Lena's first day at school went surprisingly better than she'd thought it would. She wanted to tell Kit that he had been right, that everything was ok, but he wasn't home when she got back from school.

She sat quietly in the kitchen, watching Maggie cook when she wasn't looking and pretending to read when she was. She wanted to help her bake; she'd loved it when her mom used to let her, but she didn't want to tell Maggie that.

Maggie, of course, had already noticed Lena watching and knew she wasn't reading as she hadn't even turned a page of her book.

"Hey, little lady...I could really use a hand over here...I'm just no good at making cookies...think you could help me out?" Maggie asked, looking up just in time to catch the grin that had spread across Lena's face. Then she realized Maggie was watching and straightened herself out.

"I suppose." She mumbled.

"Great! Go wash your hands then and come down when you're ready."

"Ok." Lena raced off upstairs to the bathroom, grinning to herself as she climbed the stairs. She tried not to show too much happiness in front of people. She didn't want them to think she'd forgotten her family, or that she was happy with where she was. Not that she was unhappy, it just wasn't her home. At least not the one she was used to, where she had her mother and father and Matt...

Taking care to wash between her fingers and under her nails, Lena then lathered the soap in her palms and watched as she rinsed her hands under the water. The soap bubbles trickled away down the plughole. Her worries were like that sometimes...just seeming to trickle away. She laughed to herself and turned, searching for the towel.

"I wish I knew what you were laughing at."

Lena froze and spun around, almost screaming when she saw her brother standing behind her. She stood wide-eyed, unable to speak, staring up at him. Her brother's face mirrored her own.

"Matt..." She breathed.

"Y-you can...you can see me?" he stuttered.

Lena nodded. "Am I not meant to?" she said dumbly. Of course, she wasn't meant to! Her brother was dead!

"No! I mean, yes!" Matt's face broke out into a grin and his eyes sparkled with laughter. "Touch me!" he demanded.

Lena still wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream. Trembling, she reached out her wet fingers and touched his outstretched hand. She leaped back in surprise. Not only could she touch him, but he was also warm! And yet...he didn't feel quite solid...but almost. Gulping hard, she stepped forward and touched him again, this time letting her fingers feel him properly. She couldn't quite name what it was that felt different, just that he felt...softer somehow...

"M-matt...what's going on?" She asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Have I gone mad or something?"

"No, not at all kiddo!" he grinned. "You are one-hundred percent as abnormal as you always were!" He laughed, brimming with so much happiness that Lena couldn't help but grin at him. Before long, they were both laughing and hugging each other and Matt was leaning down, letting her touch him and play with his hair, making sure he really was real.

Then suddenly--

"Lena? Are you alright in there?" Maggie's voice through the door.

They both froze.

"Er, yeah...um, I'll be out in a minute!" Lena called.

"Riiight...I'll...see you downstairs, then?" Maggie said, sounding disbelieving.

"Ok!"

Lena and Matt stood looking at each other, listening as Maggie's footsteps slowly faded.

"Why are you here?" Lena asked, still unable to believe her own eyes.

"That's the thing! I've been here all along. But for some reason, you just didn't know it! It's been driving me insane! But then Kit..." Matt paused, unsure if he should mention Kit, as that was something complicated to explain. He wasn't sure if Kit wanted her to know at all, but then he hadn't said so, so maybe he didn't mind. He quickly decided, that for now, at least, he wasn't going to mention it.

"What about Kit?" she asked.

"Nothing...take too long to explain now. Just...you've gotta keep smiling, ok? Keep being happy and you'll be able to see me. Will you do that for me kiddo?"

Lena beamed to hear him call her 'kiddo' and nodded eagerly.

Matt grinned and ruffled her hair. "You're the best. Now go...show Maggie how good you are at making cookies before she thinks you've gone mad, talking to yourself in the bathroom."

"Can no one see you but for me?" she asked, pausing as she turned to leave.

"Pretty much," Matt said. "Don't tell anyone ok? Our secret?"

Lena nodded. "Our secret."

She grinned once more, blew him a playful kiss which he caught and clasped to his heart as he always did, and then left the bathroom.

Downstairs, she smiled as she came to Maggie's side in the kitchen, seeing how she'd weighed out flour, sugar, and butter ready. She'd got a whole load of other ingredients stacked out near Lena so that she could decide what flavor and decorations she wanted for them.

"So what flavor are you going for?" Maggie asked.

"Mmm...what do you like?"

"Oo...I like peanut butter. So does Bill." Maggie replied, smiling.

"Me too. But I like raisins too..." Lena said.

"Kit likes the raisins ones best...he likes them with cinnamon too...saying that, Kit just likes cookies in general."

Maggie and Lena both laughed. Maggie grinned down at her and winked. "Good to see you're smiling."

"It feels good too," Lena replied.

Turning back to the cookies, Maggie leaned over and pulled the raisins and peanut butter towards her. "I say...half and a half?"

"Sounds perfect." Lena grinned.