My name is Melinda Gordon.

I'm married I live in a small town I own an antique shop.

I might be just like you except that from the time I was a little girl, I knew that I could talk to the dead.

It's all right, honey.

"Earth-bound spirits," my grandmother called them.

They're stuck here because they have unfinished business with the living and they come to me for help.

In order to tell you my story, I have to tell you theirs.

Ok! - How you doing? - Pretty good! All right! Everything's in.

Salad's almost done.

How did this happen? You mean this insane mad dash at the last minute? That's the problem with having a dinner party on a week night.

It is amazing how much work really cuts into your day.

But you know what, this kind of chaos is exactly what Holly thrived on.

Back in the day when you two were a couple of single girls, raising hell and breaking hearts in the city? All right, she was the one who played the field, I was merely the spectator.

It's gonna be great having her live in Grandview.

All right, are Scott and Holly usually on time? Yeah, always on the dot.

But maybe pregnancy has slowed her down.

You think pregnancy is gonna slow you down? I don't think we're gonna find out anytime soon.

Well, I think it might make you even more beautiful.

All right, nice try.

Move on.

I had to go there, ok? All right, everything's good.

I'm gonna go change.

Candles are lit, table's ready.

I'm gonna get dressed, too.

Want to race? What is wrong with you?! You thinking what I'm thinking? Yeah, they're gonna be here in 15 minutes.

Well, I thought you were good at multitasking.

Saved by the phone! Hello? Holly, hi! No.

No, no, no.

No, you just take your time.

We'll be right here.

Ok.

Bye.

Holly's running a little late.

Scott's stuck at work.

Bummer.

Yeah.

They could be at least half an hour.

Damn them.

Fantastic as usual, Jim.

Thank you.

Hey, you know, you should take a plate home for Scott.

He's probably already eaten at the office.

He's been working there around the clock.

What's the matter? The baby's been in a really bad mood lately.

What does an unborn baby have to be in a bad mood about? Can't find the remote? I know, it's funny but I really do feel like I can tell his mood.

Kid, when you get out in the real world, then you'll know what a bad mood is.

Do you hear how your husband is abusing me? Yes, and I wouldn't take it from him.

Hey, have you guys worked on picking a name yet? No! I want something simple but strong, like David or Michael.

But Scott keeps throwing around these names - Hunter, Tag, Chase.

It sounds like a game of hide and seek.

Hey, do you need anything? - No.

Scott, you scared the hell out of me.

I'm sorry I'm so late.

Come in.

It's time for dessert.

Hey, you guys, look who I found.

Holly?! Holly, are you ok? What's wrong? What's wrong with her? She's having some kind of seizure.

How can this be happening? This is the beginning not the end.

How could you do this to me? Mel? Melinda! Call 911.

EPISODE 2x13 "Deja Boo" Holly! Jim, he's in there.

I have to get in there.

It's all right.

I cleared it with one of the nurses.

Just put these on.

This is the end.

This can't continue.

Not ever again.

I'm the alpha and the omega.

This is the end, not the beginning.

No! Jim, I just had the weirdest dream.

Remind me to call the hospital in the morning.

Who are you?! - Eric Richard Johnny Oscar.

Don't play games with me.

Who are you? And what do you want with Holly Newman? Why are you trying to hurt her? You're supposed to cross over.

Do you see a light? Do I see a light? Are you ok? I heard you moving about.

Yeah.

Why'd you get up? - You kicked me in your sleep.

Must have been some dream.

So what did the doctor say about last night? Oh, it's a brand new one.

Preeclampsia.

I told him it sounded like a carpentry term.

He didn't laugh.

What does it mean? - High blood pressure.

Which would have lowered immediately if he had just said "high blood pressure" instead of preeclampsia.

Ok.

Where's Scott? At work, as usual.

Hey, do you remember a guy named Oscar? Oscar No.

What about a Richard or Johnny? Wait, this isn't about our trip to Daytona over spring break, is it? Ew, and no.

What about Eric? - Eric? No, but - What? I had a dream about somebody named Eric last night, and i woke up thinking that's what I wanted to name the baby.

Stop it! Are you ok? God, I feel like I just got stabbed.

I'm gonna go see if I can find a doctor.

I guess you have to be 9 to figure this out, huh? Or just like really smart.

I've done it before.

Ah, ringer.

You look familiar to me.

Delia Banks.

No, that's me.

You, that's you.

I'm Tim Flaherty.

Oh, we met at the - memorial.

Right.

For Eva Turner.

Uh, I'm looking for a gift uh, for my sister.

Oh, well, does she like russian nesting dolls? It's too complicated.

Yeah, I was maybe looking for something, you know pretty.

You know, something like a female would like.

Let me see if we have anything in this store that a female might like.

Let's see.

Come over here.

I don't even know if the ghost realizes that he's hurting Holly.

I don't know why he's obsessed with her.

Holly used to be a poster child for "girls gone wild.

" You don't think it's possible? Ok, I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no.

What if Holly had an affair with the ghost? Well, don't you think she would have at least told me about it? All right, then why is he still hanging around her? I don't know.

Where is this place? I have to go.

Between the white one and the green one.

Vanilla Bean and Musty Cucumber.

Musty cucumber? Why would anyone want to smell that? You know it's a female thing.

Which one do you like? - Vanilla Bean.

Sold.

Ok, so we're closed.

Oh, well, last sale of the evening then.

$15.

That's quite the bean.

You know what, Tim, I think they're really gonna enjoy the new aroma at the firehouse.

Uh, it's for my sister.

Ok then.

You know what? Maybe I'll see you When you close, you really close.

Yeah, you have to be firm, or you never get home.

Speaking of which good night.

Oh, I'm in no rush.

I thought maybe we could do some invoicing.

You know what, I just need a few minutes of alone time.

You know - Good night.

Good night then.

We need to talk about something really important.

Are you the father of Holly's baby? I don't even know who she is.

Well, then why are you - Where are my t-shirts? What t-shirts? Ok, tell me your name.

Eric Sanborn, but this isn't my store.

You have a store? Yeah, alt outside of Grandview.

Alt A-l-t.

All-t.

Alternative.

The alt button on your keyboard.

It kind of means a lot of different things.

That's what I like about it.

Eric? Eric? No, ma'am.

My name is John Richmond.

Friends call me Johnny.

You just said your name was Eric and that you own a t-shirt shop outside of Grandview.

I did? Sun's awful hot.

Must have been working.

I'm a day-laborer.

Old man Miller's farm.

Where's that? - Near Tulsa.

What do you want? - What does who want? Johnny.

No, sorry.

Oscar.

So, I take it you're not a day-laborer.

Me? No.

I'm a freshman.

I just started at state.

Who are you really? You ask a lot of questions.

Who are you? My name is Richard Ward.

You can call me Richie.

Look, I'm just trying to help you.

You can help me? - Yes, I can.

I just don't understand what you want.

Or who you really are.

My name's Richard.

My friends call me Johnny.

Please.

Oscar Hodges.

I'm a freshman.

My name's Eric.

I own a t-shirt shop just outside of town.

Please.

Richard.

Johnny.

Oscar.

Eric.

Stop, you're making me sick.

Summerville.

Tulsa.

Please! Chicago.

Grandview.

What are you looking at? You're making me sick.

Can you help me? You said you can help me.

You said you can help me! Come on! This guy had multiple personality disorder when he was alive, now he's dead.

So, he's using his alter egos to haunt you.

That's it.

Case closed.

This ghost thing is easy once you get the hang of it.

I don't even know why you guys make such a big deal out of it.

You don't have the hang of anything, at least not with this ghost.

Look, when someone has an affliction in their life, they're free of it when they die.

The soul is pure and clear.

Are you sure it's not They all look exactly alike.

I hate this! I want to see this! This isn't fair! I should be able to see this! I have a doctorate.

You don't have a doctorate.

Be careful what you wish for.

All right, I'm over it.

Listen, all right.

Are one of these personalities more dominant than the others? Yeah, I think at least the one that I have the most information on.

Hey, are you online? - Yes, but careful.

Sometimes my modem and I are not speaking.

That's private.

Don't pry.

Don't be a prier, a nosy parker.

I won't.

I found a web site, it's about a store he owned.

That's him.

So this is what it's like to see a ghost.

Hey! This was not here yesterday.

It says, "Eric passed away.

Please don't post messages to him any more.

" "Brenda Sanborn.

" We've gotta get out of here.

We have to go now.

We? Where? To this Brenda person.

To the store.

Aha! That's my next stop.

They open at noon.

Damn it.

I have a class to teach.

Will you wait for me? You know the old saying: "she travels fastest who travels alone.

" It's Rudyard Kipling.

I've read all his books.

And you know what? I think I'm a little tired of you using me just for my brain.

If only that were possible.

But so much of your mouth comes with it.

Hi.

I'm looking for Brenda Sanborn.

I didn't know collection agencies made house calls.

Look, I told the first chick who called I'm not gonna have a check till at least Ok, I'm not from a collection agency.

I'm just a friend or an acquaintance of Eric.

I saw the web site.

I'm sorry you had to find out like that.

I just I didn't know how else to get the word out.

How did he die? An aneurysm.

What did you say your name was again? I'm sorry.

I'm Melinda.

I own a store in Grandview.

So, did Eric owe you money? - No.

Did he owe a lot? - Not any more.

Now I owe it.

That's what brothers are for, right? Eric never let a little thing like money stop him from doing whatever he wanted.

Did you know Holly Newman? I didn't know most of Eric's girlfriends.

Neither did he really.

Well, what about any of his other friends? Richard Ward, Oscar Hodges, John Richmond.

More people he owed money to? Eric called these his collectibles.

I called them junk.

What is all this? Oh, weather vanes, and plates and dishes, and clocks.

It looks like stuff I would sell.

That was never for sale.

Eric was obsessed with this crap.

He'd spend the weekends when he was supposed to be working the register looking for this stuff at garage sales, flea markets - Do you know why? - Just that he liked them.

I never understood it.

He spent a lot of money on it, too.

I have no idea where he got the cash.

You think you could sell any of this? Let me look into it.

Do you think I could take a couple pieces? Let me just throw some things in a box.

I've been going through this box trying to find out something more about Eric.

Simple.

He was a man obsessed with time and eating.

And the weather.

And why is it that everyone else is better at my job than me lately? Ho ho! Touchy.

I started with the clocks.

They're made at the same factory at the same company in Massachusetts.

The place is still there, so I asked somebody to check the payroll files for me.

And Eric worked there? - No, but Richard Ward did, and one of his other personalities Oscar Hodges.

He worked there? - No, he didn't.

But there was a family named Hodges who owned Aritmeza.

Aritmeza fine china.

Absolutely.

Then I went online and searched the public records - for Eric's death certificate.

Oh, I got it.

Eric's not dead.

Eric is dead.

And so are his other personalities, Johnny, Richard, and Oscar.

They all had death certificates on file.

They were real people.

All right, so if Eric didn't make up these ghosts' personalities, he based them on people he knew.

There is no way he could have known them.

Listen to this: John Richmond died in 1945, Oscar Hodges - 1963, Richard Ward - 1983, a year before Eric was even born.

A connection to Holly.

Not that I can tell.

I told his sister that I'd buy the rest of his stuff and see if I could find something else.

Told you I could figure it out.

I'm working.

Look.

Oh, it's perfect.

Baby steps.

You really think he's interested? - Yeah, definitely.

He's if you can believe it, just a little shy around women.

Maybe we can help him along.

Oh, there she is.

Hi! Hey.

You know what, it might be easier to unload if you pull around back.

Ok.

Hey, before I forget, I found these under one of the boxes.

They're just some papers and stuff of Eric's.

I really didn't go through it.

Why are you giving them to me? Well, I think they belong to those friends of Eric's you told me about.

I figured you'd be in touch with them.

I'm sure I will be.

I'll see you around back.

Eric collected every official document he could on Richard Ward, Oscar Hodges, and John Richmond.

Did his sister know why? I get the feeling they weren't very close, and I think I know why.

He was ghosting them.

Haunting them.

No, I mean like identity theft.

I think he was stealing the identities of dead people so he could get credit cards, loans, stuff in their names.

That explains all your documents, but what about the weather vanes, the dishes, all that stuff? I don't know.

Maybe he was obsessed with these people.

And now his karmic reward is to be saddled with their identities after death.

That's perfect.

Well, you know what they say about payback.

I mean, maybe this was his way of dealing with his guild.

Besides, ghosting can be a huge deal for families of the dead.

I mean, all of a sudden, your dearly departed is shopping and racking up thousands of dollars in debt.

You have to clear their name and declare them dead again.

I can see how that would be stressful.

How you gonna help him? Get him to remember it.

Face what he's done.

Anyway, I'll be back in an hour or so.

Where are you going? - I'm gonna go to the store.

All of his collectables are there.

Maybe he will be, too.

Bye.

Eric I know you're here.

Your energy always makes me feel dizzy.

What is it? I just hurt so much.

Why? This just too much.

What is? Everything.

Eric, you have to try and remember some things that happened, some things that happened to you when you were alive.

I remember too much! Don't you understand? Stop it! Shut up, shut up.

Stop it! Eric, it's ok.

I can help you.

Just tell me what you remember.

Dying.

I know that's hard.

I died 4 times.

Did you just remember this? I knew it when I was alive from when I was a kid.

I remember things that never happened to me.

Just felt them.

When you died the last time, did you go into the light? I saw the light.

I wanted it so bad.

Yeah, but did you go into it? - Yes.

It felt so good.

Then I saw it.

Every bad thing I ever did, every bad thing I ever let happen.

Everyone I hurt.

I hurt everyone.

And then I wasn't in the light any more.

What's the first thing that you remember when you came back from the light? I saw people I didn't know.

That couple.

I couldn't stop following them.

And then you.

You're the first person that could see me.

What about the others? The other spirits with you? I'm so tired.

Reincarnation?! It has to be! It explains the memories, the other personalities.

He remembers going into the light and seeing his life review.

How did this happen? How did you get ahead of me?! You'll get the hang of it.

I thought you only deal with earthbound spirits, that once they cross over, they're no longer on your radar.

True, but he came back.

Well, then how do you explain you saw the ghost of Ricky, Fernando, and Jorge? You mean Johnny, Richard, and Oscar? Exactly.

If they were reincarnated, then they would have already crossed over.

Can you explain why or how you saw them? No.

Good! Good! 'Cause that means I'm ahead again! You didn't see the ghosts of those 3 guys.

What you saw was soul fragmentation, or soul residue if you will, and I hope that you will, of Eric's prior incarnations.

Why? Why? The guy had a lot of problems.

And he was holding onto a lot of troublesome life experiences.

It's like when you turn off a plasma television and the image stays there a while.

Ok, this is actually making my teeth hurt.

I've never dealt with a reincarnated soul before.

Well, half the world's cultures and religions would actually disagree with you.

There's the Hindus, the Buddhists, the Chinese, the native Americans, Shirley Maclaine, all the tops.

They believe we come back.

Every soul or just some? Depends on what life lesson is still needed to be learned.

But all cultures pretty much have the same take on that theme.

That you keep coming back until you get it right.

This soul remembers everything.

It's like it's torturing him.

It's like he doesn't want to come back.

Souls are assigned.

There's no trial period here.

What? My friend Holly is pregnant.

Eric's been haunting her.

You think that Eric's been assigned to be born to Holly? Why else would he be attached to her? Holly would know.

How? When a soul is ready to be reincarnated, it lets its mother know through a dream.

It's called an announcing dream.

She had that dream.

Eric came to her.

That's how she picked out the baby's name.

And he's trying to stop the baby from being born.

That sounds crazy.

Eric, you're dead and yet you're standing here talking to me? Let's get a grip on what's crazy and what isn't.

So, all these things I remember, all these memories, I actually I actually lived those lives? Yeah, I think so.

And I'm still here because I have to come back and do it again.

I don't want to do that.

I don't think it's your choice.

You don't know what it's like to remember so much, to feel it over and over again.

You learn to love your life and the people in it.

And then you lose them.

I've seen my parents die The time before last, I lost my little brother.

The friends, the people you care about they just drift away.

You lose them all.

I'm tired.

I can't take another lifetime.

Ok, well, maybe you won't remember next time.

Maybe you can start fresh.

And what's the point? Why do I have to come back again? What do I have to learn? I'm supposed to come back to your friend, aren't I? I'm not coming back.

Eric, you can't do that.

I don't care what I have to do or who I have to do it to.

I'm finished.

And there's nothing we can do to protect Holly and her baby? He's very powerful.

He made her sick, he made me sick.

Hey, two tickets for tomorrow night.

Name's Clancy.

Thanks.

Oh, that's perfect.

Hi, guys.

Oh.

Hey.

Oh, it's so nice to see you guys.

I know, it's actually perfect timing.

What do you mean? Well, we had tickets to see this show tomorrow night.

And we can't go.

Nope.

We think you should go.

Yeah, hate to see them go to waste.

I - Fantastic.

You know, have a good time, and we expect a report when you get back.

Good night.

Which one do you think is a brighter shade of red, him or her? This has gotta be him.

He's gonna kill me.

Listen, dude, you got Holly, no, shh! Calm down, calm Fine, we'll be at the hospital as soon as we can.

It's Holly.

Scott! - She's still not stabile.

They don't know why.

She's starting labor.

Ok, I have to get in there.

I can help her through this.

Ok.

I don't understand this.

Her blood pressure is still spiking.

That's it, Holly.

You just keep breathing.

You're going good! What the hell?! I'm sorry, I have to ask you to leave.

I need this room cleared of all visitors! No, I can help her! Please! And I'm telling you you have to leave now! You, too, Scott! Please! The baby is deceling.

Get pediatrics down here stat! Right away.

What is it? What? You have a baby girl.

I had no idea 7 pounds weighed so much.

She's heavy.

Well, don't tire yourself out, honey.

Here, let me take her.

Do you want me to put her down for you? Sure.

Yeah.

Well, it looks like we're gonna go with Erica.

That's perfect.

Thank you for being born.

I'm still here.

Why am I still here? Uh, hey, Jim? You know, I feel feel dizzy.

Could you just hold her? - Are you all right? - He's still here.

Hey, are you feeling all right? I didn't sleep very well last night.

Whoa! Look at you.

Oh, that's right.

Tonight is your date with Tim.

Yeah, I'm finally doing something with a guy who isn't my 13-year-old son.

Well, you look really beautiful.

Thanks.

I'm not going.

What? Why? I can't find the right jewelry.

And I have, uh this feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Yeah.

Those are butterflies.

No.

It feels more like dread.

Why? Tim seems like such a great guy.

You're gonna think I'm crazy.

You would be surprised at my crazy threshold.

I just feel like I'm cheating on Charlie.

One date does not mean that you love Charlie any less.

It's just I I don't know.

Maybe it's because I'm afraid I'm gonna start to forget him or something.

I know, see? I'm crazy.

You will always love Charlie, always.

And letting go and forgetting are two completely different things.

I don't know why this is so hard on me.

Well, you owe it to yourself to go and have some fun.

Talk, laugh.

Wouldn't Charlie want that? Hey, you really are sick, aren't you? I thought you got rid of that bug.

Oh, I've been trying.

Don't worry, it's not contagious.

You know what? I have just the thing.

I am gonna write down the ingredients of this broth that will make you feel 100% better.

I used it when I had morning sickness when I was pregnant with Ned.

No! What? I figured out why Eric's still here.

Why? He's still gonna be reincarnated as somebody else's baby.

Whose? Ours.

Well, if you'd told me this last week, that you thought you were pregnant, I would be walking on air.

Before I knew about Eric.

What if it was Eric's soul and we just didn't know? Well, then we wouldn't know.

Now we do.

Look, if this happens, if it's real, will you be ok? Now, you know I want to have a child with you.

I mean, look, this is not what I imagined or how I imagined The way that this baby is coming to us, is it gonna change things? Change how you feel? Well, you're not seriously asking me if it's gonna change the way I feel about you, are you? I really need to know.

Ok.

Hey If this child is coming to us, however it comes, it's still our kid made by us, made by us, part of us.

Maybe we're supposed to teach him something or her.

Things because of what you know, only you and i could do.

Mel, I'm there.

I'm so there.

But what about you? Look, I know you don't think you're ready to have a child.

I know that.

I know it's huge.

I get it.

And I will wait as long as you want to wait, but if this baby is coming, are you gonna be all right? Are you gonna be there with me? 'Cause I can't lose you.

I can't lose what we have.

Me neither.

Promise? All right.

More hot water? I mean, this is a soul that doesn't want to come back.

So what if he tries to hurt you? I just need to talk to his sister.

Explain it all to her and maybe if she can be there for him once he's reborn, he'll feel better about coming back.

All right.

Look, I'm not saying I believe any of this for a second, but if you're asking me if I will be there for Eric when he comes back, I can't do that.

I can't.

Why? Eric didn't really know who I was to him when he was alive.

He could care less that I was there last time.

He's not gonna care if I'm there this time.

I'm not taking care of him again.

Well, you don't have to - Oh, believe me, I would.

It's what he does.

Did.

He gets people to take care of him, but he never returns the favor.

You know, uh, maybe we should talk again some other time.

You know, my brother was a selfish bastard.

I gave up everything for him.

My mom died, I raised him.

My dad died, I skipped college so he wouldn't have to go into foster care.

This store, this is his dream, not mine.

But I put everything I had into it to make it work, and he could care less.

That's who he was.

So why do you keep doing it? Because he was my brother.

And because he had something.

I don't know, when you were in his good graces, you felt like you were really really special.

You know, I kept thinking that, um if he could see how much I loved him that maybe one day he would love me back.

I mean, we're all the family we have.

But then he just goes and dies on me.

I just wanted to know that I counted for something with him.

But he took that with him when he died.

So no, no, I am not gonna be there for Eric or whoever the hell he's gonna be when he comes back.

Well, I'm really sorry to hear that.

Me, too.

So it's you.

I'm coming back to you.

Don't fight it, Eric.

Just don't.

But I heard Jim say you didn't want a child.

Not yet.

I didn't think I was ready, but if this is what's supposed to happen, then I'll get ready.

How can you be like that? Like what? So generous with yourself.

Look, I know how important it is for you to move on.

To not have to live another life, so Jim and I are going to do the right thing by you, Eric.

I heard everything you and Jim said last night.

So? I haven't had a conversation like that in any of my lifetimes.

I've never listened to anyone the way you guys listen to each other.

I've never cared what anyone wanted.

I saw how much you wanted to have that kid, and I saw how scared you were by him.

But you're willing to do it not for you for me.

So I'm not gonna fight it.

I'm not gonna do anything to get in the way.

I'll come back again and I'll do it for you.

Maybe I'll get it right this time and you'll help me.

We'll help you, Eric.

We both will.

I don't know if you're gonna remember any of this when you're born, but we're gonna take really good care of you.

And we'll teach you the best that we can, and we'll try to make sure that this is your last time around.

I know you will.

I see it.

I see the light.

You've seen it before.

Not as beautiful.

I feel like it wants me to come.

I don't understand.

I don't feel like anything's holding me back.

What does that mean? I see my father.

I see my dad.

I see all my dads.

They want me to come.

They want me to come.

But I'll stay.

I'll go through another life for you.

If that's what you want, I'll do that.

I know.

That's why you can go.

You sure? There's just one more thing you have to do for me.

Eric? He's here.

He's right beside you.

He has his hand on your shoulder.

He wants to tell you everything that you meant to him.

It's negative.

Who knows if I was even pregnant in the first place.

I'm not sure how I feel.

Me neither.

I do know one thing.

What? I'm ready.

No matter what's ahead for us, I'm ready to go down any road with you go through any door.

I know that now more than I ever did.

That's all I need.