Only Half

Merge

A/N: This one also has two chapters put together, since they were both also relatively short.

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A full half an hour passed as everyone began setting up for the inevitable merge, which they hoped beyond hope would work. Danny and Tucker carried his human half to a table in the lab downstairs, while Sam kept watch near a window in the kitchen to look out for Valerie's warning if she happened to come. Jazz was speed-reading a few sections in her most detailed medical book about the proper method to stitching wounds. She knew the gist of it, but you could never be too careful. And Jazz was the type of girl who preferred to be quick and precise. She hated being wrong or making stupid mistakes.

Once everything was put in place, Jazz nodded to Danny and Tucker, signaling to them that it was alright to go out. They both headed out after asking once if she needed them to do anything else. She replied with a polite no, and they headed up the stairs. "Thank you, Jazz..." Danny said softly, once Tucker had already entered the kitchen.

Jazz looked at the ghost form of her little brother and smiled genuinely. "Don't sweat it, Danny. Everything will be perfectly fine."

He managed to send a smile back before also entering the kitchen and joining his two best friends in a small and quiet conversation about things that didn't really matter - like video games or Lancer's latest essay assignment - but took their mind off of the here and now.

It took another two hours but finally Jazz was done. She came upstairs with sweat beading on her forehead but a smile on her face. The trio of friends followed her back downstairs, eager to see what she managed to accomplish since obviously she seemed proud of herself. Jazz tended to be a bit too hard on herself sometimes, so more often than not, Danny noticed she was frustrated rather than happy with her work. To say she was a perfectionist would be more than an understatement.

When the other three teenagers came to look at the table, they noticed that not only was the blood cleaned up, but the stitches were flawlessly done, as if a professional had sewn up Danny's human body themselves. "And you say you don't want to be a surgeon anymore?" said Tucker in awe. Jazz couldn't help but blush at the compliment. "Well, thanks, but I think psychology suits me more."

"We'll see about that," answered Danny, as he touched the arm of his other self. He closed his eyes in anxiety, nervous about what he was supposed to do next. Sam was the first to notice his distress and tense body language. "Danny, are you okay?" she asked quietly. Jazz and Tucker looked up and came closer to Danny as well once they noticed. "Dude, you'll be fine. I know it. You're the strongest person I know! Well, besides Sam, but." He gave a lopsided grin. Danny couldn't help but smile tentatively back. "Thanks, Tuck," he answered.

Jazz put her hand on his and gave him an encouraging smile. "You'll make it, little brother. Clockwork wouldn't have told you this just to get your hopes up, would he?"

Danny nodded to satisfy her, but he couldn't help thinking, Oh you don't know him like I do...

After several minutes had passed, Danny had finally worked up the courage. Just when he made his hand intangible to begin the process of merging back, however, a cry was heard from upstairs. Tucker looked at the others and said quickly, "Keep going, I'll go check it out!" With that he went up, leaving Danny, his sister, and Sam still wondering what had caused the noise. Upstairs, they heard familiar voices speaking. One was no doubt Tucker, the other higher-pitched one was Valerie.

"-come on, Tucker! We've got to hurry! The box ghost escaped and they're on their way back! They'll be here in twenty minutes at the most!"

"Alright, alright, I'll tell them. Can you see if you can stall them any longer?"