Author's Note: I own nothing.

26 Second Opinion

Jazz was trying her best to keep up her spirits. But the fact that Dani seemed to have skipped out on the pep rally entirely wasn't helping. But maybe she had a decent reason, Jazz thought as she recited her well memorized speech. After all with that panther ghost around Dani was bound to be busy. That was the last thought she had before something bodily tackled her. The feeling that came with it was odd. Sort of like her whole body had gone numb at once, blinking she realized she was hurtling towards a wall. She closed her eyes, ready for the impact but it never came. Looking around she spotted who had saved her as screams echoed from the gym behind them.

Up this close there was no denying it, this person was Dani, her baby sister, even if the colors were all wrong. The face remained the same one that had always been looking up at her, though the glowing white freckles scattered across her face distracted from that a little bit. She was cold, even through the hazmat suit, Jazz realized as she noticed the hand at her back and the one under her knees. Unnaturally cold, in a way that kind of scared her. Dani set her down and smiled a little awkwardly. But as she opened her mouth to say something a hand made of shadows grabbed her by her bright white braid and yanked her off her feet and back through the wall with an aborted scream.

Luckily for Jazz there was a door a few feet to the left. She took off after the sound of Spectra's voice. Guilt bubbled up under her skin. If that shadow had been Spectra then she'd fed her sister to a malevolent ghost.

"What are you! A ghost desperately trying to fit in with the living? Or some creepy little loser with creepy little powers?" Spectra was relishing this Jazz could tell from her voice that she was truly enjoying torturing Dani.

"Neither! Both…?" The confidence leached from Dani's voice as Jazz rounded a corner, voices growing louder. She had a decision to make as she quickly rifled through her purse for the Fenton Peeler her mother had given her that morning. Should she let Dani know she knew?

"Not a ghost, not really a girl anymore! You're a freak, that's what you are! Who would care for a thing like you?" Jazz felt her blood boil. No one talked to her sister that way! She rounded the corner, Fenton Peeler in hand.

"Hey!" Spectra was so surprised at Jazz's sudden appearance that she dropped Dani who practically crumpled to the floor but had the presence of mind to roll out of the way for which Jazz was grateful. "I don't know this kid." Yes she did, she knew her better than most and knew that her confidence had always been her weakest point. She needed a boost, not from her sister but from the common outside observer, she needed actualization for her actions, for what she was. Dani's ego would be too fragile right now to let her know that she'd lost her secret. "But I hope it's ok if she gets a second opinion."

Jazz flicked on the Fenton Peeler, shuddering slightly at the odd sensation of the armor expanding around her and settling into place. But the moment the armor was fully in place she fired. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dani duck as though she expected the blast to be aimed at her. But she looked up as Spectra screamed. The shadows cracked like a dried cicada shell and dropped away revealing her human disguise. Fissures split into her face, her arms, her legs, layer after layer cracked and peeled away like watching a speed up aging process. Spectra was quickly left a husk of her former self, skin paled and grey, eyes glassy. Even her voice had been diminished.

"No! I'm nothing without my youth!" Across the room Dani had sat all the way up.

"I've heard about having nothing within but this is sort of ridiculous." She quipped and pulled the Fenton Thermos off her belt before using it on the ex-councilor.

The moment she vanished Dani felt like a weight had lifted off her chest and mind. She stilled watching Jazz across the room. She was still wearing the Peeler. Dani pulled herself to her feet, ready to flee but Jazz retracted the armor without ever aiming the weapons at Dani. Dani paused. Jazz looked down at it and shook her head.

"Ok it works, that doesn't mean it's not still weird." She turned to Dani. The two stared at each other for a moment. Dani was apprehensive, Jazz was looking at her searchingly. After a moment Jazz seemed to realize that she was supposed to be afraid. She lifted a hand to her mouth and in the worst exaggerated yet somehow bored tone Dani had ever heard from her sister, Jazz exclaimed.

"Ah! A ghost!" And turned to leave. Dani almost giggled. Just before she left Jazz half turned towards Dani, the ghost of a smile on her face. "You should go." She said normally and left the room, stopping to listen to what Dani would do. If the grunt of pain was any indication she'd just forgotten that she could be intangible and walked right into the wall instead of through it. Jazz peeked into the now empty room with a small smile.

"She can tell me when she's ready." Jazz reassured herself.

"Miss Fenton!" She almost jumped as Mr. Lancer came around the corner. "Oh thank goodness you're alright! That malfunction with the spirit sparklers could have been disastrous! The whole school's worried about you!" He ushered her down the hall and into the gym.

"She's ok!" It was Tanya's voice and the applause and uproar that followed shook the gym. Mr. Lancer shook his head.

"I don't know how you managed it Miss Fenton but your disappearing act worked wonders. They've got their spirit back." Lancer said with a smile. Jazz was beaming, she'd spotted Dani in the crowd. Her sister was smiling for the first time in days as she waved at Jazz.

"They're not the only ones." She muttered with a grin as she waved back at her sister.