Dark Side of the Moon
By. Anthiena
Disclaimer: I don't own DP.
AN: The title and chapter names of course, come from the band Pink Floyd. I actually was going to have the title of this chapter as something else, but the one I chose I think is more suited to this chapter. Between this final version and the hardcopy version (yes, I wrote this out on paper) I changed some of Jazz's lines to make the chapter flow better. Believe me. Writing something down in hardcopy first and waiting a few days before going over it is a decidedly good idea. Also, Danny's lines when he's talking with Jazz are very strongly inspired by Cordria's Real Life. Go read it if you haven't already. Don't worry, I'm using different lines next chapter. ^_^

Thanks to the following reviewers/Subscribers: Molly the Wanderer, Invader Johnny, Kiomori, 4kittie101, Nefaricent and Sable Katze.

Chapter 2: Brain Damage

The lunatic is on the grass
The lunatic is on the grass
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path... -Pink Floyd

"I've been looking for you two for a long time, you know." Jazz helped Sam carry Danny out to her car. "I knew Danny was out there, somewhere... but why didn't you try to call for help?"

"Now's really now the time, Jazz. What did you do? Danny acted really wierd before passing out."

"I grabbed the staff and broke it. I cuffed Freakshow to an old heater and ran to find you guys." A gunshot rang out. "Oh, no. Go faster!" Jazz went pale.

Jazz opened the back door of her tiny pink car, Sam pulling as Jazz went around, getting in and starting her car in a rush. Sam slammed shut her door as Jazz pulled out of there. "I am so done with the circus life." Sam commented acidly. "So where's your mom and dad? I'm sure Danny'll want to see them when he wakes up." Hopefully, she added silently.

"Nobody knows where mom's at. When that ectxo-suit killed dad, mom just about lost it. She left me with Vlad six months ago and nobody's seen her since, not even my aunt Alicia. It's just me and Vlad now; he took me in. Tucker will want to hear from you. Most people think you two are either dead or ran away together."

"I couldn't leave Danny like he was. I just hope the real Danny will come back now. I kind of hope he doesn't remember, either."

Jazz looked in her rear view mirror. The circus was in the distance now, Danny sprawled out, his head on Sam's lap. The teen abscently ran her hand through Danny's mop of hair. "How bad, Sam? I need to know; how bad was it?"

"He... did things... to people... and to me... but it wasn't Danny. It's not his fault, he was never in control, he never had a choice."

Jazz reminded silent as Sam quietly cried. She finally pulled in at their destination. "I know the whole thing, Sam. My brother and Vlad being half ghosts... I've known for a long time since before you guys disappeared. I also know Danny doesn't like Vlad much. Please let me tell Danny whose house he's in. Vlad's been the only person who cared for me the last half year and he cares about Danny, too. I really hope that my little brother will understand it."

Vlad brought Danny to the room, noting the changes in the boy. Even though maddie was gone, her children had found their way to him, first one then the younger; yet Danny was very much changed physically, almost a man. He put the young man on the bed, staring even when Jasmine and Danny's friend came in together. Danny stirred yet did not wake. He was merely asleep, then. He'd been a tool for over two years... Vlad felt anger toward the Ringmaster. "I'll ruin that piece of-"

"Vlad! We've talked about this!" Jazz cut him off sharply.

The morning found Danny awakening. "Sam? Where am I? What happened?" Blue eyes regarded her. "My voice..."

Sam smiled warmly, relieved. "You're safe... better yet, you're free. Danny..." She grew serious. "...how much can you remember?"

"Images... my last real memory is detention... but it gets wierd after that, like it wasn't real... please tell me I've been dreaming." Horror dawned on him.

Sam shook her head. "No, Danny. It was no dream. It's been more than two years since I've seen blue eyes-or green."

"I... missed two years... no wonder I missed my voice finally breaking." He joked weakly.

Sam smiled and hesitated. "Jazz helped us escape. She has some news you're not gonna like."

Jazz embraced her brother tightly, taking a deep breath. "A few weeks after you left, mom and dad invented something they called the Ectxo-suit and Dad used it to fight a ghost named Pariah Dark, the Ghost King. He pushed Pariah back into his Sarcophagus, but it killed him, I saw it. Dad's... gone."

Danny's face was grim. "You're sure... that's what you saw?"

"I'm positive, Danny." Jazz confirmed. "Mom was really messed up. She stayed with Vlad for a year... but she left. Nobody knows where she went after that, six months ago. She never figured out that you were half ghost... but I knew since that whole Spectra thing and I even covered for you. I'm proud of what you were able to do, Danny. I wanted you to be able to come to me, but the situation... well... nothing ever goes according to plan, does it?"

"All this time... and you never told?"

"No, it's your secret. I totally get why you never told mom and dad... but I did tell Dad before he died. He felt bad and told me to say he's sorry."

"Please... please tell me I'm dreaming." Danny's voice cracked and tears ran down his cheeks.

"You've still got me and Sam, Danny and Tucker's still in Amity Park; you're not alone." Danny embraced both girls, sobbing.

Danny was much calmer several hours later... and clearer of mind. "Danny... how much do you really remember?"

He went beet red. "I remember last night. Did I... hurt you?"

"Not that time." Sam admitted, but got serious. "You shouldn't feel guilty, I know it wasn't your fault."

"So we... we've had sex." He was in shock. "I can't say I'm entirely sorry that wasn't a dream, but still... there... are a few things coming back to me." He bit his lip and leaned forward, brushing his hand accross her cheek solemnly. "I will never hurt you again, not if I can help it. I promise you, Sam."

She nodded, smiling. "I never thought differently."

He looked around. "This place is pretty nice; where are we?"

"You'll have to ask Jazz, she'll be back soon." Sam answered quickly.

Jazz was a bit conflicted. A joyous smile here, a worried frown there, humming one moment in a cheery monotone, hem hawing another. She had much on her mind and wasn't sure how to feel about a lot of things and she knew if she had doubts, it would leave Danny with doubts. She could not have that, especially when she was probably going to have to defend someone Danny didn't like at all. She heaved a sigh and walked into the room. Sam was laying on the bed, sleeping next to Danny, who held her, wearing a distracted, distant expression. "So Sam finally went to sleep, huh?"

"Yeah. She's exhausted." He made eye contact with her. "I know more than two years have gone by and I know we aren't at aunt Alicia's. Where are we?"

"We're in Wisconsin, Danny. In Vlad's house."

His blue eyes blazed green, yet his voice stayed quiet. "We're leaving as soon as Sam wakes up."

"Danny, I know he's half-ghost too... and what his plans used to be and none of them worked out for him, did they?" She spoke carefully.

His scowl lightened. "No... except Dad being dead."

Jazz spoke sharply, but calmly. "He took me in, Danny. I don't have any special powers, he could have sent me off to aunt Alicia's, but he asked me to stay when mom left, Danny when he didn't have to! I turned eighteen, I asked to stay and he let me. I know you fought with him in the past, but you're sixteen now. What would Dad say?"

Danny hesitated. "I'll give him a chance... for you. Dad never knew that Vlad hated him."

Jazz didn't push him. "That's all I wanted to hear. I've missed you so much." She kissed him on the forehead. "Is there anything you wanted to talk to me about?"

He hesitated. "I think I'm really different from the way I was before I was under Freakshow's control. Everything I did... I liked. I laughed when I shot at stuff, when I stole, I laughed when I... I'm not ready to face that one. Even now, thinking about it, it's like I don't care and I know I should. Anything I was told to do was "fun". The only thing that made me feel happy outside of that was Sam and how she mine..." He smiled and then frowned. "-but she's her own person. That's what's so great about her as a friend... but she belongs to me."

Jazz began feeling edgy. "Maybe not all of Freakshow's control is gone."

"That's the thing. I don't care what Freakshow does anymore. He never could control what I did with Sam, it was all me. She's on my mind as much as being an astronaut used to be." He looked thoughtful. "I wanted her so much... and she mine... she belongs to me."

Jazz stared at him, concerned. "Danny, you're fixating, like Vlad over mom. It's not healthy."

Danny gave her a cool, serious look. "I don't care. She's mine." His eyes glowed green.

She walked out quickly, her heart pounding. She found her favorite sitting room, taking her usual chair, massaging her forehead in worry. "Jazz, what's wrong?" Came a concerned voice. "Daniel didn't take it well, I gather." Vlad sounded disappointed.

Jazz faced him. "It's not that. He actually decided to give you a chance. He's... fixated on Sam. He talks about her belonging to him and his eyes..." She shuddered. "He liked causing damage, he told me liked doing those things. He remembers all of it."

Vlad considered these words for several moments and sighed. "It's his ghost side coming to the forefront. I would imagine while under that wretched excuse of a man's control, his powers grew, but his mind and emotions didn't get the chance to grow with it."

"That sounds like Autism... and it sounds really bad." Jazz went pale.

"Well my dear," Vlad mused, crossing his arms; "...that's because it is."