3:25 Rebirth

"Is it really you?" She was sure she was still asleep, this wasn't real. Ghosts don't walk around at night, they haunt the place they died before moving on, why would he be here unless his spirit was still attached to his remains somehow.

"It's me, baby." He held his hand out, hoping to touch her to prove he was real, she stretched her arm out next to his, going to touch him too, but neither dared. If this wasn't real, a simple touch could break the magic of the moment.

After some moments of silence, they simitaniously reached out. Madison was surprised when her hand didn't glide through, but instead rested on his hip. He was warm, not as warm as he was when he was alive, but she had heard rumours that ghosts were cold. He didn't feel solid, but more like a human-shaped waterbed, there was a little give, and it didn't appear to hurt him.

"I've missed you so much" they exclaimed in unison, and smiled when they realised they were still as in-sync as they had been before. Happy tears filled Madison's eyes, as she realised her dreams were nearly completed.

"You haven't changed a bit." He began, "You're still as beautiful as the day I left." He pulled her into a hug.
"You're a little different, I'm afraid." Madison still felt as safe in his arms as she had all those years before. It felt like he'd never left, like this was as real as real could get.

His kiss was perfect, it had been so long, and she had almost forgotton what it was like to be kissed. It was a little different, as he wasn't 100% solid, but just what she needed.

It wasn't long before the bed called them.
"G, before we do this, I need to ask you something."
"Anything."
"If I could bring you back, is that what you'd want?" Geoffrey seemed a little shocked by the question. Why would he not want to come back? Of course he wanted to, but it was impossible.
"I would do anything to spend even one day with you."

And with that,

 Madison got closer to what she had dreamed of for most of her life.

_____

"I can't believe this is the last time I'll wake up in this room with you!" Kaity had spent the last couple of days annoying Shaena with 'lasts' as if she was moving to Bridgeport or Appaloosa Plains or something.
"Kait, leave it. You're just making it hard." Shaena was happy to be moving in with Alex, but still upset that she'd be leaving her family and best friend. She was only moving down the road, but it seemed so far away.

"If it's so hard, don't leave." Shaena studied Kaity's face, she didn't appear to be joking.
"Why are you so against me leaving? You're the one who told me he was my happy ending, you're the one who told me you'd not seen anything bad..." She was interrupted.

"Oh my God! I feel so ill! Ow! My head! Oh, I'm gunna be sick..."

"Rose... Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine... I'm going to the bathroom!" Rose ran out the room, and Kaity turned back to Shaena to see her staring. She was sure she knew she'd had a bad vision about her and Alex, but wasn't going to let on.

She pulled her into a hug.
"No, Shae. I'm just going to miss you, is all." Shaena didn't seem to believe her anymore, but returned the hug anyway. It was better than thinking her best friend was lying to her.

_____

"Hey, Alex. I'm ready whenever you are." Alex said he'd be over right away to cart Shaena off to her new life, so she decided to say goodbye to her mother.

 She stood for a minute, watching Madison sleep. She was on the wrong side of the bed. She had slept on Geoffrey's side of the bed since his death, but she hadn't last night. Geoffrey's side looked slept in, but seemed to have been made in a hurry.
"Mum?"

Madison woke, realising herself that she was on the wrong side of the bed, which reassured her that last night wasn't a dream.

"I'm leaving soon. Alex is on the way. I came to say goodbye."

Madison looked at her grown-up daughter, and smiled. If last night hadn't happened, she wouldn't be in such a good mood, but everything seemed right with the world, today was the day.

"Eat well, visit often, call everyday..."
"Mum... Seriously? You've never worried about me before, you know I can look after myself."
"You'll always be my baby girl. Just like Luis will always be my baby boy." Shaena smiled and pulled out of the hug as she heard the doorbell.
"He's here."

And with that, the Mattell household was down to five... For now...

____

To be continued...

 "Splash, splash, splash. La, la, la..."










...Now.
_____

 "Geoffrey, baby, forgive me..." Even though he had mentioned he'd give anything for a day, Madison knew he hadn't known about her plan. How could he? And so she realised she couldn't trust his answer. He wouldn't lie to her, but if he didn't realise that she'd found a way to make it all possible, he'd just say whatever to agree with her.

She stood and gently removed the stopper from the 'Rebirth' potion. The purple liquid sizzled as the air in the room rushed down the neck and caused a reaction. Carefully; ever so carefully, she started to pour the glowing liquid into the box containing the ashes.

And there he was, as he was the night before.
"Madi...?"
"Geoff, we don't have much time. If this is what you truly want, if you really want to come back, drink that potion on the counter."

Geoffrey looked a little puzzled as he paused for thought. The green potion in the bottle glowed brighter now its counterpart had been used, and Madison hoped with all her heart that he'd drink it. Geoffrey silently trusted his lover, and made his way to the potion, picked it up, and stood back infront of her.

Pausing for only a moment, he lifted the bottle to his lips and drank. The 'full mass' potion was below the freezing point of water, so cold it burned on the way down, but he didn't care. He'd suffer through pain forever if it meant just a few more hours in his human form.

_____

"Geoffrey? G, baby, wake up." It had been four long minutes since his ghost had fallen to the floor. Lights had slowly swirled around his form, and now they'd gone he resembled his living human form once again.

Slowly, shakily, he climbed to his feet, and they stood staring in wonder and awe for what felt like an eternity.

"Is this real?" Geoffrey's voice was hoarse, his throat still sore from the potion he'd consumed.
"I think so..." Madison sighed as Geoffrey pulled her to him for a kiss.
"How's the baby?" Madison's heart stopped. He had no idea how long he'd been gone.
"She's all grown up. You've been gone eighteen years and one day, G..." He pulled back a little, just short of her lips. Madison opened her eyes and saw a pained and concerned look on his face. "Not a day has gone by where I didn't miss you. Shaena..."
"Shaena." Geoffrey recognised the name, and it was hard to imagine how much of his children's lives he'd missed.
"Yes, she looks just like you."

Climbing into his arms, she continued.
"And she's been the reminder I needed all these years. She and Luis are the only things that kept me going, kept reminding me that what I was doing up here was right, and that they deserved to know you like I do." And finally their lips met, after so many years, they still felt the same as they had when they were small children. Soul mates.

They talked for hours, Madison telling Geoffrey all about his children, Taylor, and the triplets. He had a lot to catch up on, and Madison only had time to go over the basics before the triplets returned from school.

 Taylor arrived home with the triplets, she was working shorter hours now she was in the forensics lab, and couldn't believe her eyes when they walked through the door.

Rose grabbed Jake's hand when she saw the strange man holding Madison, and assumed the worst. She recognised him, but couldn't place his face, and although Madison looked happy and was resting her hand on his chest, she still felt a little insecure. Taylor put her hands on her hips defensively, and glared at Madison. How could she not have told her? Kaity was the only one who'd seen this coming, and was surprised it had worked so well, even though she'd cast a good luck charm over the potions a few days before.
"Madi. A word." Taylor spat through gritted teeth, and moved towards her bedroom. Madison pecked Geoffrey on the cheek, and followed her sister through to her bedroom.

"What the hell is going on?!" She asked, her voice raised slightly to show her anger at not being told, but not loud enough for anyone in the other room to hear.
"I need him, Taylor. Everyone has someone, and my someone was stolen from me, so I stole him back." It sounded so simple, but it hadn't been an easy road.

"And you didn't think to tell me? You didn't trust me enough to help you? Madi, I'm your sister, you know I could have helped and been there for advice." Her voice sounded more desperate than angry now, and she looked hurt.
"Yes, I thought about it." Madison admitted. "But I figured you'd try and stop me. Try to talk me out of it, and convince me it was wrong. It's not wrong, Tay, it's not wrong to want your children to meet their father, and want the happiness you deserve."

"No. It's not wrong, so why did you feel you needed to be so secretive? Why did you think that I wouldn't want to help?" Taylor turned away, she was too hurt to look her sister in the eye, and Madison unfolded her arms and stared guiltily at the back of her head.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you like this, I had every intention of telling you before I did it, but... Last night, he came to me, and so I had to do it today. You were already out when I got up, and so I just went ahead and did it." Taylor sighed, and turned back to face her.
"How?" She asked.

Rose squeezed Jake's hand tighter as their sister approached the man. She started trying to think of a spell she could cast if he looked like he was going to hurt any of them, but was reassured when Jake squeezed her hand back.

"Geoffrey." Kaity stated, and Rose realised where she recognised him from.
"What? Shae and Lou's Dad?!" She asked, shocked, but didn't get a reply.
"You must be Kaity." Geoffrey said, recognising the markings on her face and arms from Madison's desciptions.

"Yes. I'm Shaena's best friend. Think of me as a test you have to pass before you meet her. She's more fragile than you think, and I'm not having some man claiming to be her father, stroll into her life and then just walk right out." Geoffrey was shocked. Madison hadn't mentioned that he might get threatened, and she was still talking with Taylor. He was alone in this one.

"I am her father." He sounded a little hurt at Kaity's accusation that he was just claiming to be her father, he'd not said anything to her before she introduced herself, and couldn't work out why she was being so hostile. "I've never met her, but I'd really like to. Your aunt has told me so much about her already, and Luis, too." Kaity looked at his eyes; the window to the soul, and realised he was telling the truth.
"Ok, well, once last question." Geoffrey nodded, happy he'd passed this bizarre test so far.

"If I told you that your daughter was naked in my dreams, what would you do?" Geoffrey didn't know what to make of that, and looked over to Rose and Jake when he heard giggling.

"Kaity! He won't understand!" Rose managed to get out through her laughter. She was right, Madison had failed to mention that Kaity was psychic, and he just assumed it was an odd personal joke.

Geoffrey thought for a moment, he's not had to use his brain in a while, and thinking up an answer was a little tricky.
"I'd probably say that the only reason she's naked in your dreams, is because you've seen her naked before. You're probably closer to her than you are to your sister, and tell her everything. Including that you'd seen her naked in your dreams..." Before he could finish, he noticed the gleam of delight in Kaity's eye. "What?"
"I like you, Geoffrey."