Well, here's the next chapter. If you're confused, don't worry. Everything will be explained soon.

Review, people!

'thoughts' --inner thoughts, everything else--spoken

On with the show!

Chapter Two: The Big News

"BLEEP. BLEEP. BLEEP."

Danny rolled over and blinked his eyes sleepily at the alarm clock next to his bed. Indistinct red numbers gleamed back at him. Danny blinked a few more times and rubbed his eyes to clear the sleep from them. Slowly, the numbers shifted into view.

Danny groaned. "Why did I set my alarm for 6:30 in the morning?" Danny grumbled as he got out of bed. He stumbled over bits of strewn clothing and made his way to the bathroom.

While he showered, Danny thought. He thought about his relationship with Sam, which made him smile as he remembered all the good times they had spent together. He also thought about what he had seen last night. It hadn't been a ghost, that much he was sure of.

Danny frowned a little at that last thought. 'If it wasn't a ghost, then what was it?' This thought ran through his mind as he turned the shower off and grabbed a towel to dry himself off. He wrapped the towel around his waist and glanced in the mirror.

Puberty had been good to him. He hadn't had acne like some of the other guys at school. He had also grown a full foot, putting him at almost 6 feet tall. There had been a point in school last year when he hadn't talked for almost an entire month because his voice had been changing. During that time, Sam had done most of the talking for him while Tucker kept snickering every chance he got. (Tucker, the lucky bastard, had gone through the same change during the summer when he hadn't had to face anyone.)

Danny had kept his hair in the same style and now simply ran his hands through it. As he made his way back to his room, he could hear someone walking around downstairs. He got dressed as quickly as he could, took one final look in the mirror, and bounded down the stairs.

As he rounded the corner to the kitchen, he stopped when he saw who it was that was there.

His older sister, Jazz, was puttering around in the kitchen, first mixing something in a large bowl, then stirring something on the stove. She had gone off to college two years ago. Now, she only came home on holidays and special occasions, and she never came home without telling someone beforehand.

Danny turned invisible and snuck up behind his sister. While she was mixing some batter with a wooden spoon, Danny dipped a finger in the mixture and followed the spoon. Jazz stopped stirring and watched as the mixture continued to swirl, seemingly of its own accord.

Jazz smiled and turned to look at her brother as he came back into view. She was the only member of Danny's family that knew he was half a ghost. She had learned about it accidentally, during the incident with Spectra acting as the school psychologist, and had gone on to confront him about it much later. Danny had been very glad, if a little reluctant at first, to share his secret with his sister.

"So, Sis," Danny smirked a little as he pulled his finger out of the batter and licked it, "What are you doing here?"

Jazz pulled the bowl out of Danny's reach and continued stirring. "A big sister has to have a reason to see her little brother off to his first day of school?"

Danny rolled his eyes and grabbed a bowl and a box of his favorite cereal out of the cupboard. "If I was six. Besides, you've got something you're not saying. I know for a fact that: 1) you didn't tell anyone you were coming and 2)," Danny liked his lips, "You only make fudge when you're trying to keep something a secret."

Jazz froze and turned to her brother. "What…What makes you say that?" She cleared her throat and resumed stirring, visibly shaken by her brother's observance.

"Jazz, please. You're my sister and I love you dearly, but you are the easiest person to figure out. Plus, you've done it before. Remember the first time you tried to make fudge? That incident when I was in first grade?"

Jazz cringed and Danny smirked, knowing full well that his sister didn't like to be reminded of her mistakes. He continued. "Then the incident in third, fifth, sixth, eighth,-"

"Okay, Danny. I get it. You can stop now." Jazz rolled her eyes at her brother.

"So, tell me what you're trying to keep a secret. No, wait. Let me guess." Danny ate a couple spoonfuls of cereal while he was thinking. "Is it about school?"

Jazz smiled and shook her head, but didn't say anything. She knew Danny like to at least try and figure things out on his own. (How he was still a C student was anyone's guess. He could be very observant when he wanted to be.)

"Okay, not school. Hmm…" Danny took another bite of his cereal. "Well, you brought your boyfriend home at Christmas. Does this secret have to do with him?" Danny watched his sister to judge whether or not he was getting close.

Jazz turned back to what she was making so Danny couldn't see the blush that started to stain her cheeks. She nodded slightly and Danny knew he was on the right track.

"Okay. So, it has something to do with Peter. Hmm…Well, I don't think the secret is that he dumped you or you dumped him. Otherwise, you're eyes would be red from crying and the fudge wouldn't taste as good." Danny chuckled at that and ate another spoonful of cereal. "Am I right so far?"

Jazz nodded again, but still didn't say anything. She figured Danny would either get it eventually or she would tell him when he gave up.

Danny glanced at his half-empty cereal bowl, trying to sort through the clues his sister had given him. It was a good secret about Peter and was reason enough for her to drive a day and a half to come home. He knew that they had been dating for almost a year now. Suddenly, something clicked in Danny's brain.

"He asked you to marry him, didn't he?" Danny lifted the spoon to his mouth to take another bite, but lowered when he saw his sister's shoulders were shaking. "Jazz?"

Jazz turned to face her little brother. There were tears in her eyes but she had a smile on her face. Instead of answering him, she held up her left hand. There on her ring finger sat the biggest diamond Danny had ever seen.

Danny's cereal had been forgotten as the young halfa went to give his sister a hug. "That's great, Jazz! I think you two are perfect for each other. Besides, anybody who can stand to be around our parents for a month without going insane deserves to be considered family."

Jazz returned the hug with a smile and laughed at his last comment. At times like this, she was glad he was her brother.

Suddenly, Danny's phone began to ring. He broke their hug and answered it. "Hey, Tuck. What?" Danny listened for a moment and then looked at his watch. "No, I didn't forget. I'll be there in a few minutes. See ya." Danny turned off the phone and turned to his sister. "Well, I gotta go. It's my turn to drive this week." Danny headed out of the kitchen to get his bookbag, car keys, and coat.

Jazz nodded to him and then remembered that she had something in her coat pocket for him. "Danny! Wait up!"

Danny stopped and turned to his sister.

Jazz rummaged in her coat pocket for a second before producing a blue velvet ring box. She handed to her brother. "Here. This is the promise ring that Peter gave me. He told me to keep it for good luck. Well, I know how much you like Sam, so I thought that you could use the luck more than me."

Danny opened the box to find a white-gold ring with alternating emeralds and sapphires along the top of it. "Wow, Jazz! This is perfect, thanks! Tell Peter thanks, too." Danny closed the box and slipped into his pocket. As he picked up his keys, he said over his shoulder, "Oh, and Jazz? Make sure Dad doesn't eat all of the fudge, 'kay?"

Jazz laughed and nodded. Danny shut the door behind him and headed off to school.

Well, what did you think? Good? Bad? Let me know! Any flames will be used to roast Paulina and Dash. I'm still looking for someone to help with pictures of characters.