Z21

The Ghost Walks Again

By Marzena

Chapter 2: Destiny

Flash looked up from the keyboard when Sheila walked in.

"Did she eat something?" he wanted to know.

His wife shook her head, looking rather worried. "No. I brought her some leftovers from dinner, but I doubt that she's eaten anything yet. She's a mess. And really, who can blame her?"

"She's got the right to be a mess," he agreed. "My children both were a mess after Dale died. So was I. Just imagine if it would have been Dale and me both, and Rick and April would have been left behind, dealing with it ... I don't want to think about it, I just can't. We have to show Jedda that she's still got family – us. All of us."

Now smiling, Sheila looked at him. "And this is just one of the things I love about you", she stated.

He took hold of her hand, and for a while, they just stood there, thankful that they still had each other, that it hadn't been one of them dying today.

"Did she talk to you?" Flash finally asked.

"No." Sighing, Sheila shook her head. "I knocked at her door, I tried to convince her to eat something. She barely let me in. I tried to talk to her about what happened, but she cut me off mid-sentence, telling me something about feeling tired and wanting to go to sleep."

"She's crying her eyes out in there."

"Of course she does. And I feel so helpless, knowing there's nothing I can do for her. I also feel like letting the Phantom down. Surely, he wouldn't want to see her like this. He wouldn't have wanted her to go through this, he ..."

"He would be very please to know you're doing your best to comfort her and be there for her," Flash interjected, getting up from his chair and putting his arms around his wife. "You're doing great, Sheila. Honestly. Jedda suffered a great loss today, but it isn't her loss alone. Phantom was our friend, our teammate, our family too. We're all suffering. Not as much as Jedda, but still. It is hard for all of us. And you should give yourself a break for tonight. Maybe what Jedda needs tonight is solitude, not comfort."

"I hope you're right. I feel like I'm abandoning her."

"You don't. But if it makes you feel better, ask Rick to look after her. You know he wants to. He's worried, and he cares a lot about Jedda. Maybe she'd rather talk to him. They're close, and he's lost his mother. Maybe she thinks Rick can relate better."

"Maybe."

Sheila didn't look too convinced. Was someone playing mother hen really what Jedda needed right now? If it had been Amy, Sheila wouldn't have hesitated answering this with a clear Yes. But Amy wouldn't have locked herself in her room. She would have let Sheila in, taking comfort in her being there while sobbing. But Jedda was different. Her whole upbringing was different.

"What are you thinking?" Flash wanted to know, studying her face.

"I'm just thinking, maybe I'm not who Jedda needs right now. She was never one to be huddled over. She's stronger than that. She was raised for occasions like this, Flash. It's her family's legacy. The Phantom dies, the heir takes over. The Phantom always fought crime and injustice of all sorts. It's similar to what we're doing here. Dead lurks around every corner, and Jedda was raised to be aware of that. Yes, she's hurt, she's suffering, she's sad. But she wasn't raised to sit around and weep. She was raised to get out there and confront her problems."

"She can't confront this problem."

"Oh yes, she can. Starting with facing a life without her father."

Warningly, he lifted an eyebrow. "You're not suggesting ..."

"No, of course not. She's way too young for that. But I think she needs to get out. It isn't in her nature to lock herself in her room and grief silently. She needs to come face to face with what has happened, and we need to be right beside her, sharing her experience."

There was a knock at the door, and after Flash called 'Come in!', Mandrake appeared, looking rather comfortable in his leisure suit, but still looking unusually pale.

"Before you ask, yes, I have been checking up on Jedda, and no, she didn't want to talk to me," Sheila immediately said, almost sounding a bit defensive.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ..." He let his words trail off, looking very worried. "It's just that, well, Amy just had a vision."

Flash and Sheila exchanged a look, now suddenly very alert. Amy's visions weren't about tomorrow's weather. They were mostly very serious and very often indicated grave danger.

"She saw Jedda," Mandrake nervously said, seemingly not quite knowing how to say whatever he had to tell them.

"Was she okay?" Sheila quickly asked.

"Well, I guess. She was wearing purple, Sheila."

Confused, Sheila starred at him. So what? Jedda often wore purple. Purple was the signature color of the Phantom, and ...

Judging her horrified expression correctly, Mandrake nodded.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Jedda will take over the mantle of the Phantom."

"No, she can not!" Flash interjected. "She's just a kid. She's the same age Rick is. She is ..."

"Not a kid," Sheila slowly said. "And very well trained for this."

"It's her destiny," Mandrake concluded. "It's only a natural choice for her."

"But certainly not one she should make now! Not so soon after ... well, after it happened! This isn't good! She should take some time to think about this. She should talk to us!"

"Apparently, she's not going to. So maybe we need to talk to her."

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