Chapter 13

"Jazz! Sweetie!" Maddie exclaimed as Jazz walked into the kitchen. "When did you get home?" She looked Jazz over quickly then pulled her daughter into her arms. Jazz returned the embrace with a sigh.

"I just got here," Jazz answered as she buried her face in her mother's shoulder and took a deep breath.

Maddie closed her eyes and rocked her daughter from side to side. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Not that I'm not happy to have you home."

Jazz took a deep breath. "I was feeling homesick," she answered, feeling wretched for lying to her mother about something so simple. She lied enough to cover for Danny, she hated doing much more than she had to.

"My poor baby," Maddie said soothingly. She pulled away and looked at Jazz's sad face and frowned.

"Have you eaten?" she asked. Jazz shook her head. Maddie sat her down at the table and made her a sandwich. She looked around warily then fished a tin from one of the cabinet and gave Jazz a few ghost shaped cookies. Jazz smiled.

"So how are you're classes?" Maddie asked as she sat at the table with Jazz.

"Good," Jazz said as she picked off the crust on her sandwich. She frowned. "But, I-I was thinking of, at the end of the semester, transferring to Amity State University. I just feel so lonely."

"Oh Jazz," Maddie said and sighed. "You know you're welcome to come home anytime you want." Jazz nodded her head and sniffled.

"Why are you crying, Sweetie?" Maddie asked worriedly. "Has something happened?"

Jazz shook her head and wiped away her tears. "I'm just homesick," she answered. Maddie put her hand on Jazz's and sighed. "We'll lets just have a nice visit and when you go back, you'll feel much better." They both jumped as a boom, a crash and the sound of Jack grumbling was heard from down in the lab.

"You're father is working on a new invention," Maddie laughed. Jazz smiled, she picked up the two ghost cookies her mother gave her.

"I'll go check on him," Jazz said.

Maddie raised her eyebrows. "And distract him from destruction with cookies?"

"Yeah," Jazz laughed then headed down in the lab. Maddie sat for a moment then listened.

"Jazzy Pants!" Jack exclaimed and Maddie laughed. She looked in the door way of the kitchen to see her son, standing with a deep frown on his face.

"I'm going to meet with Sam and Tuck," he said.

"Have you seen your sister?" Maddie asked. "She came to visit for the weekend."

"Yeah," Danny said as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I talked to her when she first got here."

"Tell Sam and Tuck hello for me," Maddie said happily. Danny nodded his head and left.

"Whoa," Sam said to Tucker as Danny sat down with them at the Nasty Burger. "Someone's in a bad mood."

Danny looked at Sam in surprise then realized he was scowling. "I'm not in a bad mood," he denied. "I'm just worried about Jazz."

"You're always worried about Jazz," Tucker teased.

Danny looked at the techno geek for a moment. "I went to check on her this morning and she asked me to bring her home."

"How did you explain that one to Maddie?" Sam asked. Danny just shrugged his shoulders.

"She was crying when I got there. She um.." Danny paused. "She and Vlad…."

"No!" Sam said in shock. "He's been bugging her?"

Danny shook his head and looked down at his hand folded on the table. He very calmly told them the story. Both Tucker and Sam sat listening with their mouths hanging open.

"I don't know how to help her," Danny finished on a sigh. "She's very upset."

"Dude," Tucker said in shock. "That's terrible!"

"She needs someone she can talk to," Danny started then looked at Sam. "A female perspective."

Sam's eyes widened. "What are you looking at me for?" she asked in alarm.

"I was hoping you'd talk to her," Danny said hopefully.

"Oh yeah ask Sam. She has the right chromosomes so naturally she'll be able to talk to Jazz," she said almost sarcastically. "I'm not good at that kind of stuff."

"Please?" Danny asked as he gave Sam his patented puppy dog look.

"No," Sam said as she folded her arms across her chest and turned her head away.

Vlad growled in anger as he sat in his lab, trying to focus on the intricate wiring on one of his ghostly devices. He couldn't get his fingers to stop shaking, his attention was distracted. He was in an extremely bad mood.

He dropped the tools he was using and walked across the lab, where on a table he had an array of test tubes. He ran his fingers along them for a moment. Each one contained a sample of Jazz's DNA all but one of them were replications. He sighed and picked up one of the tubes. He took it across the room and put the tube in a magnifying device.

The cells had divided, the experiment looked as though it could actually succeed. He frowned then checked the other three tubes. One of the two tubes showed no signs of activity at all. He cradled the failed test tube in his hand and sighed sadly. He disposed of the failed experiment sadly then returned to contemplate the ones which were thriving.

His intentions were to make a simple clone of his Jasmine. One that would never leave him, or could be taken away. She would be his, and live only for him. He sighed heavily as he looked at the remaining test tubes. If he made a clone, it would surly look like her, but it wouldn't be her.

The clone would have her eyes, but would those eyes have the fire behind them, which captured his heart. Would it be pushy, brave, smart and funny? No, the clone would only be his Jasmine outwardly.

If it was easy to replicate the traits he loved in Jasmine, he would have done it long ago, with Maddie. It was easier cloning, or well trying to clone Danny, his powers and slight difference in DNA sequencing made it difficult to make a stable clone. His personality didn't matter so much to Vlad, it was his power which held his interest

He knew in his heart there could be only one Jasmine. He could not recreate her in a test tube. Vlad ran a hand through his hair and gathered together the tubes. He disposed of them quickly, before he could change his mind. Then walked back to the table for the remaining tube, the original DNA.

Quickly, as so not to compromise the integrity of the sample, he stored it away. He had an idea. He couldn't put it into motion until he spoke to Jasmine again, and oh yes. He would speak to her again, even if he had to drag her kicking and screaming from the Fenton house himself.

He quickly changed to his ghost from then opened the ghost portal. He flew through with the intent on issuing a few orders to those under his, err employ.

Sam looked down the hall at Danny and Tucker as she walked slowly toward Jazz's room. Danny waved at her to keep walking. She gave him a look of irritation then stopped and knocked on Jazz's door.

"Come in," Jazz said then smiled as Sam opened the door.

"Hi," Sam started nervously as she looked at Jazz who was sitting on her bed with books spread out around her. "Am I disturbing you?"

"No," Jazz answered. "Come sit down." Sam nodded her head then sat on the edge of Jazz's bed.

"Did you need to talk about something?" Jazz asked.

"Not really," Sam answered nervously.

Jazz gave Sam a tired look. "Danny sent you in here didn't he?"

"Yeah," Sam replied.

Jazz shook her head in exasperation. "And he told you the whole story?"

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"The jerk," Jazz growled. "But then what can I expect. You are a third of his brain…" She looked at Sam and blinked for a moment.

"I'm sorry Sam I didn't mean to sound so mean," she apologized.

Sam shook her head. "No," she replied. "It's true. I don't mind." Jazz nodded her head and closed her note book.

"So you're probably all wondering if I've lost my mind and how long all of this has been going on," she stated.

"Well yeah," Sam said as she laughed.

"It's not Vlad's fault. Really. He was being good. He left me alone," Jazz started as her cheeks flushed "But, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I couldn't escape the memories of my time with him. He was very kind to me Sam." Jazz looked at the doubtful expression on Sam's face.

"Really," Jazz told the Goth girl. "He treated me very well. I don't think he ever wanted to love me, but he does." She smiled softly. "He can be very gentle and sweet, and extremely generous."

Sam looked at Jazz doubtfully. "Are we talking about the same Vlad?" she asked. "The same Vlad who has tried to kill Danny on multiple occasions. Has tried to kill your dad. The same Vlad who has tried to take over the world on more than one occasion. Vlad the black hearted scoundrel? That Vlad?"

Jazz closed her eyes. "He hardly seems that way to me Sam. He rarely if ever shows me his dark side."

"That's hard to believe." Sam said dryly.

Jazz bit her lip as she looked at Sam. "I know I shouldn't care about him. I know I should despise him. But I love him." She covered her face with her hands. "And I hate myself for it….because I want to be with him, but I know I shouldn't."

"So what are you going to do?" Sam asked worriedly.

Jazz took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. "When this semester is over," she began. "I'm going to move back home. I thought maybe I could go to Amity State for awhile, but…"

"What?" Sam asked.

"I think I need to go far away. Far far away so that I'm not tempted to contact him. So that he can't just come see me whenever." Jazz rattled off quickly.

"That makes sense," Sam said.

"I-I don't know if I can ever really escape him Sam," Jazz told her softly.

Sam sighed. "Do you think you could have a future with him?" she asked, knowing Danny would kill her if she pushed Jazz in Vlad's direction. "I mean you seem to make him a better person."

Jazz shook her head. "I can't see a future with or without him." Sam shook her head, unsure of what to say.

"The thing is, he's been abandoned by everyone he's ever lo…" Jazz stopped and closed her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked worriedly.

"Can…can you leave me alone?" Jazz asked Danny's closest friend. "I-I really need to be alone right now." Sam nodded her head and left Jazz's room. Closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Jazz waited a moment then fished her cell phone out of her pocket. She stared at it for several minutes. She wondered what he would do if she called him. Would he be angry at her? Would he push her away?

She dialed the number then paused and closed the phone before hitting send. Calling him wouldn't solve anything. She's have to wait until Monday. She'd go see him first thing when she got home.

The moment Jazz arrived home on Monday morning, the spy Vlad had sent to watch her apartment sped off to alert his master he was back. Unfortunately another ghost hybrid was aware of the ghosts speeding direction and followed him stealthily

Danny followed the creature all the way into Vlad's house. Vlad was busy typing away on a laptop when the ghost told him that. "Mrs. Masters has returned." Danny wanted to gag. He waited for the ghost to leave before making himself visible.

"I thought you were going to leave my sister alone, Vlad," Danny said angrily. Vlad turned and looked at Danny calmly, as if he'd know the other ghost hybrid was there all along.

"Daniel," Vlad said dryly. "I should have known."

"Leave Jazz alone," Danny growled. Vlad folded his arms across his chest and looked at Danny for a few moments.

"And if I don't? You're going to what? Kill me? I don't think that would make your sister very happy," Vlad said smoothly.

"She'll get over it," Danny replied his eyes glowing intensely as he stared Vlad down.

Vlad looked at Danny tiredly. "Is that it? Is that what you came to tell me? " he asked sarcastically. "Or is there something more?"

"Just leave her alone, Vlad." Danny repeated. "She's been through enough. She deserves to be left alone and happy."

"How do you know I cannot make her happy," Vlad asked his voice betraying his hopefulness. "Have you asked yourself that? Maybe she's not happy now, Daniel."

Danny rolled his eyes. "How are you going to make her happy, Vlad? What can you give her? I thought you and my mother already had this discussion. Do I need to bring her back into it?"

"I did not go after Jasmine," Vlad said defensively. "She came to me."

"Because she's confused!" Danny yelled in outrage. "And you took advantage of her." Vlad turned his back on Danny. The look of sadness he'd witnessed on Vlad's face made Danny feel bad for the man, almost.

"Have you ever stopped to consider that she took advantage of me?" Vlad asked angrily.

"No," Danny replied coldly. "And don't try to tell me she has. I know everything Vlad."

"She told you?" Vlad said in confusion.

"No," Danny replied smugly, enjoying having the advantage over Vlad. "But I have my ways of finding things out."

Vlad looked at Danny for a moment then asked, "What do you want from me?"

"Leave Jazz alone!" Danny answered in exasperation. "I know you intended on showing up the moment she got home. I followed your ghostly spy here."

"And what can you do, that could possibly induce me into giving in to your request, Daniel?" Vlad questioned as he turned back to Danny, his eyes filled with anger and pain.

Danny raised his eyebrows and walked toward Vlad, he was almost as tall as the millionaire now, and just as intimidating, especially in his ghostly form. Vlad stood his ground.

"I tell my parents what you've been doing," Danny threatened. "And you will suffer Fenton retribution the likes of which you could never imagine, Plasmius. Jazz is not for you! Leave her the hell alone!"

"And somehow, that doesn't frighten my Daniel," Vlad said sarcastically. "You'll simply have to do better than threatening me with your parents."

Danny looked at Vlad thoughtfully. "Fine then," he began. "You leave me no choice."

"No choice?" Vlad asked. "Your choice is to let your sister decide what he wants."

"I will out us both," Danny threatened as he ignored Vlad's statement. "You see I really don't have much to lose, if the world finds out about my secret. I'm safe. I'm viewed as a hero, a protector. You on the other hand, are reviled, imagine what would happen if everyone found out your identity? What would happen if everyone found out how you managed to amass your glorious fortune?"

Vlad opened and closed his mouth, searching for a reply, but he knew when he was at a loss, there was nothing more to be said.

"I'm sure the Guys in White would love to interrogate you Plasmius. Hold you in a tiny little ghost proof cell for the rest of your life," Danny continued. "And you'd never be able to harm my sister again."

"I've never harmed your sister," Vlad denied tiredly.

"The hell you haven't!" Danny yelled. "Stay away from her Vlad! This is the last time I warn you."

Both enemies stood, staring each other down, neither willing to give in, but at last Vlad stepped back. He had too much to lose to risk calling Danny's bluff.

"Fine," he said. "Your demands will be met. Now get off my property. I don't want to see you here again."

"As long as you stay away from my family," Danny replied. "You can be assured that you won't." Vlad turned his back to Danny and walked away. Danny waited a moment then flew back to Jazz's apartment to check on her.

Vlad clenched his fists as he walked down to the lab. He didn't want to give up on Jasmine, and he wasn't going to. He was just going to have to find a way around Daniel and his threats.

Once he was in his lab he called up a year old file from his computer. He looked at it for a long time. He had dropped the plans once Jazz entered his heart, but now, now he needed to take them up again if he wanted to keep her.

Somewhere in the deep recesses of the Ghost Zone, Clockwork sighed and shook his head. "Everything would have been so much easier for you Daniel, had you simply listened to me.

Clockwork turned and looked as two figures emerged from the shadows. He sighed deeply, not wanting to deal with the Observants. He disliked their demands, but unless they gave him time. He smiled slightly, of course, he had all the time in the world.

Wow an update on this story? Shocking I know. Thanks to Ayla for helping me on this one again.

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