosion.

“Wow...” Luke breathed, eyes wide as he stared frantically into the empty room. His eyes soon found Reid huddled in the corner. “Are you alright??”

Reid struggled up into a sitting position, examining his sore body. “Yeah, I think so... Shit... You?”

“Yeah...” Luke nodded as he walked over, offering Reid a hand to get up. Reid grabbed it and pulled himself up, grimacing slightly. “What?” Luke asked worried.

“Just my leg.” Reid waved it off, limping over to the bed and sitting down.

“Reid!” Luke dropped to his knees in front of him, gently touching his leg. “Is it bad, did you break it?”

Reid slapped away his hands. “Luke, lay off. It’s fine, it just needs some rest.”

Luke nodded defeatedly, but smiled as he moved to sit next to him.

“What?” Reid raised an eyebrow, amused.

“You just called me Luke.” He chuckled, gently nudging him with his shoulder.

Reid let out a laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah, well, when we almost die together, I figure I can call you by your first name.”

“I appreciate that.” Luke laughed, running a hand through his hair. “Wow, that was... intense!”

“It usually is.”

Luke smiled, glancing around the room. The light was back on, and everything seemed... alright. That weird feeling he had been having all night had disappeared along with the photo. "Who do you think the other one was?"

"Another spirit." Reid replied, scratching the back of his neck. "This woman killed herself here, back in the 50s. From what I read in the files your grandmother got me, she couldn't deal with the guilt of not being able to help her daughter, who had killed herself a couple of years earlier."

"Poor woman..." Luke sighed, looking around. "Do you think she's gone too?"

Reid reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling his EMF out. "No, there is no activity here... I guess she disappeared as well."

Luke smiled, looking up at the ceiling. "She finally saved someone."

Reid sent him a look. "That's not how it works."

"How do you know?" Luke winked at him. "She was here, she saved our lives. And now she is gone. Do you have any other explanations?"

Reid shook his head, shrugging. "Well, then that's a first."

Luke smiled again. “I understand why you do this now.”

“Oh?” Reid asked.

“Yeah! I mean... helping people like this, it’s very heroic. And this... adrenaline. I never felt anything like it!” Luke laughed, grinning at the older hunter.

Reid returned the smile, chuckling to himself. “I don’t think anyone has ever described hunting like that.”

“Well, I do!” Luke laughed, standing up. “God, this energy, I could do anything!”

“It’s just a feeling, don’t go throwing yourself out a window because you think you can fly or something.” Reid winked, testing the strength of his leg as he tried to stand back up. He wobbled a bit, and Luke grabbed a hold of him.

“Woah there!” Luke warned, wrapping an arm around his waist to keep him steady.

“I’m fine.” Reid nudged his arm away, but Luke held on.

“Just sit back down, you can stay here for the night.”

“No thanks, I need to head out.” Reid tried again, shoving at the younger man’s arms who refused to let go, and the struggle soon brought them chest to chest. “Luke, I mean it! Let go!”

“No, Reid, I...” Luke stuttered, distracted by the piercing blue eyes glaring at him. “You’re not... You should just... relax...”

Reid tilted his head slightly, letting his hand slide down Luke’s arms. He felt himself get distracted by the intensity in Luke’s eyes; the seeming want hiding there. He let his tongue out, wetting his bottom lip, and he felt the slight shiver go through the younger man. He smirked, barely, and moved closer.

“Wait...” Luke gasped, gripping tighter at Reid’s waist. He shouldn’t do this, he... he barely knew this man. Despite what they had just gone through, he couldn’t just... But then there was the desire in Reid’s eyes, and the way his hands gripped tightly at Luke’s arms, and that warm feeling at the pit of his stomach begging for some kind of release.

“Wait for what?” Reid challenged, staring intensely.

“I...” Luke bit his lip, closing his eyes to gather his thoughts.

That was a bad idea.

Reid leaned in, running his lips up Luke’s jawbone, blowing hot breath onto his skin. One hand moved up Luke’s arm, gently caressing his neck before burying itself in his hair. “If you want me to stop, just say the words.” He said calmly, taking Luke’s earlobe between his teeth and gently biting it.

“Uhh....” Luke moaned, feeling his body betray him as it arched into the other man. His cock twitched in his pants, begging for attention.

“I want you.”  Reid pulled his head back, staring intensely into Luke’s eyes. “I want you naked on that bed right now.” He took a step back, quickly discarding his jacket and t-shirt. “Are you in?”

Luke ground his teeth together, willing himself not to stare at the other man’s body. Fuck, was he hot... “Reid...”

“You need to say it.” Reid smiled, surprisingly tender. He stepped closer again, resting his forehead against Luke’s.

“Yes. Yes, I am in.” Luke said before grabbing the other man’s head, pressing their lips together. Reid’s arms immediately wrapped around him, pulling him close.

-

He left before Luke woke up.

He hated the awkward morning after, with the forced conversations, trying to mention the fact that they would probably never speak again. It was just better this way. They could remember it for what it was - a strange and wonderful night.

Still, he did something he had never done before.

He left a note. A quick message scribbled down, on a torn piece of paper, saying he had to go, had to move on to the next case.

Signed his name. And his number.

The End