Her voice weaved in and out, rambling on. Danny made no effort to stop her. Or respond in any way.

"-and I think that Charlie has a point of pairing up the marks on the wall with our mascot, it'd actually be kind of neat, not to mention-"

An earthy smell trickled into his senses like an airy blanket, Elizabeth's jacket redraped across his hunched shoulders.

Grassy. Dirt. Slightly sappy. Fresh outdoor. Musty.

Faintly imbued and embedded with farm despite it being freshly laundered.

His fingers tugged it to sit more firmly in place so it didn't slip off onto the floor.

"-Cole is of course making comic jokes and being-"

He caught snippets of conversation that he couldn't fully take in before, the words washing over him.

Who'd seen what, where they had been, had anyone else seen a specific thing, speculation on what it'd been.

No real complaints. Some concern voiced in undertone by adults, directions called out and offers to help in another area.

But more...curiosity and need to figure out what had happened, what this all had been.

"-honestly, the damage isn't all that bad, they mostly focused on decorations-"

Danny's eyes shifted.

Taking in the adult up on a ladder, two girls underneath with a trash bag. The guy plucked at tiny stubborn clumps of yellow and black streamers, peeling off what little remained of paper banners. Tossing them down to be shoved into the black bag. One of the girls had a brittle yellow strip long enough tied around her wrist.

An ecto-blast had struck the middle of the smaller paper banner, darkening the wall, but something that a coat of paint could easily cover.

Slowly, his breathing began feeling more normal and the shaking less. The feeling and activity surrounding him helped. There was excitement bubbling up underneath the ceaseless motion, something lighthearted and soothing as everyone in here assisted in the clean up.

And that it was not as bad as Danny feared or saw in coming in here, from the brief flashes he could recall.

Elizabeth's hand lifted and waved over at someone, shifted in her seat, and then her voice continued.

"-kind of didn't want to deal with Kristen, Kim, and Melinda, so I came in here to help, to do something. I'm glad Elle left with her brother and parents. Probably for the best. They're fine most of the time except when it comes to Jonah."

She paused, shifting in her seat again, leg bouncing. Danny lifted his head further up at the prolonged pause, the sound of Elle and Jonah's names ringing like an electric shock through him. Elizabeth sucked in on her bottom lip slightly and peeked over at him.

"Did any of my rambling...help? You're not shaking as much now. And I...I kind of want my jacket back?" Her hands flew up hurriedly. "I can always grab you a couple towels if you want them. Or for myself..."

Trailing off, her hazel eyes furrowed down as they darted around the cafetorium.

"It's your jacket." Danny grabbed better hold of it and pulled it off his shoulders, sticking it back over at her. "You shouldn't have given it to me in the first place."

Her eyebrows furrowed down more as she took it, mouth pursing.

The bubbling feeling of excitement sharply increased and burst, cutting off whatever Elizabeth had been about to say to him.

Danny twisted in his seat, his insides leaping and sinking. A familiar head of precisely styled hair and handsomely smug face came striding in in a blue suit. Trailed by various students and a cameraman, the camera huge and plastered with a logo. Students and adults inside the cafetorium turning as well, darting over to the television news man.

That explained the undercurrent feeling of excitement that he'd been getting from the room. The local paper from this school's biggest town came out twice a week, all focused on the three small towns that made up the school district. Most of the paper school related events. A place so small, it was a big deal when they got mentioned outside of their area. Like that framed picture in the office marked from two years ago. The secretary had noticed Danny looking when he first came, informing them that their local newspaper photographer happened to be at the school with his wife, who taught in the elementary, and managed to race outside in time to capture of a tornado angled right behind the school's football field. To not be just a passing mention in a larger paper but on the-

Danny went completely stiff as a group of students clustered around the news man raised up fingers, pointing and waving in his direction.

Lance Thunder's eyes swiveled over and latched on.

On to Elizabeth.

Metal folding chair scraped and screeched sharp against the floor, Elizabeth letting out a string of swears under her breath, hurriedly swinging on her jacket, and plastering on a wince of a smile all in one fluid sudden motion.

Nearly having released a breath at the focus passing over him, Danny choked, just barely catching sight of the edge of...

"Your...your back!"

Elizabeth drew in a sharp breath, snapping her head over a shoulder, eyes as wide as his own. "Is fine!" She hissed back at him.

And then flinched at Lance's voice calling out at her. As the one whom darted into the middle of the trouble. Panic filled her face and she drew inwards on herself.

Swallowing, Elizabeth wiped the look off with an easy smile far too easily and turned back around. Walking over to the group clustered over by the bleachers. Lance motioning her over near him. Right up next to Dale and Edi whom were here as well. Danny watched her the whole walk over, unable to look away from her. Unable to look away from the little black jacket covering her back from view.

It was going to make a spectacular bruise.

He'd done that.

At some point.

He was fine (you fucking liar you are not FINE) and yet.

Elizabeth was hurt. Elizabeth was hurt because of him.

And giving him, him, kindness and care unknowing that it was he who...

Slowly, he lowered his head, eyes wide at the floor. His hands came up, threading through thick strands of hair. And gripped tight.

If it wasn't for him, if he hadn't been here, if he didn't exist, if this could happen again... Why was he still even here?!

Shooting up, his chair screeching back, Danny bolted for the door.

Through all the people clustered. Shouting out, "Need air!" to whatever Edi said toward him. Quickly apologizing as he bumped into someone at the door.

He turned the corner into the side hallway, heading around Steven Tyler's huge face screaming silently. Hand rearing back, no call up of ghostly anything, Danny punched right at the solid and unforgiving brick wall.