Summary:

"I don't come here for trouble," Dan explained, and as he calculated that was the main thing that she had to be aware of for their own good. "Jazz, I-" why the words were so heavy to say aloud? He took a deep breath and spilled it." I came here for help." Yeah, in this way, it would be better, he realized. First, getting Jazz, and by winning over Jazz's trust getting to his younger version: Danny.

Not much after escaped from the Thermos that imprisoned him, he faces a situation that he can't solve on his own. Things soon are starting to get complicated as he, in the meantime, has to deal with something that he thought he had lost a long time ago.

He couldn't tell how it happened, he couldn't tell why or when it turned out like this, and he ended up here, but right now he was standing in front of the so familiar door, hand raised to knock. It was like visiting a haunted house. And indeed for him, it was exactly a haunted house. He even couldn't tell when he had been here the last time, maybe a few years ago? No, that was ten years, Dan reminded himself. That was his first/last memory before everything had changed.

He was wondering about the reason why he was here now, after all, gazing at his hand in mid-air, hesitating, trying to get the nerve to hit the door, but then instead of knocking, Dan pushed the ring. It was school-time as he calculated (or as far as if he remembered well it was school-time right now) so he – Danny, his much younger self – was out, his parents were on patrol, and…

In a split second, as he put together the whole, he realized if everyone was out why the hell was he standing in the door waiting for an answer? But then something moved inside and a silhouette of a red-headed teenager appeared behind the door through the frost-glass. Jazz - it came from a faint memory. But her name sounded in his mind like a curse, as the person would have been a pain in his ass. Some things never would change, he noted and tried to concentrate on his tone. This or that might have altered since his last appearance, but he was still the same, some things couldn't just disappear or got rewritten by a single snap. Maybe it was a bad idea. And all things considered what the idea could be if not 'bad', he wasn't either-

"Yeah?" the girl asked kindly before she could get a better look at the person on the other side of the door. "What can I help?" Dan held back a breath. He was sure she wouldn't have been that nice if Jazz could have been aware of who was her guest. He was also thinking why she was home, but it was just a slight flash, and before he could mind what to say, it slipped out, just at the same time when she stepped out from the covering of the door, revealing him for herself in the door-step:

"Hello, sis."

Jazz was tapping on the kitchen table with her fingers. It was unlike from her, behaving tensed, but he could understand it. The last time when he saw her, well, wasn't kind - to be exact, he wasn't very kind. Dan was sitting far away from her on the couch and since she had invited him inside and he had taken a seat, he didn't move, he was just fidgeting with his hands constantly (why was he even doing this, he wasn't stressed, though…). Then suddenly Jazz jumped up, most probably to occupy her haywire thoughts about him being here, and the current situation, with something.

"I'm making tea. Would you like some?"

"I, uh… yes ?" Dan said and for some unknown reason, he added: "Please."

Jazz stopped her motion to the last note, but then continued to prepare the kettle without saying a word. It felt like an eternity, turning on the stove, heating up the water, waiting for it to whistle in a high voice... but then she made the two cups ready with each teabag inside and put both on the table. Dan glimpsed at it from the corner of his eyes and waited patiently for the next move. He didn't feel he should go to the kitchen table or did she expect him to…?

Jazz of a sudden showed the seat next to her. He raised a skeptical eyebrow, asking without words 'are you sure?', but the teenager silently took in hand her cup and sniffed from it, with a slight movement of her head that intended to mean nodding. Dan slowly got up from the couch and walked to the table. At the last moment as he touched the frame of the seat he looked to the girl for permission or to change her mind in the very end, but Jazz didn't move. Dan took the seat then and took in hand his cup of tea too. It was warm and smelled good and he could even remember the taste of it, it was Jazz's favorite: strawberry. He slightly smiled in his mind to the memory, burying the mystery of how could he recall that picture in the first place.

He sniffed from the tea, and he could tell Jazz was examining him during that time, like an investigator would have monitored a prison at the bar. For a second Dan wondered that she was eyeing him because she had poised his portion, but he couldn't believe that. Jazz wasn't like that. He was just a bit paranoid - basically, he shouldn't have been here, and he knew both of them were keeping the illusion that everything was all right, and as he wouldn't have been a ticking bomb (that right now was just malfunctioning for an unknown reason).

"Now, what?" he put down the empty cup then after a few silent minutes. Jazz too took hers down and gazed into the air.

"Now, I think you owe me with some explanation." her voice was clear, clearer than usually it was – or more like had been. He wondered if she had been just like that or she was just trying to be brave with such steadiness, clearly avoiding to look right to him.

"Right" Dan sighed, tapping uncomfortably with his fingers on the cup. "It's quite a long story actually… I don't think we-"

"We have time," she said. Without a check to the clock on the microwave, he knew they did not, in an hour everyone would be home, and…

"Listen, Jazz, I-"

"No." she cut him in the middle, staring suddenly at him, gazing through his soul – if he would have any. "You listen to me! I don't know much about Danny yet or who you exactly are, but I know some things. I know you are him. Or at least a grotesque screwed-up version of him, but I- I won't let you hurt him or my family either! Are you getting it, brother ?" she almost hissed the last words.

Dan blinked at the sudden unexpected outburst. It was surprising and shocking hearing her behaving like that, ready to fight with him even with bare hands if that was necessary, but he could understand her reaction. Dan opened his mouth, then closed and breathed out a single: "Yes." he didn't want her to try to fight with him, after all, she was just a simple human. Jazz could get hurt and he- it was really unnecessary.

"Good." she closed the debate, again gazing to the air. He could tell she tried to hide her fear. In her slight mimics, the shock was visible that a moment ago she had just shouted at him. But the anger covered completely that realization. It was much better that way, he couldn't have known what to do if she started to panic. It was weird to say, but anger was much predictable than acting in fear.

For a while neither of them said anything. Jazz was clearly determined to snap back again and furious and… curious and concerned. Dan had seen much to detect the hidden feelings. He thanked for the tea and gave back Jazz the empty cup to wash them, then he put together his fingers thoughtfully. Dan couldn't know where to start. First of all, Jazz was that he had expected the least. But all in all, she was the easiest way. Jazz was – had been – rational, examining everything, maybe that was his luck, she could have paved the way to the final aim, Dan suddenly realized.

And either he couldn't tell how Jazz felt about him being here. It was currently an act, but what for? Was she trying to occupy him instead of letting him loose and getting the threat out of her vision or was she acting up calmly, but carefully not picking the sleeping lion to get the reason why he was here? Dan couldn't tell yet. And to tell the truth he couldn't ever read Jazz. The memory that she was knowing about his – Danny's – secret for a while and didn't say anything and... it was so cloudy. And technically, she either wasn't his Jazz, he reminded himself. Time differed it. He couldn't tell what was the same anymore.

"I- I don't want him to know about me being here," he said then, recognizing those minor details were insignificant to the whole picture. Dan didn't clear whom he was talking about, but he was sure it was quite obvious. Jazz turned back to him for a slight movement, without saying out loud the question.

"I don't come here for trouble," Dan explained, and as he calculated that was the main thing that she had to be aware of for their own good. "Jazz, I-" why the words were so heavy to say aloud? He took a deep breath and spilled it." I came here for help." Yeah, in this way, it would be better. First, getting Jazz, and by winning over Jazz's trust getting to his younger version: Danny.

The sound of the breaking cups in the sink didn't surprise him at all, to tell the truth, he prepared for a much worse reaction. Really, for a much, much worse one.

If he considered it, it wasn't as bad as he imagined it. It was definitely weird, seeing the city like this, but it was – had been, he corrected himself – his home. Not much after Jazz had broken the cups, his – Danny's – parents had arrived home. They had got out from the Fenton RV with a long face that they hadn't managed either this day to catch Phantom or any other ghosts (because the prior one had outrun them again).

Jazz had welcomed them and had made a confession about the broken cups. Those, according to her, had slipped out from her hands, when she had been too distracted by listening to her latest video about the potential universities. Good lie, sis – Dan had cracked a smile on it. And his parents had easily believed her (not that their daughter would have been a regular liar, against their son). Dan had scoffed at their naivety and small-mindedness.

His younger self had arrived home just a few minutes before curfew baffling something about a late course about a group project with Sam and Tucker. Dan had nearly laughed at the poor excuse. So he had been like that. He had almost exposed himself when Danny had stepped inside the house and the common blue mist had come out from the boy's mouth, telling a ghost was nearby. His younger version had looked around searching for every possible threat, but as from nowhere could have been heard a scream or signs of noise or any ghosts – thanks to the invisibility trick –, Danny had unwillingly but stepped inside the house.

Dan hadn't wanted to be in sight for his younger self so he had settled down on the roof and patiently was waiting for the night time, in the meantime, he was marking the city from above. It was peaceful and weird and… almost nostalgic. He became calmed by it and relaxed. It could be his town too, he wondered. And soon after everything went silent in the house, telling everyone was in their rooms resting, he heard as a window was opened below him. Dan slipped through the roof straight to Jazz's room.

"Hey" he greeted her, his voice was a low careful whisper. Jazz dumbfoundedly realized that he hadn't come inside from the specifically for that reason opened entry.

"Hey" Jazz closed the windows and marked him. "I thought, you disappeared." her voice was a little worried. Dan was surprised she was concerned if he had disappeared. Much to her luck, he did not. He was thinking for a moment exactly why she was relieved that he came back. Was she happy that he wasn't roaming making a mess in the town or was she relieved because seeing him was less threatening than imagining the opposite, and a problem less to worry about outside?

"No, but Danny-" he started, and just in time, someone knocked on the door. Speaking of the devil, he chuckled in his mind, just as his ghost sense manifested as a red mist through his nose.

Dan immediately turned invisible like a used-to reflex from a forgotten past and stepped inside the darkest corner to be completely out of vision, but still seeing the scene in case of anything. "Tell him Dad experienced with ectoplasm on bugs, that's why his senses detect ghosts nearby," he whispered a made-up, really imaginable reason that only Jazz could hear. She gazed towards him – or where she suspected he was –, confused, but then opened the door and used the same words as she was told to describe the situation to her little brother in the door.

Danny crossed his hand, rolling his eyes and groaning unbelievably to his sister's tale. "Really? That's just fantastic. That really messes up my senses. Now I know, I won't sleep the whole night, wondering when it's some sort of ghost bugs or a real threat. Really thanks, dad." cursed the boy. Jazz faintly glimpsed towards where she last had seen the reason for the misbehaving ghost sense, but right now there was just thin air for her vision.

"I will talk with them in the morning, okay? Try to sleep, Danny, tonight I think it will be only the bugs." she was really on to sound convincing, if Dan hadn't known he was the reason, he would have believed her too. She had the talent to persuade people about things for their own good.

Danny looked at her exhaustedly. It was seen the boy was really deprivating some sleep. For a second, it seemed as his younger version wanted to say something, but then he resignedly sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "You might be right." the teenager was almost on to sleepwalking straight back to his room when Jazz caught him at the last moment.

"Danny," her brother wearily looked at her. "I'll be awake for a while, studying. I think I should tell I will be loud, so…"

"Okay," Danny mumbled like it would have been a surprise that his sister used to study aloud. The boy was on to leave now, but then again Jazz stopped him, grabbing his hand gently.

"Danny, wait. We haven't talked about this Phantom-thing yet. I'm not saying, right now or tomorrow, but I'm here if you want to talk."

Danny stared at her for an endless minute, but then nodded. "Okay."

"But right now, go to sleep, brother." she pushed a little Danny's back to be out of her room in fine. "You look like someone who died."

Danny cracked a smile at the phrase, but agreed. "Well… thanks ?"

Jazz closed her door behind her sibling, waiting for the other door to be closed, meaning her brother returned to his room. Then she switched on the light on her desk, getting out from his shelf a book and a pen. Dan at first thought she was just pretending it, but then she started to prepare for studying, really on to study. Did she forget he was here? For sure, invisibility did not help for her to be aware of his presence, but-

"Are you really going to study now?" Dan took the question wonderingly, stepping out of his hiding place, really hoping he was wrong. Jazz looked at him as he was slowly turning visible in her eye-corner and smiled. So she was just on purpose played with his patience. "No." Great. It didn't help she was smiling now widely.

"Thank goodness, I was worried I have to listen to you again studying the whole night." Jazz turned towards him with her chair, dropping the satisfied smirk.

"You know, I can still scream and tell Danny you are here." Dan stayed in silence, biting his lips. That was just great, she knew how to play dirty. "Yeah, I thought so." Jazz added. "Lucky you, I already studied for the test, but I think you still owe me some explanation, Danny ."

Dan let out an annoyed growl. "I already told you."

"No." was Jazz facing him seriously. It seemed as she got more comfortable with his presence, too comfortable to be accurate. Maybe Jazz managed to understand in fine that he was really not on to hurt anyone right now, or she was just trying to find out the reason about his current not so detrimental behaviour. Anyway, it was quite cute Jazz tried to act like she was winning in the debate, and that she could lead him by her words. Yeah, she was the older between them, but with Danny. Right now, he was the major, in every view, but Dan listened to her. "You told me you need help, but you didn't tell in what." she pointed.

Dan crossed his arms, annoyed by the interrogation. "You don't have to know that."

"Oh, really ?!" she exclaimed a little harshly for a secret conversation.

For a very long minute both of them remained quiet, air tensed, but then Dan sighed firstly, knowing nothing would change if he wouldn't say anything. To his surprise Jazz didn't feel uncomfortable, cramped, or either got scared by his presence, rather on the contrary. It seemed his attendance was just adding fuel to the fire. He couldn't frighten her. He had to try another way to affect her. Much to his luck and willingness, he had to consider her method, and talking with her. Otherwise, he would have never got her trust.

"Right." Dan sighed resignedly "It's Vlad. I-" he couldn't know how to explain the whole. Most of all, Jazz wasn't conscious of anything yet regarding Phantom, and either his younger self saw or could understand the whole. If Dan could put the pieces together by the previous conversation between the two siblings, Danny was aware Jazz knew he was Phantom, but they hadn't yet had the 'being-Phantom-and-my-sister-knows-I'm-him' talking. She couldn't perceive anything about it, just a slight piece she could grasp.

"I need to- I need to contact with him." Dan said then, letting avoided to point that namely, he needed Plasmius' kind of help a.k.a. a help from the creepy fruitloop part of the person, not Vlad's kind of one. But she didn't have to know that. An on the other hand he wasn't sure Jazz knew who Vlad exactly was.

Jazz gazed at him blankly, he knew she had thousands of questions, just like why would he need specifically Vlad's help, but she couldn't tell where to start. And then again, Dan wasn't the one who should have told her everything. It was Danny's task. Dan thanked well, but he rather avoided that obviously awkward discussion, just as explaining her everything from the beginning.

"Listen, Jazz, I- currently I just need you to cover me from myself, from Danny, okay? Could you do that?" 'Cover', as far as reaching the point that she would trust him enough to convince his younger version too, then all would be on the right path – he added to himself the little clarification of the note, waiting patiently for the answer.

A/N:

wow, it turned out longer than I first expected it would be...

currently, I am planning to post the chapters weekly - if anything happens like school-thing, work and so on, I'll write about the change :)

right now, the next one will come at the beginning of next week