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meowmeowmeowmeow4x · 8 months ago

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Dark Blue Moon and the Suffering Sun Chapter 28

>:D

mastapost

The Panama Canal was one of the greatest feats of 20th Century engineering. Originally, ships that wished to cross from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, or vice versa, were forced to make the long and arduous journey around South America, a trip that would take 20,000 kilometres, which would also mean our story would be much, much longer (or at least require more time skips).

It was not as simple as digging a ditch. Panama is a beautiful, but very rugged country, with hilly and mountainous terrain that halted the French in their tracks. That, and the copious mosquitoes. Landslides and rain beat back attempts to dig the canal in the 19th Century. But the dream did not end.

How did the Americans do it? All they needed was a bit of lateral thinking. Instead of digging the entire canal and attempting to conquer the mountains and hills, engineers built a dam to flood an artificial lake, leaving a 15km stretch of unflooded land. This is where they built the remaining canal. In order to raise ships into the canal’s lever, they build a system of locks. Each lock would funnel water into the one behind it, raising the ship until the water level was even on both sides, and so on.

The Canal was vital in the war effort in World War 2, and it was a target of the Japanese I-400 programme, until Okinawa fell, and it was decided that destroying the locks would have had no effect on the war.

This is where the story takes Danny and Damian.

“Land ho!” Danny cried out at the first patch of land. At last, after however many thousands of miles travelling (Danny had lost count) they were here.

“We are not sailors.” Damian grumbled. Maybe he was getting excited too. Danny could feel the way the kid’s fin’s thumped on Danny’s scales, like a puppy wagging its tail.

“Right, we’re just borrowing one of man kind’s most impressive engineering accomplishments for sailing.”

Damian huffed. “As sea creatures infamous for attacking sailors. Be glad we are not in the olden days, or our presence would have caused national, or international panic.”

Danny felt the urge to riff on the kid’s comment, but he remembered the stinging silence from yesterday. He decided not to push boundaries this early back into their kind-of make-up. “As it is I’m sure the authorities don’t mind that much. Probably don’t even believe in sirens. I think they’d just be angry that we didn’t pay the fee.”

With the canal in sight, Danny zoomed into the bay in minutes. The bay narrowed into a waterway leading inland underneath a huge bridge. Danny gasped at the size and scale of the thing. The boys continued up the bay. They dodged ship propellers, dove underneath hulking hulls. The water tinged with the smell of barnacles and metal. Nobody was out on the shoreline looking for sirens, which was a big plus, but Danny still kept a tight handle on his invisibility whenever they got close to the surface.

Soon, they reached the first lock.

“We gonna jump over or what?”

Damian trilled. “That would be an easy way to get spotted.”

“I can make us invisible, duh.”

“They would notice the splashes. We have not seen the GiW in some time, but I would prefer not to give them any ideas. We do not know who could be watching.”

With that, Danny found himself icing his body to the hull of some random cargo freighter. The ship approached the locks. They waited for painstaking minutes, watching the water level rise inch by inch. Once it reached the midway point up the next lock, the gates opened. Then the ship slowly inched forward. Then the water level inched upward again.

“This is gonna take for-freaking-ever.”

“Swimming around South America would have taken forever.”

“Uuggghhh.”

It would’ve been nice if there were some pretty landscapes to stare at for the next however many hours this would take. Sadly, their surroundings were all smooth concrete underwater, void of life and energy. Above water, it was the same, save for some small patches of grass and dirt lined the edges of the locks. Workers and vehicles milled about with their tasks on barren grey roads. The shipyard buzzed like persistent mosquitoes. Whirring machinery, shouted orders and gasping engines filled the air. He even felt a literal mosquito land on his nose when he surfaced to check. He was invisible! What the fuck!

So Danny dipped back underwater, hopefully drowning the little blood sucker. He didn’t want to know what a mosquito could do with his blood.

“What is the situation?” Damian asked.

“Boring. And normal, I guess. The stench is killing me though. God damn.”

Damian’s ear fins quirked. “Do sirens worship Christ?”.

“Uhh, not sure. I’m totally atheist though. Must be why the Fentons call me godless sometimes.”

The next lock finally finished opening. The ship continued inching painfully forward. The hum of its engine echoed back and forth in the ditch.

“Gahhh! Please. Move. Faster!” He banged the hull.

“Please stop complaining. You are contributing to the noise.”

Danny went to make another complaint, only for Damian to nip him in the ear.

“Yowch! What was that for!”

Damian went for the other ear.

That was when Danny sniffed a familiar scent. He slapped his hand over Damian’s mouth. “Wait. Something’s up.”

Damian froze. “What?”

The boys scanned the lock. They were alone in there, without a doubt. Danny’s lateral line only sensed Damian with him, and the scent of another sea creature would have been a beacon in the stale water.

Danny broke off from the ship. He melted his ice, just to be safe. The boy carried Damian above the surface invisibly.

“You see anything?”

“Just employees. And equipment.”

“Let’s look behind us.”

The water level had just about filled the up to the top of the gate behind them. There was little risk of being left behind by the next, seeing as Danny’s swimming speed would let them catch up with the boat in seconds. It took little effort for the boy to scale up the walls and peek overhead.

He was treated to a vast overhead view of the waterway. Danny hummed. All he could see was more machines dotting the side of the canal underneath tree cover, and beyond, the vast blue sea.

Damian squeezed his arm like a vice. “We have potential trouble.”

The older boy scrambled. “What? Where?”

“Down there.” Damian pushed the back of his head down.

Danny’s heartrate spiked. Just approaching the lock system was a familiar white boat. Nerves buzzed underneath his skin, like insects crawling into his scales. “I don’t understand. They have no reason to think we’d be here.”

“Perhaps they are just passing by. It could be a coincidence. Will they detect us?”

“Probably not. Radars to detect are expensive as hell, and only the Fentons know how to make them. They’d have to use sonar, and that can only happen if they’re in the same water as us.”

The boys dipped back into the water. Damian clenched his white shoulder. “We will be past these locks by the time they open for that boat.”

Danny nodded quickly. “Yeah. We’ll be fine.”

They returned to waiting.

His fins flipped back and forth in place. Back and forth. He counted the inches. He cheered every new inch the water level took. Why did it take so long just to move some freaking water?! His fins sped up, becoming a blur. They stirred up eddy currents and swirls. At some point he even felt eddies from Damian’s fins too.

Danny took a deep breath. Fear was the mind killer, or whatever they said. Even if his back scales felt like knives were raking over them, the rational part of his mind tried to insist it was all fine. They were probably just moving some assets to the Atlantic. A million and one different ships used this passage.

But it wasn’t right. His nose was good in this form, but not that good. That boat was over fifty meters away in a completely different body of water.

“Damian. There’s more to this. There’s gotta be.”

“Your nerves are contagious. Keep a handle on them.” Damian grumbled.

“I’m serious. I couldn’t have smelled that boat. It’s like a football field away on a different lock. It’s impossible.”

The swirls of water from the small siren’s fins ceased. Danny couldn’t see him, but he felt the weight distribution change a little, like Damian had just lifted his head. “This warrants further investigation.”

The boys resurfaced again. Danny climbed his way up the walls of the lock on the side. They peered over the edge, keeping their noses open. “I don’t see anything.”

Maybe he was overthinking it from stress…

Just then, Damian tugged his sail. “The other side!” He hissed.

Danny turned around. At the edge of the shipyard, his vision clipped onto two distinct white suits talking to some important look guy in a black suit and hard hat. The black suit guy pulled out a walkie talkie. Suddenly, Danny realised the water level had been still for some time.

His voice lowered to a whisper. “Damian, I don’t think they’re just passing by.”

“It cannot be. What reason would they have to suspect we would be here?”

“I don’t know.” Danny clenched his fists around the concrete wall they had been sticking to. “But this is getting bad.”

More men appeared on both sides now, carrying harpoons, hydroplasm guns, and water testing equipment. Quiet adrenaline fired into his fins. A warbling growl rumbled in his throat.

“What if we can swim ahead? You have the speed to outrun them.” Damian’s voice trembled unevenly. His hands shook.

“Damian, the water’s stopped raising. They’ve locked down the lock. If I jump, they’ll be on me in a second.”

“We cannot sit here and wait for them.”

“I know.”

Danny wasn’t doing much better. If he were in human form, his hands would be soaked in sweat by now. His head whirled. The agents seemed to be in every direction. The water still wasn’t moving. The gate was still shut tight. Danny could probably squeeze his body through some kind of gap, but Damian? He didn’t want to grind the kid’s bones into pulp.

“What if we fight them?”

“You don’t have any of your weapons, and I’ve barely had anything to eat.” No food meant no healing, and little energy to toss ice beams willy-nilly.

“Do we have no other option?”

He cursed the stupid freaking GiW. At least his parents had their moments. Nothing good ever happened when the goons in wetsuits showed up. The last time he and Damian saw them was in freaking Amity Bay! His head spun trying to figure out what had given them away. What could get them out of this situation?

There was one other option. The option Danny had desperately hoped would never have to be considered. But it wasn’t just Danny’s safety now. At least his parents had the decency not to dissect Damian (at least during their stay on the SAV). The GiW would be much less merciful.

Danny’s heart rate spiked. Do or die, then. Sink or swim. He gathered up every ounce of courage that still survived his parents.

“We do.”

“Do it now.”

Danny squared up his shoulders, acutely aware of how the scales on his arms touched those on his armpits. How the water touched his back with no clothes in the way. “Do you trust me?”

Damian hesitated. He could smell the kid’s reservation in the water. He counted the steps the GiW agents took, as if in slow motion. “I have no other person to rely on.”

“We won’t be able to cross Panama. We’ll have to go back the direction we came.” Guilt jumped into the party of stressors stomping on his nervous system.

Damian warbled, like a wounded animal. “I know.”

They were so fucking close. They’d just barely gotten into Panama, and it’s all been ruined and he didn’t even know why.

“Hang on to me. And whatever you do, be quiet.”

Danny placed one arm on the top surface of the lock. He used it to pull himself up and over the edge, pushing with his second arm. Slowly he pulled his entire body over the edge of the wall. Danny began wiping drops of water off his body. He could do it while still being completely wet, but it hurt like a bitch and took ages.

Slowly, invisibly, his scales receded into skin. His tail split open. Its bones reshaped into legs. His tailfin hardened into feet. Danny stood up, still clutching Damian to his chest. The boy gasped at the sudden increase in elevation. And despite being invisible, he could practically feel the boy’s judgement baring down on him.

The GiW agents were closing in.

Danny stuck to the dirt and grass. The asphalt would have fried his bare feet off. Not a pleasant sensation. A pair of agents approached the canal, guns in hand. Danny crept along the side, tiptoeing carefully so as to avoid making a sound and drawing attention.

As Danny slipped away, the pair of agents came up to where he’d just been standing. Thank god.

There was an issue though. The locks were obviously built uphill. That meant going along the canal would bring him through the treacherously steep terrain. Not a good look for a scrawny boy with no shoes who needed to be silent. One slip and the entire force would come down upon him.

Damian squeezed his hand. There had to be a way somehow.

Danny swallowed a thick lump. He formed a layer of ice. Despite it only being a few millimetres, it felt clunky and horrible to walk in, and would definitely make a sound, but it would have to do.

Just carefully. One foot over the other. Let the foot come down gently, like a bee’s landing. Danny walked out into the asphalt, just within earshot of the agents at the edge of the canal.

“Got anything?” The one crouching over it said. He was so tempted to shoot an ice beam and knock him into the water.

“Not yet. It could be hiding from the sensor. We’ll give it another five minutes.”

“It better be close. Sun’s killing me out here.”

One of the nice things about sirens is that they were quite sensitive to heat. Thanks to some nifty evolution, it meant that Danny’s invisibility extended into the infrared and ultraviolet range. That was the only reason he wasn’t getting sunburned out the wazoo, and the only reason Damian hadn’t dried out yet. The air was still very, very warm, but he didn’t need to worry about the radiation from the sun itself.

Danny managed to get out of earshot of those agents. His concentration was split between keeping this ice on his feet solid, and on keeping Damian from dying of heatstroke. The boy remained silent, as requested. Danny’s eyes snapped from one side of his vision to the other, hyper aware of his space, and of the dozen or so agents scattered around the perimeter.

Let it be known that he was no ninja. Probably the only saving grace he had was the fact that they were expecting an invisible fish in the water, and not a kid walking on land. One of the agents barked an order. The agents split into groups of two. The pairs scattered, probably making for the other parts of the canal. That meant two of them were coming his way. Danny’s breath hitched. Sweat dripped down his brow. He iced it over.

Damian’s fins hung low too. Their sharp tips brushed against his belly. He couldn’t stay out here long. He needed water and quick. The boy chirped quietly underneath Danny’s hand.

He ambled to the right of the matching pair. Best to get out of their way. For a bunch of guys in fancy suits, they walked quickly. But Danny couldn’t. His makeshift shoes would be too loud.

He was barely able to get out of their way, barely able to avoid brushing shoulders with the men who wanted him a lab rat. Relief cooled his system like his ice.

Then one of them stopped.

“Wait, G.” He turned around. Turned toward Danny. Hairs stood on end. Knees rattled. “Agent H!”

Danny was seconds away from bolting. Only Damian’s tight grip was able to ground him from doing something stupid.

The man pulled a bottle of sunscreen from his suit. “Agent H! You forgot your mandated sunblock!”

With the GiW agent breaking into a light jog, Danny had seconds to react. He threw his body to the side just as the agent rushed through. The motion pushed his upper body just an inch too far off base. Danny’s eyes widened. He flung his arms wildly, but he could not stop the descent.

He shifted gears. The boy twisted his body so it faced the ground. Damian clung tighter, his claws digging into Danny’s chest. He shoved his hands forward. No time to ice them over. Danny planted his fingers on the ground. Sunbaked pebbles seared his fingers. His tongue bled as he bit down the urge to cry out.

His scream was only muffled into a groan. The footsteps of the agent stopped.

“What?” The man whispered.

Danny became a statue. The man’s gaze crawled over his back like an ant colony. Danny’s pulse stomped around in his ears. In his burning fingers. Each millisecond a war between the urge to cry out, the emergency signals of heat and pain, and the adrenaline that he could not let out. Just hunched over, still.

“Agent F! I’m turning into sun-dried tomatoes here!”

At last, at long last, the aforementioned Agent F took off. “Sorry! Just got distracted by some mosquito buzzing.”

Fuck. That was close. Too close.

Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink.

Panama Canal.

What was that menace doing, heading for Panama Canal?

Maddie Fenton’s phone lay off to the side of the console. The new stream chattered. She paused from her work (really just staring at the radar) to refresh the news sites in English. Then whatever Spanish sites, translated by her browser. Nothing. A week ago she would have gone in guns blazing, ready to take out the pelagic punks and stop them from carrying out their dastardly plot.

With their engines busted, that plan wasn’t looking very good. After six hours of repairs, she and Jack had only managed to achieve a fraction of their original top speed. Enough to get them to Panama eventually, but not any time soon. They still had more repairs scheduled. It was only due to Jazz’s intervention that they sat down and took a break.

She wanted to work. She wanted to throw herself into metal and nuts and bolts. Anything to keep her mind from that face.

For years she had made it her mission to bring the sirens to justice for all they had done to her family and others. The few times she got up close to a siren they were vicious, snarling predators. She expected the same stubborn defiance from Phantom.

His resistance was token, at best. She could tell how scared he was even as he put up a tough face. Then he broke down, sobbing and incoherent. It was fake. It was all an act. It had to be. Phantom was stalling for time. He was manipulating her from the start. It had to be. It had to be.

How could it be?

She pulled off her gloves. She stared at the quivering hands, the hands that were a moment away from pulling the trigger. She was so sure she would have done it. He had to have known. He was an awful liar. Tried to misdirect and feign ignorance, and gave himself away every time. Who did he think he was fooling? And yet she could not steady her hands.

Maybe that was his con all along. Not even try to be convincing. Just babble whatever nonsense to lead them along like a string of helpless ducklings until help arrived.

Phantom had never worked with anyone else before. Not from his own kind, at least.

Maddie sipped a cold cup of tea. Maybe he had been migrating, and these were his original pod? If he were with his original pod, then there would be a lot more noise in Panama. The canals were narrow. Phantom was on the smaller side, but even two adults would have been noticed, right?

Did they even exist at all?! She had rebooted and reconfigured the radar, spending hours only for it to fail to detect any of Phantom’s pod. It was like they showed up for one moment, then vanished into thin water the next.

It wasn’t enough. The scientist in her demanded more evidence. Her hypotheses felt flimsy even to her, like there was something that was glaringly missing.

It all went back to that expression. That haunted anguish. Those streaming tears. The face that tore her vision away and replaced it with years of comfort. Years of holding Danny close. To that day when Danny showed up back home six months ago, the day a miracle came to her.

His face was the same back then. Maddie had rushed to hug the son she’d thought she’d lost. However, her baby boy flinched back, like she was going to strike him.

It broke her heart then.

“Mom?” Her daughter leaned into the door way.

“Jazz, I told you to take it easy.”

Jazz came inside, and sat down on the chair beside her. “I am taking it easy. Just getting some fresh air.”

She leaned to the side, her eyes discerning like they’d always been.

“Mom, are you ok?”

Dammit. Was it that obvious? Maddie shook her head. “You know me too well, Jazz.”

She pulled her daughter in. She held her and let herself be grateful that at least she was still here. That there was still hope, somehow. But that hope now clouded over with uncertainty.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?”

It shouldn’t be that way. Maddie was the mother here. It was her who was supposed to be comforting Jazz, but it was the other way around again.

“I just don’t know. Jazz. I thought I knew everything I needed to get the job done, but…”

But now she didn’t. Jazz nodded silently, letting her continue.

Maddie held her tighter. Her voice lowered to a whisper. “Sweetie, I’m not sure anymore. Jazz, I can’t get it of my head. The way he looked at us. The way he didn’t. And I’ve been thinking about it for hours and I can’t make heads or tails on it. None of my theories can make up any kind of framework that could explain what happened.”

“Maybe it’s time to find a new framework?”

Maddie pulled back in puzzlement. “What do you mean?”

“Find new evidence. If the current evidence contradicts established theories, then hunt for new evidence that could explain the discrepancies. And then establish a new more comprehensive theory.”

That… made a lot of sense. It was at times like these she marvelled at the brilliance of her daughter. But there was just one issue.

“But your father and I still haven’t finished repairs yet.”

“That’s ok, Mads!”

Her husband and Bruce leaned in to the bridge as well. Bruce Wayne’s head still sported a large bandage around it, but the man was looking much better for wear.

Jack continued. “It was obvious we weren’t as prepared as we could be. Otherwise the fishie little fiend wouldn’t have given us the slip. With the SAV busted, I say we take Jazzie’s advice and go on recon mode.”

Determination shined from Bruce’s squared shoulders. “Jack’s right. We can take the jet skis and catch up to Phantom easily. Then we can observe him ourselves or deploy a drone or two.”

That was surprisingly sensible. They needed more information. Then they could cross out the possibilities and the what ifs, and narrow down the truth.

More than anything, Maddie needed the truth.

Damian was beginning to get uncomfortable. The mucus coating his scales meant that they remained moist. However, he still lost water due to respiration. Not to mention the sweltering heat. Although he did not suffer the burning sunlight due to Danny’s invisibility, the humid air also contributed to his discomfort. As a fish out of water, Damian could tell he could not last much longer.

But his physical discomfort could only distract from the real questions in his mind for so long. Why did Danny hide this ability from him for so long? What was he so scared of? In hindsight it was logical that a siren with the ability to turn humans into their species could also turn themselves into humans. Damian felt the soft, human skin of Danny’s chest against his own scales. His cheeks just so happened to be laying where the teenager’s gills used to be. Now they were smooth. Damian numbly counted Danny’s ribs, which jutted out.

Why did he expect Damian to trust him when he still continued to hide things from him?

Danny walked into a clearing. He carried Damian far past the shipping yard that they had crawled out of, and into a building. It appeared to be some kind of administrative building. Damian nudged him with his chin. Where was he taking them? He walked through the glass sliding doors behind a member of staff. Cool air conditioning chilled Damian’s scales. Danny bee lined for the bathroom, finding it empty. He iced the door shut.

Damian found himself placed into the (thankfully clean) sink. Cool running water washed over his body, bringing much needed relief. Damian purred quietly underneath the cool tap. For a moment, the room contained only the sound of running water, and Danny’s heavy breathing.

Danny’s invisibility deactivated. Damian watched pallid skin appear out of thin air. Stickly legs shivering. The newly human teenager leaned against the war, panting. His chest had no gills, as he’d expected, and his skin was completely opaque. Black hair appeared where there was white. Eerie aquamarine was replaced with dull blue. A familiar face rendered bare of scales or fins was revealed. A very, very familiar face.

And instantly, everything clicked into place for Damian.

#dpxdc #danny fenton #damian wayne #dcxdp #merman #merboy #mermaid au #angst #bruce wayne #good parents jack and maddie fenton #good sibling jazz fenton #good friend damian wayne #mer!danny fenton #mer!damian wayne #internal reveal

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parad0xm0th · 2 months ago

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Day 4: Came Back Wrong

Agh, late again oops, this is a pretty experimental fic for this prompt

The following archives come from the recordings of Doctor Madelyn Fenton, made on the occasion of scientific discovery.

Of the nearly 400 recordings uploaded to the archived server, dated from as early as 1984 to the previous three months of this report, we have isolated 5 recordings in particular for the consideration of the board. Additionally, we have a recording captured by two agents out on the field using experimental technology.

Log #204

Date: March 20th, 2004

The recording clicks on, followed by a beat of silence, although not total silence. Before the clear, albeit slightly grainy voice of Dr Fenton cuts through it in practiced ease, the sound of faint laughter can be heard, muffled through the walls of the basement.

“This is Dr. Madelyn Fenton, log number 204, March 20th, o’4. I’ll apologize in advance to whoever is listening back through these logs for our report, the kids are still pretty excited even after the party.” A slight laugh, though a bit exasperated.

“It’s incredible to think about how long it’s been, we started this before even Jazz was born and now look at us, Danny’s just turned 14, Jazz is already looking to go to college, and we’ve finally gotten a far more stable version of the Portal nearly done, oh I’m getting sentimental, my apologies.”

Another beat of silence.

“As I went over in detail in the last recording, we’ve been able to get the structure of the Portal constructed, Jack’s welding job is holding strong as usual and we double and triple checked the math. The whole thing looks a bit of a mess at the moment, but that’s to be expected, we can’t put most of the power connectors into the lining of the Portal wall until we can secure the generator from our agreement with the university.”

Tap tap tap

“...Cut tape here.” Another beat of silence, a sigh. “I’m not sure I understand why they keep dragging their feet about our contract, we should’ve been given the generator a month ago to start doing diagnostics, and we can’t start without them! At this point I’m starting to worry they’re planning to back out of our agreement, which could set us back months, even years! Jack is insisting that they wouldn’t, but I’m not sure that’s not just his old school pride getting the better of him.” A shuffle, and the sound of a metal drawer opening makes whatever else Dr Fenton says under her breath is lost to the microphone being moved.

“Jack says if they try anything funny we could just hook up to the city's power lines and piggybacking off it, but that comes with the risk of getting in trouble with the city again if something goes wrong, and that was difficult enough to deal with the first time.”

Tap tap tap

“Then again, if I’m right and the university is cutting their support, we can’t just twiddle our thumbs in hopes that someone else will pick up our project, we need something to present, suppose that we just try to switch it on briefly to prove our theory using the city's power? Could run less of a risk to knock out the whole city, but would it be stable enough to even give us something tangible? Something to think over, I’ll have to update my logs when I receive word back from the university.”

“Doctor Maddie Fenton signing off.”

According to our records, shortly after this was recorded the University of Wisconsin did in fact pull their funding and agreement of a prototype battery generator with FentonWorks, claiming that their location for their experiments were too close to civilian homes. The Fentons tried to appeal this by citing their research that the place they had chosen was due to the ectoplasmic radiation in the area, making it safer than a remote location.

This appeal was denied.

Our next tape is following this denial.

Log #206

Date: April 2nd, 2007

“This is Dr. Madelyn Fenton, log number 206, April 2nd of 2004. As of the last tape, we have gotten confirmation that our appeal has been denied-” “Cowards, all of them on the board-” “-Jack. Official recording, if you don’t mind.” “Sorry, Mads.” While not speaking into the microphone, the man’s voice over the recording was booming enough, even when he seemed to be quiet, that it was impossible not to hear him, meanwhile Maddie Fenton just sounded clipped and professional. Or at least to most bystanders she did, if you asked either of her children they would say she was pissed.

“Cut. This is Dr. Madelyn Fenton, log number 206, April 2nd of 2004. As of the last tape, we have gotten confirmation that our appeal has been denied and will be going forward with our backup plan.” “Love the backup plan!” “...Jack, would you mind getting out our video equipment?”

“I’ll take the hint!” Heavy steps fade away from the microphone and up the stairs presumably.

“Bless him, but that’s beside the point, we’ll be doing the test run tonight I suppose, I’ve talked to Jazz and Danny and their both out of the house for the weekend to we won’t have any distractions during this, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Danny ends up coming back tomorrow asking for more food money. Teenagers! I’ve seen the pizza boxes in the garbage, it’s a miracle that he and Tucker go through all that and still raid our ice cream after.”

BANG THUNK

“...Honey, are you ok?” The response is too far away to be heard clearly on the recording. “Is the camera ok?” a beat, then a muffled response again. “Well come the rest of the way down and I’ll take a look at it, how much do you have left to hook up back there?” The sound cuts completely.

There is a pause in the tape, when the sound resumes, it’s only the quiet background hum of an empty room.

“Continuation of the previous tape 206. Total failure.” Dr Fenton’s voice was monotone, exhausted even. “Nothing, everything wired together powerflow is positive, it’s been even the whole time, but nothing when we tried to close the circuit, just nothing. It could be an issue we can’t see right away, or there’s something wrong with the part of the power lines connected to Fentonworks, but it’s nothing we’ll be able to troubleshoot right away.” Another heavy sigh escapes her.

“Jack and I will being going up to my sister’s for the rest of the weekend, we already had it blocked off so I’m giving us our own vacation before we go back to find out what went wrong, we need fresh eyes on it and Jack needs to get some air before he decides to go through with taking it all apart and putting it back together again.”

“I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Tap

A deep inhale of breath, the sound of papers being shuffled on a counter.

“End log 206.”

Our sources confirm that shortly after this, the Drs Fentons were tracked going as far as the land plot owned by Dr Madelyn Fenton’s sister, Alicia Walker. We also have confirmation that they did not return until April 4th, and upon arriving back at their residence we have the following tape recounting her perspective of the activated portal.

Traffic light cameras were able to capture Daniel Fenton, Samantha Mason, and Tucker Foley entering the empty residence at 4:35 pm on April 3rd.

The city would then experience a power surge at 5:13 pm.

Log #207

Date: April 4nd, 2007

“This is Dr. Madelyn Fenton. It’s on. Oh my God it’s really on.”

There’s a strange quality to the microphone now that wasn’t there before, a hum, not unlike an air conditioner, becomes white noise over the crackle that covers Dr Fenton’s words.

“We came back from Alicia’s and it was just… Working! Jack’s already acting like it’s christmas and part of me is wondering where to even start! I’m just stuck, I suppose, wondering what could have possibly triggered it, what could have kept it on. Ah, yes I suppose I’m getting ahead of myself, I’m a researcher first and foremost and while Jack’s happy to begin the experiments I still need to make sure we understand what we’re dealing with.”

She clears her throat, papers are shuffled behind the microphone and her tone turns serious as continues.

“Jazz called us last night from urgent care, apparently Danny and his friends came over yesterday and it turned on while they were there. The three of them have since been insisting that Danny had just fell down the stairs when the power cut and hit his head, but I’m not sure I’m buying it. Not that there’s much else I could know without any of them admitting to what really happened, the camera footage is unusable, static and noise and I’m not sure if it’s because of the Portal opening or because Jack dropped it the other day.”

“We had to drive overnight to get back here this morning and I could hardly believe my eyes, you’ll have plenty of footage to pull from for the Portal itself, Jack’s been doing nothing but fill our camera memory with anything he can get a clear shot of. Not that there’s much we can do about the interior, the Portal entrance goes right up to the frame for it which luckily means we were successful in containing it.”

“When we got home last night we were prepared to turn it back off once we got our initial readings but it’s to our great surprise that the portal seems to sustain itself, even after disconnecting it to the power grid, it’s still here. I’m not sure what to make of that yet, but Jack says the doors he’s made should keep out anything that decides to venture through the Portal into our side, but I’d like to have a proper off switch in any case.”

“Maddie come quick!” Jack’s booming voice is covered in a heavy layer of static, and even when Madelyn responds, it too can barely be heard over it.

“-ming Jack, end log 207…”

Log #316

Date: September 7th, 2008

“This is Dr. Madelyn Fenton, log number, oh it must be either 316 or 320 something, the subject that calls itself Technus completely scrambled our systems in the basement yesterday, it’ll take weeks to get everything sorted again.” a groan, the sound of something hitting something metal with a soft thunk. “It feels like everythings been going against us for the last six months, no progress on capturing Phantom, Vlad’s been worse than ever and these days it feels like every two bit ghost hunter wants a bit of the action. Most of them don’t even have the proper tools to capture ghosts, or restrain or affect them in any way, at least the local civilians know better than to try yelling mish-mashed gibberish at them!” Another sigh. “Not that we’ve been much better lately, version 3 of the Ectocurrent taser was as big a failure as its predecessors and with the same pattern too, we test and tinker and get it working in the lab, verify it works in the lab, only for it to be completely unresponsive the moment we finish charging it and take it out to use the next day. It’s gotten to the point that Jack slept down in the basement to make sure no ghost was sneaking in to break the thing, not that just any ghost would be able to understand the technology in the first place, but I digress, he said nothing all night! We might want to just take it out the moment it starts working again and hoping it lasts long enough to be useful against that menace Phan-”

“----” There is no voice on the recording

“Oh, one moment- Something up sweetheart?” Dr Fenton calls, voice turning softer away from the microphone.

“--- ------ ----- -- --- ------ -------- --- --- ----- ---- -- -------- --- --- ----- -- ----” This is not to say there is no sound. “Oh hun I completely forgot, crap, sorry Danny I’ll have to schedule an appointment for you and your sister, is that ok?”

“--- ----- -- ---- --- ---- ------ - ---- --- --- --- -- --- --- ---- ---- ----- -- - ------ ---------- ---- ------- ------ -------” The the noise that was once the ambiance of the basement seems intensified, a one-sided conversation with something.

“You know we just had that ghost attack our systems here, it’s gonna take longer than the weekend to find our copies so we’ll just get it done now. I’m sure you’ll still have time for your friend’s game-”

“--- ----” Let it be noted that listeners to this tape expressed a taste of iron on the tongue during this segment. “No buts! Your sister is due for one more before she gets kicked out for being too old, come on Danny it’s just a physical.” There’s stomping going up the stairs to the basement, then the slam of a door.

“... Teenagers, scarier than ghosts I swear. Anyway, I’ll just cut this here and hopefully we’ll have better luck tomorrow. End log 316.”

Log #PRIV4

Date: September 13th, 2008

“... Private log of Madelyn Fenton, if someone else is listening to this, stop and put it away, any and all other tapes for our research are available for investigation and with any luck I’ll remember to wipe this from our records later. I just-” She cuts herself off, a heavy sniff to steady her voice as it wavers.

“I just need to get my thoughts out.” The next pause is longer, as if the woman considers if she wants to go through with the recording.

“Danny and Jazz’s pediatrician called the day they got seen, she said that Danny-” another pause. “-That Danny was showing some alarming results on his tests. They said his body temperature was colder than it should have been, and his heartbeat was coming back as abnormal and they’re afraid of a heart murmur-” There is a single, heavy sob that bursts from the woman, muttered curses spilling from her.

“They said that it might’ve been something they missed when he originally came in last year for his accident and when I asked how hitting his head could’ve done something to his heart they said it wasn’t- God, I’m such an idiot, I said it too I just wasn’t thinking about it, we both were! He seemed fine! He’s always seemed fine, how could we have just not noticed he was electrocuted? Because it’s not possible!”

“It’s not possible.” tap tap tap

Pause

Click click click click

“It’s not possible, it isn’t and I shouldn’t be even thinking about it but I’ve been sitting on my hands since the call and they’ve double and triple checked their tests and they want Danny in again for an MRI but I haven’t even seen him since the appointment so I haven’t been able to tell him the results! It’s like he’s been avoiding coming home and I’ve been trying to figure out why, but in the meantime I couldn't help thinking back to when the Portal opened. About Danny’s accident.”

“I found my log from the day, and I said it then too, I didn’t believe he fell down the stairs but what else could it be? Did he try to turn it on again? It’s a nice thought but if anyone got shocked by anything when it was powering on would be dead as a doornail-”

Silence, then the tape cuts.

The following recording was captured by agents C and T. The ward would like to apologize for some of the language used in this segment.

Recording taken February 16th, 2009

“... It’s a filter, see? Just clicks over the microphone itself.”

“It’s huge is what it is, what’s even the point?”

“Testing a hypothesis, ghosts speak at a wavelength that makes it next to impossible to document them.”

“So? It’s not like we really care what they’re talking about, just that they’re there.”

“Yeah well that’s the hypothesis, if ghosts are nearby talking at a frequency that not even we can hear, we could possibly hear them through the recordings.”

“Still sounds useless.”

“You’re useless.”

“Fuck off- Ghost octopus!”

“Yeah the 20th one we’ve seen today- Oh wow.”

“Yeah that’s a lot. Do’ya think we’re gonna get a nasty one?”

“Not sure, but I think I’m already seeing Phantom out there.”

“Don’t like how close it’s getting, think we should move roofs?”

“Oh yeah, very ghost chasers of you.”

“Not our job to capture the thing! Research department, it’s on my badge!”

“Perfect opportunity to use the filter then, HEY PHANTOM!”

“Shit- What do you think you’re doing?”

“Research. PHANTOM OVER HERE!”

“Oh my god he’s coming over.”

Crack pop

“Ancients, not you guys again- GIVE IT A REST YOU WEIRDO GOVERNMENT AGENTS.”

“PHANTOM DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THE HORDE OF GHOST OCTOPI YOU HAVE UNLEASHED ON THIS TOWN?”

“Dude I don’t think he did-”

“Sh-sh-shut the fuck up C- ANY COMMENT PHANTOM?”

“Are you two seriously trying to record this? It’s not gonna work.”

“HA HA YEAH JUST HUMOR US.”

“Oh- oh! YES AND IF YOU COULD JUST TALK IN A WAVELENGTH THAT IS NOT NORMALLY AUDIBLE TO HUMAN HEARING THAT WOULD ALSO BE NIC- ow!”

“Idiot!”

Buzzzz crackle

“Yeah, I think I gotta go! Get off the roof before I call the fire department! Bye!”

The hum subsides, and is gone.

“Sorry T…”

“Whatever, hopefully we got enough, let's head back to base.”

The voice recording of the subject known as Phantom matches with the recordings taken from the Fenton logs before the opening of the Portal, the additional evidence of later voice recordings add to the conclusion that these two are one in the same, and under captivity we’ve gotten further confirmation of this fact.

We are under agreement to mention that the ward is still in legal battle with Fentonworks for the acquisition of Phantom, however we are assured that by the evidence of these logs the Ghost Investigation Ward will have the upper hand in this negotiation. Additionally, we’ve been able to get our hands on the physical notes for Daniel Fenton, and everything matches up with the original 2007 tests, with no further notable changes than what was confirmed by Madelyn Fenton. It’s from our doctor's perspective that the transformation that Phantom undergoes to become Fenton once more has had the adverse consequence of not letting the host age.

We would like to use this knowledge to its fullest potential.

#indrids talkin #my fic #danny phantom #ectoberhaunt24 #day 4 #EH came back wrong #dp

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coqueverette · 3 months ago

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no words in the english language can describe how much i love paul lingard

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whitehartlane · 5 months ago

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Tottenham Hotspur’s Double winning team pose for a photo together with their trophies, 1961.

Back row, left to right: Bill Brown, Peter Baker, Ron Henry, Danny Blanchflower, Maurice Norman, Dave Mackay.

Front row, left to right: Cliff Jones, John White, Bobby Smith, Les Allen, Terry Dyson.

Bill Brown: Signed in the summer of ‘59. Proper keeper, is talked about in the same breath as keepers like Clemence, Jennings, and Lloris. Steadfast in this side.

Peter Baker: Born in Hampstead, he played for Enfield before coming to Spurs in ‘52. Played one game short of 300 and scored 3 goals as a right back. Got the job done and never let himself get ruffled by any winger; he’d love watching modern fullbacks nowadays.

Ron Henry: Only ever played for Spurs on the senior level, signing in ‘52. Fast and a good tackler, sound left back. He had a plant nursery and homing pigeons, and he stayed on with Spurs as a coach for the U18s.

Danny Blanchflower: Irresistible, incredible, incomparable. There will never be another like Danny. Signing from Villa in ‘54 and going on to head Northern Ireland, he was the captain of Spurs’ Double winning side and made this great team extraordinary. He had very progressive ideas of how the game should be played, fast and attacking and being allowed to use a ball during training, and was set on the idea that the glory—doing things in style—is what is special about the game. No one like him.

Maurice Norman: Signing in the winter of ‘55, he was an absolute assured and commanding figure at the back. Scored 19 goals over his 400+ appearances for Spurs; should’ve been a mainstay at centre half for England but unfortunately his career was cut short due to a double fracture in his tibia and fibula. Integral to the success of this side.

Dave Mackay: If the word legend had a picture accompanying its definition in the dictionary, surely Mackay’s face would be smiling back up at you. Coming from Hearts in the spring of ‘59, he is still described to this day as possibly the most complete midfield player Scotland has ever produced. He never gave up playing even when the rest of the team believed they had already won. A player who inspired everyone around him, others spoke of him as the ‘hardest man I have ever played against—and certainly the bravest.’ He was known famously as the heartbeat of Bill Nic’s Double winning side. Ange Postecoglou and Son Heungmin would have loved him.

Cliff Jones: Formerly Spurs’ top fifth goalscorer before Sonny overtook him, the Welshman signed for the club in the early spring of ‘58 from Swansea. He was a crucial player in the side who played on both wings, was faster than you could believe, always put a lovely cross in, and scored goals from flying headers. Still has lovely words to say about the club and his grandson, Matt Wells, is currently a first team assistant coach.

John White: Nicknamed ‘The Ghost’ due to his runs to find space off the ball that saw him arrive unexpectedly in the opposition’s penalty box, he was one of the most skilful players to ever don the shirt. Signed in the autumn of ‘59. His name bleeds into Spurs folklore as he was being primed to be the next Blanchflower but tragically passed away prematurely when struck by lightning while playing golf in ‘64. His teammates say about him: ‘While other players were someone you would have to bring into a game, John would bring himself into the game.’

Bobby Smith: For the days of centre forwards like him! Currently Spurs’ third top goalscorer, he joined from Chelsea in the winter of ‘55, clearly having recognised which the superior London club was. Twelve hat tricks over his career with Spurs, he was big and bustling and scored goals like nobody’s business. He scored 33 goals in 43 games in the Double-winning season—not too shabby.

Les Allen: Joining the club in the winter of ‘59, he immediately struck up a brilliant and lethal striking partnership with Smith, scoring 27 goals that Double-winning season. While living in Smith’s shadow a little and struggling to retain his place in the starting XI with the arrival of Jimmy Greaves, he was still an essential part of this side’s success. His son Clive Allen and his nephew Paul Allen both went on to play for Spurs.

Terry Dyson: A player who would nowadays be dismissed by talent scouts due to his height and is often not remembered in this side, but was the catalyst to Spurs’ success that season. He signed for the club in ‘55. A snappy winger who could put in a good cross, he is the only Spurs player to score a hat trick in the North London Derby to date. You can still find him trawling around academy matches.

#tottenham #football #spurs history #click read more for a little more info on each player 🤍🤍🤍#had lots of fun doing this <3 #rahul.txt

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the-forest-library · 1 year ago

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August 2023 Reads

The Annotated Persuasion - Jane Austen

Nothing But the Truth - Holly James

The Last Word - Katy Birchall

The Deja Glitch - Holly James

Love, Theoretically - Ali Hazelwood

The Dane of My Existence - Jessica Martin

They Hate Each Other - Amanda Woody

Mister Magic - Kiersten White

Stars, Hide Your Fires - Jessica Mary Best

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree

The Study of Poisons - Maria V. Snyder

This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel

The Brothers Hawthorne - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Give Me a Sign - Anna Sortino

Rewind - Lisa Graff

Tuesdays at the Castle - Jessica Day George

Mice Skating - Annie Silvestro

The Rock from the Sky - Jon Klassen

Ancient Night - David Bowles

Fangirl, Vol 1 - Sam Maggs, Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl, Vol 2 - Sam Maggs, Rainbow Rowell

Family Style - Thien Pham

It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth - Zoe Thorogood

Congratulations, the Best is Over - R. Eric Thomas

Strong Female Character - Fern Brady

Everything I Know About Love - Dolly Alderton

Sipping Dom Perignon Through a Straw - Eddie Ndopu

Organizing for the Rest of Us - Dana K. White

You Just Need to Lose Weight - Aubrey Gordon

Vibrant - Stacie Stephenson

How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids - Jancee Dunn

Allergic - Theresa MacPhail

Generations - Jean M. Twenge

Enough - Shauna M. Ahern

Sensitive - Jenn Granneman

The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness - Sarah Ramey

Dressing Barbie - Carol Spencer

Goblin Mode - McKayla Coyle

How to Resist Amazon and Why - Danny Caine

The Artist's Way - Julia Cameron

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts:

Some really good reads this month, and some disappointments. I really enjoyed They Hate Each Other and was surprised by how much I liked the Fangirl manga. I also finally found an Ali Hazelwood book that I didn't DNF, lol.

Goodreads Goal: 289/400

2022 Reads | 2023 Reads

#2023 reads #book reviews #book recommendations #books #booklr #bookish #reading #bibliophile

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verycharismaticdragon · 1 year ago

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honestly @/hybrid-battle became my fav tournament to watch. the epic highs and lows etc. danny phantom vs percy jackson had 7k+ votes total but percy is currently losing to Samus with only 400 votes between the two of them. (im assuming because pjo fandom at large hadnt seen the poll yet, but like. reach does make or break tournament poll victories, if hua cheng in the ghost bracket taught us anything, so if ppl who voted in prev round didnt start following the poll, its entirely possible for pj to lose now. which would be fun for me personally bcus im rooting for samus vs binghe finale. woman whos a bear vs guy whos a femme, fight.) meanwhile lbh vs lloyd is creeping up to 2k total votes with both fandoms going absolutely

in the tags and multiple fanarts made, when the poll has been up for less than 2 days. Long story short i think i understand sports fans now, this is exhilirating

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raindancer2004 · 2 years ago

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The Other Swan

Word Count: 7,440. Demetri x OC Swan. Part Four. Warning: Fluff & Angst

Heidi was bringing a new group of humans to the castle today for a tour and Danni was asked to stay in her room all day. Danni didn’t mind as the weather outside was overcast so it was perfect for a duvet day. She spent the morning drawing with the art supplies Esme had sent her; the afternoon reading and the evening watching movies on her laptop until she fell asleep. The King size bed always felt so much bigger to her when she slept in it alone, even the room seemed bigger when Demetri wasn’t there with her. She woke up on Demetri’s side of the bed noticing it still smelt like him days after he left.

The following morning Josh came by and took Danni to the kitchen for breakfast and then escorted her to the gardens where they talked about different topics including what guard duty was like as Danni was curious. After having lunch outside, Josh took Danni back to her room as he was on duty for the remainder of the day.

A few days later Caius came to Demetri’s room “Morning Danni, I thought you might like to join me in my study for a history lesson?” “Morning Caius, I’d like that. Thank you” Caius held his arm out for Danni to take, which she did and they made their way to his study talking about what they’d had been up since they last spoke.

Once inside the study Caius and Danni took a seat on the sofa and he told her about the history of the Volturi and how they came to power after a near century long battle against the Romanians between 400 and 500AD. “Our purpose is to keep our existence hidden from the human world and we do that by tracking down and dealing with any vampires that break our laws which could lead to our existence being exposed. Where possible we hold a trial to ascertain their guilt but sometimes it is necessary for the problem to be dealt with immediately, especially if human attention has been drawn to the situation. Our rule is still effective after all this time” “Wow. I didn’t realise you guys had been around so long, nor how you came into power” Danni responded “Our three main laws are to maintain our secret, to kill inconspicuously and to not create immortal children” “What are immortal children?” She asked “Immortal children are children of a very young age that were changed into vampires but because of their young age they couldn’t be taught or restrained. They could destroy an entire village during a single tantrum. This caused humans to pay to attention to the devastation and we had to intervene. The punishment for creating an immortal child is to destroy the child and its creator. Luckily there have been no immortal children created for centuries” He replied “That makes sense, but why would anyone ever want an immortal child around?” She asked “I don’t know, I couldn’t think of anything worse personally” He replied. Danni couldn’t help laughing at this and Caius smiled at her.

“Can I ask you a question Caius?” “Of course child” “How come I am still human? After all I know your secret. I mean Bella has to be turned soon as per your instruction” She was curious “You are still human because you are living here with us in the castle so there is no way our secret can be exposed. Bella needs to be turned sooner rather than later because she has known about us for a while and the Cullens know that it is against the law for a human to know about us unless they are to be turned” He told her “Oh right, I understand. Can I ask why there has been no talk of turning me?” “There has been no talk of turning you because again you live here with us. Also, you are Demetri’s mate and it is a discussion for the two of you to have” He replied “Really?” She asked “Yes, Demetri is one of our elite guards and is very loyal, well respected and liked here. He has also earnt our trust over the centuries so we have decided his loyalty is to be rewarded, and therefore we are not rushing him to turn you” “I appreciate that Caius. It’s nice to hear he is held in such high regard by you and your brothers” Caius smiled at her “Demetri has also waited a very long time to meet you and the way you met one another was not the ideal setting, and we thought you both deserved the time to get to know one another and that you both might prefer it, if you got a little older before becoming immortal. I mean you are only 15 years old and he is 21…well physically anyway.” Danni looked surprised as she took in the information. “Are you ok Danni?” “Yes, it-it’s just from the little I was told about yourselves prior to coming here, I would not have expected this much consideration for me and for mine and Demetri’s situation” She answered “We are not the monsters others may have you believe. We look after our own Danni and only punish the guilty when needed” “I know that. I actually respect what you do and what you stand for, Demetri knows that too” It was Caius’ turn to look surprised. “We had a brief talk about things and I told him that being the daughter of the Chief of Police, I understand the Volturi’s purpose and thought you were great. He was surprised too” She told him “You are very interesting for a human Danni” “Why, thank you Caius” She replied smiling.

“What are your interests? What do you like to do?” He asked “I like to read, so I’ve taken advantage of Demetri’s book collection. I like to draw and paint, visiting galleries and museums. I love learning about the past and other cultures. I also like watching films and TV shows, so I have been doing that recently on my laptop. I’ve even introduced Demetri to some of my favourite shows and films” She replied “It’s nice that you have a range of interests, it means you’ll have plenty to do” He said “I did want to travel the world when I got older but I don’t suppose that’ll happen now” She said quietly “Demetri is well travelled due to his line of work and he loves to travel, so he’ll take some time off from his duties and travel as he too likes history and other cultures. I think it has to do with his gift. He’s seen a lot of changes in the world over the years and I do believe he will enjoy traveling the world with you, showing you different cities, sites and countries, you probably only dreamed of seeing” Caius told her “I’d love to travel the world with him, at least I know I won’t get lost” Danni and Caius chuckled at this. “The guards are allowed to leave the castle and go on holiday?” She asked “Yes, in a manner of speaking. He hasn’t travelled much in his time off over the last few decades, though I believe that may have had something to do with him giving up on the idea of finding his mate, thinking that his mate may have died before he got to meet her or that he just thought he wasn’t meant to have one” Danni looked sad at hearing this “That probably explains why he didn’t want me to leave with my sister after we met weeks back” Caius nodded “He is a really nice guy, very caring and I feel safe with him” She added “I am glad to hear you feel safe with him and I knew he would take great of care you. After all, you are very precious to him Danni. He has been around for 1000 years and that is a long time to be alone, especially when he has seen others find their mate both in and out of the castle. He will love you and protect you for forever if you let him” She smiled and nodded at him. “Come, let’s get you dinner, it’s getting late.”

Caius took Danni to the kitchen and she warmed the Chilli up that Gianna had made for them. Once she had eaten Caius walked her back to her and Demetri’s room. “Thank you for today Caius” “You are most welcome child. Goodnight” “Goodnight Caius” Danni got changed into her pyjamas and got into bed to read but she was asleep within minutes of her head resting on her pillow.

A few days had passed with Danni filling the time reading, drawing and watching stuff on her laptop alone so she was pleased when on day ten of Demetri being away Gianna came by to bring her breakfast “Morning, how do you feel like helping me out on reception today? Get out of this room for a bit” “I’d love to Gianna, but is Aro going to be ok with it?” Danni asked “Of course, I already asked him last night. So, eat up and get dressed, we have a busy day ahead of us.”

Once Danni was dressed they made their way to reception and Danni made a start on the filing whilst Gianna answered some emails. “When do you think Demetri will be back?” Gianna asked “Today hopefully, according to Josh. Dem’s been away for nearly two weeks now” “Missing him huh?” Gianna asked and Danni blushed “A little” She replied.

Aro came by reception around 11.00am “Good morning my dears” “Good morning Aro” Danni and Gianna said together “Master Aro I have some errands to run this evening after work and wondered if it would be ok if Danni came with me. I thought we might grab dinner whilst we’re out too, if that’s ok?” “I think that will be ok as long as you stay together” Aro replied “Will Demetri be ok with me leaving the castle with Gianna as I know he is due back today and is likely to want to see me upon his return?” Danni asked “Do not worry about Demetri my dear, I give you my blessing to go with Gianna. Demetri will be present at a trial upon his return and I can keep him busy but please return by 8pm. Girls, you may also finish at 4pm today” “Thank you Aro” “Thank you master” The girls replied.

Gianna and Danni left the castle to run some errands and to grab dinner. “I would like to buy Demetri a gift, but I do not know what to get him. I mean what do you get a 1000-year-old vampire who has everything?” Danni asked “Hmm. Good question. Let’s have a think. How about a new book?” Gianna answered “I don’t know what books he has or doesn’t have, he has so many” “Ok, how about a new shirt? Tickets to the museum, they have a new exhibit opening soon? It’d be an excuse to go out together again” Gianna said. “Tickets to the new exhibit at the museum sound good but I want to get him something else too” Danni responded. The girls made their way to the museum to purchase the tickets. Danni got excited when she saw the new exhibit was about Ancient Greece and hoped that Demetri would enjoy it. “I have an idea for a gift for Demetri, how about something you can wear and he can enjoy” Gianna smiled and winked at Danni. Danni blushed and looked down but couldn’t help but think it was the perfect gift for a vampire who has everything. “Where would we get that kind of gift?” She asked “Come with me hunny” Gianna said looping her arm through Danni’s. They made a quick stop at Starbucks for a coffee before heading to the shops where Gianna helped Danni pick out the perfect gift – lingerie and Danni bought a new dress too. Unbeknown to the girls someone was following them tonight…watching their every move.

The girls arrived back at the castle and made their way to their respective rooms. Danni began unpacking her new lingerie and dress in her closet when Jane came in “Hello Danni” “Hello Jane” Danni replied. “Danni, you here?” Demetri called out entering the room “Hi Demi” Danni replied leaving the closet and making her way to Demetri, him wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

Meanwhile Jane had a look in the closet and saw the new lingerie and dress that Danni had bought and smiled to herself, before putting the receipts from the bags into one of the drawers and then leaving the closet. “See you both later” Jane said as she left the room.

There was a knock at the door a few moments later “Demetri, I need a word with you” A guard said, one who Danni did not recognise. “Sorry, I’ll be right back” Demetri left the room and closed the door, returning moments later. “We need to see Aro. Now” He said not looking pleased. He took Danni’s hand and led her to the throne room in silence.

They arrive at the throne room to see the masters on their thrones, with Jane, Alec and Felix nearby finishing their reports. “Good evening Demetri, Danni, everything ok?” Aro asked “I’m not sure master Aro, I need some help” Demetri replied, not sounding very happy. Aro stepped down from his throne and took Demetri’s hand and saw his conversation with the lower guard, where he was accusing Danni of leaving the castle and flirting with another man behind Demetri’s back.

“I gave Danni permission to leave the castle with Gianna to run errands and get dinner. Danni can you please explain what happened whilst you were out as it appears you were caught flirting with another man” Aro says looking at Danni. Danni is shocked by this and looks at Demetri, who stands there looking straight ahead with his hands behind his back. “Gianna and I ran her errands, grabbed some dinner and did a little bit of shopping. I did not flirt with anyone. I promise you Demetri.”

“LIAR!” A male voice yelled “I saw you in the coffee shop. You were also acting strangely when shopping too” Danni turned to see the guard who had come to Demetri’s door ten minutes ago. “Oh my god, I wasn’t flirting with him. Gianna and I ordered drinks and he told us we looked pretty, we both smiled and said thank you. We were just being polite. I swear. I also bought a gift for Demetri.”

Demetri looked at Danni at this point out of curiosity but said nothing. “Give Master Aro your hand and let him confirm your story” The guard said “I cannot do that, Aro’s gift doesn’t work with me.” Tears had started to fall down Danni’s cheeks.

“Master, if I may?” Josh said from the back of the room. “I followed the girls to ensure they were safe and can confirm Danni’s story” Stepping forward offering his hand. Aro saw that indeed events played out as per Danni’s explanation. Aro smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Josh.” The other guard did not look happy. “What about the shopping?” The guard asked “I-I already said I b-bought Demetri a gift” Danni sobbed “I-it’s p-private and… a surprise…p-please don’t ma-make me tell everyone Aro” She begged him, tears still falling.

“Master, if I may?” Jane says holding her hand out. Aro took her hand and Jane showed Aro the receipts for the dress and museum tickets, making sure not to show him the lingerie receipt wanting to keep that private for Danni’s sake. “Thank you, Jane. Please take Danni to your room. I think some space between Danni and Demetri is required whilst we…sort this out” Aro said “Of course master. Come on sweetie” Jane says softly taking Danni’s hand in hers, leading her out of the throne room. “Danni” Demetri calls reaching his hand out to her “Don’t” She replies not looking at him, tears still falling. Demetri sighed, hurt evident in his eyes, knowing he was the reason his mate was crying. Caius felt himself getting upset and angry seeing Danni upset over the accusations aimed at her.

“Why were you following the girls Josh?” Demetri asked “I have been keeping an eye on Danni in your absence, escorting her around the castle to ensure her safety. Master Aro was aware and it did not interfere with my duties” He replied “I did not ask you to do that” Demetri growled “I know, but I also know how much Danni and her safety mean to you. I was just ensuring no harm came to her, especially after Master Caius’ speech. What I don’t understand is why Leon would follow the girls and make up lies about Danni” Josh responded. “I’d like to know that too” Caius said standing from his throne.

Leon looked nervous as he felt multiple pairs of eyes on him. “Well Leon, we are waiting for your answer” Aro said “I-I was annoyed that Josh was asked to look after Danni and not me. I have been here longer than him and couldn’t believe that Demetri trusted Josh more than me. I also did not like the fact that Josh spent time with Danni in the garden, talking and laughing with her. That wasn’t right.” Demetri growled loudly and Leon shuddered. “I asked Heidi and Gianna to watch Danni in my absence. No one else!” He said the last part a little louder “I know that now!” Leon shouted back. “Felix, Alec take Leon to the dungeon. We’ll deal with him later” Caius ordered. Felix and Alec nodded taking Leon out of the throne room.

“I am sorry for any trouble caused, Demetri, Master Aro. That was not my intention. I knew that Heidi was busy organising tours and just didn’t want Danni to roam the castle alone” Josh said “Thank you, Josh, for looking after her, both in and out of the castle” Demetri said “If I may offer you some advice Demetri?” Josh asked and Demetri nodded “Learn to trust Danni, she is your mate and she thinks a lot of you. After all she did buy you a gift this evening. Masters” Josh bowed and then left the throne room.

“He is right Demetri, you have to learn to trust Danni. She has given you no reason to distrust her my boy and you know I cannot read her thoughts” Aro says. “I know master. I just got angry at the thought of her flirting with another man. I have hurt her and myself. How do I make this right?” Demetri asks “Go and talk to her, do not raise your voice…even if/when she shouts at you. She is hurt and upset with you. Most importantly, apologise to her” Marcus advised softly “Thank you masters.” With that Demetri left the throne room and made his way to Jane’s room, hoping Danni will speak with him. He had missed being away from her the last ten days and this was not the homecoming he had expected.

Meanwhile, Jane and Danni arrived at Jane’s room and they sat on the sofa in front of the fire in silence for a few minutes. Jane put her arm around Danni’s shoulders and guided her head onto her shoulder. Jane didn’t like many people at the castle, but she liked Danni as they were of a similar age and she had accepted the Volturi for who they were. “Thank you, Jane, for whatever you did back there” “I merely showed Aro the receipts for the new dress and museum tickets” Danni looked up at Jane shocked “I snooped earlier when I came to see you, you were unpacking your bags rather quickly. I was curious. Then I found the dress and the lingerie. Very nice by the way, Demetri will no doubt approve” Danni blushed looking down at her hands in her lap. Jane smiled. “Explain the gifts please. Why the lingerie?” Danni took a breath “I wanted to buy Demetri a gift to show him that I cared, to show my appreciation for him taking care of me. I asked Gianna for help because what do you buy a 1000-year-old vampire who has everything. She suggested some ideas, museum tickets being one idea as there is a new exhibit opening soon. Another idea was to buy him something I could wear but he could enjoy” Danni blushed again and Jane giggled. “Well judging by the lingerie I saw, mission accomplished. He’ll also love the new dress” Jane replied “He won’t be seeing the new lingerie anytime soon, not after tonight. I cannot believe what he did. He could have asked me about what that guard had said, he didn’t have to embarrass me in front of everyone…especially knowing I am immune to Aro’s gift” She began to cry again. Jane stroked her hair “It’s ok sweetie. I’ll punish him for his stupidity later” Danni chuckled slightly through her tears.

There was a knock on the door “Who is it?” Jane asked, although she knew it was Demetri by his scent. “It’s Demetri, I’d like to speak to Danni” “I don’t want to speak to him” Danni whispered to Jane, although Demetri heard her too. “She doesn’t wish to speak to you” Jane replied not moving from the sofa. “Please, Jane. Let me in. I want to see her. I need to see her.” He said sounding upset. “I said no Demetri. Go away or else” Jane called out. “I’m not going anywhere. She’s mine!” He growled. He shook his head, he needed to stay calm, getting angry wouldn’t help. “Please Danni. Please talk to me. I want to apologise and do not wish to do so through a door. I want to make things right. Please” He was pleading with her now.

Danni got up and opened the door “You embarrassed me in front of everyone!” She shouted at him through her tears “If Jane hadn’t snooped when she came to see me earlier, I would have had to have asked Aro to read Gianna’s mind and then he would have seen what I bought” Danni sniffled, wiping her eyes “Do you know how humiliated I would have felt then?!” Danni shouted again. Demetri hung his head and sighed “I know cara, please” He reached out his hand and Danni backed away, shaking her head.

Jane sped to the doorway and stood in front of Danni but looking at Demetri and whispered “Pain” He dropped to his knees, pain evident on his face. Danni watched in horror through tear filled eyes. Demetri didn’t make a sound, he just kept his eyes on Danni. ‘I deserve this’ he thought to himself. ‘I hurt my mate, my love.’ Danni just stood watching for a moment before reacting “Demi” She called out and rushed to his side and put her arms around him. “Stop. Jane please” Jane blinked and looked at Danni “I told you I’d punish him for you” Jane smiled looking at Demetri “You hurt my friend. I won’t apologise for what I did Demetri” “I know Jane” He said quietly “I’m the one who’s sorry. I hurt Danni. I’ve made her cry” He nestled his head into Danni’s neck, arms wrapping around her waist holding her close. If he could cry, he would be. “Let’s go back to our room. We need to talk” Danni said quietly. Demetri nodded and helped her up, a small smile on his lips at what she just said. “Goodnight Jane” Danni said, hugging her “Thank you again” “You’re welcome sweetie. Goodnight” Jane replied. “Demetri” “Jane.”

Demetri and Danni walked the few steps to their shared room holding hands, but in silence. Once inside Danni let go of his hand and made her way to the closet “I’m getting ready for bed.” Demetri followed her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pressing his nose into her hair and breathing in her scent. He really had missed her. “I am so sorry. Please forgive cara mia. I will do anything to make you smile again” “Let me get ready for bed…then we’ll talk” She removed his arms from her waist and made her way to the bathroom to change. He didn’t say anything, just watched her walk away. He also got changed and made his way to the fireplace. He lit the fire then took a seat on the sofa opposite it, waiting for Danni.

Danni was looking in the mirror at her tear-stained face. ‘I can’t believe he doesn’t trust me’ she thought to herself ‘I’ve never tried to leave; I’ve obeyed his rules. What more can I do?’ More tears began to fall as she sank to the floor, bringing her knees to her chest and putting arms around them, quietly sobbing.

“Danni” Demetri opened the door and immediately sat in front of her, back against the bathroom wall. He scooped her up and placed her in his lap and held her close to his chest whilst she cried. “Sshh, Sshh you’re ok. I’ve got you” He said softly while stroking her hair. “I am so sorry I’ve hurt you. This is killing me watching you cry because of my actions. Tell me how I can fix this mi amore” “I-I wanted to do some-something nice for you. To-to show you that I care, that I-I appreciate you and-and what you’ve done for me” She sniffled “I-I have never tried to leave, even if y-you did keep me h-here against my wishes. I-I thought you trusted me.” She lifts her head to see the hurt in his eyes as she continues “I cannot believe you would listen to some lowly guard rather than talk to me. Your mate” She whispered the last two words, as she buried her head into his neck. He heard her and held her closer to him “I am so so sorry” He whispered in her ear “I do trust you; I promise. It was just-just the thought of you flirting with another man in my absence…it hurt me. It upset me especially as we had gotten closer before I went away…or at least…I thought we were getting closer. I was also upset that you left the castle without me on the day I was due home” “We had gotten closer before you left and Aro gave me permission to leave the castle with Gianna, we even came back before our 8pm curfew. I would never do anything to hurt you or disrespect you, you are my mate.” She pressed a light kiss to his neck and moved in his arms so her chest was pressed against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I missed you Demi” Demetri was surprised by her actions but he kissed her cheek and whispered “I missed you too” He moved her in his arms so she was now straddling him and stood up holding her in his arms and made his way to the bed. He pulled back the duvet and laid her down. “May I?” He asked looking at his side of the bed, unsure if she would want him to stay tonight. She nodded and he climbed in beside her, looking at her with hope in his eyes. She moved closer to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. He wrapped her in his arms and held her to his chest. “I am going to take you out tomorrow, spend the whole day with you. We can do whatever you like” He said low “I’d like that Demi” She replied with a small smile “Are-Are we going to be ok?” She asked quietly “We’re going to be just fine mi amore. I promise” He reassured her and placed a kiss to her hair. She fell asleep in his arms, although she woke up alone the next morning and this saddened her.

Demetri came back into the bedroom carrying breakfast; he had gotten Gianna to help him make pancakes for Danni. He could hear the shower running and called through the door “Breakfast is ready when you are darling.” Danni came out of the bathroom in just a bathrobe and made her way to the sofa to eat her breakfast. “Thank you, the pancakes are really good” “Glad you liked them, I had Gianna help me make them” He smiled at her. “What do you want to do today?” He asked “Hmm, how about we go to an art gallery or a museum?” Danni asked “Yes, ok. If that’s what you want to do. Let’s get ready” He replied.

Demetri and Danni made their way to the museum. “Dem” Danni smiled at him “Here, this is for you” “For me?” He asked curiously and she nodded “This is one of your gifts” He opened the envelope and pulled out the tickets and smiled “Thank you cara” “They have a new exhibit I thought you might like to see; it’s all about Ancient Greece. Gianna gave me the idea. I thought you could tell me if they got stuff right or not. Seeing as you were probably around back then” She giggled and winked at him. He chuckled “Are you saying I’m old?” “Maybe” She looked down then back up at him through her lashes “You are like 1000 years old, although you don’t look a day over 21” He laughed at this “Thank you for the gift, cara. It was very thoughtful” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his side for a hug placing a kiss on her hair.

She wrapped her arm around his waist as they begun to walk inside the museum. As they made their way around Danni held his hand and they talked about the different exhibits, him pointing out some of the inaccuracies at the information and her shaking her head smiling at him. Danni notices other women looking at Demetri and when she steps away to look at an exhibit a blonde girl approaches him and starts to flirt “Hi, I’m Nikki” The girl says smiling and batting her lashes. Demetri just nods. Danni watches as the girl plays with her hair “I find the Egyptian culture interesting, don’t you?” “Hmm” Was the only response he gave. Danni did not like what she was seeing ‘He’s mine’ she thought and walking over to Demetri she wrapped her right arm around his waist and placed her left hand on his chest as she leant up on her toes and kissed his cheek “Hey babe, I wanna show you something over here” Demetri smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead “Come on then” Wrapping his arm around her, they began walking away from the girl and she didn’t look happy about it.

Demetri couldn’t help smiling realising Danni was jealous, jealous of someone he’d never look twice at. “What?” Danni asked looking up at him. “Nothing” He replied. “No. What?” “You’re beautiful, especially when you’re jealous mi amore” Danni blushed. “So, babe eh?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “Sorry, you don’t like it, I-” “No, I don’t mind. It was just unexpected, that’s all” He cut her off and lightly caressed her cheek with this fingers “Well you call me cara mia and mi amore. I didn’t really think about it” He kissed her forehead and held her closer to him. He then took her hand in his and led her to the next exhibit, which happened to be on Ancient Greece.

They walked around the exhibit talking to each other, when Danni noticed an exhibit that showed people wearing different clothing depending on their class “This brings back memories” He said quietly “You used to wear this?” She looked at Demetri smirking “Yes cara. Be kind. It was over 1000 years ago” He replied quietly. She couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m glad your sense of fashion has improved over the years” “I’m glad that fashion itself has gotten better over the years” He replied. “I’m enjoying today Demi” “Me too Danni, Me too. Thank you again for my gift” “You’re welcome” She smiled at him.

Demetri took Danni to a little bistro for lunch and they spoke about what they liked most from the museum along the way. “How was your ‘business trip’? I didn’t get a chance to ask last night” She asked him. “Good, it took a while to locate him as he kept masking his scent, but I always get my target.” He smiled “We observed their actions and then we took care of the problem” He responded, she nodded “Next time you go away can we stay in touch, I mean I understand if we can’t call one another, but being able to text you…would be nice” “That would be nice. Here put your number in my phone and I’ll put mine in yours” He said handing her his phone and taking hers in return “Thank you Dem” “No problem cara” They smiled at one another.

After lunch they visited the art gallery and Demetri bought Danni a print of one the paintings she liked. They left the gallery and Demetri took Danni out to dinner then for a walk down the cobblestone streets. The little shops were still open along with a street market so they had a look around and Danni purchased some scented candles and candle holders.

They made their way back to the castle and went straight to their room. Once there Danni changes into her pyjamas and puts the candles and holders away. Demetri changes into lounge pants and a t-shirt. “Can I ask what the other gift was that you bought me? The one you didn’t want everyone to know about.” Danni shakes her head and looks away. “Please. I’m curious” He says wrapping his arms around her from behind. Danni bit her lip, nervous about telling him what the other gifts were. “I think it may be easier to show you” She said nodding towards her side of the closet. Demetri unwrapped his arms from her and moved to stand beside her. Danni opened the wardrobe door and removed the new red dress so he could see it. It was floor length and had a floor to thigh split with spaghetti straps. Demetri said nothing; he just stared wide-eyed at the dress imagining how good it would look on her. “You don’t like it” She turned away from him and put the dress away “I kept the receipt; I’ll take it back” “You won’t return the dress” He growled low in her ear “I was just surprised that the gift you bought me…was a dress for you” “There’s a reason for that” She smiled looking down “Go on” He said smiling “I asked Gianna for help because I wanted to get you something, but what do you get a 1000-year-old vampire who has everything. I couldn’t get you a book as I wouldn’t know if you had it or not, or even if you would like what I chose” “I would have liked anything you got me cara, because it would be from you” He said softly, she smiled and continued. “I also ruled out buying you a shirt. That’s when Gianna suggested...” She paused biting her lower lip “Don’t be embarrassed, it’s just me” He said turning to look down at her, placing his hands on her arms and rubbing them gently. She nodded “She suggested I buy something for me to wear…and for you to enjoy” She looked up at him through her lashes. He smiled down at her, knowing what she meant but said nothing. “This is one of those items” She pulled out a short white lace dress that zipped at the front. Demetri noticed the Ann Summers tag; he’s seen Heidi and Chelsea buy stuff from there so he knew that the dress would not be worn outside of the bedroom. “I cannot wait to see you in it” He said and winked at her. She blushed putting the dress away. She put her hands on his chest and gently pushed him backwards so she could get to her set of drawers. She knew she hadn’t actually pushed him back seeing that he was stronger than her, it was more that he knew that’s what she wanted to do and he let her ‘push’ him back by stepping back when he felt the slight pressure on his chest.

She opened the third drawer down “I bought this to go under the red dress. Actually, I bought this first then the dress” She pointed to a red lace bra and short set. He smiled approvingly. “And these” She said pointing to a black lace set, a white set that had a lacy pattern on the bra and lastly a grey lace plunge bra with matching shorts. “I look forward to enjoying these on you” He whispered in her ear, before placing a kiss beneath it and moving down her neck. Her breath caught in her throat, something that didn’t go unnoticed by him.

“So-so you like your gifts?” Her voice sounded shaky “Very much so Danni. Thank you. You’re sure to look beautiful in them” He then noticed something shiny in the drawer “What’s that?” He asked nodding his head towards the still open drawer. “Erm, I’m not sure” She moved the slight obstruction and noticed two pairs of rose gold handcuffs with a note on them ‘You’re welcome ;) G’ “Oh my god” She whispered. He chuckled behind her “We could have fun with those, although they wouldn’t be very effective on me. On you however...” He trailed off, letting her come to her own conclusions “Mmm” She responded “I mean, I didn’t buy those. I swear it’s not...” She was flustered and he found it adorable. “It’s ok Danni. I can see that Gianna bought them for us. Please don’t be embarrassed. We don’t have to use them if you don’t want to” He said trying to reassure her “It’s not that I don’t want to” “Oh?” He said smirking, an eyebrow raised. She blushed again and looked down; he placed two fingers under her chin and gently lifted her head “What is it then? Talk to me…Please” She took her bottom lip between her teeth; he loved it when she did that. “I-I er. How do I…? Urgh. Come on Danni, don’t be a coward…just tell him.”

Demetri stepped backwards and took a seat on the two-seater sofa that was in the closet, gently pulling her with him and sat her on his lap so she was facing him. “You can tell me anything” He kind of had an idea of what she wanted to say but he wanted to hear it from her, he didn’t want to make any assumptions. “Just breathe cara” She nodded. “Here goes. I-I haven’t been with anyone before” He nodded but said nothing knowing she hadn’t finished. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before, never had sex before” She looked down before speaking again, her voice barely above a whisper “I’ve never even been kissed” “Look at me” He said gently “Thank you for telling me, I know that was hard for you. I want you to know that I have no expectations from you and would never push you or rush you into anything you didn’t want to do or are not ready for” She nodded “Thank you. I know it may seem weird to buy lingerie for you as a gift, given what I just told you” “It’s not weird. It was a lovely idea and when you’re ready to wear them for me, when you’re ready to take that step, I will enjoy my gift” He said softly “You mean that?” She asked as she looked into his ruby coloured eyes. “Danni, I have waited 1000 years for you; to meet you, and I will wait for as long as I need to until you are ready to be with me in that way. I am in no rush, we have forever after all” He smiled at her, his hands resting on her waist and she smiled back, her hands on his shoulders “Thank you Demi. What did I do to deserve you? To have you as my mate?” “I should be asking what I did to deserve you, I mean I’ve kept you here with me, kept you away from your family and friends and you’ve never tried to leave, in fact you’ve bought me gifts, something I didn’t expect from you, but appreciate all the same. I know that you were born to be with me, just as I was created to be with you and I feel very lucky to have you in my life. I promise to love you and protect you forever if you’ll have me? Have me as your mate?”

A tear slipped down Danni’s cheek and Demetri wiped it away with his thumb “SShh, please don’t cry. I hate seeing you cry” His voice full of emotion “I’m not upset, I promise. It’s just… that was the nicest thing I’ve ever heard and I can tell you meant every word. I promise to love you and protect you forever too” He held her close and kissed her hair. “I just want you to know that although I do not love you yet; I have grown to care for you these past weeks Dem” “I know mi amore. I want you to know that I care for you too.” Danni placed a kiss on his neck, and then kissed his cheek before sitting up and looking at him, one hand at the back of his neck gently playing with his hair. His eyes were closed but he opened them when he felt her warm lips leave a chaste kiss on his cold lips. He placed one hand on her cheek and watched as her eyes fluttered shut at his touch and her head turned slightly and she placed a kiss to the inside of his hand. “May I kiss you?” He asked softly. She nodded and turned back to look at him. He gently placed his lips against hers just for a second, before pulling away slightly. He repeated this a few times before kissing her again only this time his tongue licked at her lips asking for entrance. She parted her lips and felt his tongue gently fight for dominance against hers. She wrapped her other hand around his neck pulling him closer at the same time. He moved the hand on her cheek to the back of her head allowing him to deepen the kiss before pulling away slightly for her to take a breath. “Wow” They said at the same time before resuming the kiss. When he pulled away the second time, he rested his forehead against hers just content to be sharing this moment with her, the first of many first moments he would get to share with her.

Danni started to get sleepy and Demetri suggested they go to bed. “Stay with me tonight, all night. I felt sad when I woke up alone this morning, especially after last night” “I’m sorry, I never want you to feel sad because of me. Of course, I will stay with you and I’ll be here with you when you wake. I promise.” Danni climbed off his lap and held out her hand for him to take; he placed his hand in hers and she led him out of the closet and over to the bed. They got into bed and laid down facing each other. “I’m glad my first kiss was with you” She said quietly “I’m happy I was your first kiss too cara” He placed his lips on hers and then kissed her forehead “Goodnight mi amore” “Goodnight Demi” She kissed his lips and then his forehead in return.

Danni soon fell asleep facing him and Demetri closed his eyes, still lying on his side facing her. He felt her roll over facing away from him, so he reached out and gently took her sleeping form into his arms and held her, her back to his chest. He placed a kiss to her hair and whispered another goodnight, letting her scent and steady breathing relax him. This was the closest thing to sleep he had experienced since he was human.

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