Venn was visibly anxious as Brielle gently pulled him into the lab. Zip and Giovanni had been asked to stay in the lobby, much to Zip's disapproval.

Reed put a ghostly hand on Venn's shoulder. "You'll be fine. If they try anything, I've got you."

Venn didn't relax. Brielle smiled at the scientists in the room. "Good afternoon."

One of the scientists, a tall woman with sandy hair, returned the smile. "Afternoon. I'm Brenda and these two are John and Fred."

The two brown haired men waved.

Brenda gestured to a door. "Brielle if you could go into that room please. Venn, you go into the one straight across." She pointed to another door.

Brielle looked at Reed. "Keep an eye on him, Reed." She walked to the room she'd been directed to.

Brenda tilted her head. "Reed? That's the ghost right? Where is it?" She looked around curiously.

Venn bristled. "He is right behind me."

Reed put a hand on Venn's shoulder. "Relax, Venn."

Brenda held up her hands and stepped back. "Sorry, sorry. I've never met a ghost before."

Venn snorted and stalked toward his assigned door. "Consider yourself lucky."

Reed followed Venn into the room. It was plain. White walls, white tile floor, white ceiling, with a metal table and chairs in the middle. Venn approached the table, but stopped a couple steps away as a creeping sensation of nausea bubbled to life.

He stepped away from the table and leaned on the wall. Reed didn't say anything as he went to investigate the table. He reached out and brushed his fingers over the table. A small spray of ectoplasm and a hiss made him draw back. It was iron.

The two didnt need to wait long before the door opened. Fred stepped in and smiled. He wore a very bulky pair of glasses that he hadn't had before. He held a small grey case.

"Afternoon, gentlemen," Fred said. He nodded to Venn, then to Reed.

Venn and Reed looked at each other. Venn turned to Fred and said, "You can see him?" at the same moment as Reed asking, "He can see me?"

Fred chuckled. "Yeah. I can see him. These glasses work wonders. He's a little blurry, but I see that beautiful ponytail."

Venn laughed quietly. "You should have seen it when he was alive."

"I'm sure it was glorious." Fred sat down at the table and gestured to the seat across from him. "Please, Venn, sit. Sorry we don't have a place for you Reed."

"It's fine," Reed said, waving a hand dismissively.

Venn smiled and shook his head. He seemed a bit more at ease. "He said it's alright. And... I can't sit down."

Fred tilted his head. "You injured? Something to do with how you died maybe?"

Venn walked over to stand by the table. "No. Ghosts are sensitive to two metals, iron and silver. My source is made of silver, so I'm immune to that, but my sensitivity to iron is much stronger."

Fred nodded. "Interesting... Well, if you'll let me, I need to take a couple blood samples from you and then we're just going to talk. You seem pretty worked up so we're going to wait to do the vision and hearing tests another day."

Venn nodded. "Alright." He took off his blazer and folded it. He had a white T-shirt on underneath, letting the few long scars on his arms be seen. He put the blazer on the iron table and rested his arm on it. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, fighting the nausea.

"Should only take a moment," Fred said calmly. "You won't even feel it. Just relax." He rubbed a damp cloth on Venn's arm. "So where did you get the scars?"

It took a conscious effort for Venn to relax his arm. He felt faintly dizzy and warmer than before. "Climbing into a burning building when I was eight. There was a little boy inside."

"You were a little boy too. Was he your age?"

"I think so. I don't remember that clearly. I remember he was afraid of me, didn't speak Italian so he couldn't understand. He got out through the door but the room started collapsing around me. I had to go out the window from the second story." Venn let out a long breath. "That was..." he whistled. "Almost twenty years ago now."

"And we're done with that. You can move your arm. That sounds terrible. You got out with just those scars?"

Venn opened his eyes to see Fred putting a couple syringes filled with red blood into his box. "That was quick."

Fred just smiled as Venn withdrew from the table. He was clearly waiting for an answer.

Venn sighed. "No. Not just the arms. A beam hit my side before I got to the window." He pressed a hand to the dent in his ribcage, letting his hand bend into the shape. "I never went to a doctor to have it fixed."

Fred grimaced. "Ouch. I can't imagine that. You just kept going? Your parents didnt do anything?"

Venn shook his head. "I was a runaway from Venezia, Venice to you. I walked from there to London."

"And that isn't even the worst of it," Reed said quietly. "Are you going to tell him the rest?"

Venn shrugged, glancing over at Reed.

Fred leaned back in his chair. "Dang... bad family?"

And so the conversation went. Fred asked many of the questions at first. After a link the two shared, being picked on mercilessly at a young age, Venn asked a few questions of his own.

Reed listened, occasionally reminding Venn of a minor detail or adding in his own commentary. Fred asked a few questions of Reed as well, and quickly figured out how to read lips so Venn didnt need to translate as often.

All the while, Venn felt gradually warmer. He didn't say anything about it, even as he started to feel dizzy.

A few minutes later, Venn felt weak. He coughed and leaned heavily on the wall. "Do you have water?" He asked.

Fred glanced around. "No. Do you want me to get some?"

Venn opened his mouth to respond as his legs gave out. He fell forward. He would have hit his face on the floor if Reed hadn't swooped over to catch him.

Fred made some wave of his hand. "I'll go get water. I won't be gone more than a minute." He vanished out the door.

Reed looked down at Venn in concern as Venn rolled onto his back. "You alright? What happened?"

Venn's eyes drifted closed for a second before he forced them open. "I... I'll be fine. I dont know what that was. I felt so warm and then all the sudden..." he trailed off as Fred returned.

Fred knelt down next to Venn, careful to not touch Reed. "Here, Venn. Drink this."

Venn pushed himself up so he was leaning against the wall in a seated position. "Thanks." He took the glass and sipped it.

Conversation resumed after Venn recovered. He felt much cooler now.

Something beeped on Fred's belt. He pulled something that looked like a cube from his belt and looked at it. "Sorry. I need to check something. I'll be right back."

Venn nodded. "Okay."

Fred left and Reed put an arm around Venn's shoulders. "This room has got to be a test of some kind. The temperature has gone down."

"Has it? I thought that was just me," Venn looked over.

Reed shook his head. "Nope. It's been fairly steady. Give it two minutes and you'll be cold and shivering."

The two sat in calm silence. Four minutes later, Venn was shaking from cold and Reed was glaring around the room.

Reed got up. "I'm going to see if I can find Fred. Don't freeze to death."

Venn pulled his knees up to his chest. "I won't."

Reed disappeared. When he returned with Fred, it was still cold, but Venn was no longer shivering.

Fred smiled and held out a hand to Venn. "And we're done for today."

Venn took Fred's hand and pulled himself up. "Thanks."

Fred led them back out into the lobby. Giovanni bounced up and ran over. He hugged Venn tightly.

Venn smiled and returned the hug. "Hey Gio. You okay?"

Zip followed more slowly behind Giovanni with a small smile.

Giovanni looked up at Venn. "I'm not worried anymore."

Reed chuckled quietly. "I wouldnt let anything happen to him, Gi."

Giovanni turned to Reed. "I know."

Fred left and a few minutes later Brielle emerged.

Venn relaxed completely when he saw her. He walked over and rubbed her arms. "You okay?" He asked, looking worried.

Brielle smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "I'm fine, Venn. You don't need to worry so much."

Venn smiled slightly and put an arm around her. The group left the lab. Venn and Brielle walking quietly, Zip set off in the other direction to go to his classes, Giovanni and Reed squabbling playfully over nothing.

Venn let out a long breath. This was natural. It was all as it should be. He savored it, still unable to believe they were safe.