Ah, I meant to update sooner, but I just had so much trouble writing this chapter. Not just with inspiration but with time. School's started up again and that on top of work has left me with little to no free time, but don't worry, I'm not abandoning this story, I have put way too much hope into it to give up!

~CWA


CHAPTER SIX


Danny Fenton

In my defense, I didn't know Ai was a psychic. Her aura's so concentrated on her more independent streak that I just didn't notice the small fluctuations in it. Not until it was too late anyway. I sigh deeply and rub my temples, trying to make the growing headache go away, but it just won't seem to leave. I've taken pain killers, drank tea, meditated. I've done everything I can. It's like some sort of brain eating virus that's just not going to die. I'm half tempted to call up Jazz just to see if maybe her psychological-do-dads may help. But if I do that, then I'll never hear the end of it. Besides Jazz, while I do love her, can't really keep her mouth shut.

I don't think it helps that I can't seem to shake off all the memories from yesterday. After Ai had left the lab, I was left being interrogated from the others. Mostly Tadashi and Honey Lemon. Apparently they have yet to realize that I have a more mischievous streak and couldn't understand why I would lead Wasabi on like that. They didn't shut up until Wasabi pointed out that I technically didn't lie. But now I know that they're going to be bugging about Ai, even if I made it clear I don't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Maybe I could date her. Eventually. If we ever talk again and hit if off, as unlikely as it seems. But after yesterday, it's going to take some time before I can so much as look at her.

But that's not what bothers me the most. No what bothers me is Ai. She's a psychic. She's someone I can't hide from easily, powerful as I may be sometimes. My ghostly half is just screaming at me that she's one of us, one of us. Apparently ghosts are naturally attracted to psychics. I have a few theories about why that is, but most are just theoretical with no solid evidence. For example, ghosts always want to be heard and psychics throughout history, no matter who they are, are usually the only ones who have been known to see us. Especially the Low Keys and other low powered ghosts. Not to mention the ancient ghosts who couldn't speak in the first place and were almost always invisible.

Either way, that natural attraction to Ai is what started that whole mess with her. I don't mind a hook up, though I'm usually more of a commitment type of person. So when she threw herself at me, I was all too willing and just gave in to what both my halves were telling me. But then her aura… its color radiated in her eyes, turning it a fierce purple to my eyes…. And I lost it.


The pressure of her lips on mine causes my last nerve of restraint to snap. It's like nothing else is there at all. Nothing but me and here as we shove our way into a nearby empty janitor closet. As cliché as it is. I would have laughed at it if I wasn't so focused on her. To my surprise, the closet is at least big enough to fit the both of us comfortably as she pulls and tugs on my jacket, never breaking the kiss. I don't open my eyes except for a few breath moments to make sure my foot isn't stuck in a bucket. I still remember when that happened back in high school. Everyone made fun of me for it for weeks. While the teasing never really bothered me, it just got really annoying really fast. It was one of the few times my temper really flared.

Her arms drape around my neck; my jacket is almost entirely off that I suppose she just gave up to focus more on the kiss. I like to think that I am a rather good kisser, but her kiss… Well, she's a lot more than just simply a 'good kisser.' It's like a drug that's just fueling up my veins with electricity. It's enchanting. Seducing. Even my ghost half enjoys this, craving it. Wanting it. I can feel the growl forming in the back of my throat. I'm not sure which side of me causes it, but it doesn't really matter.

I'd be lying if I said things didn't escalate, though it blurs all together into my mind. But what I do know is that when I open my eyes, I'm met with a part of her aura I never noticed. The faint swirls of purple pulsate and dominate the rest of her aura. Purple. Great. Why didn't I notice that before? She's a fucking psychic. Just my freakin' luck. But there's no turning back now as I watch her aura discretely, absently kissing at her. Small wisps of it try to mend with my own aura. It doesn't work. Auras don't just connect. For that to happen, there has to be a legitimate bond between two people- whether it be a family bond, a strong friendship, or a life partner. It's a way to draw energy from each other and have a more deep connection with someone. In the case of life partners, however, the auras mend to a deeper level that connects the two people's emotions and feelings as well. It's partly why they say if you're deep enough in love, you always know when something is wrong with your significant other. In my life, I've only ever connected to one person on that deep of a level- Dash. Valerie and I didn't date long enough for something strong to form and Sam and I's connection remained that of a friend's even if we were together for a considerable time.

But then I see Ai's eyes. The glow of her aura reflects in the irises of her eyes, creating a dark violet tint. Just swirls that seem to go on forever. I'm lost in them. She looks at me a bit confused and mutters something, probably about why I stopped, but I can't really hear her. Her voice just blurs. All I can see is the purple in her eyes that take me back to a simpler time.

All of a sudden it's like I'm fourteen again. Having a fake out make out as my first kiss with a Gothic vegetarian, the same girl who I had a big crush on. Holding hands with her. Unsure how to do anything else aside from a small kiss when we do finally start dating. Then I'm fifteen. We spend the night under the stars and our arms around each other like nothing else exists.

Then I'm lost in the abyss of memories that drag my very heart to the ground. I'm sixteen. We break up when she cheats on me- with who I may never know- and I date Dash. Every time I look in her eyes, there's regret, contentment, and anger. We end up fighting again every time we end up in the same room together. I'm seventeen. The war with Vlad begins and my best-friend-turned-girlfriend-turned-ex-turned-enemy has turned into my ally. We find out about Ellie. We try to take care of her together the best we can, even if things are strained.

All I can see is those purple eyes. Her eyes. Sam's eyes. Those wide, frightened eyes that stared at me as she screamed during the end of the war. Or at least, what was the end for her.

Finally, I just can't take it anymore. I have no idea how long I stood there, my hands just resting on her sides as I stared blankly at her, before I tore myself away from her and burst into a run out of the room. I just have to get away. I need to away from Sam. I need a moment to collect myself, relax.

My mind's in a frenzy as my feet have a mind of their own, gliding over the floor as if I'm hovering over it slightly. Maybe I am. I don't really know for sure. Everything's just passing by too quickly. My heart's beating quickly and my body feels hot and uneasy. What I do know is that hiding from Ai is not going to be easy. Psychics can always see ghosts, whether they are invisible or not. Which means I can't pull my normal disappearing act or fade through a solid wall because she would see me.

But there's one place I can think of that may be able to hide me- the lab.


At this point, I really wish I could get drunk. I've tried it before, but it usually takes an insane amount of alcohol to reach the level of intoxication that I need now. Maybe I could grab one beer and just drip some ectoplasm or something into it so it's more compatible with my ghostly DNA. No. Better not do that. Who knows what trouble I'd get into here if I got drunk? I may hook up with Ai, hit on random people, possibly even my friends too, and not to mention the things that I'd say to Tadashi. Things like hey asshole, you don't believe in ghosts, well guess what psych- I am one! I let out a long, drawn out sigh and rest my forehead on the desk. At least the dimmed lights help the headache a bit.

Then Wasabi has to ruin the small bit of peace that I've created with the dark lightning. The lights switch on, practically blinding me as I let out a ughhh that vaguely resembled a zombie. Or a ghost. Heh. Ghost puns. I would be laughing if not for the pounding in my head. I desperately try to cover up my eyes by burying them in my arms on the desk. I don't even have the energy to look up at Wasabi, but I can feel him standing beside my desk as he looks me over.

"Wow, washed out so soon," Wasabi jokes.

"Ughhh."

I can hear his tongue click slightly as if he's musing about something before finally I hear him set something on my desk. Creeping over my arm, I sneak a peak at the coffee container. I recognize The Lucky Cat Cafe's logo on the mug so I know that whatever it contains, is going to be good. I quirk an eyebrow at Wasabi as I look at him briefly,

"I told Cass it was for you and she fixed up your usual," Wasabi explains, "as to what your usual is, I don't have a single clue. But I do know that you, my friend, have a serious caffeine problem just from the stuff that I did see her put in."

I manage to give him a sheepish grin as I eagerly take the coffee, sipping at it. It's true. I do have a caffeine problem. Mostly because it takes that much caffeine to just feel like a normal amount because of my metabolism. A special cup of Cass' Wake Me Up special plus about the normal amount of caffeine in about five cups of coffee. If I were a human, this drink would kill my heart. Among other things. I'm always on the move with the coffee- the cafe, the lab, various other places. I can't exactly add ectoplasm to it and have a glowing liquid in the cup that'd be noticeable. At least a beer can hides the glow.

But this is so much better than my brief plan of getting drunk. I savor the taste of the liquid, letting my tongue just soak up as much as it can with a small wistful sigh. The caffeine alone is already making me feel a bit better. Not exactly ready to go run a marathon, but at least the lights aren't as bright as they were a second ago.

Wasabi takes in my appearance as I sip at the coffee. I can see the are you serious look on his face. I don't blame him. I'm sitting here at like eleven in the morning still in my pajamas (which really aren't pajamas at all, it's really just some sweats and an old t-shirt) and I still haven't showered. But instead of getting a judgmental look, Wasabi just looks understanding. Like he gets it. He understands. With a sympathetic pat on my shoulder, he speaks,

"I know how easy it is to get overwhelmed. I'm almost always overwhelmed. So just take it easy, okay? I'll tell the others that you won't be coming down to the lab and you just relax, do what you need to do…. But for the love of all things good, take a damn shower…. And organize your mess before I do it myself."

I can see his hands twitching at those words. I'm sure he wants to nothing more than to clean up all the trash that's gathered around my desk- a result of trying to work on a blueprint with a searing, painful headache. His eyes glance to the trash with a nervous twitch, but to his credit, he's doing a wonderful job trying to control his impulses. I give him a small, half-hearted smile,

"Don't worry, Wasabi. By the time you see me again, everything, including myself, will be clean as a whistle."

He lets out a small sigh before returning my smile. After a short farewell, he's out the door as he shakes his head, muttering about his 'strange, workaholic roommate.' I've been called worse. Laughing a bit to myself, I gulp down the rest of the small mug as if I'm dying of thirst. Tossing it into the trash and feeling half-way back to my normal, I head out the door and toward the communal showers with a fresh set of clothes.

But as I make way to the showers, I can't help but think what I'm going to afterward. I could rest, but after having that caffeine I think I would just stare at the ceiling the whole time if I tried. I could work on the blueprints and risk my headache returning and getting worse. Or…

A lightbulb goes off in my head as I think of Tadashi and his skepticism and my conversation with Jazz, threatening to haunt him. I think it's time I make true on my word.

Oh.

This is going to be so good.


With no sign of Ai or any other psychics, I sneak my way into lab. Being invisible has its perks. I walk by unnoticed, occasionally turning intangible to escape being hit by an experiment, robot, or a person in a hurry. I see Wasabi in his little corner, working hard on his own project with a concentrated expression on his face. GoGo is spinning around the lab on a bike, but it soon looses balance causing her to fall with a curse. Honey Lemon has her hair pulled back as she works on her chemicals, her ear buds shoved in. I can hear her music all the way from here. Fred is lounging on his normal bean bag chair with a carefree attitude.

And then I spot him. Tadashi. My unsuspected enemy is about to receive an unexpected attack. A devious grin spreads across my face as I get closer to him. He doesn't notice me. I'd be surprised if he does. Though it's clear he feels someone is watching him from the way he glances out of the corners of his eyes and occasionally looks over his shoulder only to see nothing.

But what to do? There's all sorts of things I can do to him. Move his chair so he falls flat on his ass. Screw with his head by moving his drink to the other side of the table where he didn't leave it. Slide his wrench across the table when he goes to reach for it. My love for pranks is greater than my hatred for overshadowing. I could just easily overtake him and just have him walk out of the lab, only for me to leave him wondering how or when he got to the courtyard. So the real question is where to start.

Humming a bit to myself, I hover over him, leaning over his shoulder to observe his work. I have to admit, his blueprints look pretty interesting. Based on what I can read from his open notebook and the blueprints, he seems to be making a nurse-like robot. A robot for medical needs. The word Baymax is in large bold letters across the notebook page with many underlines and circles for emphasis. Baymax huh? Interesting name. Interesting concept. A part of me hopes that he's able to go through with it. I may not like the guy, but I'm humble enough to say that his invention could help a lot of people too.

Bringing myself back to my mission, I start messing with him. I begin by just slowly dragging his mug out of his reach when he goes to snatch it up, causing him to grasp at thin air. He furrows his eyebrows with mild confusion but manages to get the cup. He mutters under his breath about sleep deprivation doing strange things to his memory. I snort at that one causing him to look up a bit startled at the sudden, close noise before he shakes it off. Sometimes I forget that invisibility does nothing for sound. Ah well.

He continues to work as if he doesn't notice anything else out of the ordinary. It doesn't stop me from doing strange things to him. Tapping him on the shoulder. Flipping his cap off his head. Sliding the wrenches. Moving his chair so he sits back down only to fall on his ass. I'm not sure how long I've been doing this, but it's obvious he's slowly getting more and more frustration before he finally lets out a long sigh,

"Fred, stop with your jokes, please. I'm trying to work."

He can't really think Fred's doing all of this, can he? Fred is barely smart enough to tie his shoes, nevertheless actually sneak around unnoticed. I let out an amused chuckle as Fred sits up on his bean bag chair with a confused expression.

"What? I haven't been doing anything, I swear. I've just been sleeping here."

"Well someone's doing something," Tadashi gestures his hands wildly, "I keep feeling someone tap me, my cap got hit off my head, and it's absolutely freezing in here, just who is keeping the AC this high?"

At this point, he gets the others' attention. From the look on their faces, it's clear they don't really believe Tadashi's claims. No one else, aside from me that is, has even been close enough to shake Tadashi's hand nevertheless actually do anything to mess with him. I covered my laugh by biting my cheeks and covering my mouth with my hand. Oh God. Their expressions of absolute I think you need some sleep is absolutely the best thing I ever seen in my life. It's just too perfect.

GoGo is the first to take a step forward, going toward Tadashi with a slightly hesitant, are you okay in the head look. It seems like she's going to check his temperature or something with the back of her hand. But the second she gets close to us, she shivers and takes a step back.

"Well, you're not lying. It's freezing as balls over here."

Freezing as balls. I muse about the expression for a moment. Are balls really freezing? Can they even freeze in the first place? I don't think I'm the person to ask because hello I'm half ghost with an ice core. I shake that train of thought out of my head, not entirely comfortable thinking about it at the moment as I focus on the situation. Everyone has gathered toward Tadashi to feel the icy air that's forming around him.

In my defense, I can't really help that I emit cold a lot. It mostly happens when I do things like this. Using my abilities so extensively. Though I have upped the cold on purpose too to add to the fear factor. I don't think it's working on Tadashi, but Fred looks pretty freaked out.

"Objects moving on their own, sudden cold spots," Fred starts to list, counting on his fingers, "Being touched when no one's there… Dude there is a ghost in this room."

He whispers ghost softly, but harshly. His eyes dart around nervously as he gulps thickly. I hesitate for a second before deciding this is too good of a chance to pass. Very carefully, I let the ice flow to my fingertips, making them ice cold as I brush them against Fred's neck and blow onto the back of his head causing him to jump and scream as he flails around.

"Something just frikkin' touched me, man! And I just- Tadashi this is your fault! You insulted the spirits!"

He huffs and practically runs out the door, flailing his arms around as he mutters around his breath, something about the spirits being upset. Heh. I knew there was a reason I like Fred. He's funny to mess with. With a cocky smirk, I sit crossed leg a few feet in the air and upside. The top mop of white covers my eyes slightly, but I can still well enough as I continue to observe their conversation.

Wasabi seems a lot more hesitant about continuing the conversation though. Like Fred, he seems nervous as his eyes dart around nervously, his hands curled to his chest a bit. He looks like he's about to have a heart attack as his breathing becomes a bit more erratic.

"Ghosts," his voice cracks a bit, "You don't really think there's a ghost here… do you?"

He sounds like he's trying to convince himself. GoGo just rolls her eyes though Honey Lemon seems a bit more unsure. It's clear she doesn't know what to make of the unfamiliar situation as she looks around a bit for something, anything, she can get an answer from. Not going to work. Tadashi lets out a long drawn out sigh as he rubs his temples,

"No, Wasabi. It's not a ghost. In fact, I wouldn't put it past him to plan this whole thing. As to how Danny's doing this, I don't know."

Why Tadashi, I'm hurt that you automatically think it's me that's haunting you. I mean, you're right, but it's the point of the matter.