The new day dawned just as gloomy and wet as the rest of the month had been, but with a little more potential to it.
As he drove to school, Deidara found himself feeling more optimistic than he had in weeks. All things considered, it was probably the realisation that the whole mess with Pein was sorted out that put the spring in his step – well, under his wheel technically, since he was in a car and all.
He bounded into the Beach-hut with more enthusiasm than he'd shown for his education in a long while. Konan waved at him, which he returned with a cheesy grin before leaping over a table and jumping into the chair next to Itachi.
"Morning." The Uchiha had to smile at the blonde's antics.
"Good morning, good morning, sunbeams will soon shine throooouuuuuuugh!" Deidara sung the only line he could remember from the Singing in the Rain classic, only stopping when Itachi smacked him on the head. "OW! Come on, I'm happy, sing with me! Good morning, good morn-OW!"
Itachi shook his head with a grin and put his book down. "You seem incredibly cheerful today, I take it the shock has worn off?"
"Nope, this is me cruising over the shock." Deidara said with a goofy grin.
"Did you even sleep last night?"
"Two hours, maybe two and a half." At his friend's incredulous stare the blonde tried to back-track. "But I spent the time drawing, so it wasn't like I wasn't doing something important!"
The Uchiha rolled his eyes and packed his stuff away as the bell rang. To be honest he'd predicted that Deidara would be like this, and had prepared himself for a completely over-the-top and hyperactive best friend. And when it's Deidara being over-the-top and hyperactive it takes a lot of preparation to find a good mindset. Still, an hour of meditation before school, and Itachi felt able to deal with anything from world war three to one of Deidara's art rants – Was there really a difference between the two anyway?
Registration went without incident, as did the first set of lessons. Deidara was singing again by break-time, and Itachi was grateful that they didn't share classes for the rest of the day. The blonde bounced off to his art lesson leaving his friend to walk at a more sedate pace to accountancy.
"Hey, Deidara!" Konan waved at him when he entered the class-room, and for the first time he willingly went over to sit next to her. The rest of the class stared dumb-founded at the two artists who had been infamous for their hatred of each other.
"How's Pein?" The blonde asked chirpily, throwing his sketch book onto the table.
"He's grand, better than he's been in weeks." Konan replied happily, placing her own work on the table with a little more care and decorum. "And how are you? Have you come to grips with the fact that you can do the same sort of things as Itachi?"
"Not really, I'm kinda blanking it until Itachi brings it up as a serious conversation topic."
"He hasn't yet?"
Deidara grinned. "I distracted him enough this morning." At Konan's raised eye-brow he shook his head hurriedly. "Oh get your mind out the gutter girl! I just started singing and annoyed him!"
She nodded with a teasing smile. "Yeah okay, sure."
"I never should have told you I was gay."
"Not if you like your sanity." She neatly folded a piece of yellow paper into a little seal. "Here you go, a friend."
Deidara picked it up and twirled it around in his fingers. "He's cute, what's he called?"
"Julian."
"No kidding?" He put it down on the table and lent down to rest his chin on the backs of his hands so that he was at eye level with it. The intensity of his stare made Konan lean down next to him.
"What are you doing?"
"Well, I figured that if I can curse someone maybe I can do other stuff. Itachi can move stuff with his mind, I was seeing if I could too."
Konan looked between the blonde and the piece of origami then glanced up. The rest of the class had gone back to their work and no-one was looking their way, so she refocused her gaze back on Deidara. "It's not really working." She said quietly, her voice making it quite certain that she hadn't believed it would.
"No, I couldn't do anything last time I tried either."
Konan laughed quietly. "Well, keep at it, maybe you'll get there with practice." Her gaze went a little more serious. "By the way, how are you feeling today? You took quite a blow yesterday."
He shrugged lightly, his gaze never leaving the seal. "I woke up barely able to move, but I took, like, a whole pack of neurofen in one go so now I can't feel a thing. Other than that I'm black and blue all over so essentially fine." He tilted his head a little to grin at her. "Worried about me?"
She punched his arm. "You wish!"
"How's Pein doing?"
"Much better. It's a relief to know that any accident he now has is his own bloody fault and not some malignant source of evil."
"Was there a compliment in there?" Asked the 'malignant-source-of-evil' sourly.
Konan sniggered. "Oh come on, it was your fault, you can't expect me not to tease you about it."
He shrugged with an injured air. "Well, I didn't try to hurt him."
"Have you asked Itachi for any help with controlling it? May come in handy. After all, you don't want to just curse everyone you fight with, do you?"
He laughed, giving up on his attempts at moving the origami by will-power alone. "Well, it's appealing, but I'd rather learn how to do it intentionally. I'll ask Itachi after school."
Itachi stared at him for so long that the silence began to feel uncomfortable. Deidara fidgeted a little, beginning to regret asking. Finally the Uchiha answered, although it was with another question.
"You want me to train you?"
"Well...in a manner of speaking...yeah. I guess." Deidara didn't realise that he was twisting his paint-stained shirt to breaking point until he heard the hem along the bottom rip. "Oh bugger!" Itachi hid a grin. "Well? Will you? I don't like the idea of accidently hurting people again."
Itachi bit his lip thoughtfully for a moment longer. "It isn't as easy as that. Yes I can teach you to control what you can do, but are you prepared for the consequences?"
"What consequences could there be?" Deidara laughed.
The Uchiha frowned at the reaction; he'd forgotten just how new Deidara was to the paranormal scene. They'd been joined at the hip for long enough that he had come to assume the blonde knew the basics, when of course he didn't. He tilted his head to one side, thinking of his next move. Then a wicked smile crossed his usually blank features.
Deidara wasn't happy with the look being directed at him. "What?"
"Nothing. Did you drive here today?"
"Uh...yeah, why?"
"Come on."
Itachi pulled the blonde out of the common room into the rain. Deidara realised where he was headed, so led the way over to the far end of the car-park. His little Corsa sat as far under the trees as he could get it, out of the wet. It beeped in welcome as he unlocked the door.
They both got in quickly out of the rain, and Deidara turned the engine on; in defiance, the cars radiator only blew out cold air. The blonde hurriedly turned it off, his cheeks warming to a glowing red with embarrassment.
"Sorry, she's a temperamental old thing." He said, patting the steering wheel affectionately. "Okay, where to?"
Itachi directed out of the school and through the centre of the village. They took the same route Deidara had when he'd gone to the park when he'd met up with Sasori. Infact, they were so close that the blonde half expected Itachi to tell him that was their destination. As it was, the Uchiha made him turn in to the side street a few yards up from the play-area.
It was one of the oldest parts of the village; the houses on either side dating back to pre-Victorian. They were leaning so heavily and so tall that they made the road seem like a cave. It was called Dark Lane for a very good reason.
Itachi got out of the car, not needing to worry about getting wet since the houses on either side of the road shielded them from the worst of the wind and rain. He walked a little way from the car before turning back to face the Corsa. Deidara had just climbed out and was watching him in confusion.
"Okay Itachi, it's cold and wet and I'm hungry, so what are we doing out here?" The blonde whined, rubbing his arms in a futile attempt to keep warm.
"We're here because you need to see what I really do for a job." Itachi replied with a light smile, seemingly impervious to the miserable conditions. "You know I'm a paranormal researcher, but I don't think that you've really understood what that means, so I've brought you here to meet a friend of mine."
Deidara shivered and looked around the dingy street. "A friend? Here? It's bloody miserable weather for a meeting. Doesn't he mind?"
"She, actually. And no, she doesn't." Itachi smiled enigmatically and lent against the one of cobweb-covered walls that made up the street.
"But why-?" Deidara was cut off mid-whinge by a very girlish squeal.
"Itachi! I haven't seen you for so long!"
Itachi's head shot up and his small smile grew into an outright grin as he focussed on a spot behind Deidara's back. "Penny, good to see you again. This is Deidara, the friend I said I'd bring to meet you."
Deidara hadn't turned round, and shivered as an ice-cold hand brushed his shoulder.
"Hey Deidara! Itachi's told me loads about you, but he never said how cute you are!" The newcomer laughed, dancing round into view. "From the look on your face, I'm guessing he hasn't mentioned me?"
"Gnnuh." Deidara shook his head mutely, staring at the girl now infront of him. His legs seemed to have frozen in terror otherwise he would have begun backing away.
Penny was slim and small, with mousey brown hair set into ringlets and laughing green eyes. More to the point she was quite transparent.
"Gho...gho...ghost." Deidara managed, raising a shaking finger to point at her. She giggled and spun in a circle around him, her long Victorian skirts billowing out like a grey mist.
Itachi watched them with an amused smirk. "Really Deidara, don't you know it's rude to point?" He asked airily, enjoying himself immensely. The blonde cast a wild-eyed glance in his direction before his gaze was drawn back to the young woman who was laughing merrily at his reaction.
"Honestly Itachi, you could have warned him." She giggled, circling round Deidara again and looking him up and down.
"Nah, this way was more fun." The Uchiha replied lazily. "Don't just stand there gawking Deidara, say hello."
"Yeah, I don't bite." Penny added teasingly.
Looking between the two of them, Deidara swallowed back his fear, if only to stop them laughing at him.
"Uh...Hi, um...Penny." He mumbled, with no idea in hell how to address a ghost. "Uh, pleased to meet you."
She giggled yet again – she appeared to be one of those girls who never stopped – and gave a mock curtsey. "You really are adorable!" She sat down on the bonnet of the Corsa, although anyone watching close enough would notice that her skirts went through the metal, while she herself hovered about an inch above the surface. "You look full of questions."
"Just a bit." The ghost was so charming and, well, not spooky, that Deidara found himself warming to her quite naturally. "What are you doing down here? Or is that an insensitive question?"
"Oh not at all." She chirped happily. "I fell out of that window." She pointed up to a tiny attic skylight. "My pet bird had escaped and I was trying to catch him. I lent a little too far and-" She let out a down-scale whistle, bringing one transparent hand down to hit the other. "Splat!"
Deidara winced. "Ouch...And you've been down here ever since?"
"Yep! One hundred and thirty six years, a month and roughly three weeks." Penny looked much prouder than she should have done by that fact.
"So you died in..." The blonde's face screwed up in thought as he tried to work it out.
"Don't strain yourself." Itachi smirked. "She died in 1872."
Deidara looked back at the ghost, who nodded happily. "But...You don't act like a Victorian!" He said in confusion. "You talk like a modern girl."
"Of course I do! Kids always walk this way home from school, even in my time; I just listen in to their conversations. Not to mention the amount of discarded newspapers." She sent a doting look in Itachi's direction. "And of course since meeting Itachi things have become a lot more interesting. I have someone to talk to who isn't still thinking that it's the seventeenth century."
The blonde looked over at Itachi, who was watching the conversation with a paternal air. "So is this part of what your job involves?" He asked in interest.
"Part of it, yeah." Itachi pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against and sauntered up to stand next to Penny. "Not all ghosts need exorcising." His body language made it quite certain that if he was able to he would have put his arm around Penny's shoulders. "Some just want company. It's definitely more rewarding than when I have to send the poor buggers packing."
"Don't talk about us like that!" Penny chided, smacking him lightly on the arm. Itachi actually yelped and jumped a foot or so in the air as her hand passed right through him.
"Don't do that!"
Deidara sniggered. "So, is there anyone else around here like Penny then? Anyone else you keep company with?"
"Of course!" Penny got there before Itachi did. "There are hundreds of us in the village, Itachi is known to most of us." She waved a hand in the general direction of the main square. "There's Lucy down in Cherry Street for one."
"Flower girl, hit by a cart in 1784" Itachi put in.
"And a real bitch too!" Penny added. "Then there's Alex, he's a chimney sweep over in Church House, died 1832. Ruben, a medieval blacksmith, died some time in the late 1400's. Benny, a German spy killed in 1943. And the old workhouse down Union Street is packed." She grinned, swinging her legs happily. "We range from Roman right up to the 1980's."
Deidara blinked. "Wow..."
"And that's what you'll have to deal with if I start training you." Itachi's input made the blonde's awed grin fade. "At the moment you can only see Penny because she's letting you, but if we begin to train your abilities, you'll be able to see many more without having to call them out first."
"So...I'll be able to see ghosts everywhere then?" Deidara looked thrilled at the prospect.
Penny and Itachi exchanged worried glances. "That's not a good thing, Deidara!" The Uchiha said wearily. At the 'you-must-be-joking' look he received, he tried to elaborate. "Look, it's fine seeing someone like Penny, who's friendly, or one of the wisps – a ghost that doesn't notice anything or anyone around them so are completely harmless – but some are dangerous."
"Like poltergeists you mean?" Deidara asked, trying to be helpful.
"Well, them too. But I was talking more about the bitter ones." A shadow passed over Itachi's face – making Deidara wonder if he'd had a run in with those sorts of ghosts himself. "There are those that are so outraged at their own deaths that they wish to cause harm to others. For normal people they appear as dreams and mad thoughts that take hold at four in the morning – nothing overly dangerous in other words. But when they know you can see them...Then they attack."
Deidara shivered, then tried to pretend it was because he was cold. "Okay, you've succeeded in creeping the hell out of me, but you haven't dissuaded me from the idea." His blue eyes took on a deeper shade of ice. "I still want you to train me." He said firmly.
Itachi folded his arms appraisingly, but an approving gleam was lighting his eyes. "Good. I must say that I would have been very disappointed with you had you chickened out." He smirked slightly. "Don't expect it to be easy."
"I wouldn't want it to be!" Deidara couldn't stop himself from jumping up and down on the spot. "You mean it?"
"I think I might regret this but, yeah, I mean it." Itachi had braced himself for an enthusiastic reaction, but still wasn't quite prepared for Deidara jumping on him and swinging round his neck.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" The hyperactive blonde was almost in sonar range, but his friend got the message and gingerly patted his back in the hopes that he would soon let go. Deidara did release the stunned and slightly deafened Uchiha, but continued jigging about like he was dancing to his Mp3. Penny had been watching both of them with a highly amused look on her translucent face, but at Itachi's very tentative return to Deidara's overly enthusiastic hug she burst out laughing. The two boys turned to see the ghost curled over holding her stomach in hysterical giggles. Their confused looks set her off even more until she fell onto her side and rolled off the car's bonnet...
And hung in mid-air without seeming to notice.
"Okay, that's just a little bit cool..." Deidara moved to give her a hand to sit up, then realised that it would be pretty pointless. She straightened up and rolled over to face her visitors, lounging on the air like one would on a mattress.
"Yeah, I know." She said smugly. "It's not all doom and gloom once you pass on." She let her feet touch the ground, and spun like a ballerina on one toe before standing properly.
"Penny...Stop showing off." Itachi sighed, although he had to sigh it quite loudly to be heard over Deidara's muffled giggles. "He's still new to all this, don't encourage him even more."
Deidara fought his laughter back under control as he watched the Uchiha arguing with the Victorian. They made an odd picture; the see-through Penny in her corset and crinolines, next to Itachi who dressed all in black as if he were allergic to colours and was as solid as humans got. Who would ever have thought that he, a no-hoper art student and ex-shelf-stacker from the supermarket, would end up in the company of a ghost and a paranormal expert?
The magic moment was broken by a sudden rendition of Bat Out Of Hell that made all three of them jump, and Deidara swore. "Sorry, that's my phone." He muttered, fishing it out of his pocket. He grinned at the caller ID and flicked it open. "Hey Sasori, what's up?" Itachi glanced over in interest, but interest became concern as Deidara began to frown. "What? Why does he want us over again? Hasn't the curse gone?" The blonde paced round in a little circle, his expression clearing slightly. "Okay, right, well that's a relief. So why does he want to see us?" He scowled at the phone. "What do you mean 'you'll find out'?! Just tell me!" He glanced over at Itachi and rolled his eyes. "Fine then! We'll be over in five minutes or so, ten tops." He snapped the phone shut. "Pein wants to see us again." He sighed, throwing his mobile up into the air and catching it again with one hand.
"And I take it Sasori didn't say why."
"Sadly enough he didn't." Deidara shrugged. "Pein's probably changed his mind about not beating the crap out of us."
Itachi nodded in resignation. "I was thinking the same." He sighed. Turning to face Penny he smiled apologetically. "It looks like we'd better go; someone wants to attempt to kick our arses."
The girl giggled and nodded. "You'd better come back soon, and in one piece." She ordered.
"I'll be back same time next week."
"Hmm, I'll hold you to that." She stood on tip-toe, although it was for show more than necessity – she'd already proven that floating wasn't hard for her – and kissed the Uchiha's cheek. Itachi managed to repress his shiver – no matter how often the ghost did that it still wasn't a pleasant sensation. Penny then whirled round to grace Deidara with a peck on the cheek as well, and he was less able to hide his shudder at the numbing touch. "And you had better visit again cutie!" She warned playfully.
"I think you've persuaded me." The blonde smiled at the merry ghost and nodded. "I'll come back with Itachi."
Penny waved them off as Deidara reversed out of the narrow alley, and Itachi called goodbye out of an open window.
"Well?" The Uchiha asked, once they were back on the main road. "What did you think?"
"Hell of a girl, great personality, quite hot."
"I meant the fact that she's a ghost!"
"Oh, yeah." Deidara hit the brakes as a kid on a bike neatly cut across the front of the car with no warning. "Twat! Yeah, about Penny...well, I'll admit to having been a little bit freaked out at the start, but she was too nice that I couldn't remain scared. Why?"
Itachi shook his head with a small laugh. "I just never thought you'd be that comfortable around a dead person the very first time you meet one."
"She was too sweet to really freak me out. And besides, what did you expect me to do? Scream and run?"
"Something along those lines."
Deidara made the last turning into Pein's road and brought the Corsa to a stop outside the now-familiar house. "It takes more than that to scare me into screaming." He said smugly – causing Itachi to mentally decide that he would try to find out what Deidara was scared of at the first opportunity.
They left the car and Deidara rang the doorbell. There was a scuffling noise from inside before the side-door opened to reveal Konan's head poking out to look at them.
"Come on, get inside, it's bloody freezing out here!" She yelled, hanging onto the door frame to lean out far enough to see them whilst at the same time avoiding having to step outside without shoes on.
Well, that looked hopeful. Being ushered inside didn't usually precede a beating, so the two took it as a good sign that Konan was showing such niceties. They followed her in through the kitchen and back into the living room, which looked no different than when they'd been there the day before. The coffee table hadn't even been moved back to its original place.
Pein was lounging on the smaller of the two settees, whilst the other gang members were spread out around the room on miscellaneous beanbags, cushions and the other sofa. Konan threw an empty beer can at her brother to get his attention.
"Oi, they're here." She announced, dumping herself on top of Pein's legs and causing him to yelp and glare at her, before moving them so that she could claim a bit of the sofa. She waved Itachi and Deidara into the middle of the room, where they stood looking slightly awkward. Sasori waved from where he was perched on the edge of the coffee table.
Deidara folded his arms, refusing to be cowed by the situation. "Okay, what is it this time?" He demanded glaring at Pein. "And before you ask; no, neither of us cursed your bunny slippers." There were sniggers around the room, and Konan let out a giggle that she had to muffle when her brother kicked her.
"No, my bunny slippers are fine, and all the better for you asking." Pein deadpanned, although there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Actually I have a proposition for the two of you."
"No we won't star in your latest porno-"
"NOT THAT EITHER!!" Pein groaned, "For the love of God just let me finish talking before saying no!"
Deidara smirked in triumph, whilst Itachi looked faintly revolted, his mind still stuck on the porn-shoot idea.
"Fine then, why are we here? Changed your mind about not beating us up?"
"I'm now seriously reconsidering, but actually I was going to see if either of you were interested in joining us."
There was silence. A long silence.
Itachi and Deidara stared at Pein, who grinned back. The others around the room all seemed to have known about this, so didn't react in such a shocked manner.
"You...what?" Deidara asked finally, and rather stupidly.
"I want you two to join the gang." Pein repeated, now looking thoroughly amused with the whole situation.
"But...Why? What have we got to offer?"
Even Itachi stared incredulously at the blonde for that dumb question. Pein raised a heavily pierced eyebrow.
"Because you two can both do this weird paranormal shit, which is amazing, and you can both kick arse in a fight." He said airily. "Two very usable skills. And I happen to have lost three gang members over the last year."
"That was careless." Konan added lazily. Her brother shot her an annoyed look as Deidara snorted with laughter.
"So, to reiterate; we have places open for new members, you two have shown that you've got what it takes. What do you say?" Pein asked, his gaze becoming serious as he watched the possible applicants appraisingly.
"Uh..." Itachi glanced at Deidara to see how the blonde was handling this situation. Said blonde looked ready to explode.
"Do you mean it?" He asked, almost breathlessly, eyes alight.
"Well, it was Sasori's idea, and he's known for having some damn good ideas, and Konan seconded it, so I'm flying this on woman's intuition, and blaming those two if this all goes to hell." Pein shrugged. "But, yeah, I mean it."
Deidara and Itachi glanced at each other and the Uchiha shrugged with a hopeless I've-never-been-in-this-situation-before-so-don't-ask-me look on his face. The blonde took charge of the situation, seeing that his friend was in over his head.
"What would it involve?"
"Gang meeting mostly." Pein replied casually.
"Which really means we all get together and watch a film." Konan added with a teasing grin at her brother.
Pein waved his hand irritably. "Okay, and that. We also deal a beating to anyone who pisses us off or is on our turf, and occasionally take on contracts from the bigger gangs in the city."
"Contracts?" Itachi asked tremulously. As the son of the chief of Nottinghamshire police he didn't like the sound of that. Deidara on the other hand just nodded understandingly.
"Yeah, contracts. Say they want a business man a little shaken up, but don't want their name to hit the news, or they need a go-between for a drugs deal. That's when we come in. We aren't a big enough threat to catch police attention, but neither are we small enough to go unnoticed." Pein's gaze was firm and unforgiving as he glared at the new comers. "And we don't suffer wimps, cry-babies or betrayers. The last person to decide that he could benefit by telling the police about a drugs deal ended up needing a hand amputated and lost the use of both his legs."
"I never heard about that." Deidara said, although his voice carried a nervous treble.
"Yeah." Pein leaned forwards, a wicked glint lighting his eyes. "That's how good we are." He tilted his head to one side in question. "So...yes or no?"
"Uh..." Deidara weighed his options, knowing that Itachi was lost in the situation so would follow his lead. On the plus side they were being offered a place in one of the county's most prestigious gangs, and for their talents alone. On the other hand, it was dangerous and they could get into serious trouble with the police...A grin lit up his face. Well, when put like that..."I can't speak for Itachi, but yes, I accept."
Pein nodded once, he'd expected that answer from the blonde. All eyes fell on Itachi.
"I...Uh..." He looked helplessly towards his friend, who was also watching him inquisitively. "Look, I really can't get tangled up in anything like this." He protested.
"Oh? And why would that be?" Pein asked coldly.
Itachi looked awkward. "My Dad is the head of the county police force; I can't even imagine the trouble I'd get him in if I was found in the middle of criminal activity." He shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry, I appreciate it, but I can't accept."
There was a long silence, whilst Pein nodded understandingly, looking disappointed and rather bitter. Then he met Itachi's gaze again. "What if we didn't make you join in with the illegal stuff?" He asked finally.
"Then how would I benefit you?"
"Quite easily. You can fight better than jet Li! If you can teach us to fight like that, or at least attempt to then you'll be a very valuable asset to the gang. And your whole 'psychic-powers' thing just goes without saying."
It was a generous offer, and Itachi realised that. He also realised what else this agreement would get him. It was brilliant having Deidara as a friend – obviously – and now here was an offer that meant he'd gain a whole group of people that may eventually be friends as well. Well, as long as his father didn't find out about this...
"Okay, I accept." He said, with a slight bow of the head that was still an ingrained habit from his time in Japan.
The noise level around the room rose as the other gang members began to voice their approval. Pein stood up and held out his uninjured hand to Itachi. "Then, we welcome you." He clapped Deidara on the back, a sign that they already knew each other well. He turned to face the rest of the gang. "Guys, we have our new members!"
There was a chorus of cheers – driven by the beer no doubt – and Konan wolf-whistled. Deidara went red and grinned sheepishly whilst Itachi just looked lost. Konan jumped up, waving her arms to shut them all up.
"Okay, let's get you introduced." She chirped.