Epilogue: Jazz

My brother is a sensitive person. If you said that to his face, he would deny it and say that he's just confident in his masculinity, but I know Danny. So, I know that, though our talk last night might have satisfied him for a while, this whole Mira situation is going to bother him for a long time.

It bothers me too, but not for the reasons Danny seems to think.

Danny looked so small and sad when he admitted to thinking of Mira as a sister. I know he felt guilty for it and, knowing him, still does. Personally, I'm glad he got along so well with the Scotts, well enough to reveal his secret identity, at that! Danny needs a safe haven, somewhere he can be himself, both the human and the ghost, without fear. Sure, he has me, Tucker, Sam, and a handful of ghost friends, but even then he needs to be careful. I hope he stays in contact with the Scotts. I've always tried to fill the role of a parental substitute for him, but it would be good for him to have more adults he can count on.

Not that he can't count on Mom and Dad. Our parents wouldn't hesitate to give up their lives if it meant my brother and I were safe. The problem is that they would also happily rip a certain Phantom apart. The mere idea of it chills me to the bone. I can't imagine how scared Danny is. I don't think they would hurt him if they knew the truth, but you never know what's going on in someone's head, even the people you've known for literally your entire life. No, Danny needs an authority figure who can help him through both parts of his life. Vlad Masters, being half-ghost himself, would be the ideal candidate. Alas, there's a reason Danny refers to him as "that old fruit loop."

I ponder the events of last night as I pick at the scrambled eggs on my plate. Mom and Dad had gone into detail about their new Fenton Smoker, an invention meant to disable all ghostly abilities while leaving the ghost completely immobile. When those two bring up an invention, new or old, I pay close attention so that I can relay the information to my fellow Ghost Getters. (I don't care if I'm the only one who calls us that. I think it suits us.) My chest had seized up when they said they'd tested it on Danny Phantom. I couldn't show them how relieved I was when they griped about Sam and Tucker running them over at the last second. Mom and Dad called it bad luck. I call it divine intervention.

They then went on about the Fenton Smoker as if I wasn't in the room. Apparently, Danny had only been incapacitated for a minute or two instead of an hour like they'd hoped. Then, they dropped another bomb when they brought up the new thing that Danny's eyes did. At first, I thought they were talking about the way his eyes glow brighter when he gets angry.

But, no. This really was a new thing.

After Danny got home, as we'd all gathered around him, showering him with love and support, I paid close attention to my little brother's eyes. And, just before he broke down, I saw it. His head had been down, so Mom and Dad didn't see it, but I was looking for it. For a split second, it was there.

His eyes were black. Not like his pupils were dilated. No, it was more like his eyes had been replaced with solid black marbles.

It happened again when he got back from the Ghost Zone. When he asked me if I thought our parents would accept his half-ghost status, his eyes changed. Again, they were black for a split second before returning to the soft blue eyes he's had since birth. I don't think he was aware of the change.

It didn't seem to affect him in any way, so it could simply be like when his eyes glow. Maybe this "new" thing is just what happens when he's incredibly sad, and I've just never seen it. Or, maybe I have seen it but never noticed because I wasn't looking for it. I wonder if Sam or Tucker has seen-

"Oh, Danny!" Mom pipes, interrupting my musings. She and Dad have already finished their breakfast and were just about to put the dishes away when Danny came in. "How are you, sweetie? Did you sleep alright?"

While Danny's ghost-half means that he doesn't need as much sleep as a full-human (so he claims), it isn't unusual for him to sleep in if he's able. Or, if he has trouble falling asleep, period. Given yesterday's events, I suspect the latter.

"Well enough," Danny says casually. Too casually. He pulls up a chair and seems to consider his next words. Mom and Dad are unusually attentive, an event triggered by their child's alleged mourning process. "Um, I have a ghost-related question."

What is he up to? I study his face. His expression is calm but with a barely perceptible tightness around his eyes, which are still blue and human.

Dad brightens. "Ask away, son! You know you can ask us anything ghost-related."

Danny lowers his head, rubs the back of his neck, a nervous habit. "Um, so I've got a bit of a-a hypothetical for you. Let's say, hypothetically, someone you knew, you know, passed away, and…came back as a ghost. How-how would you…handle that?"

I've lost my appetite. Is he thinking of telling them?

Mom gasps sympathetically. "Oh, sweetie," she coos. "Don't tell me that Mira…"

Danny looks anywhere else. "I won't…not tell you that Mira…"

"You actually watched a ghost form?" Dad asks, grinning like an idiot. "What did it look like?"

Mom snaps, "Jack!" at the same time I snap, "Dad!"

Dad shrinks back with a grimace. "Uh, I mean, um, eh heh, sorry."

Danny props his elbows on the table, throws his forehead in his hands, and groans. "Just tell me what you would do."

I clear my throat and try to lend a hand. "Surely, you wouldn't attack the ghost of someone you care about."

Mom and Dad are quiet for a while, wrapped up in their thoughts. Eventually, they look at each other in one of those silent conversations they have sometimes.

Then, Mom folds her hands on the table. "Danny…" She bites her lip. Dad looks away awkwardly. Mom clears her throat with a look of regret. "Danny, do you know what happens when someone becomes a ghost?"

Danny raises his head and spreads out his hands. "Uh, they get powers and stuff?"

Mom nods. "Yes, that is what happens physically…"

"Mentally, on the other hand," Dad says gently, "is where it gets tricky."

Oh God. Those two are playing with fire, and they don't even know it. I reach to touch my brother's arm. He knocks my hand away and puts his forehead back in his hands, resigned.

Dad goes on. "See, when a person dies and becomes a ghost, something changes in their mind. They become angry, resentful. They know something is wrong and can't do anything about it. And, that drives them to madness."

I fight my rising temper. Maybe that's the case for some ghosts, but I've seen enough of the ghost world to know that the majority just want to live their lives. Er, so to speak.

Danny lowers his head, raking his fingers deeper into his hair. His eyes are still blue, but they are narrowed to slits. "I'm not- Mira's not like that."

Our parents don't notice the slip-up. Mom smiles in understanding. "I'm sure Mira was a very sweet girl, Danny. But, I'm afraid that-"

"Do you have any proof?" I ask before this can get any uglier. "You're scientists, so surely you wouldn't say that all ghosts are bad without hard evidence." When Danny sends me a grateful look, I go on. "I'm not saying that no ghosts are bad. But," I take a risk, "take Danny Phantom for example. He's constantly protecting the citizens from danger, otherworldly or otherwise. A bad ghost wouldn't do that. We know that a lot of ghosts are sentient enough to think and plan, so surely they have a spectrum of morality like humans."

"Thank you, Jazz," Danny says for more reasons than one.

Mom sighs. "We don't know what Phantom's motive is, kids, but don't forget all the bad things he's done in the past."

Back to playing with fire.

"As for evidence," Dad says somberly. "There's been enough over the years. You should have seen this one video from, what, twenty years ago? We're thinking it might have been the first sighting of the Wisconsin Ghost." Danny and I glance at each other, knowing that Dad's talking about Vlad Masters/Plasmius. The timing is right, as that's about how long Vlad's had ghost powers. Dad continues with a grimace. "Let's just say, it was pretty gruesome. The government wrote it off as a terrorist attack, but we know the truth."

What did Vlad do?

"And, that's just one example," Mom adds. "The point is that ghosts are vengeful creatures. When a person dies, I'm afraid their humanity dies with them."

"No, it doesn't," Danny mutters brokenly, his hands fisted in his hair as he fights for control. He squeezes his eyes shut.

"I-I'm sure you're exaggerating," I say quickly. "Let's go back to the Phantom example. He-"

Everyone jumps when Danny slams his hands on the table and stands. He stares down at me with angry eyes that I hope Mom and Dad don't notice are green and glowing. "I don't want to talk about Phantom!" Just as quickly, his eyes return to normal and his expression crumbles. He smacks the table twice before storming out, muttering, "Fuck this, I should have stayed with the Scotts."

Oh, Danny.

Mom and Dad jump up to go after him, but I intervene. "Danny's in a bad headspace." In ways none of us can truly understand. "He just needs time to process everything. And, no offense," I add with a pointed look, "but you guys didn't really help with that."

My parents deflate with guilt. "Maybe we said a little too much," Dad admits.

"We just don't want to lie to you kids," Mom adds.

"And, Danny doesn't want that either," I assure, though I wonder if a little white lie would have been better in this case. "Let me talk to him. He'll listen to me."

In other words, he doesn't want to even look at them right now. Mom and Dad get the message.

I run upstairs and knock on Danny's bedroom door. "Danny? Are you in there?"

I can hear the tears in his voice when he replies. "Are you alone?"

My heart breaks for him. "I convinced Mom and Dad to stay downstairs. It's just me."

At first, nothing happens. Then, a hand reaches through the closed door and grabs my wrist. The hand pulls me through the door, sending a harsh pins-and-needles sensation over my whole body. The feeling lasts only until I emerge on the other side and become tangible again. I don't know how Danny stands phasing through things all the time. Maybe it's different for ghosts.

"Opening the door works just as well," I say, trying for humor.

But, Danny's only response is a breathy sob. He stands before me, holding himself as tears run down his face. Green tears, despite his human-form. And, his eyes are black again. Only this time it's not a brief flash. I'm really glad Mom and Dad aren't here to see it.

On a more selfish note, I hope his eyes change back soon, because this is insanely creepy.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you," Danny weeps.

"It's okay," I assure.

Danny just shakes his head. He sniffs and runs the backs of his hands over his eyes. As he lowers his hands, he spots the ectoplasm on his knuckles and his face drains of color.

I sheepishly point to my own eyes. "You-you kind of have the ghost-eyes going."

He curses and tosses his hands at his sides. "Did Mom and Dad see?"

"I don't think they noticed." We would know if they had.

Danny blows out a breath, and his eyes are a human blue once more. "I don't know why I bothered asking. I knew what their answer would be." He rakes his fingers through his hair. "I just- Ugh! Why does this matter so much?"

"Because they're our parents, Danny. And, because you love them. And, they love you too. Even if they don't always get it right." I brush a fresh tear, a human one, off his cheek. "Just remember. No matter what happens, Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom have at least one ally in this house. And, I'm not the only person who loves all of you."

Danny wraps his arms around me and buries his face in my hair. "I'm so glad you're my sister."

A wave of affection warms me. "Good," I say, returning his embrace. "'Cause I'm glad you're my brother."

He kisses my cheek and holds me tighter.

And so ends the first part of this little series of mine. I hope you enjoyed what we have so far, because I have a lot of madness planned. I don't know if the next part will be completed as quickly as this one was, though. I've got a Pokemon fic I've been neglecting because inspiration is like that. I'm going to try and better balance my writing time between them, but again, we all know what inspiration is like, so we'll see what happens.

Either way, thanks a bunch for reading, and I'll hopefully see you all in Part Two!