T/W: Minor innuendo, disembodied voices and objects moving on their own.

***

"I can't believe Nolan Wright hasn't banned you from the paranormal society yet," Everly teases her friend, as she watches Avery put together the first segment of her latest blog.

"He's not such a bad guy once you get to know him," Avery replies absently.

Everly studies her friend. She notices how she's absently twirling her long hair around her finger, while staring dreamily at the computer screen.

"Oh my gosh!" Everly bolts upright. "You're crushing on him, aren't you?"

Avery starts, as though someone just shocked her with a prodding iron, falling back in her chair and glaring ferociously.

"I'm not," she declares hotly.

Everly starts giggling and can't stop. Oh, this was too juicy! Talk about a story worthy of being paranormal.

"You so are," Everly retorts.

"How the hell would you know? Are you some expert?" Avery snaps, irritated with herself for being so transparent.

"Only when it comes to my best friend," Everly replies, smiling mischievously.

"Okay, okay, okay!" Avery throws her hands up in the air, frustrated. "The truth is: I'm not even sure Nolan and I are all that compatible."

"Why do you say that?" Everly asks, her brow creased.

"When was I there, conducting the interviews, afterwards, Nolan was helping me with my equipment and we couldn't hardly think of anything to say to one another," Avery replies.

"That's just nerves," Everly comments wisely.

"I'm not as sure." Avery's head bows, her hands fluttering nervously in her lap.

"Has Nolan asked you anything personal?" Everly asks. Avery lifts her shoulders in a slight shrug, her gaze trained on the floor.

"Not really."

"Maybe he's shy," Everly suggests.

"Or maybe he's not interested," Avery retorts. She suddenly remembers Nolan asking to hang out. She decides not to disclose that information just yet.

"Can I meet him?" Everly asks abruptly, her dark eyes gleaming.

"Sure," Avery replies. "Although I wouldn't count on it being any time soon."

"As long as I get a chance," Everly says, that mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Now if you'd kindly get lost, I have work to do." Avery gives her best friend a pointed look. Everly stands up, placing her hands up, palms out, in surrender.

"I'm going, I'm going! I'll see you later!"

"Much later, I hope," Avery calls after her, to which Everly responds with wicked laughter.

***

Nolan steers the cargo van into Avery's driveway, honking the horn. He smiles as Avery exits her house, hurrying over to the van, where Lennox opens up the side door for her.

"Hey," Lennox greets Avery, grinning as she climbs into the back seat, closing the door behind her.

"Hey." Avery fastens her seat belt and Nolan slowly backs out of the driveway, heading down the street.

"Hope you're ready to stay up all night," Lennox says to Avery, still grinning.

"I'm not sure," Avery replies good-naturededly. "But I'll give it my best."

"Things will be a little different on this job," Nolan explains to Avery. "Since it's a private residence."

"Will the owners be staying?" Avery asks.

"Yes. And they have two young children so we'll have to be quiet. Also just follow our leads on stuff, okay?"

"Sure," Avery says, puzzled. She wonders exactly what they'll encounter in this home. She's beginning to wish she'd chosen a less complicated topic.

***

The home the team is investigating is about twenty minutes outside of Sahling. It's an old farmhouse, which Avery always thought were the perfect kinds of haunted houses.

She does as Nolan requests, though, just following the team's lead and letting Nolan and Sid do most of the talking with the homeowners.

She does, however, follow Lola around, looking through the home. While Avery wouldn't necessarily think of herself as clairvoyant, she does kinda pick up some odd vibes from this place.

Nolan and Sid join them a moment later, telling everyone it's time to get the equipment set up.

"Avery, do you think you could assist Sid in plugging in the extension cords?" Nolan asks.

"I should be able to." Avery takes a few seconds to admire Nolan's ruggedly handsome face. He gives her a tight smile, heading outside.

"Here." Sid thrusts a huge roll of extension cords in her hands. She staggers under the weight. "Think you can manage that?"

"Uh, yup! No problem!" Sid just smirks, as he motions for Avery to follow him. She does, listening aa Sid explains what he wants to do. Avery gets right to work, having the cords undone and strung along the edge of the floors within a matter of minutes.

Sid looks both pleased and stunned. He stands there, scratching his face, frowning thoughtfully. Lennox jogs in, carrying a couple of cameras.

"You're ready?" Lennox asks.

"Yeah," Sid replies.

"How'd you do that so fast?" Lennox asks, setting the cameras aside.

"Avery." Both men look at Avery, then each other. "How come you aren't that quick?" Sid asks Lennox.

"There's no way Avery was that fast," Lennox argues, giving Avery the side-eye. She just smiles and pretends to dust off her hands.

"She was," Sid insists. "I watched her do it."

"Yeah, okay, man. Whatever." Nolan and Lola join them.

"Less talking, more working," he says in a no nonsense tone. "We only have a few hours to get this done."

"Sure thing, boss." Lennox tosses Nolan a saucy grin. Nolan nods before disappearing around the corner.

"Anything else you boys need my assistance with?" Avery asks sweetly.

"Yeah," Lennox says. "Stop being a kiss ass with Nolan."

"Didn't realize I was." Avery frowns. What's crawled up Lennox's butt all of a sudden?

"Well, you are."

"Don't be a dick," Sid snaps quietly. Lennox just ignores him. Lola appears, holding the thermal camera and the voice recorders.

"What's your deal, Lennox?" She asks.

"Nothing." He finishes fiddling with the cameras and then, slips out of the hallway, off to do whatever.

"Didn't realize everyone hated me so much," Avery murmurs.

"Don't take it personally," Lola says. "Lennox just takes some getting used to."

"He does?" Sid stares at Lola. "Thought I was the antisocial one in this group." Lola laughs, stepping closer to Sid and leaning in to give him a quick peck on the lips. Sid's cheeks go pink. Avery smiles.

"Don't worry, baby," Lola tells Sid. "You'll always be that one for me." Sid chuckles, shaking his head.

"Gee thanks."

"Don't mention it."

***

Nolan has Avery go around with Sid and Lola for the first couple of hours. Avery is discovering that the longer she does this kind of work, she enjoys it.

"Sid, Lola and Avery are in the playroom, upstairs," Lola says into the voice recorder. Avery shines her flashlight around. Although the playroom gives off mostly cozy vibes, there's something unsettling about it.

"What's been reported about this room?" Lola asks Sid.

"Toys moving around by themselves. Stuff getting picked up and put back in the wrong location," Sid replies.

"Poltergeist activity?" Avery asks.

"Possibly," Sid replies.

"Can I ask some questions?" Avery asks.

"Sure," Sid responds.

"Is there anyone here with us tonight?" Avery asks. Lola and Sid share a smile. For someone who claims to be a major skeptic, Avery's really warmed up to their investigations.

"If you're here," Avery continues. "Why have you stayed behind? Did someone harm you and that's why?"

"If you're here," Lola adds. "Could you move something for us?"

Almost instantly, there was a sound like a few toys falling over. Sid pans his camera over in that direction.

"If that was you," he says. "Can you do it again, please?"

Avery, Lola and Sid all wait, holding their breath, watching to see if the action will be repeated. A car on top of the pile, falls off, on to the floor.

"Oh!" Avery exclaims, her eyes wide, her heart pounding.

"Thank you," Lola says. "Do you have anything else to show us?"

Nothing. Everything has gone still and eerily quiet.

"That was incredible," Avery whispers. Sid grins, nodding.

"It really was."

***
"Lennox and Nolan, in the basement," Lennox says as he and Nolan descent down into the basement, where there's been claims of shadow figures and disembodied voices.

Nolan takes a slow stroll around the basement, watching where he walks, as there's cardboard boxes stacked against the walls, using the thermal camera.

"Is there a Henry Jones here?" Lennox asks. "We heard that you might be one of the spirits hanging around."

Nolan frowns as he thinks he catches what sounds like a male voice.

"Did you hear something?" Nolan asks Lennox, who nods.

"Yeah. It sounded like a male voice," Lennox replies.

"That's what I thought." Nolan pans the thermal camera around, but doesn't notice anything unusual.

"Henry, if that was you," Nolan says. "Could you say it again?" Immediately there's that same voice sounds, close to Nolan's left ear. It sounded like, " I'm here."

"We're not here to judge you for anything you've done," Lennox adds. "We just wanna help you move on."

Nolan still isn't noticing anything on the thermal camera. He feels a cold breeze blow past him. He figures that has to be from the spirit, as there isn't any windows or doors open.

"Damn," he murmurs to himself.

"There's definitely something here," Lennox says to Nolan, who nods in agreement.

"Can you tell anything about what happened to you?" Nolan asks. Both he and Lennox wait several minutes, in silence, waiting to see if the spirit will communicate anything else.

But no. Everything has gone still. Nolan sighs, but remains optimistic about the rest of the investigation. They still have several hours ahead of them.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Lennox asks Nolan as they head back up the stairs to the main floor.

"Is this about Avery?" Nolan asks warily.

"Yeah." Lennox steps up behind Nolan, entering the kitchen.

"I'm not interested in her on a personal level," Nolan whispers.

"Dude, you totally are. But that's not what I was thinking," Lennox says.

"Then what?"

"What do you see in her?"

"You need to be more specific." Nolan pokes his head out into the hallway, hoping that Avery isn't close enough to hear their conversation.

"What do you like about her?" Lennox asks.

"She's not afraid to ask the difficult questions." Lennox stares at Nolan.

"That's it? Because she asks hard questions?"

"Yes," Nolan says firmly. He steps into the living room. "No more questions about Avery Greer. We're on a case and it requires our full attention."

"Aye, aye, Captain Nolan!" Lennox gives a mock salute, but Nolan just pushes forward with the investment, trying to pretend that just talking about Avery Greer doesn't make his pulse race