The Past is Present
Chapter 9: As With Any Addiction
Around midday, it was a relatively mild outside with a cool breeze and Jazz was making the most of it. She'd been outside for about fifteen minutes now, running around the vast grounds of the hotel. She'd passed a few other joggers and people walking their dogs on her way and gave a polite smile or a quiet hello, but mostly she was lost in her thoughts and in the music that she had playing loudly in her ears.
Or at least she had been, until a voice startled her and she screamed in surprise.
"Boo," the voice said.
"WHA!" Jazz yelled and leapt back, she stumbled and fell on the grass. "Oww," she grumbled and ripped out her ear buds in frustration.
She looked up and saw Vlad standing there with a smirk on his face.
"That was a comical effect worthy of your brother, well done," he remarked.
"Gee, thanks," she rolled her eyes.
Jazz was surprised when he held out his hand to help her up despite the fact that he was still smirking at her. She said nothing about it as she reached out and let him haul her up easily to her feet.
She brushed off the odd blade of grass or spec of dirt from her running clothes with a sigh. "'Boo', seriously?" she said.
"Don't be a kill joy, Jasmine," he said, dryly.
"Huh," she scoffed.
"How long have you been out here?"
"Not long," Jazz answered. "It's…really, really nice here," she remarked looking around. "Even nicer than the park back home I usually run in."
"For the charges required to stay here, it should be 'nice'," he scoffed.
"Guess so."
"Speaking of money…your parents called me," he said after a moment.
"Err…about money?" Jazz asked, tentatively.
"Yes, about what they owe me for paying their bills."
"Oh, right, that."
"Apparently, they have convinced the mayor to employ them as full time ghost hunters," Vlad replied. "How, I'll never know," he shook his head. "But they assure me that they'll have a monthly wage and they'll start paying me from that. I'm actually surprised that they came up with a plan this quickly, it's not exactly a great plan but…"
"Wait…wait…'full time ghost hunters'…so…"
"Yes, their primary target is 'Inviso-Bill'," he drawled.
"Wow," Jazz blinked. "The one time they get a proper job…well, a sort of proper job…at least one that's gonna pay a wage…and they're gonna hunt Danny even more…just great," she let out a deep sigh.
"If it helps, it would appear that I am also a target…or at least the 'Wisconsin ghost' is."
"I doubt they'll be able to catch you never mind hurt you. You'll be fine…" she said, dryly.
"Your concern is touching."
"It's Danny I'm worried about."
"Stop the presses," he said, sarcastically. "At least appreciate the irony if nothing else," he added.
"No thanks," she grumbled.
"If he hadn't made himself such a 'public figure' he might've been left alone. It's of his own making really," Vlad said.
"Yeah, I know," Jazz sighed. "But he says he has to help if he sees someone in trouble or if he sees ghosts attacking the town and it's like he just doesn't care if he gets hurt or something when he's out there."
"I'm not going to be his baby sitter," Vlad inferred.
"And I don't expect you to," she replied, quickly.
"You don't?"
"No…I mean, you've done enough already and you saved his life today. It's not your job to stop him from getting himself killed…And I know he can be a pain in the butt sometimes…I wish he'd just…" she sighed. "I don't wanna see him hurt all time time…or worse. Maybe it's just 'cause he's a kid and he'll…grow out of it, I dunno…"
"Despite what you seem to think, you are a child as well, and I've yet to see you run head first into life threatening danger."
"Yeah but I don't have ghost powers and think I'm invincible."
"Touchè," Vlad said then spoke in a much more serious tone. "You know as well as I do that he won't simply outgrow this hero complex as he would any other childish phase. It's his ghostly obsession. Obsessions are not easily overcome. Ask any ghost."
"Then…what are we meant to do?" she asked.
"We?" he raised an eyebrow. "You yourself just admitted that I've done more than enough for you and your brother. Why drag me further into the mess he's made for himself?"
"Okay then," she sighed. "What am I meant to do about it?"
"As with any addict; take it one day at a time. And hope that he doesn't get himself killed in the process," Vlad replied.
"Yeah," Jazz muttered sadly. "So erm…does he know erm…that mom and dad got this 'job'?" she asked.
"Not yet. Though I doubt it'll make a difference when he finds out."
"He could just tell them and then they'd never…" Jazz said.
"They never hurt him? Can you be sure of that? They've wanted to 'dissect' a ghost for almost as long as I've known them. Who knows what they'd do when they learn of the existence of a half ghost."
"They'd never hurt Danny. They love him. And if they knew about you too, they wouldn't hurt you either," Jazz said with confidence.
"Don't even think about…" he began to warn her, angrily.
"I won't. It's not like it's my secret to tell, but I think you're both being stupid," Jazz said. "Anyway, even with this 'job' d'you really think they're gonna be able to pay you back?"
"I expect them to at least make an attempt," he said, his anger fading slightly.
"I think you scared them enough to do that, anyway," she scoffed.
"Good."
"But, honestly, I doubt you'll get it all back," Jazz told him, truthfully.
"I know," he said, dismissively.
"And you don't care? That was a lot of money!"
"Would you rather I let the company cut off your supply and send your parents to court?"
"No, but…"
"Besides, I wasn't to know that they'd take a job hunting Danny Phantom to rightly pay back the money they owe me," he said. "I told them to get any job…I was rather hoping they'd go for something more mundane but I suppose I should have known better."
"What a mess," Jazz sighed.
"At least they're restricted to hunting the fool when he's in Amity Park. They've no reason to look here," he assured her.
"I guess."
"I can't help but wonder if they're paid largely on commission," Vlad pondered with a raised eyebrow.
"…Really?"
"If you're both here at weekends and they'll probably never catch him in the week when he's actually there anyway, I'll never see one cent of what I'm owed."
"Thought you didn't care," she retorted and he shrugged. "And who says we're gonna be here every weekend?"
"Isn't it much more preferable than worrying that your brother will be hunted by your own parents?"
"We're not gonna be here every weekend," she reiterated, stubbornly.
"Suit yourself," he said. "Continuous stress will do wonders for your studies and psychological aspirations, I'm sure."
Jazz pursed her lip, refusing to admit aloud that he had a very good point.
"And I'm sure the sub par library you've been using thus far will suffice. There are thousands of books in the hotel library, on every subject, but I'm sure that you won't need them," Vlad waved a dismissive hand.
"This place has a library?" she said in disbelief and he nodded. "But the library back home is just fine," she insisted after a moment, crossing her arms.
"I'm sure," he said. "And of course, the welcome quiet here, and lack of both criminal and ghostly activity, leaves Daniel little to do. How remiss of me. I'm sure he'll go quite mad with no opportunity to get himself into trouble."
"Yeah, 'cause that worked out well," she scoffed.
"The point still stands," he said, petulantly. "Be as stubborn as you like in everything else, but don't turn down an advantage that will help you to get ahead in life. You want your brother to be safe, fine, so talk him into staying here where he is in no danger. You want to go to Yale to learn to pick through peoples' minds, fine, so use the fact that some fool demanded a library to be built here to house every book under the sun."
"Didn't think about it like that," Jazz admitted.
"Perhaps you should. Being selfish once and while won't do you any harm. After your lifetime of babysitting your parents, I'd say you've earned that right."
Before Jazz could reply, she looked across the field when she heard barking dogs and a young girls' laughter.
Vikki was running with the dogs Isakra and Nikka at her feet, their tails wagging as she threw a small tennis ball from her hand. They shot off after it and she looked over to see them standing here.
"Jazz!" Vikki waved at them. "Hello, uncle Vlad!"
"I keep telling her I'm not her uncle," he grumbled.
"I think it's cute," Jazz chuckled and he glared at her. "And where'd the dogs come from? Where they always here?"
"I left them at the castle…"
"Alone?!"
"No!" he snapped. "Did you fail to notice the dozens of workers milling around when you were last there?"
"Oh, right," she said, sheepishly.
"I had one of those workers bring them over. Victoria missed them," he explained.
"Oh," she tried and failed to hold back a smile.
No doubt it he'd deny it if she said it, but Vlad really had changed; he'd saved Danny's life, paid their parents bills and he spoiled Viktoria rotten.
"What?!" he demanded.
"Nothing," Jazz said, shaking her head. "You're teaching her to dance, right?" she asked.
"Because she wouldn't stop hounding me about it," he rolled his eyes. "She's like a dog with a bone when she wants to learn something."
"Can you…teach me how to dance too?"
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I wanna learn."
"Why?" he asked again, not convinced.
"I wanna learn," she repeated. "Y'know, I used to ask mom and dad if I could get lessons when I was a kid but it's not like we could've afforded it so I guess I stopped asking after a while."
By now, Vikki had made it over to them with the dogs by her side.
"Thank you for bringing the dogs, uncle," Cikki smiled at him. "I miss them very much," she said, hugging one of the panting dogs. "And you do too," she remarked when the other dog trotted over to him and sniffed at his shoe.
He didn't confirm that claim but neither did he deny it as he knelt down to stroke the soft fur of Nikka the dog who was clearly happy to see him.
"I don't suppose, either of you have had any calls this morning…unexpected ones. Or text messages?" Vlad asked them, trying and succeeding in sounding as though the answer, whatever it would be, was of no interest at all to him.
"Like what?" Jazz asked, confused.
"That's a 'no', then," he inferred.
"I have not either," Vikki said.
"Hmmm," Vlad hummed, still looking at Nikka rather than them.
"We're you…expecting someone to call us?" Jazz asked, suspiciously.
"The hotel staff have been reporting a lot of scam calls circling the area. I was concerned they'd gotten your numbers as well," he lied, convincingly.
"Uh-huh," Jazz said, not entirely convinced.
"So, if you do happen to get a call from a number you don't recognise, ignore it."
"Okay, mom," Jazz rolled her eyes.
"I'm perfectly serious, Jasmine," he told her. "Do not answer it," he reiterated with stern seriousness.
"Why? Are they gonna sell me…timeshares or a boat or something?" she asked.
"Far worse than that."
"Erm…okay…" she muttered, confused.
"Just do a I say, both of you, and there won't be a problem," he said, glancing at them both.
Vikki nodded, seemingly unbothered, Jazz however couldn't help but be suspicious. Vlad gave her one final warning glare before he turned to Vikki with a calmer expression.
"But what…"
"Jasmine wants to learn to dance," Vlad said before Jazz could voice any more suspicions.
"Is a lot of fun, you will like it!" the young girl declared, happily. "Uncle Vlad is a very good teacher," she insisted.
"Show her what you've learned, will you?" he said to the girl. "I've a few things to deal with first," he said, standing up.
"Mmmm," Vikki nodded, eagerly and Vlad walked back towards the hotel across the perfectly cut grass.
Wondering why he'd made such a quick exit, Jazz pursed her lip, deep in though. When Vikki took her hand she was a little startled.
"You will like it very much, shall we start?" she asked.
"Sure," Jazz smiled at her.
"He hasn't called them," Vlad told a concerned Valya. "They're outside, they're fine," he assured her.
"Good," she sighed.
"I told them there were scam calls going around…if they happen to mention it," he said, dismissively.
"I don't like to lie to my daughter," Valya hesitated.
"Then tell her the truth," Vlad shrugged. "That her brute of a grandfather who frightens her, is at death's door and wants to see me, possibly her, before he croaks…and I doubt it's to apologise."
"…No, I do not think he will apologise, either," Valya said.
"Then, there you have it," he said.
"What about Danny?" Rosalyn asked. "Has Vladislav contacted him?"
"I don't know. He wasn't outside with Jasmine and Viktoria," Vlad said then turned back to his cousin. "I just thought you'd like to know that he hasn't yet started hounding Viktoria," he told her.
"We should Danny and ask him, just in case…" Rosalyn said
"Ask me what?" Danny said, walking into the room from the main door that lead to the rest of the hotel.
Noticing the eyes of all three adults on him, Danny frowned. "What? I got somethin' on my face? It's ketchup, it's it?" he grumbled. "I was sorta looking around and I got kinda hungry and I might've gotten a burger…or two. Y'know, maybe this place isn't so bad after all. The food's great," he declared.
"And I suppose you put it on my account, didn't you?" Vlad drawled.
"Err…well, I didn't have any money and they asked me what room I was staying in so err…I guess," he said, sheepishly. "Sorry," he added. "So…what'd you wanna ask me?" he asked after a moment.
"Are you planning on making a habit of charging things to my account?" Vlad asked.
"Come on, I had like two burgers and you've got like a trillion dollars!" Danny exclaimed. "It's not like I ordered room service or something," he added.
"He has a good point," Valya said to her cousin, smiling.
"Shut up," Vlad told her and she scoffed.
"Is err…that it?" Danny asked. "'Cause I was just gonna get my phone…I kinda forgot it and left it in my room…"
"You're probably better off leaving it," Vlad said as Danny edged towards his room.
"Scam calls," Valya said.
"Huh?" Danny blinked.
"There's a lot of them going about," Vlad explained. "The hotel staff told me. I've already told your sister and Viktoria."
"Oh…no big deal, I'll just ignore 'em," Danny shrugged.
"Good," Vlad said.
Danny wandered off to him room and left with his phone in his hand.
"Jasmine and Viktoria were out on the front lawn if you were looking for them," Vlad called after him.
Once Danny was gone, Vlad turned to his cousin looking unimpressed. "You're an atrocious liar," he declared.
"I know this," she sighed, sadly.
