I don't know how this chapter got written. I passed out…literally around 10 pm last night. I was seriously out of it. Anyway, if this is disappointing, I'm sorry. Read the note below. I sometimes write my way into situations which upon reflection I decide I can't deal with so I have to find ways to write myself out of them all the while kicking myself….anyway.
Just so you know there is some squickiness ahead.
Chapter Seventeen
Vlad knew he had to be very careful when he transferred Jazz to the Ghost Zone. It was a very impressionable place filled with extremely sensitive beings, many of who Vlad had lost control of once Danny's powers surged. These creatures were now loyal to Danny and Vlad didn't want them alerted to his and especially to Jazz's presence.
So, it was that Vlad wrapped Jazz in a spectral cloak and flew her to a dark and desolate region of the zone, within that place he had set up a room, identical to the one she'd spent time in before, right down to Sam's painting on the wall.
"You will find," Vlad said as he walked around the room. "That there are plenty of medical tomes here for you to peruse through."
"At least I won't be bored," Jazz said dryly as she watched Vlad walk to the door. "I've had a tray of food left on the table. Bathroom is through that door. Make yourself comfortable"
"I would be more comfortable at home," Jazz said angrily.
"You'll also find amongst the books," Vlad said as he stood at the door. "A few books on artificial insemination." Jazz who was watching him closely could have sworn she'd seen the ghostly form of Vlad blush.
"Artificial what?" Jazz choked trying not to laugh.
"Well my dear," Vlad said in the kindest tone possible. "You didn't think I would actually…" He gasped and shook his head. "Perhaps if you'd been able to become my wife…Jazz dear I don't intend on causing you any physical harm. You can rest easy. I will not be laying a finger on you."
"Well at least that's something I can stop worrying about," Jazz said dryly. Vlad only smiled at her.
"You will find by and by, that I'm not the horrible wretched monster everyone claims me to be." Vlad said in what seemed to be a hurt tone.
"Oh no," Jazz said as she shook her head. "Horrible wretched monsters, they don't kidnap innocent people who have friends and family that love them and hold them against their will and force them to bear their children. Only egomaniacal, lunatic creeps do that." Vlad narrowed his eyes at Jazz then opened the door and left.
"Well kiddo," Jazz said as she put her hand on her stomach. "It looks like we're counting on Uncle Danny to rescue us again. You'll like your Uncle Danny and Auntie Sam. I can't wait to tell them all about you. And Daddy. Daddy is going to be so happy to know your here." She smiled, doing her best not to panic. Jazz was good at rationalizing. She walked to the table where food was laid out and picked up a few pieces of toast, then to the book shelf where she picked out one of her favorite Psyche books. She sat down in a nearby chaise lounge and began to read.
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Sam was sitting on the couch at Fenton Works thumbing through some old magazines when Maddie sat down beside her. Danny's mother smiled sweetly at Sam.
"Hi Mom," Sam said as she closed her magazine and looked at the older woman, who was still grinning at Sam.
"Sam," Maddie said softly as she leaned forward. "Something dropped out of your pocket."
Sam's eyes widened as Maddie handed her Jazz's pregnancy test. She smiled nervously at Maddie. "Thanks," she said as she slid the stick back into her pocket and felt blood rushing to he cheeks, making them burn.
"I suppose congratulations are in order?" Maddie whispered softly. "Jack and I are so thrilled that you're part of our family Sam." She wiped away tears that sprang to her eyes. "Does Danny know?" she asked.
Sam looked guiltily at Maddie. "Yes," She answered, "But…"
"No no!" Maddie said as she interrupted Sam. "There is no but, I understand completely. You're waiting to tell people. Mum's the word."
"Yeah," Sam said uncomfortably, "But…"
"How are you feeling?" Maddie asked. "I remember when I was pregnant with Jazz. I was so tired all the time."
"Um about that," Sam tried to say again. "I'm not…" Her confession was cut short by Danny entering the room.
Maddie jumped up and hugged her son. "I just want you to know Danny. That I am here for you both. And I approve,"
"Uh thanks Mom," Danny said as he gave Sam a questioning look. Sam smiled at him weirdly. Maddie kissed her son's cheek and very nearly floated from the room.
Danny looked back at his mother then turned to Sam. "What's her problem?"
Sam smiled a moment then took a deep breath. "She thinks I'm pregnant."
"She what?" Danny asked then quieted down. Tucker was in the other room. "Where did she get that crazy idea?"
"The test fell out of my pocket," Sam answered. Danny looked at her in horror then started laughing.
"This isn't funny Danny." Sam whispered. "Maybe we should tell Tucker."
"No," Danny said quickly. "I think Jazz should be the one to tell him. Will it hurt so bad to let Mom think it just for a little while?"
Sam sighed deeply as she looked down at her hands, "I guess not, but. Man I'm embarrassed."
"Ahh," Danny said as he patted Sam's stomach. "How is my little baby?"
"Unless you want to lose your hand," Sam growled. "You better get it off me."
"Is that the way you treat the father of your unborn child?" Danny pouted.
"Shut up!" Sam laughed as she pushed him away.
Tucker walked into the room and observed them both silently for a moment then said, "I can't believe you two are joking and flirting with each other when Vlad has Jazz." He looked at Danny. "I would have thought you'd have gone to the Ghost Zone already."
"Sorry Tucker," Danny said as he began to feel guilty. "I just wanted to..umm…well Tell Sam a few things." He looked at Sam who only shrugged her shoulders then kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Good luck in finding Jazz," she said. "If you need us…"
"I know," Danny said, "Just stay close to Mom okay?"
"Are you implying that I can't protect myself?" Sam asked her eyes glimmering with what Danny perceived as a challenge.
"I'm implying that I need you to stay close to Mom," Danny repeated then lowered his voice. "And keep your eye on Tuck."
"I heard that," Tucker said as he eyed Danny. "I'm standing right here you know."
"Okay," Danny said. He gave Sam a long look then transformed into ghost mode. He winked at her then phased himself downstairs then flew through the portal.
Sam looked at Tucker who was now sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. "I guess it's payback time now huh?" Sam asked as she sat down and leaned against him. "Do you want to talk?"
"Not really," Tucker answered.
Sam rolled her eyes and sighed. "Oh come on Tuck, don't go all brooding and heroic on me now. I was the person you told the first time you…."
"Sam," Tucker said warningly.
"Kissed a girl," Sam finished and made a sour face at him. He smiled slightly.
"Do you remember the last late night talk we had?" Tucker asked. "You told me that you felt like you and Danny were ill fated."
"Yup I remember," Sam said "And then I talked to Danny about it and he told me that no matter what it was us against them, and we would be stronger and not let fate keep us apart."
"Yeah," Tucker said then shook his head. "What I think is that your bad fate transferred over to Jazz and I. You take it back now."
"Ha!" Sam laughed. "No dice there bud. You can keep it." Tucker gave her an annoyed look and she leaned against him harder.
"Don't worry about Jazz," Sam said softly. "Danny will find her. She'll be back in time for dinner. Just watch." She looked picked at her finger and sighed, "You know, the bad fate didn't transfer?"
"What?" Tucker asked.
"The ill-fatedness. It's still Danny and me." Sam answered as she continued to pick at her fingers. "You and Jazz just get sucked into it by default. I bet if you two got away from us, you'd never have another problem again."
"Don't be ridiculous," Tucker said. "That's not true." He said it, but deep down he felt that it was. He watched Sam as she picked her fingers for a moment and wondered if in order to have a peaceful life, if he would have to break from her and Danny. She looked up at him and smiled slightly and worriedly. Tucker decided that peace was way overrated. He could never abandon Danny and never in a million years abandon Sam. He smiled wryly.
"Life is just really complicated," he said and Sam nodded in agreement.
"But it's good too," Sam said after a long silence. "I wouldn't trade what I have now for the world."
"Me either," Tucker said as he smiled slightly.
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Danny was speeding through the Ghost Zone toward Vlad's portal when he seemed to hit a invisible barrier. He stopped and looked around in a slight daze. A wizened old man was approaching him. He was short and round with what can only be called a Fu Manchu mustache. Danny took on a defensive stance, not sure what to expect.
"Good day," The old man said as he looked Danny up and down. "Gaspar sent me. The name is Melchior." He bowed toward Danny. "I hear you have a request for us. I want to hear it from your own mouth."
"Request?" Danny asked in confusion. His only goal right now was to find Jazz. He didn't have time to be held up by some crazed ghost.
"Marriage," Melchior said. "You wanted to change the law?"
The light went on in Danny's head and he wondered why these ghosts had to wait until the worst moment to approach him. "Yes," Danny said. "I'd like to marry Sam, but we're perfectly happy as we are. No need for marriage."
"I see," Melchior said. "And if I were to tell you that living with her, as you are now, still constitutes as a marriage contract of sorts, what say you then?"
Crap, Danny almost said out loud. "I'd be very upset," Danny answered his tone of voice barely contained his aggitation. "I'm not ghost! I'm living. I love Sam. I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
"And you would give up everything for her?" Melchior asked. "What about your family? Would you give up your family for her?"
Always with the hard questions. Why couldn't he catch a break? "Only if my family wouldn't be harmed in anyway," Danny answered. "Listen I'm sorry I don't mean to be rude, but my sister is in trouble and…"
"You won't find her," Melchior told Danny. "We know where she is, and you won't find her."
"What?" Danny asked. His hands began to glow. "Did you take her?"
"We did not," Melchior answered. "But we know who did. Seek an audience with Basnater. He has the final say in all matters."
"How do I find Basnater?" Danny answered.
Melchior laughed. "You do not find Basnater, Basnater finds you!"
"Great," Danny said as he watched Melchior disappeared not unlike the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. He took a deep breath and continued on his way to Vlad.
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"Where is she?" he asked angrily as he grabbed Vlad by the throat and readied another punch. "Take me to her now or I finished things here and now Vlad!"
"Dear boy!" Vlad said as he calmly freed himself from Danny's grip dabbed the bleeding corner of his mouth with a handkerchief "Your behavior is quite uncalled for. I don't know what you are speaking of!"
"Jazz!" Danny yelled as he advanced on Vlad who was now backed up against the wall. "Where is she! I know you took her!"
"Such dire accusations!" Vlad said angrily as he put up his hands in defense. "She's not here Danny! You're free to look around the grounds, but you will not find Jasmine here."
"Where did you take her?" Danny questioned. "The Ghost Zone? Your cabin in the mountains? Where?"
"I simply do not have her," Vlad answered as he flinched away from Danny. "Why is it that when anything goes wrong you're immediately down my throat?"
"Because you're always the culprit," Danny yelled. "You know as well as I do that the Ghost Zone and I have been under a truce for the last three years. My enemies wouldn't dare break it."
Vlad smiled his greasy smile as he dabbed his mouth again as he slid out of Danny's immediate reach. "Perhaps you accept the truce unquestioningly, but I am sure there are a few powerful ghosts out there who do not. Many do feel that you broke it when you gave Samantha that ring."
"It was an accident," Danny said his anger cooling only slightly. "I got the ring off of her."
Vlad shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I suggest you question the citizens of the Ghost Zone. Maybe The Box Ghost knows something."
Danny gave Vlad a look of disgust then pushed past him and did a through search of Vlad's estate. When he returned, it was obviously without Jazz.
"I will be back," Danny warned Vlad as he left through the portal."
"I look forward to your return," Vlad waved then chuckled as soon as he was sure Danny was gone.
Vlad waited a moment then picked up the phone attached to his side and dialed. "Hello," he said. "Todd? Remember that patient I told you about? She's ready for you. How soon can you get here?"
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Jazz was in the bathroom, throwing up when Vlad arrived with a mysterious guest.
"Jazz," He called. "Your doctor is here."
"Go away," Jazz called from the bathroom. She felt like she was dying. She rested her head on the floor. The bathroom door opened and a pair of Italian leather shoes stood before her. Jazz smiled evilly and wished she could muster up the energy to…well. She looked up and instead of finding Vlad standing over her, it was Todd.
"Todd?" She asked in confusion.
"Man Jazzy," Todd said kindly as he helped her stand. "You look terrible. What's wrong?"
"What are you doing here?" Jazz asked as she pulled away from the man she almost married.
"Vlad hired me," He said as he smiled bitterly. "Quite a long time ago actually."
"He what?" Jazz asked in confusion.
Todd sighed. "It's a long story darling. Come sit down. You look very unwell. Flu?"
"Yeah," Jazz laughed bitterly. "I have the flu."
"Fluids," Todd said to Vlad. "She needs fluids. We don't want her to get dehydrated." He put is hand to her face. "You don't feel feverish Jazz. You feel cold and clammy. Are you sure it's the flu?"
"It could be food poisoning," Jazz answered as she cuddled into her chair. She wondered how much worse the situation could get. All she needed now was her first boyfriend here and Tuck and they could all exchange funny anecdotes.
Jazz looked around. "Where did Vlad go?"
Todd laughed. "I sent him away. For now Mr. Masters does my bidding. After all he wants his little patient taken care of and I'm now your doctor."
"Todd," Jazz said as she grabbed his hand. "Please. You have to help me escape. I'm being held here against my will. I…"
"I know," Todd said as he smiled. "You really should have married me Jazz. Things would have been much easier on you if you had."
"You're not angry about that are you?" Jazz asked hesitantly.
"Not at all," Todd said as he dug into his medical bag. "I was just doing my job. I had a lot of debts to pay off. We don't all have rich benefactors to pay our way through med school like you Jazz."
"I paid my own way," Jazz insisted. "I received scholarships…"
"Bogus scholarships," Todd told her as he laughed. "Vlad paid your way through school, and from what I understand he took care of your brother's tuition as well."
"Why?" Jazz asked.
"How should I know," Todd answered. "It wasn't such a horrible fate to be married to you, so I figured the money came easily until you jilted me. Luckily, Mr. Masters understood and didn't yank the money he'd already given me. The original plan was just to turn you to his side of things to help him win your mother's heart, but apparently that plan has altered."
"Did you ever really love me?" Jazz asked wide eyed.
"I don't think it's possible to go through a four year relationship with a sweetheart like you Jazz and not feel something." Todd said kindly.
Jazz took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't trust Todd but she had to say something. He would find out her secret sooner or later.
"I am in love with someone," Jazz said. "That's why I couldn't marry you."
"Yes I know," Todd said dispassionately as he sorted through his medical bag.
"Help me get back to him Todd. Please," Jazz begged.
"Sorry," Todd said shortly. "No can do."
"Todd," Jazz said softly. "You know what Vlad wants me for right?"
"Yes," Todd said tiredly. "He feels that your superior intellect and beauty combined with his would make perfect children."
Jazz swallowed hard. "Doesn't that strike you as a little insane?
Todd didn't answer. "I need to take some blood Jazzy. Which arm should I use?"
Jazz sighed and closed her eyes as she extended one arm. "I don't care Todd," she said. "But you're a rat. A dirty rotten rat."
"Thank you," Todd laughed. "I've been called worse."
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Jazz waited until she was alone then she ran to the bookshelf. She had to escape before Vlad found out the results of the blood tests. Jazz didn't think that Vlad would do anything to hurt her and her child, but she wasn't going to give him the chance to prove her wrong.
Jazz walked to the door and sat on the floor. Patiently and slowly she ripped a page of of the book and slipped it under the door, and then another and another. She knew many ghosts to be curious creatures. Hopefully one would see the papers fluttering across the Ghost Zone and follow the trail to her. After some time she grew tired and overwhelming feelings of despair began to hit her. She put her head against the door and began crying.
It so happened that such a creature of curiosity was nearby. He looked at the pages and said, "Kio estas tio ĉi?." He picked up another page and another until he came to stand at the door. He watched in curiosity as another page slipped out and fluttered out into the formless nothing of the Ghost Zone.
He knocked on the door. "Kion vi faras?" He asked.
Jazz stood on the other side of the door and knocked. "Hello?" she called. "Can you help me?"
"Pardonu?" Wulf said. He cocked his head to the side.
Jazz hesitated for a moment. The ghost on the other side of the door could be far worse than Vlad. "I need help!" Jazz said again. She stood back as the door ripped open and Wulf walked into the room.
"Help?" he asked.
"Wulf!" Jazz exclaimed happily. "Do you remember me?"
"Jes," Wulf said as he looked curiously around the room then turned back to Jazz. "Ĉu vi komprenas?"
Jazz shook her head. "I'm sorry I don't understand."
Wulf extended a hand, or was it a paw, Jazz wondered and said, "Venu kun mi." She hesitated a moment and put her hand in his. Wulf flew her out of the room and into the Ghost Zone.
He stopped and ushered her into a cave like room. He pointed for her to sit. "Kiel fartas via frato?" he asked. Jazz only shook her head in confusion.
"Danny," Wulf said.
"Yes!" Jazz said. "Can you take me to Danny?"
"Ne," Wulf replied. "Mi pensas ke ne." Jazz sighed as she looked around.
"Maybe I was better off where I was," She said to herself.
Wulf chuckled and repeated, "Mi pensas ke ne."
"Okay," Jazz said as she watched the wolf like creature. "Can you understand me?"
"Jes, iomete" Wulf answered as he nodded his head.
"Good," Jazz replied. "Do you know how to get to Danny?"
"Jes," Wulf answered as he nodded.
"Can you take me to him?" She asked excitedly.
Wulf frowned and shook his head. "Ne!" He then smiled at Jazz and said, "Mi ŝatas vin!"
Jazz sighed and sat down trying not to despair. For a reason she couldn't figure out. Wulf wouldn't take her to Danny. She thought Danny was friends with the ghost, but maybe she was wrong.
"Atendu," Wulf said then pointed to the door. "Estas danĝere!"
Jazz sighed. She couldn't understand why Wulf wouldn't take her to Danny. There had to be a good reason. She shivered and looked around Wulf's domain as she wondered how long she would be stuck here.
"Out of the frying pan in to the fire," Jazz said to herself. Wulf looked at her and chuckled.
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Well, here we are at the close of Chapter Seventeen. I actually had to rewrite this a few times. The first thing I wrote was seriously demented, even then I'm not happy with this. I have a 3 time rule. If I write something and I have to erase it and try again, and if I have erase after that the 3rd time things stay put because there won't be any improvement. It seems that I have written myself into a slight hole here. Please bare with me while I get over this hurdle. Things will get better.
Oh, and don't tell me to go rest. I can't rest. I want to rest, I just can't. But I'm also worried about disappointing all the people who have expressed love for this story. If this chapter is as disappointing as the last, I'm really sorry. I'll try to do better I promise. I can do better! I will do better…I just need to find my footing again.
By the way Wulf is saying isn't important to the story at this point. It's better that you are as confused as Jazz is. However, I wouldn't just make up words. As I stated in the last chapter, you can do a Google search on Esperanto phrases and find translations. But for the most part Wulf is saying that he is wondering what's going on and telling Jazz that he can't take her to Danny because it's too dangerous….and that he likes her. I guess Wulf is kinda lonely.
P.S. Don't forget to review. Input here would be really nice and perfectly wonderfully acceptable.