Holiday Truce Gift
AO3 Link | 3.3k words
@ceciliaspen I was your holiday truce gifter — I went for the Danny and Jazz sibling angst cause I thought that would be pretty interesting. Sorry it’s so late!
@phandomholidaytruce
After pondering over the whereabouts of her brother, Jazz spots Danny using his ghost powers and instantly assumes the worst.
A white glow beaming through the trees is what stirs Jazz from her stupor in the middle of the darkened park.
It’s just a small starburst of light that glows through the spindly trees, something so infinitesimal that the teenager thinks it’s just a flicker of her imagination, but nonetheless, her fingers clench to the bench warily. Watching.
What is it? Who is it?
For the past week, she’s been returning to this spot, an old rickety bench shaded by a glade of pine trees that stretch into the moonlight. Sitting, simply to contemplate on Danny. Something is up with him, she’s certain.
It eases her somehow, to be out of her crowded household, able to sit and dwell in her own thoughts and growing concern for her brother, with only the rustling pine trees for company.
However, it seems tonight she isn't the only one in this lonely park.
“Hello?” She calls out into the darkness, trying not to show the fear that’s building within. Her blue eyes scan the tall trees with caution.
Silence.
And then, there, she catches sight of another white glimmer through the bracken.
“Okay.” She breathes, eyes narrowing as she pushes herself off the bench and turns around to face the trees fully, “Stop messing around. Who are you? What do you want?!”
The flickering ceases for a few seconds, and Jazz braces, eyes still darting for any sight of the mysterious light. It can’t have disappeared that quickly, right?
Right?
Hopefully, it’s gone for good this time. She’s gotten attached to this place, even though it’s been merely a week. She doesn’t want to have to leave to find elsewhere.
But if whatever this creature is remains here, she’d rather leave it undisturbed than potentially anger it with her presence then have her parents land in and make everything worse. They’d find that not just Danny, but also her, have been sneaking out.
It’s not worth the risk.
Chilly air wisps past Jazz’s shoulders as she begins to take a hesitant step back towards the town. The cold air prickles her skin, an uneasy feeling dripping down her spine. As if something is watching her, following her every move.
Stupid! Shouting into a forest with a dangerous thing in it is never a good idea!
“And now, I guess it’s behind me.” She mumbles, reaching for her phone in her pocket, prepared to call her parents, help just seconds away. But something makes her pause.
This thing, this creature, she hasn’t even set eyes onto. It hasn't done anything to harm her, simply fly around the trees at a ridiculously fast pace. She doesn’t know what or who this thing could be.
And her parents? Well they could be…over the top.
Is it really a good idea to put an innocent creature at the stakes of her parents?
But is it really a good idea to face this thing when I’m practically defenceless?
She can't take the unknown any longer. Tension grows as seconds pass, growing fear building in her stomach.
Nothing happens.
Whatever the thing is – is still here, the teenager can tell from the dull glow out of the corner of her eye, which illuminates the grass and back of the bench. Around her, the atmosphere is even colder now. A gentle hum fills her ears like white noise, filling the empty silence. Familiar.
But Jazz doesn’t know why.
Why is the humming familiar? She’s heard it before, and even the pale white, almost blueish glow brings a twang of familiarity.
Only ghosts make humming noises like that.
Oh. oh.
Jazz almost facepalms, but remembers the presence behind her and stops.
“It’s Amity Park! Of course it would be a ghost. What else would it be?” Sighing heavily, Jazz looks down at her skirt pocket. Maybe that phone call to her parents wouldn’t be so bad.
“Wow! You got it first time and you haven’t even looked at me yet! Ten points.” An echoey voice chides behind her, young and enthusiastic.
Terror jolts through Jazz as she turns around rapidly, fists clenched, ready to face the unknown ghost. She might not be a ghost hunter, but she can pack a punch, thank you very much.
“Stay awa—“ The girl’s voice cuts off almost instantaneously as she catches sight of the figure who’s been lurking behind her.
It’s Phantom. A ghost which her parents have recalled monstrous tales of countless times. A ghost which has been hailed a hero by some in the town, or an abomination to their town.
Good or bad, he’s still one of the most powerful ghosts in Amity.
“What are you doing here?” She asks, edging towards the brittle wood of the bench. A crestfallen look flashes on Phantom’s face before he shakes his head wildly and gently floats to the floor.
What was that look for? She thinks, as the ghost looks at her awkwardly. He’s a powerful entity that can shoot ectoplasm from his hands without a second thought, or perform any other supernatural feats on instinct. But now…he just looks like a dorky kid.
“Uh…I’m here ‘cause I wanted to have a fly at night? The stars are always great to look at.” He smiles sheepishly, although his response sounds more like a feeble excuse than anything.
“Right…” she nods, and begins to turn, expecting the ghost to fly off quickly. Phantom never remains in one place for long, backed up by the constant rants of her parents about how finicky he is.
Although if there was the danger of being shot at or dissected, Jazz doesn’t think she’d want to stay for long, either.
But he doesn’t.
The ghost just stands there. Blinking.
Finally, he speaks again.
“Aren’t you like…gonna call your parents or something?”
“Why would I?”
“Well I’m a ghost and all that.. y’know?” He shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck and averting his eyes from her. For some reason, that gesture looks familiar.
Of course Phantom would assume she’d call her parents (she almost did but that’s beside the point), but now as she glanced at him…she just can’t.
He can’t be any older than fourteen at most — he’s just a kid about Danny’s age. Except, he’s dead.
“How did you die?” The words blurt out before she can stop them, and Phantom tenses, green eyes narrowing slightly.
“That’s none of your business.” Phantom glares at her, before his gaze softens and he resumes the awkward teenager look, “Sorry.”
Jazz shakes her head, trying to ignore the familiarity of his angered expression.
You should never ask a ghost how they died. You know that already!
Although, the teenager can’t help the small speck of morbid curiosity at Phantom’s death. He can’t be much older than her brother, and it’s well known that to become a ghost…the death isn’t pleasant.
She doesn’t want to know what killed him.
“No, I should be sorry. It was rude and insensitive to ask.” Pointing to herself, Jazz watches the ghost relax slightly.
“Wow…you really aren’t like your parents, are you?” He lightly mumbles under his breath, so quietly she probably shouldn’t have heard it.
“I don't think so.” She shakes her head, observing as Phantom’s eyes go wide with shock. He hadn't been expecting her to hear his remark, “I haven’t had many interactions with ghosts. Heck, I didn’t believe they were real until just a few months ago. And well, you and the others are living proof that I was wrong.”
“Dead proof.” He juts in, correcting her with a cheeky smirk on his face, arms folded.
Jazz rolls her eyes. Looking out onto the park cast in moonlight, the teenager suddenly becomes aware of her surroundings.
Crud! I should be getting back!, She thinks, facing at her watch with rising anxiety. 2am. No doubt her parents would trail tiredly up from the lab to head to bed, and no doubt they would notice her wide open bedroom door with her not inside the room.
“I have to go.” She tells Phantom hurriedly, who watches her with a strange look of worry in his green eyes. What does he have to be worried about?
Gesturing to her watch, she turns and paces through the glade, not giving another glance to the ghost as she leaves him there.
I’m so going to get caught! Panic ebbs in her chest as she continues to rush against an invisible timer, hoping that her parents haven’t gotten out of the lab yet.
Is this how Danny feels? Rushing back every night from wherever he goes, praying that his absence hasn’t been caught and that he won’t face another drawl of discipline?
The thought of Danny makes her wonder where he is. She did sneak out to unfold her tangled thoughts about him, after all.
What’s going on with him?
Whatever it is he’s up to, she can only hope he’s not in any danger.
—
Thankfully, the house is silent when Jazz returns home, peeking her head hesitantly around the door to check for any signs of her parents.
They must’ve gone to bed. She thinks, noting the absence of any whirring or clanging from the basement. Good. Less chance she’ll get detected, both her parents are deep sleepers.
As she climbs the stairs warily, the teenager can’t help but wonder where Danny is. Is he still outside, doing whatever he does? Possibly in danger right this very moment?
Her chest clamours at the thought. No matter how many weak excuses he tries to scramble through, there’s no denying the bruises she’s seen on his face or the remnants of scars lurking on his arms. The only thing she can be thankful for is that he seems to bounce back pretty quickly from whatever applies(//) the injuries.
And who is injuring him? She has no clue.
No logical explanations can be made towards Danny’s injuries and absences.
“You better be in your room for once.” She mumbles to herself, eventually climbing to the top of the stairs.
To her utter disappointment and lack of surprise, Danny’s bedroom door is wide open, and he’s nowhere to be seen.
Danny, you idiot! What does a fourteen year old do that warrants sneaking every night and ending up with mysterious injuries?!
For some strange reason, she finds her thoughts casting back to Phantom. He only looks about Danny’s age, much too young to die.
What if whatever Danny’s gotten himself caught up in gets him—
No. No. She can’t think like that.
Danny might be sneaking out every night, but he’s got a sensible head on his shoulders. He knows how to keep himself safe.
Right? His injuries say otherwise.
Staring aimlessly at the empty room, she traipses down the hallway and partially into her doorway, when a light thump and a tired groan makes her freeze in shock. Blue eyes fixate to the source of the noise, her fingers clenching the doorframe as she waits.
What is it with the abundance of things lurking in the shadows tonight? Sure, the first strange apparition was only Phantom -- but now in Fentonworks of all places?
How'd the ghost even get in? Surely the alarm system would've gone off?
But...what if it isn't a ghost?
Danny.
Of course! Jazz rolls her eyes.
She’s about to approach and ask him of his whereabouts. That is until Danny takes a glance around the corridor, and steps towards his door…. then walks right through it .
What.
This—this can’t be real. What she’s seeing has to be in her imagination, just something pretend—
Danny can’t have just walked through his door. It’s not real. She’s just seeing things funny.
But she’s the only one standing in the corridor.
And he was there before.
What? How ?
Dropping to the floor in shock, Jazz can’t cast her eyes away from the spot where she’s just seen her very human brother walk through his bedroom door.
How—what just—none of this makes sense!
Danny’s alive .
Human.
I’m pretty sure humans don’t walk through walls.
Her heart pounds in her chest as she tries to comprehend the situation, and ultimately fails. How..? Humans don’t just walk through walls as if it’s a casual thing. Yet Danny had done just that.
Humans don’t walk through walls…but ghosts do.
What if Danny is a ghost? The thought is meagre, tiny, but it’s enough to stay embedded, Jazz’s heart pooling with dread as she clenches her fingers together worriedly.
It’s a stupid thought. Ridiculous.
But what other explanation is there for intangibility?
Overshadowing, perhaps, but his eyes weren’t any different from their usual icy blue. It was just Danny, his appearance the same as usual.
But if he’s a ghost…that means he’s dead.
Her baby brother is dead.
And she never even knew.
How did he die? How long ago was it? Why didn’t he tell anyone? The urge to run into his room and demand the answers is strong, but she can’t do that.
Danny hasn’t told anyone. There must be a reason for it.
A few heavy minutes later, Jazz picks herself up off the floor, feeling damp tears running down her face. She wasn’t even aware she’d been crying.
“God…Danny. What’d you do?” She mumbles quietly, entering her bedroom and closing the door. Groggily, she heads straight for the bed, ignoring the pile of unfinished homework and I tidied clothes on the floor.
Danny is her main priority right now.
How long has he been dead for?
Has she really been that unobservant of him, to not even notice he’s dead?
No, no. That’s stupid.
He doesn’t look any different to than he was when he was alive, and he was probably trying to keep it deliberately hidden from them.
Of course he would.
Being a ghost and the son of ghost hunters?
It must be terrifiying.
And Jazz can’t exactly forget all the times that their parents ranted about dissecting and experimenting on the ghosts, how they were all pieces of scum — right in front of Danny.
But now…what can she do?
If Jazz told Danny she knew, it mightn’t be the best possible outcome. It might push him further away.
As horrible as it is to say, Jazz can’t keep this to herself. Silently grieving her brother whilst everyone carries on as normal.
Someone needs to know other than her.
Someone who doesn’t really know her that well, but also wouldn’t spill anything.
Phantom.
It’s worth a shot, she thinks. If she returns to the pine forest tomorrow to find him, she can at least tell someone. Obviously, not the full story, cutting a few corners — it is Danny’s secrets, not hers, after all.
Maybe he can help her on what to do.
Phantom must’ve had a family at some point, had to face them and tell them he was the ghost of their deceased family member, right? He’s probably already experienced in that field, as much as it pains Jazz’s heart.
And even if he can’t give advice on what to do…Phantom could be a good support for Danny. They’re both a similar age, both ghosts.
Having Danny talk to someone, confide in someone would be brilliant-
“Stop it!” Jazz scolds herself angrily, staring up into darkness, “You know you shouldn’t be making scenarios in your head like that. Why would Phantom help Danny? He doesn’t even know him!”
Even with the mental scolding, the plan is set. Tomorrow she’ll wait in the forest for Phantom. And if he doesn’t show up—
Well, for once, she doesn’t know.
And maybe she never will fully know what happened to Danny. Never get the answers, watching her brother grow more distant and ghostly.
Terrified, those thoughts alone lull her into an uneasy sleep.
—
Uncertainty is heavy in Jazz’s heart as she heads towards the familiar rickety bench with it’s looming pine trees. What if Phantom isn’t even here?
This might not even be his regular area, either. Just a one off random chance that she happened to see him yesterday. With more uncertainty building in her chest by the second, she sits on the bench, looking out onto the sprawling sky with twinkling stars.
Danny would love this, she considers, seeing all the constellations dotted in the night. Jazz herself can’t name a single one of the dapples in the sky, but Danny can recite them by heart.
Does he still love the constellations? Of course he probably does. This past year has been a difficult one for him, no doubt.
Adapting to death – no time to enjoy things when you have to focus on hiding your ghostliness and try not to get dissected by your parents. Her heart lurches.
“I wish I could've noticed sooner.” She mumbles to herself, “Maybe then I could've helped. I don’t know how, but at least he’d have someone to talk to.”
“Could've helped with what?” An echoey voice cuts off her mumbling, and she looks up to see Phantom crouching at the other end of the bench, one leg hanging off the bench and the other tucked into his chest.
His expression becomes one of concern as soon as he sees her stricken face.
“What’s wrong?” The ghost asks, worry shining in his eyes.
A mix of relief and grief stirs in Jazz's stomach. Relief that he’s here – but grief at her failure of not helping Danny sooner. Wiping away a few tears on her cheeks, she looks at him.
“I–” she mumbles, but doesn’t say anything.
“Do you need help with something? It looks like you need it. I’m pretty good at helping people.” The ghost yatters, then grimaces sheepishly, “Well at least I try to be. I don’t think ou– your parents see it that way.”
A small chuckle escapes her as she sinks back into the chair, the wood digging her back. He’s just like an awkward kid. Too young to lose his life.
Just like Danny.
Sighing heavily, Jazz begins to speak, “What would you do if someone you know, someone you love, has really been posing as a human, but they’re dead?”
It’s a big question to unload at once, clearly expressed as Phantom freezes and his mouth draws open in shock. Several different emotions flicker across Phantom’s face as he runs a hand through his hair and stretches out his legs in front of him.
He’s silent for a while, pondering something that she doesn’t know.
After a few minutes, he finally questions back.
“Can–can you elaborate? I need context here, depending on what you’re talking about.”
“Well…” considers Jazz, “It’s about my brother. I–I think he’s d–dead. And I didn't even notice! I don’t know when or how or what but I saw him walking right through his bedroom door, and that’s intangibility and no human can have ghost powers – his eyes were still blue he wasn’t overshadowed – I don’t know what to do. God, I’m such a bad sister – I didn't even notice my own baby brother was dead!”
The dam breaks and she can’t stop the flood of words or emotions that pass her, long unaware of Phantom’s shocked and concerned gaze. She's been holding this all day, having to watch Danny go on about a normal day, knowing about the secrets he holds inside, knowing that however long ago, he died violently and none of them even noticed.
"Jazz! Jazz!" Phantom yells, which shocks her out of her stupor.
"What?" She asks, wiping away tears with the sleeve of her sweater.
Phantom tenses, and breathes heavily, even though Jazz didn't even think it possible for ghosts to breathe.
"I need to tell you something." He says, voice coated with tension. His fingers grip the side of the chair as he gestures to himself, "I've been keeping a secret.. something I probably should've told you a while ago before it got this far...I kept on bailing out.”
”What—what do you mean?” She asks, incredulously. Before yesterday, she’s rarely encountered Phantom before.
”Just please. Let me show you.” Phantom says, his voice shaky as his green eyes lock onto hers.
A white ring appears around his stomach, and all Jazz has ever known is turned on it’s axis.
