"You are sick. Both of you." Jazz said, knowing that was like the hundredth time she was repeating it, mainly since Danny was out of sight, feeling her brother didn't have a strong liking towards his so-called future self being here and well… acting weird compared to last week or whatever had happened between them. "Especially you." she shook her head again, unbelievably to the figure, who was now leaning against her car with crossed hands with a smirky smile on his face. "What were you even thinking? That wasn't funny. You're such a moron."
Dan tiredly groaned, seemingly getting bored of listening to her freaking out for the last few minutes. At least in fine, he stopped laughing at himself how much he had struggled to get up from the floor alone, because 'that damn skin became numb and was tingling like hell'. And at least he stopped being amused by his own misery. Now, he was just grinning widely – if that was even better at all – like this all would have been a joke that only he could understand.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic, it wasn't that bad. You're just overreacting." he stated, starting to observe his hands and stretching his fingers again, testing if those were behaving properly in fine. Overreacting, yes, because not a minute ago, he had just limped to the car! Jazz wasn't sure, he was currently leaning against the vehicle as a support, or he was just on to play 'cool' – or both – seriously, by now, she could imagine anything.
Jazz stared at his renewed measuring movement. This was her fault; she should have stepped away from him quicker. Or more like, realising at an instant, what his aim had been. Or not listening to him when she had offered to call Danny and help him up and he had snapped back 'Yeah, sure, he would definitely help me, and moreover, willingly! Don't be ridiculous, Jazz. No, no, stay there, I think I got it now'. Or she just should have switched off the belt, pull him up, supporting him to the car, and switch it back then like nothing had happened or something… instead, she had just watched as he had been fighting against his temporary paralyzed limbs and attempted to get up alone as fast as he could before 'Danny comes back and takes advantage of this situation'.
Jazz bit her lips and tried to close out how much better and less detrimental it had turned out if she would have done anything differently, even the slightest part, like not letting him at all to grab her shoulder, or… she didn't realise she was glaring at his fingers as those were slowly answering to the orders, and that meanwhile, she started to bite her nails without being aware of it, watching blankly the stalling moving of the phalanges like a horrific scene from a thriller, just when a direct coughing grabbed her out of the mindless gazing.
"Earth to Jazz, are you with us? Or you again on to faint?" came the question. "Because right now, I can't help, you know that, right? So, don't do that, okay? Besides, if you faint again, I bet Danny wouldn't let you drive then, and I have to steal your car…"
"What?" her eyes widened to that notion, instantly pulling back her consciousness to the present. There was one thing that she stuck on beyond psychology and that was that she never ever let anyone drive her car. Not just because her father was a menace on the road, but either her mother was allowed to use it – not that they would have ever asked for it, but it still worked as a strict rule in her mind. Mainly because both of her parents had a very specific interpretation of how the traffic laws worked.
Before Jazz could have imagined, based on how her parents were driving what her bother could have inherited, combined with his ghost powers, a slight chuckle cut off the pictures of that terrific scenario. "I was just kidding. Don't worry, I won't do that. But for that face… worthed it." her sibling's future self looked to her happy as a clam, enjoying her little scaring out. "I don't have a driving licence, Jazz, so that's not even an option. I might figure out how to drive, but I need- well, I need your taxi service, so-"
For a second it gave an impression that more was behind it than just a simply chauffer job, maybe… but she didn't want to go back to those thoughts and doubting in his intentions, after all, Dan was on to do everything to prove he wasn't on to hurt anyone – counting with his current deeds with the bandaging, with taking care of her, and with even bearing with Danny without doing anything. By that reminder, Jazz returned back to the gazing, just at the same moment when he suddenly rubbed his chest with a serious frown accompanied by undecipherable murmuring. It was either totally unconscious, or that zapping had been more severe than he could have thought, because as he lifted his head, meeting with her eyes, he immediately snapped, crossing his arms again.
"Could you get off me? God's sake! For the umpteenth time, I'm okay! Stop this staring. That was just a little electroshock, nothing else. I survived worse, anyway. Well, not quite survived, but you get it." he added, letting out a very frustrated sigh. Jazz had a feeling it was because she caught his motion, that she didn't suppose to see, and not just about the whole shocking, and… wait, shocking, like electroshock, not quite survived…
The realisation was instant, the world was again started swimming around her. Electroshock, electrocution... "That's how- on my god…" Jazz breathed out, stunned. She couldn't be able to move or react reasonably over that, just imaging the whole scene again, but this time with Danny being there and… now, she couldn't unsee it. That wasn't how that had happened, but it had to be similar. Not just similar, worse, because- because- "You've got to be kidding me..."
And for a slight moment, she couldn't even breathe or think straight, or doing anything. Now, she understood why Danny had seemed so frightened and… she was looking ahead without any rational thoughts for a very long minute, then squeezing her eyes shut, trying to rewrite forcefully that horrible scene with the fact that now, at the present, her brother was fine (both versions actually), and then as she opened her eyes, she got the vision of the book in his hand.
"Gimme that." Jazz pointed at it with a serious tone, demanding.
"What for?" Dan asked, but then gave it away with a questioning look, curiously. Jazz for a second was just glaring at the psychology book, holding it, testing its weight, but then as she finished with the measuring, and closed it within her fingers to a fix hold from where it wouldn't slip out, she slapped with it, hitting hard the other's upper arm.
"Hey!" Dan cried out immediately to the sudden act.
Jazz paused, but then she realised even if it hardly meant anything against anything that had already happened, but if felt good. She couldn't describe how good it felt, giving out everything with it. "You are seriously sick." she stated with another slap. Coping mechanisms, right? Heck with it! – she decided, not caring with how much it was the textbook case of how not to reduce stress. Once, she had tried out ghost haunting too, didn't she? Just to hate it with a more informed way, learning it from a sociologistic experiment. To understand more how people worked, once she had to be in an uncontrollable case too, didn't she? Yes, she had to.
"That wasn't funny. At. All." she enlightened it with another hit with each word, then adding a few too, just to be sure her brother's older version got the message. God, how good it felt getting to know those aggressive behaviour strategies from practice!
"Jazz, calm down, okay?" Dan was on to move away, but just for the question he ended up with two 'nice reminders'. "Hey! Will you stop?" he raised up his voice after the sixth time, trying to steal back the book, reaching out for it. But Jazz was quicker with slapping on his fingers. Dan pulled back his hand with a yelp. "Careful, damn it!" he shook his wrist immediately. "I might be quite invincible to your human treats, but I'd better not form this outlook again just because you used it as a painting book or a damn pinata!"
Jazz raised the book to hit again, but her lifted hand paused in the air at the note, startled. "Wait. Is it- is it an option for you? Having bruises in your human skin?" not that it would have changed on it much, but- okay, right, what was she thinking at all? Slapping her brother? That wasn't normal, even if- even if he wasn't entirely human, and just as Danny had said, her sibling had some kind of healing ability and… right now, she knew Dan's current appearance wasn't either as Danny's 'daily outlook' was, just as he had mentioned it earlier too and that Dan wasn't a half-ghost as her brother, but- right now, it was a somewhat 'human skin' against that appearance, that could form bruises. God, she was hitting her brother, besides, repeatedly, just to reduce stress… what was gotten into her?
"I don't know. I don't think so." Dan shrugged easily then, but before he could have done anything, Jazz slapped again. Now, that was rather automatic, but then she recognised what he had said. So, it wasn't possible to leave a mark? Good. She stroked again, remembering why she was even doing this. Because he had gotten into a crazy thought to shock himself! Because he had felt it as a good idea and freaking Danny out, recalling with it the memory how he- how he-
Jazz tightened the hold on the book before she slapped again. She didn't want to think about that, she didn't want to imagine it, she didn't want to wonder about it at all, but still- the picture had burned into her mind, into her memories, just as- just as the being from last week, and… now, her sibling's future version was here, giving a heart attack to her little brother and… he was such a moron!
She couldn't compare that version with him now, no matter how hard she tried. And even, she didn't want to let her thoughts swirling about that case at all. Now, at the present, he was here, asking for help, and… on a path that meant second chance, and… she still couldn't grasp what it was about, just as Danny had interrupted his explaining, but- he had said it was about doing something right, and that was enough.
Just to emphasize her standpoint in her mind about it, forgetting that case completely, dividing the two utterly different version and outlook even, Jazz slapped again, reminding herself that the older version of her little brother now was (almost) harmless against that picture from last week – over that fact he had chosen to grab her shoulder with the anti-ghost belt on. So, by that, he didn't mean danger to others, just to himself, which she wasn't sure it was rather reassuring or distressing.
"Hey!" Dan exclaimed again, after a recurred slap. "Jazz, put that damn book down in fine." he stepped away from her. "You'll ruin the cover."
"I-" Jazz started, glancing at the cover of the book. Indeed, here and there it became ruined. For a slight moment their discussion came back about diversions on Thursday night and… knowing that he had found it quite hilarious that time and he had mocked about the assumption that he would have needed such things to occupy himself, and… well, now, she was holding one of her psychology books that he was reading. The twists and turns almost made a smile on Jazz's face, but then she remembered why it was in her hands now. "I don't care about the cover, idiot." she stroke again, five this time in a row. "You freaked me out. You freaked him out! That's how he- how you – died!"
"That's not- Jazz! Will you seriously beat me until Danny gets ready or what? This is ridiculous." it made her stop, making to lower her hand, but then as he was on to release a breath, she snapped again. "Hey!"
"Okay, that was the last one, but point taken." she announced, giving back the book in fine, but adding a note as the man took it back, closing it within his hands tightly, not letting out if she had an idea again to use it as a tool of stress reduction. "You're an idiot."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm partly a total fruitloop, I have no excuse, and?"
"And? And?!" Jazz faced with him, with raised up arms. "I seriously can't believe you! Danny wasn't even asking to test it, you moron! It was only your stupid idea, yours only!"
The man sighed, rolling his eyes, visible tired of this whole. "Believe me, he had to know it is working properly." Jazz opened her mouth to say something, but then just shook her head, mentally counting in her mind to a hundred and back, taking a deep breath, before she could have completely lost her patience.
"He wasn't asking it, at all." she said then slowly, closing the debate, not adding anything that she knew – she felt – it wasn't just about what she was thinking about last week or about him. Yes, because waking up, hearing Danny shouting was giving her a very strong feeling that there was more behind it. Not even Danny was still terrified by whatever had happened that time but also- even Dan had technically asked her to hide him from his younger version and… the all with the insurance, with the belt, and…
Jazz exhaled all of her remaining tension and walked next to her little brother's older version, leaning against the car too, then drawing closer as much as staying outside of the imminent radius could allow it. "It's…" she started in a low voice. "It's not just me, you know." the man raised up his head from the book, it seemed he stared off on it thoughtfully, examining the torn opened parts, but now he slightly lifted his head, paying attention to her words, especially that she was now standing so close to him. Jazz continued. "Danny freaked out too."
"Yeah, sure, he did." the man snorted, faking an agreeing smile.
"I'm serious. You freaked him out too."
"I didn't." he stated.
"You did. I saw him." Jazz pointed. "I know you couldn't see him because you were too occupied to electroshock yourself, but I know what I saw." and yes, she had seen it. The colour completely had run out of Danny's skin for a second, and there had been an indescribable horror in his eyes until- until he had fallen to the floor. Now, she understood it, that was about that. Just as she had seen her brother taking an unaware step ahead to- to check him, against the obvious hatred Danny was showing towards his future version. "You have issues." Jazz cursed, realising.
"Well, okay, and?" the worse? There wasn't any denial as he answered and crossed his arms again. "I bet he enjoyed it, me, being tortured. And you… you deserved it too." Dan raised his finger to her accusingly "With your collapsing and letting me alone with him. That was inhumane, he wasn't listening to me or cooperating at all, and I couldn't force him, and-" his voice trailed off, shaking his head seemingly still being upset about it and letting out a frustrated breath. "That wasn't fair."
For a moment Jazz was just blinking to the explanation. That had been a payback? Just because… but- now, she perceived that she indeed must have scared him, freaking him out, not just because she had fainted, but also… he was right. "I'm sorry." Jazz mumbled, trying to apologise.
"It's nothing." Dan muttered. "You are just a human after all. Weak and-"
"I can't believe you." Jazz moaned, shaking her head unbelievably. She started to be fed up with his behaviour. At one moment, he was almost normal, with a reasonable talking, but then, at the next moment… she now, became to be very tired of his mood swings, why couldn't he just accept something? Anything? Why he had to be just like that every single time? Technically, he just admitted he had wanted to frighten them. Yes, but that was just partly the truth. Even if that had been about a slight little reprisal, that hadn't been just about that, but still, he tried to count that as a payback. And not accepting that had been before that, that he had got terrified by something.
Jazz could see she must have frightened her, she wasn't doubting it, it was quite clear he was pissed off because of it, but- in a way, she felt as Danny must have scared him too somehow. She couldn't tell how or when, but- it had to be something connected to her fainting. Yes, Dan was right, that was human, collapsing, but she couldn't help, she had tried to focus on 'second chance', but- hearing him saying 'Danny', the all had come back, what if she had been wrong and falling for his words, and believing in a lie, and in truth that was about still Danny… she had lost control over her mind, the only thing she had seen was her little brother's trembling hands in his room from the previous night, the clear fear about his future self, and…
And now, whatever had happened while she had been out of consciousness, it clearly had affected Dan too, and it was still affecting him – beyond the side-effects of the zapping. Dan hadn't just wanted to hide him from his younger self, but also- also he was trying to avoid him, and then meeting with his younger version with a situation like that… certainly, that was rather a forced watershed that hadn't led anywhere, just making the things even worse.
And by that, at the present, Dan had felt he had to do something drastic to make Danny believe in him, because- undoubtedly something had happened that she couldn't see, what about either Danny was aware of, but it was something that made him startled and he didn't want Danny to be afraid of him and not seeing him as a threat right now… there were layers that she couldn't see through, and maybe that was just the aftermath of fainting, but she felt as if she would have been still out of comprehending.
"Great, now you are even more pissed off…" Dan started after a long silence, running his fingers through his hair uncomfortably. "Okay, does it help if I tell you, indeed, I might be a little bit played it? That whole electroshock?" Jazz turned towards him with a confused face, he continued. "Jazz, I'm powerful, okay? Those anti-ghost thingies hurt me, right, but not that much. I was holding back my energy so it could seem that scary as you described."
The only thing she was capable of to the description, was nothing but astonished blinking. "Why? What for? Just because-" now, she seriously lost it. When she got closer to understand him, there appeared a note, that blurred again the whole slowly forming picture.
"Danny?" he helped her out, raising an eyebrow, but then he shook his head "No. I'm not acting because of him. I'll need my energy later, so I am using my powers only when that's really necessary." he explained, scraping absently with his nail on the ruined spine of the book in his hand. "Like when, you know-" he took then a glimpse at her hand. Jazz blankly stared at her still bandaged injury. Then it clicked. Oh. So, he- she couldn't know what to say.
By that, she realised, making her hand intangible wouldn't have been necessary, just as going out, getting a book from the library and… so, he basically just should have stayed in her room, doing literally nothing, just being 'human' during the entire time… pretending to be human – she recalled Danny's words. He was- he was- So, roaming out outside, doing harm was never an option, his part of their deal was never real, he never- she should have recognised. That hadn't been her words at all, he had offered it at the first place when they had made that so-called deal. He never- so that had been just reassurance for her about cooperation, but in real, he never- he never intended to hurt anyone or causing harm?
"Okay, I'll show you." he said suddenly. Jazz was staring at him weirdly, still on to process her deduction. "I can hear the gears moving in your head, you know. I know you, Jazz. You're trying to psychoanalyse me again. Stop it, before your mind again shuts off, okay?" he explained, offering the book. "Try again." Jazz's brows drew together, confused. "The book, try to hit me now."
"What?" but his face seemed serious. Jazz took the object then, unsure, but then she accepted it, slowly moving towards him with a much less effort this time and then it just- it just ran through his body completely like he wouldn't have been here at all, just like- just like… a ghost.
"I- I don't understand..." Dan took back the book, and closing it within his fingers, as a precious object, but- a moment ago he was matterless, spectral and now again solid, capable to hold it again? What? Now, it formed the question, which one was real? Surely, Dan was part-ghost like Danny – not a half-ghost just as he had clarified – and surely, he was older than her brother, so he supposed to be more controlled how to use his ghost-part, but from one second to another, just like that, without any effort?
"I have my reasons." he started, staring ahead, renewing again the twiddling on the spine of the book. "And I guess, you've already taken the question why I am not just simply flying there. That's why. Invisibility and intangibility are basic powers, but flying that long and absorbing anti-ghost systems making it ineffective on the other hand… well, those are consuming more power. See? I'm not just cooperating or 'acting human' as Danny said." he raised his fingers to emphasize the quotes for the expression, making it obvious how he felt about that accusation.
"But-" Jazz felt, the more he said the less she understood, even if he was willing to talk now. The all just became more confusing… "And your form? Danny said- I mean, I heard you, some things I mean." she explained, on to not letting her mind swirling around much about the pieces of that awful shouting. "It's a disguise, isn't it?" she took the question. And yes, it supposed to be a disguise, just as Dan had said earlier, he didn't have any human form, and that he wasn't like Danny, but that- before she could have got to a conclusion, her brother's future self continued.
"Yeah, well, this consumes energy too, yes, but- I am taking that risk and also it's- it's rather a necessary factor, a reminder to keep myself focused." Jazz didn't have to examine his mimics to know that was just partly the complete reason behind it, and just by that, it seemed he realised too that note was standing really close to the truth. "Any other bright questions? Or are we done for today with the psycho-chatting?" he snapped suddenly, and without waiting for an answer he passed by her, walking around the car and stopping next to the front door. Jazz guessed that was just partially about calling shotgun before Danny could have appeared, but in real… that was about what she suspected for a long time. He was closing out things and running away, just as he had been out for a book than staying in her room, or inside the house…
Jazz gazed at his brother's older version, worriedly. She hated that studying psychology and body language meant she could identify what was with him. It was a defence mechanism, blocking out and suppressing things that he didn't want to face with and eluding as much as he could even from the littlest hints that were connected to whatever was under the surface. She hated that she couldn't do anything with it, or to help him get out of this state somehow or ease on those clearly haunting thoughts.
Jazz blinked and tried to focus, not letting her mind getting lost in those disquieting signs. Dan's arm now was rested on the top of the car, tapping impatiently with his fingers, staring at the space, deep in his thoughts. Jazz took a breath and started. She knew it would take time to understand him more, but at least, one thing might have alleviated on his overwhelming thinking…
"About Vlad-" Dan turned to her slightly. "I didn't- I won't tell Danny where we are going." Jazz said, the tapping abruptly stopped, it took another second for him to realise what it meant. Jazz knew he took the question 'why?', without even saying it aloud. "I think… I trust you, okay? Call it a sibling-instinct, I know you are not on to hurt anyone, and I know you are on to do something good. I don't care what is it, until you don't hurt anyone-"
"I won't." the man muttered under his nose, way too suddenly, but then he faced with her seriously. "You can take it as a promise." Jazz nodded.
"Then I am helping you." she concluded. "Also, Danny has to trust me that I am knowing what I am doing. And I know what I am doing." Jazz cleared for him. "So, we are not telling him." the man slowly nodded accepting her decision. Jazz continued. "Maybe the road there would be long enough to build up that trust between you too."
"Four hours won't be enough." Dan whispered. "But-" he started, and then after a long minute Jazz wasn't sure he would continue the sentence. She marked him, trying to decipher what was in him, what was under his skin and- what was behind that 'second chance', but even without knowing that, she saw him. Dan let out a deep sigh and spoke in a low voice.
"I know you can't understand, but- I'm glad you are not telling him. If he knows, he wouldn't believe me I'm on to do no harm. So, uh- thank you, I guess..." Dan said then, gazing rather ahead again. The meaning of the words reached Jazz.
"You- you and Danny… you both have something with Vlad, right?" she put together, if Dan had claimed that somehow her parents' old college friend was his arch-enemy, then… that meant it was Danny's too? She already suspected Danny didn't have much liking towards the man, but- it had to be over that once her little brother had made a note Vlad might have something towards their Mom. It had to be beyond protecting her mother from an old crush. And an old crush was nothing else than an old crush, harmless. That couldn't grow up to being someone's arch-enemy, if ghosts were involved in her brother's life too, could it?
"Not the same thing, but yes." Dan described. "Mine is much more complicated than his and well… Danny knows about mine, or at least what the old man told him. And I am sure he told Danny every nasty detail, but- yeah… believe me, you don't want to know about mine. It's enough Danny knows it. In a way, at least. Not that the complete truth now would be that far from that, or that I could be able to explain it..." he bit his lips to the note.
For a second, the blurred memory came back. You are nothing, but a monster! That wasn't the best way to wake up, either the shouting, but- those words were what got her attention and grabbed her out completely from the unconsciousness. There were other pieces, just half-phrases, words, but it was a complete coherent sentence. She didn't want to tell Dan that she had heard it, because- because firstly she wanted to investigate why Danny had said it and what was the background for those harsh and hating words (especially that she had never heard her brother that upset about anything before). But now it was clear Dan knew the meaning of those words, and… that it seemed there was a reasonable explanation for that which both of them, both Danny and his sibling's future self were well aware of.
Jazz opened her mouth to say something, to somehow convince him that whatever was behind that title, she didn't see him as something that could explain that expression, but at the moment as she was on to start, Danny's voice cut her off, saying goodbyes to someone on his handy, walking straight towards the car with a backpack within his hands.
"Just for clarity, I'm not fond of this situation, so-" her little brother started, pocketing his phone, but then he stopped, making the sentence unfinished as he spotted the man, standing next to his used to spot. Jazz could tell by his muted growl Danny unwillingly accepted, who would sit where was not open for a discussion.
"Once we are there, I'll be out of your hair, I swear." his sibling's older self said. Danny turned his head towards her, visibly trying to close out his other version's presence or words.
"At least you told Mom and Dad where are we going, right?" Jazz curled her lips to a smile, opening the door and getting inside, the two followed her, taking seats. Danny automatically slipped to the middle, positioning himself to see everything, and placing his backpack on his lap, crossing his arms over it. Jazz set the rear-view mirror, just to catch his little brother fixating his vision on his other self, keeping a constant eye on him from now.
"So, you told them, right?" Danny asked again. "At least to them." Jazz buckled and started the engine, before answering.
"No. I learned, sometimes it is better if people don't know everything for their own good. That would've needed some mentioning about some inexplicable details if I'd have said them the littlest parts. I just told them I'm taking you on a trip." there was a short silence, but then there came a grunt from the back.
"You have a very serious bad impact on her, you know."
"Actually, I learned that from you, Phantom." Jazz cleared to her sibling, catching a small chuckle from the front-seat next to her, along with a half-smile, but then it died away just as suddenly as it appeared, only realising that now, for a few hours, all of them would be stuck like that. The air got filled with silent tension, by that Jazz could recall what Dan must have meant under 'four hours wouldn't be enough', but that wouldn't stop her trying. After all, the two were the same person, right? They had to have something in common, at least a slight little part, somewhere deep in both of them...
A/N: technically, it would have been a 'deleted scene', but then it turned out longer than I expected (and during the second betaing process even longer…) just to be a slight little 'bits'* one, so I sadly again managed to create two chapters instead of one – seriously, this story is killing me, every single time when I am thinking we are now on schedule, my hands slip and bumm, we are a chapter away again. Seriously, we should have been at Vlad's three chapters ago (or even more? to tell the truth, I've already lost keeping in track…). Not that it would have turned out bad, but it's still funny. Also, I loved the idea, Jazz being angry at him, to just simply leave this idea behind, so I kept it, after all, she is the big sister, responsible for her little brother's action (even if it is about a future version of her sibling), and by that she is allowed to get his messed-up thinking on straight. And this is what he needs, even if he couldn't admit it. So, it stayed, also, without it, some things couldn't get explained either, so- I think I managed to explain some things from some previous chapters (leaving behind instead a few more other questions)…
(*about 'bits': later, I am currently forming an idea...)
God, I'm so looking forward to writing chp10, but before that, I'll have a really hard time figuring out how to put together chp9 – that's like a damn puzzle, I have the pieces and the imagine how it would end up, but the process… (without spoilers, just try to imagine the situation, if being stuck in a car for hours is a good idea or not, if the two couldn't behave nicely towards each other for five minutes straight (see the previous chp), adding to the equation a serious unliking towards a certain passenger, and multiplying the whole with what (almost) happened last week, now, you get the result and well why it would be hard to put together that chapter properly)
Side note: please don't hurt your sibling(s) when you are pissed off…