#phantom dennis

The moon is about to set and he is sitting alone in the living room, letting the shopping channel play on mute. The overly chirpy man in the hideous orange sweater is selling some kind of vegetable chopping thing.

If she were still here, Dennis would bug her to buy it.

He hasn't cried in a long, long time. Sometimes he wonders if he still can.

Suddenly, the TV screen flickers into static. The ceiling light blinks.

Dennis isn't afraid, though he is curious. Just as he is about to investigate, a woman walks through the door.

"Dennis!" She runs over and hugs him. "Oh, my god. I didn't think you'd still be here!"

"Cordelia?" Dennis gasps in astonishment. "Did you just-"

He doesn't know how to ask, but she beams at him. "Yep! I mean, I was on the edge of it, so I asked the PTB for a day to help set Angel back on his path, and I still have a couple of hours, and I thought I should come see my ghostly friend."

She looks beautiful. There is something glowing from within her, and Dennis has no doubt she is going to Heaven. He holds her hands and squeezes, overjoyed that he can do something as simple as that with someone he has come to love as a sister.

"I'm sorry you died," he says, "and thank you for coming to visit me before you move on."

Cordelia makes a face. "Visit? Dennis, don't be silly. We're leaving together."

"What?"

"I'm not leaving you here to go 'boo' at anyone else," she declares. "You're one of my oldest friends here in LA, and we've never gone out together." She links her arm through his. "You and me, we're going on our own adventure together."

If Dennis still had blood, he'd be blushing. As it is, he is full of emotion. He covers her hand on his arm with his own hand. He can feel her warmth, and a glimmer of warmth sparkled in his chest. "Thank you for remembering me."