Disclaimer: I don't own Ghostbusters.

Warnings: Blood

Mindless Babble:

Dr. Peter Venkman stood at the start of a long, winding trail that disappeared in the distance. He didn't remember how he got there or even why he was there. All he knew was he had to walk down that road.

After a few minutes of walking, Peter came to a forest. It looked as old as time itself and as dark as the devil's soul. Cobwebs seemed to create a curtain spanning from one tree to the next; Peter would have to tear his way through the webs to continue his journey. He did so with great disgust.

"Where's a machete when you need one?" he muttered to himself.

"Where?"

Peter spun around looking for the owner's voice. "Who's there?"

"Who?"

The man with green eyes looked into the branches of the tree he was under. An owl perched there, white feathers standing out from the gloom that surrounded it. Its eyes glowed blue instead of gold. It tilted its head to the side.

"Who? What? " it said.

"Oh, I get it now," Peter said to the bird. "You're an owl that can only ask questions, right?"

The owl tilted it head to the other side and asked, "Where?"

"I don't know where I'm going. I just know I have to get there."

"Why?"

The question startled Peter and it took him a moment to answer. "I think I'm trying to find someone."

"Who?"

"I don't know. I think it's someone important. I don't remember."

"How?"

"By walking unless you've got a car hidden somewhere," replied Peter with some annoyance. This bird was getting a little too nosey.

The owl ruffled it's feathers and asked again, "How?"

Comprehension struck Peter. "How did I get here?"

The owl turned its head seeming upside down. Peter couldn't help but to laugh. He stopped suddenly as he realized he didn't know the answer to the owl's question. He tried to remember but it was all too fuzzy.

"I don't know." He sighed. "I think it's going to be a long trip though. Would you care to keep me company?"

The owl righted itself and opened its wings. It swooped down from the branches to land on Peter's shoulder. To Peter's surprise, for such a large bird, it seemed to weigh nothing. Together, they continued down the dirt road.

A few hours later, they came to a small lake. A group of otters played near the road. One in particular, appeared to be having more fun then all the others combined. Its russet colored fur glistened in the sun as it slid down the muddy slope into the water. It came out of the water, saw Peter and the owl and bounded over to them a fast as its short legs could carry it.

"Come and join us! It looks like you could use a break from walking," he said in a masculine voice. "The water is fantastic!"

"Well, what do you say, Owl?" Peter asked the bird on his shoulder. " Should we join them for an few minutes?"

Owl tilted his head to the side and asked, "Why?"

"Because it'll be fun!" replied the otter. "Come on!" He then jumped behind Peter and started to nudge his boots.

"Alright, alright! I'm going, I'm going!" Peter laughed as he started towards the edge of the lake. Once there he sat down and took off his boots and rolled up the pant legs on his brown jumpsuit. Owl hopped off his shoulder and settled himself on the ground.

"What?"

"What am I doing? I'm just going to wade in the water for a while. Then we can go back to the trip."

The otter, which had not left his side, seemed greatly pleased by this. "Everyone needs to have fun once in a while. Even in this place."

"What is this place?" Peter asked, as he stepped into the water. The otter was right; the water did feel good."

"You don't know?" asked the otter, looking perplexed. Then he brightened and said, "Then that is you quest!"

"You're as bad as owl," said Peter, under his breath.

Just then, the other otters ran from the water, barking in distress. Peter was about to ask what was happening when a tentacle wrapped around his ankle and pulled him under. The last thing Peter saw before the water closed over his head was Owl hooting in alarm and the otter that had befriended him sliding into the water.

It was over in a few minutes. Peter carried the injured otter from the water and onto the shore. Once there, he tore strips from the t-shirt he wore under his jumpsuit, and wrapped them around the otter's paw. The monster, for Peter had no other name for it, had tried to drown the human but failed when the otter had bitten it repeatedly on the tentacle. The monster returned the favor, biting down hard on the furry creatures front leg. It had also let go of Peter who grabbed his new friend and swam for the shore.

"Are you okay?" asked the otter looking up at the doctor with liquid pools of brown.

"Me? I was about to ask you the same question!" replied Peter.

"I'm okay if you are." He watched as Peter tied the strip into place. "I'm Sol, by the way."

"Peter Venkman and I've just been calling the flying feather duster there, Owl."

"I'm glad to meet you." Sol paused before continuing. "Could I join you on your quest? I can help you."

Green eyes sparkled with humor. "Sure. The more the merrier, I guess. Besides, you remind me of someone, I just can't think of who."

And so the otter called Sol joined Peter and Owl on their trip.

Night was falling by the time the trio reached the edge of the forest. Peter felt like resting, but his two friends would not let him. They kept trying to persuade him to keep going. He sat down to at least rest his feet when a low grumbling growl ended the argument before it started.

Peter turned his head to look face to face with a huge black panther. It bared its teeth and growled once again.

"How pathetic. The Great Doctor Venkman, collage football star, being brought down by a little walk." The panther snorted and continued, "Maybe you should just roll over and die now, before …"

The big cat was interrupted the flapping of great wings. Owl dive-bombed the panther, driving it away from Peter.

"Wait, Owl!" Peter cried out, standing up. "How do you know my name?"

"I know you, Pete Venkman. I know a lot about you." Dark eyes scanned the human, taking in every detail. "I know you are stronger then this. You need to keep going along this path to your destination."

"But what is my 'destination'?"

"That is what you need to find out."

Peter groaned in frustration. "Can anyone here give me a straight answer?"

"I will help you in finding answers, if you wish it."

"Alright," sighed Peter, feeling relieved that he wasn't on the dinner menu any more.

"Who?" asked Owl, once again on Peter's shoulder.

"I am Church."

Introductions were made and the four of them made their way towards the end of the road.

It was approaching midnight when they found themselves at the home of the Ghostbusters. Peter wasn't sure how they got there. One minute they were on a dirt road the next standing on the sidewalk in front of the old fire hall. He simply shrugged and walked in.

A songbird flew down from the shadows and landed in front of the startled doctor. "What are you doing here?" she sang in a clear tenor.

"I live here," replied Peter.

"But I thought…" The little bird was interrupted by a deep voice shouting down from the stairs.

"Peter? Is that you?"

"Yeah, Egon. It's me."

A tall lanky blond haired man slowly descended the stairway. "What are you doing back, you pathetic excuse for a human being," he sneered.

"E…Egon?"

"What is this sack of shit doing here?" asked Winston, appearing from where Ecto-1 was parked.

"I thought he was dead and gone," said Ray, coming out of Peter's office. He sounded disappointed.

"He was," answered Janine, from behind her desk. "But he can't even do death right."

"Guys?" Peter asked, taken back by the sheer venom in their voices.

"Egon's right, you're pathetic," spat Winston.

"Yeah, just another loser!" piped up Ray.

"Don't listen to them, Peter," the tiny songbird said in his ear, after landing on his other shoulder.

Church growled, crouching down, ready to attack. Owl flew up and started to circle, ready for action. Sol bared his teeth at the other humans from his spot cradled in Peter's arms.

"Look! He needs animals to stick up for him!" snickered Janine.

"I always knew he was too weak to be a Ghostbuster," said Egon.

"No! Stop!" cried out Peter, with equal parts of fear, hurt and anger. "You are not my real friends! You're fakes! My friends would always be there for me."

Then it hit him. They were there for him. He looked down at the playful otter he held and thought of Ray. He turned his head towards the panther and thought of Winston doing his time in Vietnam. On his shoulder, Janine looked at him the same way she would when he told her of the near misses her beloved had encountered. Lastly, he looked up and couldn't help himself. He chuckled, thinking of the human that always dared to ask questions.

In an instant, everything dissolved away leaving nothing more then a vista of stars. Peter found himself floating in that celestial sea, alone with only his thoughts. His friends were once again gone.

A woman appeared, giving the impression that she was made of the shadows. A black dress started at her throat and flowed down the hourglass curves to touch the floor but left the arms bare. Raven colored hair framed a pale face with dark eyes and lips the color of pomegranate juice. A crow sat on her left shoulder, eyeing the Ghostbuster like a piece of meat. In her right hand, the woman held a scythe.

"Peter Venkman," she said, her voice sounding like glass breaking.

"Death and Sleep."

"I'm surprised you remembered us."

"I'm not. With as many times as the esteemed doctor has visited us, we should consider him family," said the crow, Sleep.

"Well, he is good at catching all of the escaped," replied Death.

"Why am I here?" asked Peter.

"You don't remember?" Peter shook his head. "Then let me show you."

Death swung her scythe, slicing a hole in the fabric of space.

the class 8 surged out of the containment beams

it headed for Ray

suddenly, Peter was there and Ray was on the ground several feet away

the claw swung down

blood flew everywhere

lights

silence

Peter took a deep breath to steady him self as he remembered. Then he asked the question he didn't really want the answer to. "Where am I now?"

Death took his hand and abruptly they were in an emergency operating room. Several doctors and nurses surrounded a bed. Everything looked as if it was covered in blood. A heart monitor was wailing its constant beep, letting everyone know that a heart had stopped. A large machine was brought in and one of the doctors turned to prep it. That was when Peter saw what was lying on the bed.

It was his body.

A strangled scream of anguish compelled him to look away from the body and towards the doors. Three men stood there, looking like ghost themselves. The scream had come from Ray, who was currently being held up by Egon and Winston. The pain in their eyes forced Peter to look back at Death.

"I need to go back."

"You do realize that this will hurt a lot and for a very long time, don't you?" asked Sleep.

"Yes, but they need me," answered Peter, his head dropping to his chest.

"And you need them," Death said with understanding. She reached out and hooked her fingers under Peter's chin. She raised his head up, so they were eye to eye. "See you later." Then she kissed him.

"Clear!"

Peter felt his heart jump

"We got a heartbeat!"

pain !

"It's steady"

he cried out

"It'll be alright, now."

a hand brushed his forehead

Many days later, Peter awoke to find three, no, four smiling faces surrounding his bed. Ray and Winston stood on one side, their cheeks wet with tears. Egon held a trembling Janine, both of whom had removed their glasses to dry their eyes. All four were smiling as if they had received the most priceless gift in the world.

In that moment, he knew Dr. Peter Venkman had reached his destination.