Hellooooooo!~ Another Thursday, another chapter! :D So, as of now, there are two ways this story could end up going. One is much shorter, but it'll be less for me to think of since I have most of it in my head while the other route might cause me delays on chapters. Therefore, I'm not entirely sure how long this will end up being XD I originally estimated ten chapters for it, but here we are at ten and definitely not finished XD Oh well. :) More for you guys, my lovely readers!~ Enjoy!~
Dani woke up calmly and slowly, stretching the kinks out of her body as she sat up then rubbed her eyes. It took her a moment to remember where she was and why she felt like she'd been sleeping on a rock. She pretty much had been since there was thick steel just below the tile floor of the Op Center. She stands and shakes her head a bit to clear the fog of sleep. It had been probably a year since she'd slept so deeply and never had she done so before that. It had been from stress and overworking herself that time, too. She eeped quietly as her stomach startled her by growling. With the attention called to it, she was almost floored by her empty stomach.
She picked up the pillow and blanket she'd borrowed and turned intangible, letting herself drop down through the steel and roof and into the hallway of the second floor. She dropped off the comfort items in Danny's room before hurrying down the stairs. A quick listen told her Jack and Maddie were in the lab, working as usual though she obviously didn't know what it was. She snuck to the kitchen and stuck her head into it, not wanting to make herself known just yet. There was nothing she thought looked very edible and her favorite snacks were just too noisy for sneaking. She pulled back out of the fridge and looked around for a moment before going silently to the front door and through it, making her way towards the library in hopes Jazz was there.
She was about there when she paused and back-tracked a few steps, looking through the window of the Café she had just passed and going in upon recognizing the vibrant red hair of her cousin/sister/relative-of-some-sort. She walked up beside her and waited as Jazz was too absorbed in her class work to notice the younger teem beside her. As it is, she only did because she caught Dani's reflection in her screen and jumped about a mile from her seat.
"Dani! Don't sneak up on me like that! I get enough of Danny doing it at home," she exclaimed. Dani held back a smile at the reaction, guessing Danny did it on purpose more often than Jazz realized.
"Sorry, Jazz. I was wondering... would you be able to get me some food? I hate to ask, but something happened this morning, so I didn't want to eat at your house. I'm really hungry, though, and I can pay you back as soon as possible if you need it," Dani spouted out as quickly as she could manage with it still being definable. She was looking down at her feet all the while, hating that she was having to ask. If someone offered, she was always up for accepting food right away. She loved food and needed a lot of it with her halfa physiology. She hated asking for it, though, as begging for almost a year had taught her what could happen if you asked the wrong person. Sure, Jazz was basically family, but she was still uncomfortable with it. Jazz immediately got up from her seat and put a hand on Dani's shoulder.
"Of course, Dani! You're telling me about what happened this morning as soon as I finish my paper, but why wouldn't I buy you some food?" She smiled at Dani before leading her to the counter and telling her to order whatever she wanted. Being a café, they didn't have much to offer with nothing "cheap", so Dani got a cinnamon roll, which turned out to be as big as her plate. She sat across from Jazz and began scarfing it down as Jazz finished her homework.
Dani ate her last bite just as Jazz closed her laptop and looked at her meaningfully. Dani chugged a few gulps of her drink before sighing and beginning her tale of that morning. As she goes on, Jazz slowly loses her ever-present calm demeanor and anger takes its place. Dani felt somewhat awkward by the end as Jazz silently glared over the younger girl's head at nothing.
"You okay, Jazz?" she asked, starting to grow worried about the red-head. She then remembered the stereotype of people with red hair being naturally more angry. She had never heard of Danny saying his sister was proof of said stereotype, but the look on her face was almost enough to convince Dani of it. The young adult remained quiet while Dani was beginning to expect steam to start coming from her ears she looked so furious. Dani cleared her throat and tried again. "Jazz?"
That time, Jazz snapped out of it, looking at Dani with her gaze softening, but the anger still lingering everywhere else.
"Not really... Are you finished eating? Because, if you are, we have somewhere to go," she told Dani, teeth clenched through the first part. Dani nodded, actually getting slightly afraid. She had a feeling this was a side of Jazz most never saw and probably didn't want to see. Dani was just glad this wasn't directed at her, but it made her uneasy, still. If Jazz were to say the wrong thing to her parents... what would happen? Jazz stood from her chair and helped Dani clean her mess away before collecting her school items and motioning for Dani to follow. She does and they're soon back to the house, courtesy of Jazz having driven that morning. Dani followed her inside the house, wincing as the door slammed against the wall.
"Mom! Dad! Get up here, now! I need to talk to you!" she called out, not even bothering to get closer to the lab door but simply raising her voice. After a few moments, there were footsteps on the stairs until Jack and Maddie were right in front of them, looking somewhat confused at first. Both their expressions hardened when their eyes landed on Danielle. Jazz cleared her throat to get their attention back on her the pointed at the couch, looking more like the parent of the situation... which made Dani the tattle-tell. Great. Jazz half-stomped to the living room and began pacing. Maddie and Jack followed, sitting themselves on the couch while Dani lingered awkwardly in the doorway. She felt so out of place.
"Never, in my eighteen, almost nineteen, years of life, have I EVER thought you two were capable of anything like this!" Jazz continued pacing while she spoke, furious venom in each word. This was not the Jazz everybody was used to. By the looks on their faces, you could tell even her parents weren't used to her being angry.
"Capable of what, Jasmine? We've done nothing wrong," Maddie quipped, though she didn't sound very confident in the statement. Dani avoided looking at either of her biological parents, electing to watch Jazz instead.
"'Nothing wrong'?! HOW can you say that CHILD ABUSE is 'nothing wrong'?!" she yelled at them, stopping and facing them.
'I bet she'd have pyrokenesis as a ghost,' ran through Dani's head. She shook it to clear the random thought, refocusing on the conversation. Maddie jumped up from her spot on the couch at the accusation.
"What are you talking about, Jasmine?! We have never hurt you or Danny intentionally!" she protested, angry becoming visible in herself as well. Jack grew angry as well, but he stayed silent, knowing it was probably a bad idea to get into this when his wife would argue for them both.
"So, you think child abuse only applies to your legal children, huh?! Would it not be abuse if you just kicked some random kid on the street?!"
"Of course it would be!" Maddie took a step back from where her daughter stood seething, realizing only now just how enraged Jazz was. She met eyes with Jack, and Dani could see a message pass between them. They knew they'd messed up. Dani wanted to jump in right there, to tell Jazz what she saw, but she didn't. They knew they had messed up, but Dani had no way to know if they realized just how much yet.
"So then why in hell would you consider attacking Danielle, making her immobile, almost forcing her ghost half from her (which WOULD have killed her), and then jamming her with a needle not counting as child abuse?! She is a child, after all! She's younger than Danny was when he was first scared of you! Because, believe it or not, Danny was VERY scared of you both back when he first got his powers. He'd have been crazy not to be terrified considering every single day he would fight ghosts while avoiding you guys just to go home and listen to you threaten ghosts and show off your crazy weapons! Weapons that could've killed him, which is exactly what the two of you wanted to do! But, you know what?!" She paused, taking a breather and giving them a chance to answer.
Neither spoke up, Maddie being back on the couch and both of them appearing conflicted. That made Dani glad she hadn't stopped Jazz. They still didn't get it. Jazz huffed at the lack of answer then picked back up where she left off, though she now sounded more venomous before.
"Despite all you've done to your own son, he's forgiven you for absolutely everything. The hunting, the shooting, the cursing, the threatening, every single thing you've done wrong. And it's not just because he knew you didn't realize it was actually him. He forgave you because he's kind. If I were him, though, it wouldn't have taken me three years to run away. He didn't even WANT to run away! You guys forced him to, and he's STILL forgiven you for that! This! This, however, I honestly doubt he'll forgive you for! He has absolutely no reason not to hate you for what you did and were trying to do to Danielle. Especially. Especially considering that, whether anyone but me realizes it, she's your daughter and my sister and Danny's sister. You may not have given birth to her, but it was your genes that led to her birth." She stopped yet again, glaring at her parents. Dani was still lingering in the doorway, unsure of what to say or even think.
Maddie and Jack were also stunned into silence, causing the room to grow impossibly quiet. Maddie opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Jazz took a very large breath, seeming to age within seconds as her anger dissipated and left her mentally exhausted instead.
"I'm going to my room. Don't bother calling me down for dinner," she muttered, loud enough where they could hear her. Dani moved aside to let her pass, watching as Maddie's face fell even further except her eyebrows were furrowed in thought still. Dani sighed and left as well, going to Danny's room and lying on his bed (after locking the door again, just to feel safe). It was a little while later when she could make out quiet talking from downstairs. She didn't bother trying to make out the words, though. It was a couple hours later, with Dani half-heartedly lazing around with Danny's TV and video games during the time, when someone knocked on the door downstairs. Dani paused the game to listen, almost dropping through the chair in shock at the peppy voice that pierced through the walls to ring in her ears. She stood and left the room, going to the top of the stairs just to be sure she was actually hearing the right voice.
Apparently, she was as Pamela and Jeremy Manson came through the door, Sam following and glaring at their backs. Dani couldn't blame her for the fact as she was wearing a baby pink shirt with ruffles on the sleeves and bottom. Even if Dani weren't on the tomboy side, she would've hated the shirt, so she could only imagine how the Goth must feel having it on her.
Dani stayed in her place, hoping to only be seen by Sam. However, it was just her luck that it was the teen's mother who saw her first while greeting Maddie (only slightly unpleasant- Dani figured there had to be a story about why Sam's parents were going anywhere near the Fenton house).
"Well, who is that, Maddie? A relative? She looks like Danny," Pamela asked, voice a bit too sweet for Dani's liking, as she watched the young teen like a hawk. She watched Maddie stiffen then mechanically answer.
"That's Danielle. She's staying with us for a little while." She immediately began escorting the other set of parents into the living room. Sam went straight past and darted up the stairs to Dani.
"Oh thank God. I can't believe I have to spend all evening with them! Sheesh!" she complained then sighed before putting on a smile for Dani. "Hey, Dani. How've you been?"
"I've been plenty better, but let's talk about that after I save you from that flamingo," she replied, pulling Sam intangibly through Danny's door and going to his dresser. She knew he wouldn't mind Sam borrowing a shirt. She picked out a black t-shirt that smelled like spray paint from the back of his drawer then handed it to the grateful Goth, turning around so she could have privacy while changing.
"Thank you for that. I was about to die in that monstrosity." Dani turned around again and held up a hand for a high five, which Sam promptly gave to her with a grin. Over Dani's visits, the two had gotten to know each other better and were much more comfortable and trusting with one another.
"You're welcome. We can go outside and destroy it later on." Dani sat in the chair she had been in before, turning it around to face Sam as she sat on the bed. The two conversed and Dani brought Sam up to date (both avoiding the elephant in the room by not mentioning Danny and his absence) for about an hour until someone knocked on the door.
"Sammykins! Danielle! Dinner is ready!~" Pamela chimed through the door. The girls shared a look and got up from their spots, neither very happy to be eating at a table which was sure to break out into a fight or awkward silence. They went downstairs and into the kitchen, not surprised to see the men already sitting down and food obviously cooked by mainly Pamela. They sat beside each other and joined the silence of the room until Pamela came back down, looking a bit dis-heartened that Jazz hadn't joined them. She and Maddie served dinner and the silence then started again, causing Dani's ears to begin ringing.
'It's not going to be good when somebody does talk...' Her suspicions were almost immediately confirmed when Pamela turned to her and smiled.
"So, Danielle, is it? I apologize we haven't met you properly yet. I'm Pamela and this is my husband Jeremy." Dani figured she would go along with pleasantries.
"Oh, it's alright, Mr. and Mrs. Manson. I should have come down and introduced myself. I'm Danielle Fenton. You can call me either Danielle or Dani," she replied, trying to return the smile but being sure she was grimacing instead. Her answer seemed to surprised the red-haired woman as she dropped her fork onto her plate then blushed and picked it back up.
"O-oh, well, it's nice to meet you, Danielle. If you don't mind me asking, how are you related to Jack?" Then it was Dani's turn to be surprised at how forward the question had come. She supposed the woman was much less keen on being polite in the presence of the Fentons. Dani internally grinned to herself. She was having such a bad day, she deserved to have a little fun. She decided to tell the truth.
"I'm Danny's clone/ cousin."
I reeeeally hope Jazz wasn't too OOC by getting so mad. I don't really think she it, but you don't really see her mad a lot to really know. Also, when Danny enters the room in the previous chapter, it is, in fact, somewhere within the scene of them being in there. I'm just not going to say exactly when just yet~ XD I hope you liked it!~ F, F, & R!~