#fog. danny we have a son-

[frankenbridez]

you're lying.............................💞💘💓💥💥💥

clown chibis ✧˖°꒰๑'ꀾ'๑꒱°˖✧

@frankenbridez @gideongrovel

[writingoddess1125]

The old men of One Piece finding out they have a child with you.

Shanks, Buggy, Mihawk X FemReader

Healthy mix of Angst and Fluff.

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Part 2

Buggy

"You two get your asses down now!" You yelled, trying to stop the two blue haired boys from destroying the restaurant further. Your two identical twins sons where only 11 years old but they were trouble- Double Trouble as everyone called them. Benny and Danny, who had given themselves the Nicknames of Bee and Dee- cause of course they did.

It wasnt just their dramatic tendencies, destructive nature or lack of volume control that made them silkar to a know pirate but also their appearance Who was non other then- Buggy the Clown. While they did lack the trademarked rounded red nose. They did get almost everything else- Long nlue locks, watercolor eyes and that crooked smile of theirs- it really wasn't fair how your genes didn't even have a chance-

It hasn't exactly been your best of moments when you conceived your children- Having been a performer on the famous pirate ship you ended up sleeping with your Captian one night on his Silly Throne. A few weeks later you started to feel unwell and realized you had been pregnant. In a moment of panic you fled the ship the next time it docked- Running from your Crew and Captian to never be seen again.

Once realizing you were on your own. You did what you could to make a living- opening a flashy little restaurant and using it to raise your two trouble makers. Dee running past you with a giggle snapped you from your thoughts, frowning as you set down your customers order infront of them before following the boy.

"Mom Mom! Look!" Bee yelled as he stood on one of the tables pointing out the window of the restaurant at the open ocean, Dee taking his place next to his twin. You walked closer to see what your son was looking at, the fog being thick that night as you tried to focus on what he was seeing.

Squinting your eyes you finally saw it- a Ship. As your eyes focused you saw the Jolly Roger and gasped, Ice feeling like it ran through your vain. You grabbed the boys quickly and backed away from the window. As if on cue the alarms set to alert that pirates had arrived. The sounds of canons hitting the town soon peirced through the alarms and the whole town erupted in chaos. You rush from the windows to the back of your restaurant.

Rushing down the stairs you knew Buggy and the crew would level the town to ashes. The best place to hid being the cellar, while it was small it would hopefully keep you and your boys safe. "Mom what's happening!?" Dee cried as he did his best to keep up with your fast pace. You didn't bother responding as you rushed to the old underground cellar lifting the rug and opened its little door.

"Mom I don't want to go down there!" Bee cried as you lowered him in the cellar first, Dee following soon after as you tried to sooth them.

"I know I know my loves, But do as I say- Stay quiet and-"

You paused as you heard the sound of crashing from out in the dining room followed by screams. Quickly you climbed in with your boys and lowered the wooden door of the cellar above you and frantically tried to place the rug so it fell onto it before plunging you and your sons in darkness.

You sat there shaking, holding your boys close to your chest as you heard the sound of someone walking towards you. Your hands shaking as you held them closer, feeling the moisture of your sons tears soaking into your dress.

You heard the sound of footsteps starting to search the room above you. Previously looking for valuables or anything interesting-

"Captian! I found the liquor!" The voice above you called out, Clearly grabbing the cases of rum that sat in the room above. Heavier footsteps followed into the room, hearing the cackle that made your skin stand up on end.

"Grab it all and whatever people you can find! We have a show tonight afterall!" You heard Buggy voice sound. The crew mate clearly rushing out with the cases while Buggy remained. You heard him turn through the room, ready to leave before his heavy steps landed on the cellar door above you it's old wood groaning at the weight. Your eyes widened as you realized you'd been caught, Without time to react the door was ripped open and you couldn't help but release a scream.

Buggy- In his hands you see his signature blades as he grinned down in the cellar. Reaching down and grabbing you by the hair and yanking you out-

"A new audience memeber!- wait" He raised an eyebrow as he held you up higher by your hair and looked over your crying face. His eyes looking over your face. "I know you... (Y/N)?" He asked questionably before his eyes shot to see a flash of blue dart at him and kick him as another one came to try and pull you from his grasp.

"Let her go!" "LEAVE OUR MAMA ALONE!" Your boys desperately screamed as they weakly tried to attack the man holding you. Buggy dropping you quickly as he stared down at the three of you, You quickly pulling the boys away from him and behind you.

A awkward silence following this as Buggy released a shaky breath before laughing loudly. A insane laugh that had him doubled over, before looking at you again with crazed eyes. A few crew members coming into the room after hearing their Captian laugh, especially at the sight of you, their former crewmate and two boys that looked like their Captian.

"Freaks, Take these three and lock them in my personal Quarters. We got a family reunion!"

Shanks

"Mommy I have Missy Luc-ia ready!" You heard your daughter call out. Setting out the freshly frosted cupcake, onto the countertop, that she was just barely taller then. Smiling down at the bright face before you- She may be only 4 but she was the sweetest girl.

"Thank you Vivian. Can you grab the order list for Mommy?" You ask, getting an exaggerated nod and running off. Her mess of bright red hair bouncing with each step. A little clone of her dad, The famed Shanks 'Red Hair' a former fling of yours.

It had been a nice little relationship you two shared, him coming by every other week to meet with you when his ship restocked. Buying random pastries you knew he bought to get close to you, always complimenting your Baking skills and sweetness. Which ended up to many passionate nights both in your own bed and on Shanks ship. The last time you met, Shanks told you he had to go for a while and didn't know if he's return. Tears shed as you watched him set sail- having the feeling you'd never see him again.

As if the gods had sympathy for you or wanted to use you as a cruel joke you fell pregnant. Giving birth to your daughter who ended up being a Shanks part 2. A giggly and happy baby with unique red hair, while she was a perfect mix of the two of you in terms of face she inherited Shank's smile, hair and eye shape.

As you packed the poorly frosted cupcake that your daughter had made. Ignoring the fingerprints in its frosting- you hit it in the back of the fridge you'd never tell her you couldn't sell it since she had eaten part of her work and replaced it with the true finishes product to be delivered.

As you finished your packing you heard the bell of your bakery door chime.

"Welcome to the Sweet treats bakery, how can I help yo-" the words froze to your lips as you saw Shanks. Eyes wide at seeing him again, it was clear he had delt with some serious wear and tear by how the world seemed to settle on his shoulders a bit more.

"(Y/N) long time no see" He said softly as he stared at you, mentally still trying to process what you were seeing. He stepped forward, Looking ready to explain himself away before the sound of tiny footsteps drew him in- Seeing the little girl holding a notepad with all your orders and running to you. Out of muscle memory you scooped your daughter and placed her on your hip, she smiled at you and held the order book out to you again which you gingerly took.

"Here you go Mommy!" She chimed, Looking at you as she noted your shocked face. Her gaze following the now shocked man, He looked like a breeze could knock him down as he stared at her then you then her again.

"Shes mine isn't she?" Shanks asked, his eyes never leaving the little girl on your hip. Vivian looking at Shank's then you confused at what was taking place. Before you could respond however it seemed Shank's answered his own question. Laughing loudly in utter joy and jumping forward towards you, scaling the countertop like it wasn't even there and crashed his lips against yours happily.

"Ha! I'm a Dad!!" He cheered, Taking his one arm around you and starting to spin you and Vivian who at first was scared. But hearing the giggles from the man started to as well- the two even laughed the same which made the Red Haired man even happier.

"Y-Yes Shanks. She is yours...This is Vivian" You said softly, watching Shanks lean in close to view his daughter. It was like he had found the most amazing treasure in the world and it shone in his eyes.

"Vivian, Such a beautiful name for the most beautiful girl in the world" He said in awe, earning a shy smile from Vivian.

"Vi, This is... this is your Daddy" You say softly, watching Vivian look up at you then back at Shanks. Hesitant at first before holding out her arms tk him, taking the opportunity he scooped her up in his single arm and held her close. Tears welling up in his eyes as he looked at her delicate face, her chubby little fingers touching his face and looking over him.

"You're my Daddy?" She asked innocently. A smile breaking over Shanks face as he nodded and held her close, tears pouring down his face.

"That's right baby girl- I'm your Daddy"

Mihawk

It had been 16 long years since you had laid eyes on Mihawk- a simple one night stand that had long consequences that followed. Your son, your beautiful baby boy who you named Alucare.

It had been at a bar, the two of you drinking and simply talking. Before one thing lead to another in the alleyway next to the bar- You truthfully cringed at the thought of how embarrassing it was to be undone by a few nice words, a charming warlord and some drinks.

"Mother, which one did you want?" Your son asked, snapping you from your thoughts pointing to the fishmongers selection, his emotionless face like a carbon copy of his father's.

Truthfully he looked too much like his damn father- same yellow eyes, black hair, very tall form, stoic face the only thing missing was the facial hair Which you thanked The Gods for since you didn't think you could stare at your one night stands face forever. Alucare did have some differences, he had your nose as well as kept his hair longer. The thick spicy locks hitting the center of his back which you helped him care for. But truthfully that was really it-

You also knew that other people would star long at your boy, a few times Marines having come up to see your son when he was walking to school or going to the market. He knew who his father was, having Marines who had seen him in battle tell him as much. However he never seemed to care, just giving them a frosty look that made them back away before leaving. Whenever you'd brought up the topic of His father he often would sit quietly for a few moments before saying he wasn't interested in such a conversation which you respected.

"Hmm, that one is fresher-" You say sweetly as your boy grabs the fish and plops it in the basket, Handing the merchant the berries.

Always the gentleman he would take your arm in his as the two of you walked. He would hold the heavier baskets and give you only bread or a small bag of fruit. He was too kind as a child, you felt bad at times at how his eyes seemed to know the struggles you had faced when he was born and tried to help you out now that he was older besides your persistence.

"Alucare, I heard from your teachers yoh got very high marks again. Do you want to celebrate? Maybe a nice dinner is in order? Or-"

"It's just a test Mother. No need for so much trouble" He said softly, giving a hint of a smile at his words. You chuckled at him and shook your head. Stubborn too.

You felt your son stop midstep- Glancing up at him as his face turned to stone before your eyes.

"Honey?" You call to him, before following his gaze at what had caught his attention. Across the market a dark figure stood, You immediately felt your heart drop to your stomach as you knew instantly who it was- Mihawk standing there with the same stoic expression as Alucare but his eyes seemed to be a bit wider. Most likely the closest to shock that could come over his face-

You tugged slightly to turn back, not wanting to create a accidental scene but your son clearly had other plans. Instead starting to walk again, His arm still holding yours as he kept his gaze at Mihawk. You expected Alucare to stop infront of Mihawk- a blowup or something but. No.

Alucare just walked past Mihawk- Like he wasn't even there. His face staying forward as no words passed. As you continued to walk you turned to look behind you where you saw Mihawk, he seemed to stagger on his feet like someone had finally peirced him with a blade.. but it seemed to be a invisible one to his heart.

[impyssadobsessions]

I don't have much time but I wanted to share this with you while I can! I can't draw but I can write and this is the only way I can share this imagery with you!

The world is passing by in a flurry of colors.

Which usually isn’t that unusual for Clark…usually though it’s because his flying of his own accord. Now…now it was because he was hurdling who knows how fast in piece of metal that was more of a mobile armory then an actual RV then it supposedly was.

There were no support handles to hold on to for just a bit of comfort, no, that was replaced by a handle that would pull down and release a fog horn sound.

So all he could do was pull his knees up to steady himself against the front console, using his size to squeeze himself into a cannonball form in hopes he didn’t get dislodged on a particular rough bump.

Then again if he did, maybe he could get propelled forward and through the front and take the engine out on his way.

Wishful thinking…at least he was doing better then Bruce.

Who was currently sprawled out on the floor of the RV looking like a disheveled cat hanging on to whatever and however he could. Maybe it would look more natural in his Batman outfit but at the moment both if them were in civilian wear and seeing the ‘Prince of Gotham’ doing an impression of a deranged starfish just added on more to today’s bizarreness.

Jack Fenton was giving him a large smile as he drove through another wall, “Don’t you guys worry! I’ll get us to our boys! No speed limit or any barrier can stop a Fenton!”

Clark could only let out a groan of despair as a response...

AMG THIS IS LOVELY LMAO!!! Bruce just imitating one of his sons to keep himself from being thrashed around.. or worse... throw up. ahhhh imagine they both slump out of the rv when they arrive, shaking and so grateful to touch the ground. Bruce is definitely calling for a private jet after this and Clark might agree to ride with him just to have a slower ride.

Danny gives them pity pats when he learns... Jon and Damian like how bad could it be. Damian thinking his father been in a space ship and Jon like we fly that fast every- Only for them to be overheard by Jack by their curiosity, so they all end up being drove back by him. Which bruce and clark like OH GOD please- which becomes a little relief when it turns out Jack drives safer with children.... still deranged but one they can handle. Damian still doesn't see what got their fathers so twisted up. Danny knows though and then asks dad how long it took them. "Regrettably 3 hours son. I was hoping it would be two." Damian frowned and done the math then asking if there was a flying feature in the... rv? "AHA! Nope, but I've been trying to convince Mads to let me install one. She said it would cost too much in gas though, and take up room for the ghost scanner." Damian does the math.. then realizes why his father and clark are shaking in the rv.. even by the tiniest of amounts. "That's my dad! :D" Danny grinning. "He's cool." Jon says innocently enough, not realizing the horror of that statement until it takes them over five hours to get home. Jack decided to play it safe and follow SOME speed limits and road signs. Jack is never allowed to drive again next time they hang out. Bruce or Clark always gets the keys =w= or has limo. ahh sorry got inspired. I LOVE this snippet ;w; !!!! <3 Thank you for writing this. <3<3<3

Link to prompt

[its-avalon-08]

Hey lovely, can i make a request for Daniel Ricciardo fic based on But daddy i love him by Taylor? You can have free reign on it, but just that line "me and my wild boy and all of his wild joy" is so Daniel and has been stuck in my head for ages. Something fluffy and funny, so whatever you want (maybe even a pregnancy reveal 👀👀) if you see fit i just love that song and it's so big ric coded.

Love your work!!! Thank you so much 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

but daddy i love him (dr3)

(please bear with me this one is extra long, ily all)

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the start of the most beautiful things in y/n's life were often masked by difficulties and plagued with the anxieties of life. but when danny was around, things just fell into place. time seemed to stop and the fast paced world began to still.

clutching their pearls, sighing "what a mess"

the air in your childhood home crackled with a tension thicker than the gravy simmering on the stove. you sat across from danny, his smile a little too wide, your dad's gaze narrowed like a hawk eyeing a squirrel.

"so, danny," your dad began, his voice gruff, "you're a… racing driver, is that right?"

"yes sir," danny chimed, a touch too enthusiastically. "formula one, actually! just signed with mclaren for next season."

your dad grunted, poking his mashed potatoes with a fork. "formula one, huh? sounds… dangerous."

"it can be," danny admitted, "but safety's paramount these days, you know?" he flashed a winning grin. "plus, the adrenaline rush? unbelievable."

your dad snorted. "adrenaline rush. sounds like you live life on the edge, son."

you shot your dad a warning glare. "dad, be nice."

he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "honey, I just want to make sure he's responsible. you deserve someone stable, someone who won't make you worry constantly."

"dad!" you exclaimed, cheeks burning. "he's not a reckless teenager, he's a professional athlete! and he takes care of himself."

screaming "but daddy i love him!"

danny, bless his heart, interjected, "exactly! I train like a champion, eat healthy, the whole nine yards. your daughter's in good hands, sir."

the tension remained, a thick fog in the air. dinner progressed in tense silence, punctuated only by the clinking of cutlery. you stole glances at danny, his usual sunny disposition dampened. it broke your heart.

suddenly, your dad cleared his throat. "so, danny," he began, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "you said you race for mclaren? ever met lewis hamilton?"

you watched in surprise as danny's face lit up. "met him? I race alongside him! absolute legend, that man. we have some epic battles on the track."

for the next hour, the conversation flowed. your dad, a former racing enthusiast himself, peppered danny with questions about the sport, its history, the intricacies of car setup. danny, more than happy to oblige, regaled him with stories, technical details, even pulling out his phone to show pictures of him with lewis.

by the end of the night, your dad was chuckling at a particularly funny anecdote about a rogue pigeon causing a pit stop delay. he clapped danny on the back with a newfound warmth. "alright, alright, danny. you alright in my book. just take care of my daughter, you hear?"

danny, his grin back in full force, squeezed your hand. "wouldn't dream of it, sir. consider yourself one of my biggest fans from now on."

as you walked danny to his car later, a comfortable silence settled between you. "thanks for being patient with him," you whispered, leaning into his side.

i know he's crazy but he's the one i want

he wrapped his arm around you, pulling you close. "your dad just wants the best for you, that's all. and seeing you happy… that's all I want too." he planted a soft kiss on your forehead. "besides, I think I scored some serious brownie points tonight, wouldn't you say?"

you laughed, the sound echoing in the quiet night. "maybe just enough to convince him that a formula one driver can be perfectly responsible... especially when he makes my daughter this happy."

time skip

the sun beat down on the golden sands of miami beach, the gentle waves lapping at the shore lulling you into a state of pure bliss. sprawled out on your beach towel, sunglasses perched on your nose, you were lost in a trashy romance novel, the sound of danny's playful laughter occasionally breaking through your concentration.

suddenly, a shadow fell over you. you peeked over your sunglasses to see danny, a mischievous glint in his eyes, standing over you. before you could even register what was happening, he swooped down, scooping you up in his arms like a prize.

now i'm dancing in my dress in the sun and

"hey!" you shrieked, a surprised laugh escaping your lips. the book tumbled into the sand, forgotten.

with a triumphant yell, danny sprinted towards the ocean. the cool water rushed at you as he plunged in, carrying you with him. you shrieked again, this time with delight, water splashing everywhere.

when danny finally set you down, the waves lapping at your waists, you couldn't help but grin at him. his hair was plastered to his forehead, and a carefree smile stretched across his face.

i'm his lady, and oh my god

"you're a menace, ricciardo!" you exclaimed, shaking your head playfully.

he just laughed, the sound echoing across the beach. then, in a flash, he was pulling you closer, his arms wrapping around your waist. you giggled as he dipped you backwards, the cool water washing over you both.

when he pulled you back up, his eyes held a playful fire. before you could say anything, he leaned in, his lips meeting yours in a kiss that was warm, sweet, and tasted faintly of salt. you melted into him, the world around you fading away.

me and my wild boy and all of this wild joy

the kiss ended with a sigh, foreheads resting against each other. you looked into his eyes, their blue depths sparkling with love and adoration.

"you're crazy," you whispered, a smile blooming on your face.

"only for you," he replied, his voice husky. he brushed a stray strand of hair from your cheek, his thumb gently tracing the curve of your jaw.

you sighed contentedly, leaning into his touch. in that moment, with the sun warming your skin, the sound of the waves crashing in your ears, and danny by your side, everything felt perfect. you wouldn't trade this feeling for the world.

time skip

you fidgeted with the hotel room balcony railing, the bustling city of monaco blurring below. danny, oblivious, was humming along to the pre-race hype blaring from the tv. today was his big day, the monaco grand prix, and the nervous energy crackling in the air was almost tangible. you, however, were grappling with a different kind of jitters.

taking a deep breath, you approached him, the small velvet box clutched tightly in your hand. "danny," you began, voice barely above a whisper. he glanced up, a dazzling smile splitting his face.

"hey there, sunshine," he said, reaching out to pull you into a quick hug. "ready for the race?"

"actually," you mumbled, biting your lip, "there's something I need to tell you before you go."

he frowned playfully, his brow crinkling in mock seriousness. "is it that you secretly placed a giant shoey on toto wolff's yacht?"

you laughed, a little relieved at the lighter mood. "no, nothing like that. it's… well, it's important."

he set the tv remote down, his smile softening. "alright, come here," he patted the space next to him on the plush couch. you sat down, fiddling with the box in your lap. the words seemed to get stuck in your throat, a tangled mess of nerves.

"danny," you tried again, voice shaking slightly, "we might need to… postpone those post-race victory celebrations."

now I'm running with my dress unbuttoned

he chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "losing faith in your honey badger already? don't worry, I've got this."

frustration bubbled up. "no, it's not that! it's… it's…" you squeezed the box so hard your knuckles turned white. "i'm pregnant, danny!"

the playful smile vanished, replaced by a look of utter confusion. "pre… what now?" he asked, brow furrowed.

panic clawed at you. was this the wrong approach? "pregnant! as in, a baby, danny! we're having a baby!" you blurted out, your voice bordering on a squeak.

i'm having his baby

the confusion on his face morphed into a look of dawning realization. his eyes widened, then welled up with tears. a choked sob escaped his lips. he whipped his head towards the balcony door and threw it open, a joyous yell erupting from his throat.

"we're having a baby!" he bellowed across the bustling streets of monte carlo, his voice thick with emotion.

i know he's crazy but he's the one i want

he turned back to you, a goofy grin splitting his face, tears streaming down his cheeks. before you could even react, he swept you into a tight embrace, the box tumbling onto the floor with a soft thud. he squeezed you like a lifeline, muttering incoherent words of joy into your hair.

his emotions were infectious. you clung to him, tears welling up in your own eyes. he pulled back, his hands cupping your face. he peppered your cheeks, forehead, your nose, with kisses, every kiss filled with a love so profound it took your breath away.

"this is… this is incredible, y/n," he finally managed to say, his voice hoarse. he pulled you close again, resting his forehead against yours. "we're having a baby. we're going to be parents."

he was chaos, he was revelry

the celebratory noises from outside were a distant hum, drowned out by the frantic thumping of your heart and the overwhelming sense of happiness washing over you. in that moment, in danny's arms, with the promise of a new life growing inside you, the world seemed to shimmer with possibility. you couldn't wait to start this incredible adventure together.

but oh my god you should see your faces

[half-deadmagicperson]

Phic Phight '24 Phic 4

Title: Like Kicking a Beehive

For @phicphight

Words: 1133

Rating: G

Summary: Interrupting a Fenton function with a ghost attack is like kicking a beehive.

Prompt by @ashboy-3 : It’s that time of year again! The Annual Fenton Reunion! And it’s the first year Danny can’t escape it since high school. How is he going to hide his ghost powers around all these Fentons?

AO3

Danny was screwed. He fidgeted with a loose string on his seatbelt. His family was on their way to the Annual Fenton Family Reunion, and he had no excuses to get out of it. This year, his parents didn’t tell him it was happening. They just had Danny and Jazz pack bags and load into the GAV.

As the labeled pavilion came into view, Danny sighed. This was going to be a disaster. Danny is going to set off every single ghost sensor as soon as he steps out of the RV. Nausea set in as his mom put the vehicle in park. Jazz must’ve noticed his worry and reached out to offer a little bit of comfort. Danny gave her a small smile before stepping out of the RV.

It was like a symphony of horrendous beeping noise. The stares of his cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents all focused on the source. There was a terrifying level of silence, especially for a Fenton gathering. Danny felt sick with all the eyes that were glued onto him. Jack Fenton broke the silence.

“Oh dear, I forgot to warn you all!” his loud voice carried across the picnic tables, “Remember when Danno had that accident a while back? Whatever happened caused our sensors to sometimes react to him. Don’t worry! Our son is still human as ever and not overshadowed! We can program your tech to ignore him!”

Everyone slowly resumed what they were doing. Danny still felt awkward, but mustered a quick ‘thanks dad’ to his father. After the chatter fully resumed, Danny relaxed a little and headed towards the food.

“Hey, Danny, long time no see!” Now there’s a voice he hasn’t heard in a while. Danny turned to see his cousin Connor, who was slightly older than Danny. He was tall with broad shoulders, characteristic of a Fenton. Danny noticed that his cousin added a few piercings since the last time he saw him. The halfa cracked a grin.

“Hey! Yeah it has! It’s been like what, three years?”

“Yeah because somebody kept getting sick,” Connor teased. The two started catching up. Danny told Connor about his plans for college. Connor recalled his parent’s reactions to his career choice in graphic design.

“You woulda thought our dog just died. I swear, they were so upset. Like, ‘Oh you’re gay? That’s fine! We love you!’, but ‘Oh you don’t want to be a ghost hunter? You’re kicked out of the house.’”

Danny gave an awkward laugh before his face fell.

“Yeah… I know how that feels. My parents were a little disappointed when I told them I wanted to be an astrophysicist, but they still love and support me. There’s other parts of my life that I’m afraid to tell them though.”

Connor nodded in understanding. The two continued talking until Danny’s ghost sense went off.

“Since when do you vape?”

Danny was about to answer when he was interrupted by the sounds of ecto-scanners going off. Everyone pulled out ecto-guns, wrist rays, and even full Fenton bazookas seemingly out of nowhere. Danny glanced around looking for the ghost he sensed, praying to whoever would listen that it was just Boxy or someone.

“Well, well, well, what have we here? Humans in possession of large quantities of ectoplasm? That’s against the rules,” fog rolled in as Walker made his entrance.

“No offense, but isn’t the Realm of the Living a little out of your jurisdiction?” Danny quipped before thinking.

“Ah, whelp, I thought I’d find you here. Unfortunately for your family, ectoplasm is property of the Infinite Realms, and therefore, becomes my business.” The sound of blasters firing up interrupted Walker’s monologue.

“GET AWAY FROM MY CHILD YOU SPOOKY SPECTER!” Jack Fenton’s voice rang out through the park. Maddie stood next to him, bazooka aimed directly at Walker.

“Threatening the law enforcement, that’s against the rules. Arrest them!” Walker’s goons came and tried to grab Danny’s relatives. They should have known better than to mess with a large group of Fentons. The sound of a wrist ray signaled the start of an all-out brawl.

Picnic tables flipped and broke from people and ghosts crashing into them. Grandpa’s toupee was cast onto the ground after it caught on fire. The cupcakes were destroyed and used as diversions. While his family dealt with the goons, Danny dealt with Walker.

“Hey, Walker, do you want to know a fun fact about my family?” Walker grunted, Danny took this as a sign to continue.

“If you bring a ghost to a Fenton Family Reunion, it’s like kicking a beehive!”

With a shit-eating grin, Danny fired an ecto-gun at the poor warden’s face. After the goons were stored in someone’s thermos, the rest of the family turned to join the fight.

It was like a pinata at a child’s birthday party. The Fentons, all armed with Fenton Anti-Creep Sticks ™, smacked around the poor ghost until he was unable to attack anymore. Danny popped open his Fenton Thermos ™ . With a bright blue light, Walker swirled into the device. Danny smiled.

“I told you it was like kicking a beehive.”

He received a groan of frustration in return.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Well that was an eventful day,” Connor sighed. They had just finished cleaning up the mess from the attack.

���I’ll say. At least the drinks in the cooler were spared,” Danny stated as he pulled the tab on a can of pop.

“You did pretty good out there. I saw you take on the leader.” A small smile creeped onto Danny’s face.

“Yeah?” Connor nodded before stroking his chin.

“Although… it’s kinda weird how you knew the ghost’s name. Come to think of it, didn’t it call you ‘whelp’ or something?”

Danny’s mind went through three options: lie, half-truth, or full-truth. Half-truth was probably the safest bet.

“Yeah… don’t tell my parents this, but I kinda got curious one day and started exploring the Ghost Zone,” Connor’s eyes widened, “Which I know is stupid! But, it turns out the Ghost Zone is pretty cool. There’s a lot of different cultures and people. Some are friendly, others, like Walker, are not.”

“That’s…cool?” The horn from the RV, as well as the yelling from Jack Fenton interrupted them.

“COME ON DANNO! WE GOTTA HIT THE ROAD BEFORE IT GETS DARK!”

“Well, it was nice catching up!” Danny smiled at his cousin.

“You’re right. Hopefully I’ll see you next year?”

“Yep. See you then!”

The two parted ways.

Danny watched as the pavilion disappeared from his view. It was nice seeing his family again, even if the ghosts interrupted. Speaking of… why did Danny feel like he was forgetting something?

~~~~~~~~

A metal thermos sat in the dirt in the ruins of the pavilion.

“RUNT, YOU GET BACK HERE AND LET ME OUT!!!!”

[twoidiotwriters1]

The Curse of Oenone (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: The urge to use Imagine Dragons songs is coming back and I'm gonna let it win -Danny Words: 2,104 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'End Of Beginning' -by Djo

XLVI: I Develop a Parasocial Relationship With the Voices

Ara gasps as her friends fall face-first into the room, she tries to run to their side with Hazel and Leo following. Then Clytius moves, standing in their way.

"Clytius, you've lost! Let them go, or you'll end up like Pasiphaë!" Hazel exclaims.

Annabeth sits up and talks in a voice that's definitely not hers. "I am not Pasiphaë. You have won nothing."

"Stop that!" Hazel gasps in fear.

"Not quite dead." Now is Percy talking with the giant's voice. "A terrible shock to the mortal body, I would imagine, coming back from Tartarus. They'll be out for a while. I'll tie them up and take them to Porphyrion in Athens. Just the sacrifice we need. Unfortunately, that means I have no further use for you three."

"Oh, yeah?" Leo scowls. "Well, maybe you got the smoke, buddy, but I've got the fire."

They realize his move is a mistake a little too late. Leo bends over in pain as dark smoke encircles his body and forces him to his knees. "No!" Hazel tries to get closer but then Leo starts talking for Clytius.

"I would not. You do not understand, Hazel Levesque. I devour magic. I destroy the voice and the soul. You cannot oppose me."

The black fog covering Leo spreads across the room and Ara hears a buzzing ahead, the Doors of Death are fighting against their enclosure. "Hazel," Ara says tensely, nodding at the doors and reaching for her Octopi to rummage through it for the right bomb to throw.

"F-fire," Hazel stammers, trying to distract their opponent. "You're supposed to be weak against it."

"You were counting on that, eh? It is true I do not like fire. But Leo Valdez's flames are not strong enough to trouble me." Annabeth responds.

"What about my flames, old friend?" Hecate speaks behind them.

The giant tenses, his anger is palpable when he talks through Percy. "You."

"Me. It has been millennia since I fought at the side of a demigod, but Hazel Levesque has proven herself worthy. What do you say, Clytius? Shall we play with fire?" The goddess asks, lifting her torches.

"Bold words." Clytius continues, the fog getting thicker. "You forget, goddess. When we last met, you had the help of Hercules and Dionysus—the most powerful heroes in the world, both of them destined to become gods. Now you bring... these?"

Leo winces and curls on the floor, Ara's heart leaps at the sight. He's not dying today, she'll make sure of it. The girl turns Almighty back into a sword and stands tall, her cloak moves behind her covered in dirt and stinking like the Underworld, but showing all of her seven blessings.

"Hazel," she speaks lowly, "bring them back to us."

"On it, Strategus," Hazel stretches out her palms, and somehow, the girl transports Leo, Percy, and Annabeth to their side of the room.

Hecate smiles faintly. "You're right, Clytius. Hazel Levesque and Arae Jackson are not Hercules or Dionysus, but I think you will find them just as formidable."

"What's going on?" Leo coughs out, coming back to his senses. "What can I—"

"Watch Percy and Annabeth." Hazel orders. "Stay behind us. Stay in the Mist."

"But—" Hazel glares at him and Leo shrinks in his place. "Yeah, got it. White Mist good. Black smoke bad."

Ara tosses her Octopi bag at him and he barely catches it. "Help Percy and Annabeth."

"Formidable?" The giant's voice sounds all around them. "Because the girl has learned your magic tricks, Hecate? Because you allow these weaklings to hide in your Mist? Arae Jackson... She's just a puppet of the gods."

Ara's ancestry has nothing to do with blood or place of birth, it's who came before her, who stood where she stands, and who got her to this point. The lessons her friends and the sons of Olympus gave her are what she's valuing in herself from now on.

Clytius makes a sword appear in his hand, made of stygian iron like Nico's. "I do not understand why Gaea would find any of these demigods worthy of sacrifice. I will crush them like empty nutshells."

Hazel screams and thousands of precious stones hit the giant like bullets. Ara runs forward, dodges the bad guy, and slashes the chains on each side of the elevator's doors.

"No!" The voice bounces off the walls. "You worthless—"

"Worthless?" Hecate hums. "I'd say Hazel and Arae know a few tricks even I could not teach them."

"So, daughter of Pluto, do you really believe Hecate has your interests at heart? Circe was a favorite of hers. And Medea. And Pasiphaë. How did they end up, eh?"

Clytius is trying the classic brainwashing move. The problem is Hazel and Ara have had enough encounters with manipulative jerks by now that they're immune to this tactic.

"Hecate will not tell you the truth. She sends acolytes like you to do her bidding and take all the risk. If by some miracle you incapacitate me, only then will she be able to set me on fire. Then she will claim the glory of the kill. You saw how Bacchus dealt with the Alodai twins in the Colosseum. Hecate is worse. She is a Titan who betrayed the Titans. Then she betrayed the gods. Do you really think she will keep faith with you?"

"I cannot answer his accusations, Hazel," says the woman. "This is your crossroads. You must choose."

"Yes, crossroads." The giant's laughter echoes. "Hecate offers you obscurity, choices, vague promises of magic. I am the anti-Hecate. I will give you truth. I will eliminate choices and magic. I will strip away the Mist, once and for all, and show you the world in all its true horror."

"You give no hope for a better outcome, and I already have too much of that crap in me," Ara expands her shield and Almighty turns into a javelin. "The Doors of Death are gone, so I have no reason to waste more of my time here."

"You can't seriously believe you have the strength," Clytius sneers. "What will you do, pelt me with more rubies? You'll bury me under a pile of compliments, daughter of love?"

Hazel and Ara share a look. Men. Then they charge. Ara gets his rear while Hazel strikes his front, the giant's unsure of who to attack first, and Ara forgets about being calculating and sneaky. He'd said that he fed on magic, voices, and soul, then Ara would use none of that, and he won't be able to stall her.

She makes use of nothing but fast and easy brute force. No blessings, he could absorb them and she won't risk losing that advantage. It's her, Almighty, and Hazel. Oh! And her flintlock. She shoots unsure of his weak point, if he has any, but she's trying hard to find it.

Clytius fights with wild rage, and before she can help it, he hits Hazel. The girl rolls away, clutching her ribs. "It's over, child of Olympus. Without your blessings, you alone cannot weaken me, and if you use them, I'll drain you out."

"Alone?" She turns her weapon back into a sword. "I've got Achilles and Hercules in Almighty, I carry Olympus on my back, and as the General of all armies, Clytius, I will personally kill you in the name of all demigods, Greek and Roman."

The air in the room shifts, Ara looks over her shoulder and spots a new group of people stepping into the scene through a newly made door: Frank, Nico, Piper, and Jason all ready to help.

"Sorry we're late," Jason speaks. "Is this the guy who needs killing?"

Ara laughs—one of her loud and melodic ones. "Took you long enough!"

When they move, Leo joins the fight without asking for permission. Ara panics for a moment, thinking it might be dangerous, and then scolds herself. She doesn't want to see him as a weakness anymore.

Nico's Stygian sword seems to suck in the fog that comes out of Clytius, and Ara remembers Lily's weapon and turns to Percy and Annabeth. "Lily's dagger!" She calls urgently.

Both teens are standing, though they're barely able to. Annabeth unsheaths the blade and slides it across the floor. Ara stops it with her foot and picks it up. Almighty and her shield shrink, the first to become a dagger and the other back into a hair-tie around her wrist.

Her hands have equal-sized weapons, and Ara feels ready to end this. It's a little hard to get back in without getting hurt on accident, but she manages to. "Leo, Jason! I need a grenade and a lift—in that order!"

Leo pulls out two grenades of Greek fire. He tosses one to the giant's face and temporarily blinds him as when Clytius eats it, and then he dumps the second into his breastplate. "Duck!" He screams.

Everyone drops and covers their heads as Clytius's armor blasts into pieces. Jason lifts Ara off the ground several feet up and throws her on top of the dazzled giant. The girl slashes his chest with Almighty first, then just as quickly she sinks Lily's dagger deep into the wound, absorbing the giant's energy.

"Good luck draining this," she mutters.

Clytius faints and Ara slips off, yanking the stygian dagger out in the process. The rest of her friends gather around her, and Hecate steps forward. "And so it ends," she says.

"It does not end." Clytius's words are slurring. "My brethren have risen. Gaea waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?"

Hecate doesn't dignify that question with an answer, she just stuffs her torches in the giant's head, igniting his body so quickly that Ara doesn't even get to feel grossed out.

Hazel breathes in harshly and Ara snaps out of her murderous fit. "Broken rib," Ara says with concern. "We have to get you out of here."

"Yes, you should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place." Hecate tells her.

"Just like that? No 'thank you'? No 'good work'?" Hazel asks through gritted teeth while Ara helps her up.

"Let it go, Haze," Ara whispers.

"You look in the wrong place for gratitude," the goddess replies. "As for 'good work,' that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen—all of them, stronger than ever. Gaea is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her."

"We will stop them," Ara responds. "I've got a good crew."

There is a shadow of a smile when the woman talks to her. "Well, you are the voice of all demigods, so I shall trust your judgment." The ceiling starts crumbling and Hecate tenses. "The House of Hades is unstable. Leave now. We shall meet again." And just like that, she's gone.

"Never expect gratitude," Ara talks while Nico approaches and takes Hazel from her. "You can't control their sentiment, but you can rely on binding rules. Hecate will keep an eye on you now because you're her servant, that might save you one day."

Hazel looks up at her with soft eyes and takes a shaky breath. "Thank you."

Ara smiles. "It's my job."

"Birdy got taller?" Percy's hoarse voice catches their attention.

"Dude." Jason reaches Percy and wraps his arms around him in a crushing hug.

"Back from Tartarus!" Leo howls and whistles. "That's my peeps!"

Piper hugs Annabeth and cries, Frank goes to Hazel and takes her from Nico. Nico reaches Ara and offers to shake her hand. "Well done, Birdy. I told you the cloak would help."

She stares at his hand and then at his face. "I'm so sorry for what I'll do, please don't stab me." Ara wraps her arms around him and takes a deep breath of relief. Nico tenses for about five seconds, then stiffly and lightly pats her back.

"Thank you," she sniffs. "Without you, I wouldn't've gotten my brother back. Thank you, Nico."

"I promised I would," he responds curtly.

"Birdy?" The girl looks towards the voice calling her: Percy's clothes are torn, he looks sickly, and his eyes are bloodshot... but his gaze is soft and full of relief.

"Brother," she chokes out.

Ara rushes to them and pulls him and Annabeth into a hug that feels like heaven after a month of literal hell. The girl sobs as she squeezes them tightly against her, and uses her empath touch to absorb their ailings.

She kisses his brother's cheek and Annabeth's forehead, not needing to stand on her toes to do any of those since she's almost as tall as Annabeth. "I'm so sorry—"

"I'm not," Annabeth cries tears of joy. "But I'm sorry your T-Rex wasn't as lucky as us... it burned to death."

Ara laughs tearily and shakes her head. "I don't care—I've got my family back."

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @asnyox-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled @thepixiechicksh @ebony-reine-vibes

[clickerflight]

Clove: Part 17 - The Pit

Good news! I have finished my danny phantom fanfic so I can move Clove to the more active position in my writing rotation. So, this story will progress much faster (think one or two pieces of clove writing per week)

Masterlist

Part 16

Content: Fae whumpers, vampire whumpee, collared and bound, manhandling, lacerations around the mouth

........................................................

Ephraim sat against the cold pillar, arms wrapped around knees and his head down, toes curled into the strange grass. He shivered as the fog twisted around him, dampening his clothing and hair, leaving him to grow cold. He hadn’t thought about much of anything for the past few hours. What was there to think about? How he failed, again? Goldenrod gone into the mists of the fae wilds just like Benny? Ephraim’s own impending death? 

Goldenrod had been so scared. Ephraim tried to keep his eyes wide open, staring at his tattered pants, because if he closed his eyes the only clear thought he would have would be the image of Goldenrod’s wide, fearful eyes.

Ephraim felt as though the fog had entered in through his ears and left him quiet and damp and miserable inside there too. 

He hugged his knees closer, shifting his head for the hundredth time trying to get the collar to stop from cutting into his jaw. He had checked the collar earlier. No openings, no seam lines, nothing. Same with the chain. He was well and truly trapped. 

A sudden wind picked up through the fog, chilling Ephraim so thoroughly he couldn’t help but gasp and it took him a moment to look up, shivering. 

The fog was blowing back and away from him, showing him more of the cold, dreary landscape. There were no trees or buildings, just rolling blue hills as far as he was able to see. 

Well, there was something else. Three figures striding towards him. 

He should stand up, meet his death face to face, but he couldn’t bring himself to stand and expose himself to even more of that cold, cruel wind. 

The three fae approached, chatting with one another and laughing. The leader looked to be the shortest, gossamer wings glimmering as though there were sunlight shining down on them. He was beautiful in the way that vampires were supposed to be, but didn’t quite manage, ethereal and uncanny. 

The one walking on his right had an extra pair of arms, several fox tails waving around behind her, while the third looked like a bird of prey, his arms and wings the same limb and his face shaping into a beak which clacked gently as he spoke.

Ephraim could hear them speaking with one another, laughing softly, but he couldn’t understand what they were saying, their voices warbling and unclear to him.  

Ephriam twitched when they looked directly at him, their gazes becoming something sharp and hungry. 

“Oh, sweetheart!” the shortest called in a singsong voice, finally making sense to him. “Did you get lost?”

Ephraim shook his head a little. 

“Foolish, then,” the bird of prey said. “To come here so boldly.”

“No,” Ephraim said, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. “There was a man I was following. He has my…. My son.”

“Son? Not fledgling?” the shortest asked, wings flickering. “Stealing children now, are we, experiment?”

He reached out a hand and Ephraim heard the chain come out of the stone. He tried to scramble to his feet, but the chain moved too quickly, jerking him forward to land sprawled at the feet of the three fae, the chain held in the shortest’s hand. The three of them laughed as he caught his breath, his chest aching with the impact. 

“It’s funny every time,” the bird fae said, his beak clacking sharply, causing Ephraim to flinch as he started to get up.

The four armed fae put a foot on his back, keeping him from rising as his control over his breathing left him, tearing at the grass as adrenaline spiking in his tired, cold system. 

“Tough luck about your son,” she said, crouching and grabbing his wrists. He yelled as she repositioned his arms behind his back, the chain forming solidly around them to hold them there. “We don’t allow freaks of nature to wander around our wilds, though,” she whispered. 

She lifted Ephraim, putting him solidly on his feet before pushing him forward. 

“Please, wait!” Ephraim said desperately as the three fae closed around him, dragging and pushing him forward. “Please! I have to save him! Jack’s going to-”

The four armed fae grabbed him by the hair, wrenching his head back as though he were a doll with no resisting force. 

He cried out in pain, arched awkwardly as he tried to reach with hands bound behind his back to push her off. 

“Shut it, vampire,” she hissed before releasing him, watching him stumble before grabbing him by the back of his tattered shirt to control him better. 

The fog vanished before the three fae as they walked, and the low, rolling hills suddenly fell away. 

There was a pit in the fog. It stretched on and on, blocks of reddish granite dotting the edge in intervals until it all disappeared into the mist. 

And in the pit…..

There had been stories that things did not decay in the fae wilds. Not unless acted upon by an outside source. There were hundreds of bodies in the pit, all with gaping wounds in their chests, mouth open and bloody, fangs ripped out, all of them as fresh and pristine as the day they died, horror frozen on their dead faces. 

A horrified sob ripped out of Ephraim as he searched the faces, looking for Benjamin’s. Is this what happened to his fledgling? 

Before he could find anything, the four armed fae threw him down, back against the stone before grabbing him with all four hands to make sure he was laying flat on it. 

“Give me the stake, Jokel,” she said to the bird fae, who reached into his bag to do so as Ephraim writhed, the chains digging into his wrists and back. 

“Hold on,” the shortest fae said, sounding offended. “I want his fangs.”

The four armed fae huffed as the fae with gossamer wings stepped forward, his robes sweeping over the grass like a hiss of death. 

He grabbed Ephraim’s jaw, despite Ephraim’s vain attempts to avoid his hand. His fingers were sharp, and cut shallow lines in Ephraim’s jaw and lips as he pried the vampire’s mouth open. 

Ephraim stopped struggling as the sharp claws forced their way into his mouth, heavy on his tongue and gums. He closed his eyes tight, whimpering as he waited for the fae to take his fangs, mentally preparing himself for the sharp and terrible pain that was sure to come, but a silence fell, heavy and long. 

He cracked an eye open to find all three of the fae staring at him. 

The gossamer fae ran a thumb over his broken fang. “You’ve bitten something you shouldn’t have. What did you fight, vampire?”

The gossamer fae removed his fingers from Ephraim’s mouth and Ephraim licked his bloody lips quickly and nervously. “Fae,” he croaked. He was dead anyways. And if they did decide to torture him, perhaps that would provide him with an opportunity of escape. ”About half a century ago, I think.”

The fae all shared a look before sharp eyes turned to him again. “Where.”

“Quiet Brook,” Ephraim replied in a shaky tone. 

That got a reaction. The four armed fae released him immediately like he’d burned her, and the bird and gossamer fae looked faintly disappointed. 

“Right,” the gossamer fae sighed. “You’d better not be lying. The queen will want to meet you.”

“Queen? I don’t have time for that! I have to-”

Jokel grabbed him by the chain, close to the collar, and forced him up. “You have an audience with the queen. You will do as we say, and you might even live.”

Ephraim swallowed hard and nodded against the collar, holding his breath as it crushed his windpipe slightly. The pain didn’t really matter. He could barely feel it through the confusion, relief, and fear. 

“Just our luck,” the gossamer fae sighed as Jokel released Ephraim’s collar and they all watched him stumble to keep upright. “I really wanted a couple more fangs for my collection.”

“How are you coming along with that, Kortop?” the four armed fae asked, walking beside him as Jokel took charge of walking Ephraim forward, much more gently now. 

“Oh, I’m getting close. I want to have it done by the harvest festivals so I can wear them all out and about. It’s going to look incredible when it’s finished, but I think I might have to go vampire hunting if I want it done on time.”

“A trip to the human realm doesn’t sound too bad,” the four armed fae said thoughtfully. “I’d like to come if you do go.”

“Of course! We’ll make a vacation of it. Jokel, are you interested?”

“Not really.”

“Spoil sport.”

Ephraim looked back over his shoulder at the pit, blood dripping down and along his chin in cold, windswept lines. There were so many dead vampires there. So many slain when they could have just been sent back. But how many vampires avoided the pit for much worse fates in the courts?

Ephraim couldn’t stop shivering. He wished so badly to go home, to be in the garden, to hold Goldenrod. He wished it so badly his chest hurt and his eyes burned. He lowered his head, fighting back tears as he was escorted through the cold hills of the fae wilds. 

Part 18

Clove Taglist: @wolfeyedwitch @the-blind-one-speaks @whumpsday @extrabitterbrain @inkkswhumpandstuff @honeycollectswhump @whump-blog-reblogs @pigeonwhumps @mj-or-say10 @percy-frayer

[cringemesstickles]

Father and Son

(TickleTober Day 5: Not Ticklish)

Summary: Daniel and Eric had another argument

Pairing: None, this is so incredibly platonic. the fact that I actually have to say that is just- 💀

Word Count: 1,091

A/N: I gave into the feminine urge to mend their relationship

———————————————————

The tension in the Matthews household was thicker than fog. Eric and Daniel had had another fight, ending with both of them shouting and Daniel storming off and slamming his door.

Eric stood in place, rubbing his temples and contemplating all that was said. It was easy to lose your cool when dealing with an angsty teenager, but perhaps he was too hard on Daniel. After all, he was still just a kid.

As much as Eric wanted to talk to Daniel, he knew the kid needed some time to himself and he didn’t wanna invade his space.

They would sort it out later.

After some time, Eric decided Daniel had probably cooled off by now and decided that now was the time to talk.

He took a deep breath as he stood outside his son’s door, already contemplating what he should say. Finally, he hesitantly knocked.

“Daniel? Can I come in?”

“Whatever..”

With permission granted, he turned the doorknob and entered the room where Daniel laid on his bed with his arms crossed over his chest, an expression of irritation on his face.

Eric sighed and sat on the edge of the bed.

For a moment, the two sat in uncomfortable silence, both having a hard time looking at one another.

Finally, the man spoke.

“Look, son, I know I haven’t been as… present as I should be.” He started, trying to find the right words. “I know the divorce has been difficult for you and I just wanted to apologize for everything I said… I shouldn’t have been so hard on you, and I’m sorry.”

Daniel seemed to contemplate the apology before giving an awkward nod.

“It’s whatever… I was kind of a douchebag too.”

With the awkward exchange over with, the tense atmosphere still remained, though less suffocating than before. Eric knew he had to lighten the mood.

Thinking back to when Daniel was little, he suddenly got an idea. An idea that would either lighten the mood, or make Daniel hate him forever.

“Hey, Danny… are you still ticklish?” He asked, looking at his son to watch for his response.

And what a response it was.

Daniel quickly sat up and pulled his legs close to himself, his cheeks turning pink as his eyes formed a wary gaze.

“No, I’m not ticklish.. I outgrew that years ago!” He claimed defensively, though there was a tinge of nervousness in his voice.

Daniel often wore a tough facade. He’d built himself a wall of teenage angst and he refused to let it break. Though he knew that if the knowledge of his ticklishness resurfaced, that would get washed down the drain.

Eric was unconvinced. He knew his son too well for that lie to work.

“Daniel, how are we going to build a better relationship if we can’t be honest with ourselves.” There was a playful tone to his voice. Deciding to put his son’s claim to the test, - even though he knew it was a lie - he finally reached over and dug into Daniel’s sides, earning a surprised squawk from the teenager.

“ACK- Dahad!”

The rare sound of laughter filled the room, Daniel squirming and shoving at his father’s hands, his facade broken almost instantly.

Seeing his angsty teenage son laughing and smiling like a child truly melted the detectives heart. It had been too long since he’d seen the kid look so free and happy; the usual scowl replaced with a bright smile, just like the one he wore when he was a child.

“Well, Danny, I’m starting to think that you lied about not being ticklish.” He teased, relishing in his sons laughter.

Daniel’s laughter grew louder when the tickling fingers moved upwards to his ribs, massaging the bones and digging into his back ones, sending ticklish sparks shooting through his nervous system.

“STOHOHOP! YOU’RE S-SO AHAH- AHAHANNOYING!!” The kid shouted through his guffaws, though there was a hint of glee in his voice, showing that he didn’t hate this as much as he claimed.

“Well, am I as annoying as you are ticklish?” “YEHEHES!!” Daniel walked right into the trap.

“So you admit you’re ticklish!”

Daniel’s face turned red, realizing what the answer implied and immediately regretting his response. He kicked his legs and bucked his hips, tears of mirth forming at the corners of his eyes.

Eric recalled all of Daniel’s tickle spots, remembering one in particular that used to get some pretty big reactions.

“If memory serves- and mine is never wrong- you used to be pretty ticklish riiiight here!” He shoved his fingers under Daniel’s arms, scratching at the sensitive hollows.

Daniel let out a childish squeal, throwing his head back with unrestrained joy, gluing his arms to his sides and trapping his fathers hands.

“DAHAHAHAD!!! NOT THEHEHERE-”

The teenager was in stitches. He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed so hard, if at all. It was almost freeing in a way.

“Told you I was never wrong. You might be even more ticklish than when you were little, son!”

Eric was enjoying this moment just as much as Daniel, his chest tightened with affection for his kid, looking at his rosy cheeks and scrunched up nose and seeing the bright little boy that he raised.

In this moment, Daniel wasn’t an angsty teenager, he was just a kid.

Not wanting to push too far, Eric let up, pulling back and ruffling the kids hair.

Daniel laid catching his breath, a smile still glued to his face.

“You’re such an ahahass…” He tried to glare at his father, but it wasn’t very menacing due to the rosy cheeks and goofy smile.

“Watch it, son. Unless you want a round two-”

“Nonononono!! I’m good I’m gohohood!” The giggling teenager held up his hands defensively, sitting back up and shaking his head.

Eric laughed and pat his son on the shoulder, assuring that there would be no more tickles for the time being.

The earlier tension had been lifted, replaced by a comforting atmosphere. When Daniel finally calmed down, Eric wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close, holding him in a side hug.

“I love you, Danny. No matter how many arguments we have, you’ll always be my kid.”

Daniel smiled at that and leaned into the hug.

“I know. I love you too, dad…”

“Wow, not too cool to tell your old man you love him?” The elder grinned.

Daniel snorted.

“Shut up.”

With their differences set aside, the two would continue to improve their relationship, father and son.

[krispyweiss]

Sound Bites Presents: The Best of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2023

Editor’s Note: the 2023 edition of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass ended one week ago today. Having returned to backward Oiho after a glorious three days in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the blog recounts his favorite sets of the festival. Read Sound Bites’ full coverage here, here and here; and see more photos here, here and here.

Rickie Lee Jones - Horseshoe Hill stage, Sept. 29; Banjo stage, Sept. 30: Given 45 minutes for her festival-opening reading from “Last Chance Texaco” and another hour for music the following day, when she played the titular song from her 2021 memoir, Jones got more stage time than any other performer. And she put it to good use. After sound-checking with a snippet of “The Horses,” a high-spirited Jones read excerpts about her time as a 14-year-old hitchhiker in California and how her admiration of the hippie ideal eventually turned into contempt. She closed the session by playing a solo-acoustic version of “The Moon is Made of Gold,” a song written by her father.

The following afternoon, Jones and her band played to a ginormous crowd - “I haven’t seen so many people in front of me for so long,” she said, clearly enjoying the moment. Crooning at the mic on “One More for the Road;” playing guitar on a New Orleanian rearrangement of “Danny’s All Star Joint;” sitting at the piano for “We Belong Together;” and playing banjo on an untitled work-in-progress she had unveiled two nights earlier on guitar at the benefit for Camp Winnarainbow, Jones was effervescent and as appreciative of her audience as they were of her. Sound Bites obviously doesn’t know Jones, yet it made him so happy to see her so happy over the three days of performances he and Mrs. Sound Bites witnessed. Rickie Lee, gold.

Tommy Emmanuel - Arrow stage, Oct. 1 - Allotted a criminally stingy 50 minutes, Emmanuel was the only solo-acoustic act to make an audience stop talking and simply gasp at what they were hearing and seeing. That’s because he is a band unto himself and he introduced his phantom accompanists while playing bassline, percussion, rhythm and lead simultaneously on his acoustic guitar. “Sixteen Tons” and “Nine-Pound Hammer” found Emmanuel singing; “Imagine” was instrumental save for the audience and the guitarist’s famous, inhuman “Beatles Medley” closed the set, which should’ve run an hour.

Eilen Jewell - Rooster stage, Oct. 1 - Playing songs from her pre- and post-pandemic albums, Gypsy and Get Behind the Wheel, respectively, Jewell was positively enthralling during her 45-minute midday set, which wrapped with a near carbon-copy of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Green River,” allowing secret-sauce guitarist Jerry Miller to shine.

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram - Towers of Gold stage, Sept. 29 - At 24, Ingram sounds like he’s been playing guitar for 50 years already. This up-and-coming bluesman is going to be a huge star and he spent his 50 minutes demonstrating why he may very well be thought of in 2073 in the same way Buddy Guy is today.

The Travelin’ McCourys - Banjo stage, Oct. 1 - With Punch Brother Noam Pikelny filling in for Rob McCoury on banjo, the sons of Del played some of the least-Hardly Strictly music of the entire festival, as a large swath of the audience bounced along in unison while the band smoked a bluegrass “Scarlet Begonias” in the park the Grateful Dead filled with music so many times in the days of yore. “Seems appropriate,” Ronnie McCoury said.

Doc Watson Tribute - Horseshoe Hill stage, Oct. 1 - Joined at various points by Andrew Marlin, Valerie June and Jon Langford, Mitch Greenhill, Nora Brown and Stephanie Coleman offered an intimate set that included “Summertime,” “Handsome Molly” and “Tom Dooley” among others. It all ended with the life-affirming experience of a couple of hundred people singing “Keep on the Sunny Side” under a canopy of trees in a light afternoon fog.

Bettye LaVette - Rooster stage, Sept. 30 - At 77, LaVette remains a powerful performer, stalking the stage and employing her raspy voice to great effect. Bob Dylan may have written “Things Have Changed,” but LaVette owns it.

Irma Thomas - Rooster stage, Sept. 30 - Thomas, 82, played HSB’s most-rambunctious set, closing Saturday with a barnburner that reached its apex with “I Done Got Over It” -> “Iko Iko” -> “Hey Pocky Way” -> “I Done Got Over It.”

Honorable mention: The McCrary Sisters - Rooster stage, Sept. 30 - Rather than a full performance, which they merited, the McCrarys played a handful of five- to 15-minute spots that included uplifting renditions of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” and “Amazing Grace.”

10/8/23

[onceandfutureoshainspector]

- alright, time to head back to Far Harbour and tie off all these sidequests.

- i levelled up in the bowling alley, so decided to take the Intimidation perk. it hasn't felt great rp-ways to be just senselessly murdering everyone who looks at me funny, so maybe this'll help me avoid that.

    - this should come in handy.

- delivered the Mirelurk Carapaces to the Mariner.

- reported back to Small Bertha, she ran off to talk to Avery about moving some settlers into the Lumber Mill.

Bertha: If you give us some of those Acadian Fog Condensers, my friends are ready to homestead that lumber mill. Avery: Surviving is about more than taming Fog. We got to stay together, Bertha. Teddy: Bertha knows this Island better than you, Avery. We give folk some Condensers, materials, and a chance to build defenses, and we'll survive all right. Avery: Well, I won't stop you. But until we deal with the Children of A̷t̷o̵m̸- settling the Island again... It could blow up in your face.

- it sounds like Avery is kind of a play-it-safe middle-grounder just in general. was the late Avery 1.0 like this, adding another reason for DiMA to pick her for replacing, or is this the programming he gave his operative?

- checked in with Cassie Dalton.

Cassie: Wonderful! That's another chapter successfully concluded. You truly are the heroic avenger I hoped you were. That's right, the farm is yours. Your own little piece of the Island. It'll take work to get it up and running again, but you'll have help. Now, I don't have to tell you that the bonds of blood and family are strong, as strong as any a person can know. But if you ask me, the strongest among them is the bond that exists between two married people. That's why the last part of this tale is the hardest one for me to tell. My late husband Daniel was the best fisherman this Island ever saw. He and his crew had a favorite fishing spot out by Brooke's Head Lighthouse. Turns out some Trappers moved into the lighthouse, no doubt because the Island told them to. They're all crazier than a bag of Molerats. Their leader was having a little target practice. Shot Danny right between the eyes. Killed him just like that.

    - (already did this one)

Cassie: Then it's done. It's finally done. All those lives that were lost... all those debts, finally repaid. And it was no son or daughter of Far Harbor who stood up to the Island and avenged the Dalton bloodline... it was you, an outsider. A Mainlander. The final chapter's been written. The story has come to an end. This is a day I never thought I'd live to see. Thank you. Cat: I found a holotape from the last guy you sent to the lighthouse. He thought your whole story was a lie. Is it? Cassie: A lie? No, no. It was true, or at least, there was truth in it. Was there a little harmless exaggeration as well? Perhaps. But some things are more important than the truth.

- WILL THIS GAME PLEASE STOP PREDICTING WHAT I’M ABOUT TO SAY THANK YOU!!!! ffs.

Cassie: Look at you, for instance. You've seen the Island's dangers and survived. You've learned something valuable. What's more, the Island learned something, too. It knows you're not some green-backed Mainlander who can't tell up from down in the Fog. The Island will respect you now, and that's more than I can say for most who step off the boat. Well, I'm a little old to leap up on a horse, but I have got something close to a treasure. This is an heirloom that's been in my family for... let me think... oh, for at least a generation or two. The Island knows this weapon. Oh yes. You carry this, and it'll take you seriously. Off you go, now. My story's over, but yours? I think yours is only just getting interesting.

- “at least a generation or two” pfft. i bet both the head and handle have been replaced a couple of times too. (didn't max out my inventory again, thankfully).

[evandarya]

Seeds of the Father

{Read on AO3}{Chapter 1}

Chapter 2

Can You Look at a Seed and Count the Number of Apples?

Time passed as time often does: slowly, day by day, hour by hour until you look back and realize months have passed without noticing them going by.

Danyal Al Ghul and Madeline Fenton took a trip to Arkansas to visit Maddie's friend, Alicia. Alicia, Maddie had explained on the trip over, had been the one to help her escape the League in the first place. She had the skills to craft a new identity, and she had created the paperwork making them legally sisters. She lives off the grid since she's wanted by the FBI for doing some extralegal things to their databases. Two weeks later Daniel Fenton came back to Amity Park. He was the officially adopted son of Madeline and Jack Fenton. Well, as far as the US government was concerned.

Fall turned to winter. If Daniel was cold before, he was freezing now. Maddie bought him a warm red hoodie to wear, and he hardly ever took it off. It was easy to hide his wakizashi in the baggy jacket.

The arrival of winter also made Danny miss his brother more. Whenever he felt particularly homesick, he would climb up to the observation deck to look at the stars. Sometimes Jazz would come up and sit with him. She says it's because she needs air, but Danny suspects she does it to keep an eye on him. She had become very protective of him ever since the first time she saw him have a nightmare.

Some nights they would sit quietly as the sky slowly rotated above them. Some nights Jazz would tell him about her newest thesis. Some nights Danny would tell Jazz a story about the constellations. And on some rare nights when the wind blew just right Danny would tell Jazz a story from his past.

This night in the middle of December Jazz sat on the cold metal next to her adopted brother and watched the sky with him.

"Tell me about Perseus again?" She said after a half-hour of silence. Danny hadn't looked away from the constellation that whole time.

It took a moment for him to start speaking, and when he did his voice was quiet. "Perseus was the demigod son of Zeus and Danae, the daughter of the king of Argos. Because of a prophecy, the king had his daughter and grandson cast into the sea. A fisherman rescued them and took them to his island. The fisherman raised Perseus as his own son. When he became a man the king of the island sent him to kill the Gorgon, Medusa. He beheaded her while she slept." Danny stopped talking here.

Jazz knew there was more to the story, and some nights Danny would tell the whole epic tale. But tonight isn't that night. They were quiet for another long moment. It was getting late and she had school in the morning, but Jazz could tell that something was on Danny's mind. She was going to be here if he wanted to talk. After a while, Danny's watch started beeping. He took a second to glance at it before sighing.

"It's my birthday. I'm nine now."

Jazz startled. "What? Today?"

"Yes, today," Danny said with a soft look. "We would always stay up until midnight on our birthday."

Jazz stilled. On the rare occasion that Danny talked about his past he'd sometimes use the plural 'we' or 'our' instead of the singular 'I' or 'my'. This was the first time he had said it intentionally.

"We'd talk about what we wanted to do that year. Things we wanted Mother or Grandfather to teach us until we fell asleep. Mother would take us into town and we'd get hot Gulab Jamun."

Danny stopped talking, so after a minute Jazz risked a question. "Who is we?"

"Me and Damian, my twin brother."

"You have a brother." The statement left her mouth with a breath that fogged in the cold air. "He's still…there?"

"Yes. He will start training to be Grandfather's heir this year." Danny said a little sadly.

"Does mom know?"

"No. I haven't told anyone about Damian."

Jazz was torn. She was happy that Danny had trusted her with this information, but at the same time, she didn't like the thought of any child, let alone her little brother's brother, being trained to inherit a league of assassins. "If mom knew, she'd do everything in her power to get him out."

Danny blew out a breath and watched as the mist dissipated in the air before he spoke. "That's why I can't tell her. Grandfather will kill her, and you and Jack. Probably all your friends at school, too, just for good measure. He won't kill Damian. He needs an heir."

"Mom would say it's an acceptable risk."

Danny was quiet for a long time. Jazz was almost certain he was done talking for the night when he spoke up again.

"He thinks I'm dead. If he finds out I'm not, he'll try to kill me."

"What? Why?"

"Grandfather needs an heir. One heir. He decided we were old enough to begin preparing, so he had us fight. I won, but when it came time to finish the fight, I couldn't. I couldn't kill my brother."

“But, that’s a good thing, right? That you couldn’t kill him.”

“I beat him in a deathmatch and let him live. It’s like saying ‘I could kill you, but you aren’t worth my time.’ He would kill me, just to restore his honor.” Danny rubbed his arms. It could have been from the cold, but Jazz suspected it was something else. To test her theory she gently placed her hand on his shoulder. He tensed for a few seconds before melting under the touch. She wrapped her arms around her little brother and held him as we went practically boneless against her.

They were quiet for a long time until Jazz spoke up. “Do you want to know what I want to do this year? I want to find your brother and make sure he’s safe. No child should have to go through what you two have gone through.”

“I want that, too.” Danny said after a long moment, and if his voice was thick and tears were soaking into Jazz’s shirt? Well, she wasn’t going to say anything.

***

Jazz didn't tell Maddie about Damian, but she did tell her about his birthday. This was obvious when he came down for breakfast to the family sitting around the table, a bowl of golden brown balls of fried dough topped with almond slivers sitting in simple syrup sat in the middle of the table, the centerpiece of the breakfast

"Happy birthday, Danny!" Maddie said when she caught sight of him.

"You made Gulab Jamun." He said simply, glancing at Jazz who had the grace to look a little embarrassed. "Thank you."

"Of course, honey." Maddie said, spooning two pieces of the dish into a bowl for him. As if going out of one's way to prepare a dish for someone's birthday when you've only known them for a few months was just what one does. Danny sat at the table and took a bite. It was delicious. The sweet melted in his mouth and rose and cardamom filled his senses. A warmth bloomed in his chest right beside a yawning chasm. He wanted his brother with him to enjoy their birthday dish together.

Danny came to the conclusion then and there. He would find Damian, and he would save him. Even if his brother hated him for it.

***

Jazz had been correct when she had said Maddie would have been horrified if she knew about Damian. Except, she was more than horrified, she was enraged. They started looking immediately, but it seemed in the months after Danny left Talia had disappeared with Damian and no one knew where they had gone.

Danny and Maddie both kept their ears to the ground for any mention of Talia or Damian, but there was nothing. For a year and a half they searched with nothing to show for it until the mystery was solved on Twitter, of all places.

Bruce Wayne's Secret Love Child?

Under the headline was a blurry picture taken from a distance of Bruce Wayne getting into a car with a black haired child that Danny recognized immediately. Damian was safe with Father. He made it out on his own.

This was good, he told himself. Damian was safe, he didn't need Danny to save him.

He didn't need Danny.

He tried to ignore the pain that thought caused him.

[underforeversgrace]

Chapter Five - Epilogue (AO3)

Words: 3686

“I’m telling you, Mads!” Jack said, the spreadsheet pulled up on the computer in front of them. “This is too steep a decrease in attacks in too quick a time. They’ve got to be planning something.”

Maddie reviewed the data Jack had compiled. “You’re right,” she murmured. “Maybe we need to ask Danny to come with us to the Ghost Zone, so we can all check everything out? See if anything stands out?”

She ran over the data again, lips pursed. In the past week, fewer ghosts came every day. Not a single true ghost registered on their equipment at all that day, just some low level signatures that were likely blobs.

“Do you know if he’s home?” Jack asked.

“He should be. He wasn’t planning on going out today, remember?”

Jack nodded, walking to the door to the lab (and a good distance from her). “Danny!” He bellowed, the shout reverberating in the space. He hadn’t made it back to his seat yet when they heard a “Yeah?” from above them.

Both of them looked up, Danny’s head poking through the ceiling from the floor above, white hair continuing to defy gravity as he hung there, upside down, the rest of his body out of their sight. Maddie chuckled while Jack let out a loud guffaw.

“Can you come down here? The rest of the way?” She asked.

Danny dropped the rest of the way through, transitioning back to his human side halfway down. “What’s up?” He asked, flopping down into the seat next to her, blowing up at his black hair to move it out of his face, pulling the jacket he wore closer.

Joy nearly brought tears to Maddie’s eyes, even though he’d been like this a while now, it still made her heart sing.

———-

The morning after the reveal had been a slow, stuttering one. Jazz had waited by the car and drove the parents back, leaving a human Danny behind in the woods.

He was home before them, though all of them made sure not to call it out. He had flown and that wasn’t anything worth mentioning.

Maddie had gotten up and made breakfast the next day, despite it being a Saturday. Conversation had been stilted and awkward once the family had sat down to eat. She’d heard Danny gasp, saw his breath visibly fog in front of him, despite the warmth.

“Thanks, gotta go! Study session at Sam’s!” Danny had said, jumping up from his seat and rushing out the door.

“It’s his ghost sense,” Jazz had explained, taking another bite of her eggs. “Means a ghost is somewhere within a mile or two. He just isn’t use to not having to lie yet.”

Maddie had spent several hours that day thinking of all the times Danny had run out of the room with an excuse. She wondered how she could have missed this for so long.

———

“Just a little further, sweetie!” Maddie called down to her husband, trying to pivot the table up the stairs from the lab. Jack said nothing, just grunting as he continued to hold the weight of it at the opposite end.

It was several more minutes of fumbling before they finally got the table fully up and out, setting it down in the kitchen while they caught their breath.

“What’re you doing with that?” Danny had asked from behind them, on the stairs, gripping so tightly at the bannister Maddie wondered if it would crack.

“Throwing it away, Danny-boy!” Jack reassured, not missing the panicked look on their son’s face.

“Really?”

“Of course, Danny. We were wrong and there is no point in this anymore.” Maddie responded.

“Leave it there. I’ll get rid of it.”

They hadn’t argued, simply agreeing and stepping away, leaving the room when Danny had asked them to. It was gone when they went back up.

————-

“Just stay away, okay?” Phantom yelled, feet firmly on the ground, Thermos gripped tightly in one hand. His other rested on his shoulder, pressing down on an injury that seeped green. “I don’t need people with ecto-blasters behind my back!”

The small crowd had watched in amazement after the ghost battle, coming closer once the spider like ghost had been captured. No one knew quite how to respond as Phantom screamed at Jack and Maddie Fenton, who guiltily looked at their shoes. Sure, they’d announced an ally ship with Phantom, announced they were walking back significant amounts of unverified research, but this? Phantom raising his voice at them and them accepting it?

Maddie fiddled with the weapon in her hand. They hadn’t been the ones to shoot him, but they had caused him to get distracted enough to miss a swing from the other ghost.

“Help with civilian containment or back off!” He’d shouted before disappearing where he stood. Thoroughly chastised, the Fentons had slinked away.

Maddie had made sure to not look at Sam or Tucker in the crowd. People she knew frequently had ecto-blasters behind Danny and he trusted. People who’d never shot him.

——-

“Well, folks, to everyone’s surprise, seems the Fentons have listened, as Phantom yet again faces a ghost while his enemies-turned-allies have kept their distance from our ghostly savior! Very much wishing he had taken a desk job, Lance Thunder signing off!” The newsman shrieked and ran when Phantom got pile drived into the pavement beside him, leaving a crater behind that made Maddie’s heart ache as she sat on the couch.

Jack’s hand held hers as tears dropped silently down his face.

Phantom just grinned wildly, wiping off ectoplasm dribbling from his nose, shouting out a quip and flying back out of view.

—-

They’d never truly realized just how much Phantom fought, how much he got hurt, until it was their son on screen practically daily, dodging and weaving, while they watched helplessly.

——

“You have to understand, this is… it’s a secret he’s held a long time. Ingrained fears he has to work to overcome.” Jazz soothed her parents as she picked at her spaghetti. Danny wasn’t home, despite being in a rather impressive fight earlier.

“All we did was try to encourage him to be himself.” Jack protested sadly. “Tell him he didn’t need to hide anymore. His powers, his Phantom side.”

“He acted like we still just wanted to study him!” Maddie added, not forgetting the accusatory stare Danny had given them when he brought it up earlier. Choosing the observe and don’t disturb study methods now? He’d asked.

“It’s only been two weeks, guys. He has nearly two years of habit to unlearn. It won’t be easy.” Jazz had said.

Maddie and Jack shared looks of shame. Two years of running from them, of fearing them more than the ghosts who came for him. The knowledge was still a piercing bite deep within her.

——

“He went to Sam’s for stitches?” Maddie had asked Jazz as she kept glancing towards the stairs, waiting for Danny to make his way down.

“To her or Tucker.” Jazz confirmed. “We’ve all gotten pretty good at it.”

The fact Maddie had even heard the footsteps coming down the stairs had spoken to how hurt Danny was as he finally came down and joined them for dinner.

Danny grimaced as he settled down in the kitchen, greatly favoring his left side. Maddie and Jack didn’t mention it, mention watching yet another injury during a televised battle, though this time the ghost had been a quick capture. It’d been the Red Huntress who’d sliced deeply into his side.

“What do you want to drink, Danno?” Jack had asked.

“Soda is fine.” Danny had answered.

And they had all continued to ignore the way Danny held his side.

——

Maddie hadn’t been entirely sure how to react when she’d came down to the lab in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, and found Danny already down there.

He’d immediately frozen when he saw her, half full ecto purifier cartridge between his lips. Huh, it had been a long time since they’d had to change that, hadn’t it?

Danny gulped, lowering the container from his mouth. A bit of green ectoplasm had dripped from the corner of his mouth and he’d quickly licked it back up.

“Uh… watcha doin’?” He’d asked casually.

Maddie pointed at a device on her desk. “Couldn’t sleep. Decided to work some.”

“What’s it do?” He asked, nonchalantly popping the cartridge back in place.

“Teaches our inventions how to repel themselves from specific ecto signatures.”

“Like… force those specific ghosts away?”

“Not exactly. More so force our devices themselves to repel away their own effects. More simply: if our weapon blasts, the charge will know to avoid the imprinted ecto signature.”

“Oh. So if you shoot at, uh, a friendly ghost, the blast will swerve?”

Maddie nodded.

“Is it working?”

“Not yet. Teaching something to repel itself is harder than teaching it to target. It needs a stronger ecto signature source to be able to learn from, a larger amount.”

“Amount of?”

Maddie sighed. “Right now? Probably ectoplasm. I’m trying to calibrate it so it can learn from non-solid or at least less material. Hopefully, get it sensitive enough that it can learn from the ambient energy around you.” She looked at him, wondering how he’d react to her calling out something meant specifically for him. The implication that they hadn’t even asked for his sample, trying to get to the point of not even needing to get it invasively.

He didn’t react.

“Well, good luck with that. Good night!” He’d said, slipping away upstairs.

—-

The next morning, though, when Maddie had come down, she’d found a rather large syringe, filled with the glowing ethereal green swirl of ectoplasm on her desk, with a sticky note beneath it.

Is this enough?

——

That night at dinner, Maddie didn’t mention it. And Danny didn’t mention anything when Maddie sat a vial of purified ectoplasm beside his plate with his drink.

None of them mentioned it when Danny drank it, though all four had small smiles the rest of the meal.

——

Maddie’s heart was racing even faster than Jack’s driving currently was as they barreled downtown, watching the screen in front of her in fear.

Skulker and Technus had teamed up and Danny couldn’t keep up with the both of them. The parents had watched Danny fail to keep up with a battle on two fronts from their living room - he’d defend from one and get blasted by the other - for too long. Phantom had been blasted so hard he made yet another crater with his body but when he’d gotten up this time, it’d been too slow, there’d been no quip. He’d been impaled all the way through with a steel rod and had been shot in the side while he’d been trying to pull it out.

He had finally gotten it out when Maddie and Jack had simultaneously agreed to hell with Danny’s rules and ran to the GAV. He was flagging and they were done watching their son get beat to hell, like they had for the past month.

By the time they got there, Danny was on his knees, arms thrown over his head defensively as a small green shield encased him, Skulker and Technus taking pot shots as he clearly struggled to maintain the shield.

Maddie leapt from the still moving GAV, firing at Technus, while Jack triggered the GAV’s weapons system, following up her blast. Between fighting Danny and the surprise of the Fentons attacks, they managed to get both ghosts into the Thermos in record time.

Danny had lost his shield shortly after they arrived, collapsing to a ground that was pooling green around him. Maddie didn’t think at all as she pulled a second Thermos from her belt and pulled her son into it, ignoring his cry of shock and fear as she did so.

——

Jack had swept everything from his desk as soon as they had returned home, crumpled blueprints and half-finished inventions clattering to the ground. Maddie pointed the Thermos at the desk and released Phantom onto it.

He’d collapsed onto it with a pained hiss, his body practically painted green. Fear was a physical presence as he saw them and began screaming for Jazz, for them to let him go.

It didn’t get better when they started trying to help him, when he kept flinching from their every touch. It was like tending to a wounded animal - lashing out in fear and anger against an entity it didn’t know only wanted to help. The fact he couldn’t fight them off, couldn’t get himself off the desk had made Maddie terrified. She’d never seen Phantom that badly beat - before or since knowing the truth.

Blue rings kept flickering in and out of existence around his waist and Maddie’s heart stuttered. Jazz had told them how he’d sometimes revert human if too badly damaged and Maddie nearly became sick at the idea of all this green washing away to red, but it did give her an idea. A chemical her and Jack had created, back when dissecting ghosts was still something they wanted. A chemical that would force a ghost’s ectoplasm to remain in it’s current form - no intangibility, no invisibility - and render them unconscious.

Maddie forced herself into autopilot to go grab it, to inject it into her son even as he begged her not to. But it took hold quickly and Danny went limp, his ghost form holding.

The two of them went to work quickly, pulling off his jumpsuit to find the worst of the injuries, sewing up what needed to be sewn up.

When they saw the extent of the death scar, of how much worse it was in this form, both nearly stopped and stared, it was so much worse as Phantom. Then Danny had coughed up ectoplasm and they returned to their frenzied work.

——

“Uh, mom?”

The noise made Maddie jump as she swirled around in her chair. Phantom floated behind her, hand pressed to his side.

She groaned. “Again, Danny?” She asked, moving her things to the side and motioning him to sit on the desk in front of her.

“Skulker has a lot of sharp knives, mom, it’s not my fault,” he whined petulantly, sitting where she’d indicated, shrugging off the jumpsuit to give her access to the injury.

In the three weeks since the Skulker and Technus incident, she’d had to stitch Danny up seven times. No wonder Jazz had said she was immune to her brother’s blood!

Maddie had given a noncommittal huff as she examined the damage. On a human? They’d probably be bleeding to death. On her son? A normal Tuesday afternoon and he’d be fine by dinner.

Maddie knelt forward and began to work, the green of his scar glowing in her periphery. She was somewhat used to it now, on Phantom’s skin. On his left hand was a deep circle, hand almost entirely consumed by the branching scar. It continued up his arm, across his chest, up his face, down his other arm. The green glow faded the further it went, paling until it looked like a normal scar, keeping it from being visible on Danny’s face as much.

“You’re getting a double dose of ectoplasm tonight with dinner, young man.”

Danny just groaned, unearthly voice echoing through the lab.

——

“Mom, you wanted to see me?” Danny asked, yawning as he stumbled through the lab door.

“Catch!” She called, tossing a staff towards him. He was instantly alert, hand reaching up and grasping it.

He studied it. “A Bo staff?”

“Your hand to hand is atrocious, young man. No son of mine should throw punches so loosely.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Mom, I fight fine! You’ve seen me! I remember the lessons from when I was younger.”

“If I have to watch you put too much effort into a blow again, I might actually have a heart attack.” She responded dryly.

He grinned, eyes glittering mischievously as he crouched. “Then we do this my way?”

“And what’s your way?”

Danny said nothing as lights burst around him, sweeping him away until Phantom glowed there. Maddie had to keep from doing a small cheer as he did so. Other than the night of the reveal, this was the first time he’d shifted in front of her.

“No intangibility, no invisibility, no ghost powers.” Was all she’d responded as she mimicked his position. His laugh that day had been beautiful.

——

A wisp of blue escaped Danny again and he groaned, dropping his head to the table. “It’s the first day of summer! Can’t I get a break?”

Maddie laughed and Jack patted Danny on the back. “Go get ‘em, son. Dinner can be reheated.”

Danny merely grunted, shifting to ghost, a now familiar sight. “What happened to resting when you’re dead?” He’d quipped as he rose his head, the look on his face so in contrast with his ghostly glow and white hair that Maddie had laughed.

Danny floated up from his seat. He paused then turned to them.

“Fight with me?” He’d asked and Maddie’s soul had soared higher than the stratosphere.

Jack grinned. “Been dyin’ for ya to ask, Danno.”

———-

“Mom?” Danny asked, pulling Maddie out of her thoughts.

“Oh! Sorry, sweetie.” She said.

“I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to be the only space case in this house, mom.” He joked, flashing a smile at her.

“You’re hilarious,” she said dryly.

Her family really had finally begun to heal and she loved every minute of it.

“Anyway, Danno, we had a question for you.” Jack said.

“Okay, shoot.” He said. Another grin as he titled his head to the side. “Not literally, though.”

Although Danny’s penchant for morbid humor was still very concerning.

“I was looking over some of our data and noticed something odd. There’s been a severe reduction in ghost activity in the past week. We wanted to see if you wanted to go into the Zone and make sure everything was alright.”

Danny made a face. “It’s August seventh, guys. Today should be a ghost town,” wow his humor was awful, “and it’ll start to pick back up tomorrow. Should be back to normal in about a week.”

“Is August seventh significant?” Maddie asked, trying to think of everything Danny had told them about ghosts - who were much more advanced than they’d thought! - to see if he’d ever mentioned the date before.

A sad look settled on Danny’s face as he shrugged the jacket off his shoulders.

Both parents’ eyes locked on the scar on his left arm. He’d explained to them how it worked - Lichtenberg figures tended to fade but his original scar formed again every time he morphed to Phantom, so they were brightest immediately after a reversion back to human.

Even though he’d just transformed, this was far brighter than it had ever been before, that they’d seen in person at least.

Maddie’s mind finally found the significance.

“Ghosts don’t disturb another’s haunt on their death day.” She said.

Danny nodded. He waved his hand into the air. “My haunt.” Then he gestured to his scar. “My death day.”

“Is… is there anything we need to worry about? I don’t know, power surges, amnesia?” Jack asked. Danny had never really gone into detail about these things.

Danny shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. It’s just a day of mourning for a lot of ghosts, a time for them to remember what they left behind, what keeps them here. It’s just a respect thing.”

“Do you want us to do anything?” Maddie asked. Was she supposed to bake a cake? They’d learned ghosts eat those.

Danny worried at his lip, zoning out in thought.

Neither interrupted.

“I was about to go to the tree.” He finally answered.

“Do you want to be alone?” Maddie continued.

“…would you two even want to come with me?”

Jack placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “We’ll go wherever you want us.”

“I would like that.” He answered.

“We’re ready whenever you are.” Maddie said.

Their son seemed indecisive, until he finally stood, shifting back into Phantom.

He held his hands out to them. “Do you trust me?”

Neither hesitated for even a moment as they took his hands.

“When we get there… can I tell you? Everything? Everything I’ve held back, things you may not want to hear?” Danny asked. “Unpleasant things. About what happened to me. About what I’ve done.” Will you still accept me if it’s bad? Was the unspoken question in his eyes.

Maddie squeezed his hand and smiled at him encouragingly.

“No matter what you tell us, we want to hear it, and we will still love you at the end of it.” Jack said. “Whatever you want to tell us, we’re here.”

“I want to talk about… about everything. Even the things I’ve held back until now. Things that might not be… pleasant for you to hear about.”

There were very few topics he hadn’t discussed. He’d been vague about some of his enemies, some of his experiences. He had always refused to talk about his death.

“I thought ghosts didn’t like to talk about… that.” Maddie said.

“We only talk about our deaths with those we trust.” 

Maddie nearly cried at that, Jack freely crying. He trusted them. He trusted them.

“We’ll listen to it all, Danny.”

Danny’s smile was nearly blinding, his aura shining with emotion as he clenched their hands tightly.

An odd sensation went through Maddie. He had spread his power over them, the first time he’d ever done so. They rose up and through the ceiling, quickly arriving at the tree in the clearing, where he sat them down.

Danny settled onto his knees, eyes fixed on the dirt beneath him. After a moment, he began to talk. 

Jack and Maddie kneeled on either side of him, uncaring of his ghostly chill, and listened to him for hours.

They cried with him, they held him between them.

And they listened, they learned, they loved him and they clutched him tighter as he cried into his grave.

by your grave (the monster we made)

title: by your grave (the monster we made)

Words: 4453

Chapter 1 of 5

Warnings: None!

Summary: Maddie knew Danny kept secrets, it was a topic they didn’t discuss. But when she sees scars she knows he couldn’t have, she knows she can’t keep pretending. She just needs to figure out those scars.

AO3

It’s strange, how small things, minor choices, a single brush can collapse your entire world. One action taken that changes your entire life. If another option had been chosen or something small missed, the outcome entirely different. Singular actions that fracture time into various streams, each with wildly varying results.

A normal day. It had been a completely normal day for Maddie Fenton. But isn’t that how most great tragedies start, too? A normal day before hell crashes directly into it?

“Danny, honey?” Maddie asked, knocking on her son’s door. She wasn’t entirely sure if he was there - he sometimes managed to completely disappear when his parents could’ve sworn he’d come home and never left.

“Yeah?” He called from his room, voice muffled by the door.

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

Maddie pushed open the door, grinning at her son as she did so, the room dim. He had grown so much in the last year, far more than Maddie had ever thought possible. Sure, teenagers tended to hit growth spurts, but whatever had changed with Danny hadn’t been entirely physical. She couldn’t quite place it but some instinct told her he had changed, had grown into himself.

“Do you still have any spare light bulbs up here? Apparently your father forgot to get them the last three times he went to the grocery store.” Maddie said, rolling her eyes playfully.

Danny laughed. “Maybe stop sending him to the store by himself?” He mused. “Anyway, I do think I have some up here.” He clicked on his desk lamp, so sudden and bright against the dimness that Maddie’s eyes narrowed. Impressively, Danny’s didn’t. He stood, reaching up over his head and opening one of the upper cabinets of his desk. A moment passed before he withdrew, half-full box of light bulbs in his left hand. He sat back down, propping his elbow up on the desk, under the desk lamp.

“Ta-da!” He said.

“Thanks, Sweetie!” Maddie said, standing beside him to ruffle his hair with one hand, leaning over to grab just one of the bulbs from the box. She nearly shivered at the nearness to her son, he always seemed so cold. There, leaned forward, with his arm directly beneath the bright light, a discoloration on his skin became clear. She jerked back away from him, though now that she had seen the discoloration - the scar - wrapping around his wrists and going all the way up his arm, dipping under the sleeve of his shirt, she didn’t know how she had never seen it before. It was absolutely massive in how far it branched, even if the lines were thin. It was like one of those optical illusions - extremely difficult to find at first but once you finally find it, you can never unsee it.

“Mom?” Danny asked beside her, looking at her in confusion. “You good?”

“Oops, sorry, dear, you’re not the only one who stays up too late at night sometimes!” In that moment, Maddie didn’t know why she lied, why she didn’t ask about the scar.

Apparently, he bought it, rolling his eyes. “Don’t worry, mom, I’m sure Amity can survive if you build your next weapon a day later than planned.”

That drew a laugh from her. “Better done early than late! We’ve gotten close to catching several ghosts - especially Phantom - so we’ve got to make sure the lab is ready for adequate containment!”

A look of fear shot across his face for just a moment, his face almost immediately smoothing into a mask of indifference. If Maddie hadn’t been so studiously studying him all of the sudden, she wouldn’t have even noticed it. Since when did talking about catching ghosts cause that look? “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he drawled, leaning back in his chair, arms across his chest as he yawned. “Evil ghosts, destruction, blah, blah.”

This reaction to ghosts was familiar - disinterested and indifferent - at least. Maybe she’d just been seeing things when she saw fear, so focused on seeing if there was anything else she’d missed that she’d made things up to miss.

“I know, I know, our research bores you,” Maddie said, falling back to the familiar, friendly bicker. “Try not to stay up too late, alright?” She asked, placing her hand on his shoulder, more aware of the slight chill than she’d ever been before.

“What can I say? Not sleeping is apparently a familial trait. I get it from you.” He joked.

“Good night, Danny,” she said, leaving the room and closing the door behind her, her son giving an amused snort at the dismissal.

Her feet took her down to the kitchen, where Jack awaited, but her mind buzzed. Why did this interaction - normal and benign as it was - have her in such twists? Why had her instinct been to avoid mentioning her concerns to Danny? Why hadn’t she just asked about the scar? And why - when was used to his lower temperature - did it make her shiver to think about?

“Did he have one, Mads?” Jack asked, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked at the bulb in her hand, she had entirely forgotten about it, why she’d even gone to his room in the first place.

“Oh, uh, yeah, he had a few,” Maddie answered, holding the bulb out.

“That’s my boy, always prepared!” Jack said, grabbing the bulb from her and inserting it into the light fixture above them, the previous one already removed. She smiled as he did so, tall enough to not need a step stool like she would’ve. Sometimes the little domestic moments like this were the best - her and Jack doing something absolutely normal, her kids safe and sound on the floor above them.

That last thought made the smile slip from her face, dropping into a frown. “Jack, are we good parents?” She asked suddenly.

Jack, done with the bulb, looked at her in confusion. “Sure we are, Mads!”

She was looking at the floor as she said “Are you sure?”

“I mean,” Jack started, scratching thoughtfully at his chin. “I guess they get embarrassed by us sometimes? And Jazz says we can be oblivious. She’d call us out in a heartbeat if she thought we were being neglectful - she’s done it before when we would get too deep in our work and forget to make dinner.”

There was no ignoring the shame in her heart at that last comment. Their child shouldn’t have to remind her adult parents to feed them. “Jack, does Danny have a scar on his left hand?”

“Not that I know of. Except maybe the little knick from when fell on gravel when he was really young? Why? Maddie, is everything okay?”

Again, she held back her true thoughts. Maybe it really was just something else, a trick of the light while she’s tired? She really hadn’t slept much last night - they’d been putting the finishing touches on the new dissection table until pretty late. Still, there was an itch at the back of her brain.

“Everything’s fine, dear,” Maddie lied. “I guess I just realized how much Danny and Jazz have grown and felt like I had missed it.” Especially Danny. The whole family had skirted around his issues, never willing to bring it up, after the first few times they asked and he continued to refuse. His grades, his attendance, his curfew. It was an elephant they all refused to further acknowledge, choosing to chase the ghostly ferret instead.

Jack pulled her into a crushing hug - thankfully, her ribs had long since gotten used to being squeezed too hard - and kissed the top of her head, auburn hair loose. “We’ve made some fine kids, Mads. This is the reward, painful as it is - we raise them well so they can thrive even once they leave here.”

Maddie rested her head against Jack’s chest, inhaling the comfortable scent of him - the rubbery scent of the hazmat suit mixed with his earthy cologne. “I suppose you’re right. I guess if I wasn’t worried if I was doing it right, then I wouldn’t be doing it right.”

He ran a hand through her hair, though the crush of his hug did not decrease as he held her with one arm instead. “This is the best we can hope for. Strong, smart kids, kind to a fault. We succeeded in raising them ready to face the world beyond us - and at least we didn’t make monsters of them.”

“Monsters?” Maddie asked, her breath temporarily hitching.

“Y’know - selfish, rude people. People who harm others for fun. That kind of monster.”

“Oh,” she said. “I guess you’re right. There are no monsters we made.”

~~~~~~~

Maddie tossed and turned in her bed for hours when she finally went to lie down, sleep refusing her. Jack slept easily beside her, snoring in a nearly comical way. Her head felt both empty and too full - thoughts she didn’t fully understand evaporating to mist as soon as she tried to concentrate on them. It was already nearly dawn when she managed to fall into that facsimile of sleep - where time slowed and the body relaxed but true rest lingered at the edge of consciousness.

When her alarm sounded, she slammed her hands on it to turn it off, pushing herself into a sitting position. Sunlight flooded through the open curtains, bathing the entire room in a pleasant golden glow. This was her favorite time of day - the world silently awaking as the sun rose. It was a peaceful time to her, it always had been. But the peace she always knew at dawn slipped from her.

Something was going on with her son. Something had been for a long time. Maddie was determined to find out, no longer willing to chase distractions that hurt less. He wouldn’t tell them himself, they’d already hit that roadblock so many times, so there was no point in asking him. It had something to do with that scar, a scar she couldn’t place but seemed familiar.

Ideas spun in her head as she made her way downstairs, plans and theories formulating and dissolving as she thought. Automatically, she began to make breakfast - a much larger one than usual. Ever since Danny had left middle school, Maddie had fallen out of the habit of cooking in the mornings, leaving the kids to fend for themselves, typically with cereal.

Soon, the house began to move, her family drawn by the smell of sizzling bacon. Maddie studied her family, smiling at all of them, their personalities evident even just here. Jazz was fully dressed, hair brushed, proper and ready to go. Jack had a new hazmat suit on, but stubble prickled on his chin, hair still mused sleepily. And then there was Danny. He was still in wrinkled pajamas, hair pointing every which way, much more erratic than his usual controlled chaos of a hairdo.

Again, the joy of simple domesticity surrounded by those who love you and you love in return. Idle chatter was exchanged over breakfast, meaningless nothings that would fade from memory as soon as the topic changed.

Jazz was the first to finish, placing her plate in the sink and leaving, wanting to get to school as early as possible to use the library. Jack followed soon after, heading up the stairs to finish preparing for the day. Throughout it all, Maddie glanced at Danny’s left arm, looking for the scar again, trying to see how far up it went, if it went into the short sleeve of his shirt or stopped below. She couldn’t see it, though. She was confused. Had it really been a trick of the light? Had she seen something that wasn’t there?

Danny pushed his empty plate forward, yawning and stretching his arms above his head. Maddie stood, taking both her and his empty plates, setting them in the sink.

“Thanks, mom! That was really good!” Danny said, giving her a lopsided grin.

“No problem, dear.” She said, returning the smile in a way she hoped seemed genuine.

“Oh, shoot, is that really the time?” He asked, frowning at the clock on the wall. “I gotta get ready!” He said, jumping from the seat.

“Wait!” Maddie called, stepping forward and grabbing at his left wrist. He tensed at the sudden contact, only relaxing partially after a few moments, turning to look at her.

“Is everything okay?” He questioned, studying her face, frowning in confusion.

“Uh…” Maddie faltered, trying to come up with an answer that wasn’t I thought you had a scar and now I think I’m losing my mind. “I just wanted to give you a hug.” She decided on, pulling his wrist gently to bring him closer.

He complied, letting her wrap her arms around him, hugging her back. “Is everything okay?” He repeated as she partially released him.

Doing her best to make it look like a casual move, Maddie smiled and pulled back from him, holding both of his upper arms, squeezing softly in what she hoped felt like a normal, parental squeeze of reassurance.

“You’re just growing up on me, that’s all. My little baby isn’t a baby.”

Danny rolled his eyes at her, but a smirk did settle on his face and the rest of the tension left his shoulders. “Yeah, yeah,” he said, lifting his left hand and waving her off absently.

That’s when she saw it again, saw it a little more fully. It seemed to originate on his palm, lightning-like patterns branching up his arm, very thin lines, very barely visible. Some branches did go under his sleeve. No wonder he had been able to hide it for so long, if she had to be this close to see it, had to know the discoloration to look for. She had just gotten lucky last night when the too bright, too white light of Danny’s desk had thrown it into stark relief for that short moment.

“I love you, Danny.” She said, unwilling to risk studying the scar too obviously. This was the key to whatever was wrong, she could feel it in her bones, and she didn’t want him to know she was looking into it. Not yet. Not until she knew.

“I love you too, mom.” She had to strain to hear it, but there was something in his voice that she couldn’t place.

“I’m serious,” she insisted. “I will always love you.”

He smiled, pushing her hands off of him, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I know, mom. You’ll always love me or whatever.”

Bitterness. It was bitterness she heard in laced undertones. She suddenly felt like cracked glass in too much heat.

She allowed him to push her off, though she did ruffle his hair some. When had he gotten as tall as her?

“And don’t ever forget it, young man. Go on, have a good day at school!”

He waved at her and disappeared up the stairs. As soon as he was out of sight, the smile slipped off her face and she went down to the lab, needing to hide so he couldn’t see her when he came back down.

Maddie settled carefully into the seat at her desk, trying not to shatter. Bitterness. Why would he be bitter when she said she loved him? Did he think she was lying? Loved him but not enough? She remembered how he’d tensed so hard when she grabbed him. Did he fear her? She knew he was hiding something, that much was obvious, an open secret no one mentioned. 

Was he afraid she wouldn’t accept him if she knew his secret? She’d heard of that with LGBTQ youth, but surely he didn’t think she’d reject him? She didn’t care about that, she just wanted happy children. And if one of them liked the same gender or both or none at all, she’d support them in whatever made them feel right. Did he not feel like a boy? She’d be fine to have two daughters or a child outside of the binary, she’d help them in whatever they wanted if a transition was needed to help their exterior match their interior.

She just wanted her children alive and happy. Jack wanted the same, both of her children knew that. Right?

She tried to remember conversations they’d had about acceptance and love, about living fully so long as you didn’t hurt someone else. There were a few from several years ago, all when Danny was probably less than ten. Danny was awfully close with both Sam and Tucker. Maybe he was bi and they were all dating and were embarrassed?

No, no, it had to be something else. Being LGBTQ didn’t fit everything, though it could still possibly be a facet in a secret he was more afraid of. But the grades, the cutting class, the broken curfews. If it were Sam and Tucker, they would’ve been told by now that those two ditched with Danny. There were a few times they’d both even tried to cover for Danny, Lancer had said.

Frustrated, she ran a hand through her hair, tugging at some tangles. She’d really thought she’d had something there, but it didn’t fit. Didn’t fit his behavior.

Didn’t account for the scar.

When did he get that scar? What kind of injury caused a scar like that? She had a vague recollection of seeing something like that, once, but she couldn’t remember where or why it had come up. She stared at her hands, though they didn’t whisper the answer to her. Her thoughts ran in circles - she needed to figure out the scar, she needed to remember where she’d seen it before so she could get its name, she needed its name to figure out the scar. The cycle continued uselessly, a dull headache building behind her eyes.

Distraction. She needed a distraction. It was a common thing - remembering something you’d forgotten by forgetting you needed to remember it.

Maddie’s eyes scanned the lab, everything cast in the green glow from the portal. Eventually, she settled on a half-finished invention on Jack’s desk. They were hoping that if they programmed their weapons to ignore Danny before they finished building it and powering it up with ectoplasm, the devices would stop pinging him as a ghost. They were running through every half-assed, unproven theory to try to stop Danny from being targeted. Current theory said that ectoplasm had ‘memory,’ so preventative measures had to be loaded in before the ecto-based power source. This invention didn’t even do anything except emit smoke when it detected a ghost within five feet, it was solely for testing this method to exclude Danny from their detection. So, for now, it was powered with a strong battery.

They knew it was probably the ecto-contamination he’d gotten when the portal shocked him when it had suddenly turned on that caused the weapons to target him and there was nothing to be done for that. Ecto-contamination was much like radioactivity - it had a half life and had to fade on its own, and its half life was hundreds of years, as best they could calculate.

Maddie looked at some free wires under the external casing. She popped the casing off, rewiring them to change their connections. A short prick of pressure flashed in one of her right fingers and she swore. Thank heavens for her suit, that kind of feeling was caused by a shock of electricity arcing towards her, which the suit was designed to prevent.

Hours passed as she worked with the Stop Targeting Danny Fentonetron (Jack named it), but the name of that scar continued to elude her. Jack circled in and out of the lab periodically throughout the day, but didn’t interrupt her, just as she wouldn’t have him.

He was down there when she finished the device.

“Okay, Jack,” she said, turning to where he was playing a game on his computer, “I think I’ve got this ready to go, just needs the ecto-battery inserted.”

“That’s great, Mads! It’s almost time for dinner, want to test it there?”

Looking at a clock, Maddie realized Jack was right. She’d been down here nearly twelve hours. Oh well. Wasn’t like it was the first time either of them had done it.

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I’m going to head upstairs and get dinner started, then.”

“Sounds like a plan to me! Just make sure to keep the ecto-battery far away from the Stop Targeting Danny Fentonetron until it’s time.”

“I know, dear,” she agreed, halfway to the door before she paused and added, “we really need to give this thing an easier name.”

He chuckled, returning to his game, and Maddie started back towards the kitchen. Once there, she sat the device on the table and began whipping up some food. Jack had gone shopping yesterday (thus the forgotten bulb and small avalanche of fudge) so all the food was still ecto free.

When the casserole in the oven had less than five minutes left, Jazz and Danny came through the front door, arguing about something in low voices. As soon as they saw Maddie in the kitchen, however, they both silenced, Danny throwing an irritated glare at Jazz, who pretended not to notice. Ah, at least this will always be normal. Jack, probably hearing the movement, joined them as well.

“Hi, kids!” She called, grabbing plates from the cupboard.

“Hiya!” Jazz said, overly cheerful.

Danny rolled his eyes. “Hey, mom.”

“C’mon, dinner’s almost done.”

The kids moved in their familiar ways - Jazz going for the cups in the cupboard, Danny going to pull the drinks from the fridge. Maddie smiled, though that was quickly wiped away when the anti-ecto blaster defense in the fridge triggered, Danny jumping to the side with a yelp.

“I thought you guys dismantled that!” Jazz yelled.

“We did?” Maddie said, coming out as a question more than a statement.

“Heh. Oops.” Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Like father, like son. “I thought it was broken and fixed it today.”

Jazz looked at her father furiously, then kneeling next to her brother. “You okay?”

“’m fine.” Danny said through gritted teeth, hunched over and holding his stomach. “Didn’t dodge fast enough.”

Shame blossomed in her chest painfully. What kind of child should ever have to say that? Would need to dodge weapons within their own homes? How often did Danny need to jump out of the way from surprise weapons? Did he have to live his life in constant anxiety, waiting for the next malfunctioning attack?

“Lemme see, Danno,” Jack said softly, kneeling on the side opposite Jazz.

Danny glanced at Jazz, who gave a barely perceptible nod. At the angle they were at Jack couldn’t see the fear that painted Danny’s face briefly. But Maddie could. Her shame felt like a physical thing in her chest, on her chest, trying to crush her. Another small thing that she should have seen the first time it happened. Was she really that oblivious? Were her and Jack really that horrible of parents?

Danny let go of his stomach, red staining his hand. His shirt was burned through, as was the patch of skin beneath it. Jack looked at it in guilt. Maddie was cursing Danny’s ecto contamination internally - he had a high enough level to make him susceptible to their weapons, thus their desperation to get the inventions to just stop firing at him in the first place.

“I’ll get the first aid kit,” Jazz said, leaving the kitchen, her footsteps could be heard hurrying up the stairs.

“I am so sorry, Danno, I forgot that we dismantled it,” Jack said, a tear dropping down his face.

“Hey, dad, it’s alright,” Danny said in a soothing voice. “Accidents happen.” He reached out to pat his dad on the shoulder with his not-bloody hand, though he was looking down at his stomach, applying pressure back to the wound. Jack’s eyes widened and Maddie realized it was Danny’s left hand he’d reached out with. He’d noticed the scar she’d mentioned to him the previous night, too. He locked eyes with her and Maddie shook her head.

He nodded. “Thanks, Danny. I really am sorry. I won’t forget again.” Jack said, grinning down at his son.

“Why does it take him getting shot for you to remember, though?” Jazz asked as she stepped back into the kitchen, white first aid kit in hand.

Maddie opened her mouth to answer but just let out a strangled breath. Jack was opening and closing his mouth repeatedly.

“Jazz, it’s fine, drop it,” Danny said. “Can you move, dad?”

Jack looked at his son then his daughter then back to his son, but he did move further away.

Jazz knelt down at her brother’s injured side, popping open the kit. “Just because this isn’t the first time doesn’t make it okay, Danny!” Jazz hissed, so low Maddie barely heard her.

“Drop. It.” Danny shot back just as lowly, a hard edge to his tone.

Maddie watched as Jazz pulled out what she needed - burn cream, gauze, adhesive. There was no hesitation in her hands, no moving stuff around to find what she needed. Jazz knew what she was doing, had clearly gone through this before, more than once as Maddie noted that Jazz’s hands didn’t shiver with anxiety.

Danny sat there patiently, occasionally hissing in pain as Jazz patched him up.

That wasn’t a normal reaction. It just wasn’t. There was no way that he’d been struck that many times by the house! And it had to be various wounds fairly often, based on how little he reacted, how quickly Jazz jumped to action. Had the bullying gotten bad again? Danny had said it’d eased up.

It was then the oven beeped, making everyone except Danny jump. Maddie hurriedly pulled on oven gloves and pulled the food out before it had the chance to burn.

“Alright, I’m done,” Jazz said, dumping the unneeded parts into the trash can, a bloody piece of gauze included.

“I’m changing.” Danny said, getting to his feet and quickly retreating to his room.

Jazz went to the sink, cleaning her hands of her brother’s blood. Maddie and Jack seemed frozen, looking at each other. It was then Maddie realized her nor Jack had tried to take over the situation. Jazz had done it and they had allowed her to be in charge.

Jack pointed with his eyes to the lab. Maddie nodded and pointed hers towards the clock. Twenty years of marriage helped you get a pretty good sense of each other’s thought processes. They’d meet in the lab, he’d said. After dinner, she’d said.

[five-rivers]

Adoption (part 2)

A gift for @a-flower-lover!  This wound up being more along the lines of vignettes...  Little snapshots into Danny’s life after being adopted by Clockwork.  I hope that’s ok!  (PART 1)

.

Mr. Lancer had met Charles Worth before, albeit briefly. The man had fostered a number of Casper High students and with that responsibility came parent-teacher conferences. He had struck Mr. Lancer as being steady and reliable, if, perhaps, impersonal, despite his predilection for clocks and ominous announcements. A decent foster parent, if not... ideal.

Mr. Worth just didn't seem to connect with his fosters, although he certainly didn't neglect them. Then, too, were the persistent rumors that his home was haunted.

Alright. So, Mr. Lancer didn't think Charles Worth was really a children person. Oh, he was a good person! It took one to do well as a foster parent, but... yeah.

Which was why the scene in front of him surprised him so much. Not the who of it, but the what.

The who was Daniel Fenton and Charles Worth waiting outside the office. The what was smiling and having a conversation. True, Mr. Fenton's smile looked like it was pasted on over several layers of anxiety, but it was genuine.

"Mr. Worth, Mr. Fenton?" he said, tamping down his surprise. "Come on in."

"Hi," said Mr. Fenton, his voice hoarse.

Mr. Worth smiled and nodded, pushing him up with his cane.

But Mr. Fenton must have noticed the curious look Mr. Lancer was giving him. "I knew Cl- Uh. Mr. Worth before this." He winced and smiled widely to cover it up. "So, uh, make up work? Since I missed the past week?"

"Yes, well, circumstances being what they are," aka his parents trying to murder him in public, in broad daylight (and didn't that give Mr. Lancer a chill?), "your teachers have put together a few packets for you to look over this weekend. They should get you more or less up to speed with where your classes are. I'm also willing to stay after school, to help you with anything you've missed in my classes."

.

Jazz knocked on the door of the Worth house. She had been made aware, via various supernatural (she did not particularly appreciate writing suddenly appearing on her fogged-up bathroom mirror) and mundane (Danny did have her phone number) means, that the man known as Charles Worth was actually the ghost known as Clockwork.

How this had occurred was not entirely clear to her. She assumed ghost powers, specifically time travel, were involved somehow.

But, to be honest, that didn't really matter to her. It was secondary, less than.

What was important here was that she hadn't been legally allowed to see her little brother in over a month. To keep her parents from contacting him. To keep her from letting her parents near him. Because they were legally barred from seeing him.

Because they had tried to kill him.

Jazz planned on never seeing her parents again, as soon as she got all of her and Danny's things from their house.

But now that prohibition had been lifted, because Clockwork had forced through what had to be the speediest adoption in the history of adoptions, and Danny was now legally his son. In the eyes of both humans and ghosts. Which was... Well. Danny seemed to be excited about it, anyway. He'd looked up to Clockwork for a while, from what he told Jazz.

Internally, Jazz had more than a bit of trepidation. She didn't know what adoption meant to ghosts, didn't have any context for it. And ghosts, even the good ones, even Danny, tended to be... obsessive. Extreme. She wasn't sure how that would translate when it came to interpersonal relationships.

The door creaked open, ever so slowly, the squeak it made grating on her eardrums. At first, it appeared to have opened on its own, then a hand gripped the edge of the door, and Clockwork, in human guise, leaned out from behind it.

Jazz raised an eyebrow.

Clockwork raised one right back. "This house is haunted, you know," he said.

Okay, never mind. The only thing she had to worry about was the fact that her brother and his mentor both had terrible senses of humor.

"Hi, Jazz!"

Being used to having a half-ghost brother, Jazz only yelped a little bit at his unexpected appearance behind her. Then she sighed and ruffled his hair. He hugged her and then bounced over the lintel into the house.

"Come on! I want to show you my room! It's so cool!" His voice became fainter as he went farther into the house, until his last exclamation was an eerie whisper.

Jazz looked at Clockwork as she stepped inside. "Is he doing that on purpose?"

Clockwork smiled blandly. "I am very fond of the acoustics in this house."

She looked at her surroundings with a skeptical eye. "It seems... dark in here."

"We are ghosts," said Clockwork. "Daniel is very excited to show you his room, by the way."

"He's human, too, don't forget," said Jazz.

"I won't."

.

The house was creepy.

Really creepy.

This was coming from someone who had spent most of her life living under the same roof as two ghost-obsessed mad scientists.

But Danny seemed to enjoy it, and he was the one living here. It wasn't like there was anything wrong with the house. Or anything in the house. It was just... off.

Danny was half-ghost, however, so maybe this was something he needed. Perhaps not all of his peppiness could be attributed to being the heck away from his murderous former parents.

Even so. Jazz had a duty, both as a big sister and an aspiring psychologist.

"I already read it," said Clockwork, setting a cup of tea down in front of her.

"What?"

"The book you were about to give me. I've already read it. And a number of others. I am not the kind of person who goes into things unprepared."

Danny rolled into the kitchen on the ceiling. This was easy to ignore. After her life, an Exorcist reference made by her over-excited younger brother, was, well. Underwhelming.

(Okay, she was a little distracted, but only by his glee.)

"Well," she said. "That's good."

.

"I know this house is out of the way," said Clockwork, craning his neck to look up at his coworker, "but you are rather conspicuous."

"Hm. Am I?" asked Pandora, craning her neck down to look at her comparatively tiny colleague.

"Yes. At that size, humans with average eyesight will be able to see you from town."

Pandora looked out over the trees. "Interesting," she said, mildly. "Do you think the ghost hunters will come?"

"You've spoken to Daniel."

"Yes. He stopped by earlier today, on his way to visit Mattingly. Although, I suppose you knew that already."

"Indeed I did. May I ask, is it your intention to lure the ghost hunters here, fight them, defeat them, and then leave them just close enough to here to constitute a breach of their terms of bail and the restraining order against them?"

"I am not terribly well-versed in human law," said Pandora, "but, why, yes. That is exactly what I'm doing. Best to get it done while Daniel is visiting friends, isn't it?"

"Yes. If you had done this while he was here, I would be significantly more annoyed." Clockwork smiled the sanguine smile of a parental figure who would commit murder if their child was upset.

Pandora returned a matching grin, one that promised retribution against persons who had harmed said child in the past. "Please, Clockwork. You know me better than that. I wouldn't subject him to being in the presence of those fools."

"Good," said Clockwork, eyes glinting.

.

"Hey, Clockwork? Do you know why there were police cars driving down the- Oh. Hello?" He stopped at the sight of an unfamiliar woman sitting at the dinning room table, next to Clockwork. He blinked and tilted his head to the side. "Wait. Pandora?"

"Perceptive," said the superficially human olive-skinned woman. "You seemed so happy when you stopped by, earlier. I thought I would come check in on you."

"You didn't have to," said Danny, beaming.

"Pandora has been trying to convince me to set her up as one of my relatives," said Clockwork, rolling his eyes. "Would you care for a cup of tea, Daniel?"

"Umm," said Danny, dubiously. "I'll try one, I guess. Does that mean you'll be my aunt?"

Pandora smiled. "Why, yes, it does."

Clockwork groaned theatrically.

.

"Ah," said Mr. Lancer, at the next parent-teacher conference. "Are you Mr. Worth's wife?"

"No," said Pandora, grinning. "I'm his sister."

Mr. Lancer looked back and forth between the two very different-looking entities. "I... see."

"We're adopted," said Clockwork.

"Oh! Alright then. Now, about Daniel..."

.

It was a bit strange to see Danny with so much energy, Sam reflected. Strange, but good.

It just went to show how drained he had become over time, how much the constant ghost attacks and worry, all the lies and stress and impossible expectations had worn away at him over time. She hadn't seen her friend this happy since freshman year. If that.

On the other hand...

"Dude," said Tucker. "Your house is spooky. And this is coming from someone who's been inside a literal mad science lab."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Mad science labs are campy, not spooky. Besides, you knew coming in that this house was haunted." He draped himself over the back of the couch, rolling until he was 'sitting' upside-down. "Anyway, what kind of movie do you want to watch? We've got a bunch, because Clockwork apparently collects media from doomed timelines."

"He's got a hobby?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, three," said Danny. "Gardening- you should talk to him about that, by the way, I think he'd like it- baking, and alternate timeline movies. And some books, too, I think. He's got a huge library back in Long Now. I've read like. Two books from it."

Clockwork's voice floated in from the other room. "You've read significantly more than that, Daniel."

"I guess," said Danny, doubtfully. He flopped off the couch, picked himself up, and started prodding at a shelf of movies. "This is from a timeline where the Earth got beaned by a massive asteroid. It's, like, a romcom, but it was made when everyone knew the asteroid was coming. This one is, uh, this is actually a dramatization of real events, apparently, but their timeline split from ours in like the fifties, so the events are pretty wild." He waved the DVD at them. "It's surreal?"

"How'd they die?" asked Tucker.

"Wacky superscience. No, really. Irradiated the entire planet."

"How do you know?" asked Sam.

"Oh, Clockwork puts notes on the boxes. He thinks it's interesting. And there does seem to be some correlation between how cursed the movies are and how bad the timeline was. Which maybe shouldn't surprise me? I mean, if they were bad timelines..." He shrugged. "Oh, this is a CGI Lion King. I can tell you: very cursed. Absolutely soulless. And this is from a timeline where copyright laws weren't changed, so Mickey Mouse and a bunch of other stuff was in the public domain."

"Isn't that a good timeline?" joked Sam.

"You'd think so," agreed Danny. "But apartheid in South Africa apparently never stopped, and they got a nuclear bomb, and, well... World War Three."

"Is that like, a domino effect, or...?"

"I'm not sure... Anyway. Uh. Genre?" He clapped his hands together.

Tucker leaned forward. "I want the wildest version of the Matrix you have."

"Ooh, good choice. There are, like, six with Will Smith. I haven't watched them all yet, but I think the one where they've got another sequel and Zion is also a- Wait, I shouldn't spoil it."

"After that, can you see if there's a non-crappy version of Dracula?" asked Sam.

"Sure. I haven't seen one yet, but I will look."

"I have popcorn," said Clockwork, entering the room, "and various baked goods. No dairy."

"You're the best."

.

Clockwork selected a thick blanket from the chest, then teleported himself to the living room to drape it over the three teenagers passed out on the couch. Overall, he found pretending to be human oddly enjoyable, but it could be trying at times. Tedious. All the finicky little motions humans had to go through to do the simplest of things added up over the day.

So, Clockwork tended to ease off of them when no one was watching. It made life easier.

Heh. Life.

(He would say that Daniel's puns were rubbing off on him, but in truth Clockwork's sense of humor had been like that for, well. Eons.)

He put the kitchen in order with an absent wave of his hand, and double-checked the stove out of habit. It wasn't nearly as good as his actual oven, back in Long Now, but it was serviceable.

One of Daniel's friends mumbled in their sleep, and Clockwork looked in on them. Still peaceful. It was good for Daniel to have them here. Beneficial for both his human and ghost halves.

He hummed to himself and patted Daniel's head as he thought about their plans for the weekend. He had arranged for some truly aggravating evangelical missionaries to darken their doorstep. It would do Daniel good to inspire a touch of terror. In an entirely controlled and risk-free way, of course. No matter how unpleasant the people coming were, Clockwork had no intention of harming them, or suggesting anything of the sort.

But, well. They were ghosts. Being feared was soothing.

(Clockwork knew this wasn't what Jasmine meant when she suggested Clockwork engage in family bonding activities with Daniel. But what she didn't know...)

.

"I think my teeth are getting sharper," said Danny, pulling a face at the mirror. "Is that normal?" The last was shouted, to get Clockwork's attention. Intellectually, Danny knew he didn't need to do that, but a lifetime of habit was hard to shake.

"It is difficult to say what is normal for someone like you, but many ghosts do have fangs," said Clockwork. "Including myself."

"Hm," said Danny. "This isn't, like, a ghost puberty thing, is it? Because I already used up most of my evil puberty jokes."

"Oh, only most?" Clockwork slid behind him and started rubbing the tension out of his shoulders.

Danny shrugged. "Eh, give or take. But, seriously."

"No, it isn't a ghost puberty thing."

"Oh, good. Because dealing with one puberty is more than enough."

Clockwork was silent. Danny looked up and met troubled eyes in the mirror.

"Clockwork?"

"Daniel," started Clockwork, before giving Danny an uneasy smile. "Speaking of puberty..."

Danny blanched. "No."

"What?"

"No. Nope. Not doing the talk today, no sir. I got that at school."

"Daniel, as strange as Casper High may be at times, I highly doubt they taught you anything about immortality."

"What."

.

"It's why ghosts put so much forethought into relationships like this," explained Clockwork, careful not to look directly at Daniel's hiding place. "They might last forever. I certainly hope this one does."

"But I don't want to be a teenager forever!" wailed Danny. He had mastered the art of making his voice sound like it was coming from a completely different direction than it actually was.

Clockwork was older than human civilization and had been worshiped as a god by several civilizations. He did not wince at the heartbreak in his child's voice.

"Your shapeshifting abilities should come in after a few years," said Clockwork. "You'll be able to pass as older."

Daniel answered with a moan.

"I must confess, I'm not sure why you are so upset about this. I can see that you are, but could you explain why for me?"

"I don't knoooooowww..."

.

"I don't want everyone to die and leave me alone," admitted Danny, hunched over a carton of ice cream. "I don't want to see my- my people die." He sniffled.

"We don't have to stay in Amity Park if you don't want to," said Clockwork.

Danny shook his head. "No! That's worse," he said, hating how his voice tilted into a whine. "That's- I can't abandon them! I can't- can't miss their time. I just..." He let out a huff of air. "It's hard."

Clockwork wrapped an arm around Daniel's shoulders. "It may not help much," he said, "but people in Amity Park have a much higher chance of becoming ghosts. It's the ectoplasm in the air."

"Promise?" asked Danny.

"Promise. Although, who, exactly, becomes a ghost is outside of my control. All I can tell you is that the people here have a better chance."

Danny leaned against Clockwork. "Thanks," he mumbled. "Clockwork?"

"Yes?"

"You don't think I'm a freak, do you?"

"Of course not."

.

Mr. Lancer squinted down at Daniel Fenton's latest assignment with a mix of appreciation, disbelief, and shame. This was easily the best work he had ever received from Daniel. In fact, it rivaled papers he had received from Jasmine.

It made him wonder- How long had Daniel been suffering? What had Daniel been suffering? He was no expert when it came to abuse, but all teachers had some training, and he knew that abusers tended to escalate, starting with something relatively innocuous and ending with a travesty. For things to progress to attempted murder... What had it started as? When had it begun?

(Could Mr. Lancer have stopped it?)

(That question would haunt him more than any ghost.)

Well, there was a silver lining to this, Mr. Lancer supposed. He had rarely seen two people who got along as well as Daniel and Charles Worth. It was good, he thought, for the man to have someone in his life on a more permanent basis, rather than the revolving door of temporary foster children.

How rapidly the adoption went through was a little odd, but... Mr. Lancer shrugged. Undoubtedly, Mr. Worth had taken the time over his years as a foster parent to familiarize himself with the system, and with Daniel's former parents unfit to be anywhere near children...

He shrugged again and stamped Daniel's paper with an A+.

[lexosaurus]

I Love You

My fic for day 5 of DP Side Hoes Week (yes I’m a day behind). 

Character: Jazz Theme: Hospital

This oneshot exists within my Everything Was White fic series [ao3]. You do NOT have to be following Everything Was White to understand this fic, this one exists as a prequel in the timeline and I give enough context in the text for anyone to be able to understand it. 

Okay, enjoy!

---

Jazz sat on the armchair, her gaze blank. Hazy. She hadn’t moved since she sat down some time ago. Time moved without reason, and she wasn’t sure how long it had been. Her back hurt and her lips were chapped, but she hardly noticed her discomfort.

The only thing that mattered was the person laying on the bed before her.

The person she hardly recognized.

Four weeks. That’s how long he had been missing from their lives, that’s how long the Guys in White had him. Twenty-eight days on the dot.

She could never forget his eyes as he was dragged out the door. They were wild, desperately staring down their parents who were both pinned down by government agents with guns trained to their heads. He screamed, struggling against his captures. 

But it wasn’t enough. 

Because in the end, he was thrown in the back of a white van. All while Jazz stood on the stairs doing nothing. 

She should have freed him. She could have helped. But she was too weak. 

Too weak.

Her eyes stung, and she wanted to cry. Break down. Sob. But she had already used up her stock of tears hours ago, when she finally saw him for the first time since he’d be transferred out of critical care.

He was frail, tiny. Nothing but skin and bones. His body was scarred, torn, encased in gauze and casts. Doctors fluttered about, talking in hushed tones as they analyzed her brother’s body. They tried not to show it, but Jazz knew they were baffled by him.

There was talk about his injuries. He hadn’t woken up yet, at least not completely, but Jazz was already told of the more...drastic injuries.

The Y scar on his chest.

The paralysis.

The starvation.

No one knew what the permanent effects were going to be. No one knew how he was going to fair once he woke up. But there was one thing they all knew for certain, a truth that none of the Fentons had said out loud yet: 

Danny was not going to be the same anymore.

She crumbled, allowing her head to fall into her hands. Apparently, she still had more tears to give. A sob tore its way from her throat, pulling with it a wave of emotions that Jazz had just spent the last few hours desperately trying to repress.

She was tired. So, so tired. And yet, this nightmare refused to end.

“Danny, I—I’m so sorry.” Jazz’s voice was raw. The naked truth was hanging right there in front of her, the consequences of her complete failure. 

She should have been there for him during the ghost fight. The one between him and Skulker that ultimately led to his revelation right there high in the skies in front of the entire town. She could have helped him.

She should have known the Guys in White would then come surround their house and take him.

She should have tried harder to find him and break him out of the government compound. They tried so hard, but they couldn’t find the stupid building.

She should have practiced her questions better in court. Maybe then the jury would have decided sooner. She could have gotten him released before he was hurt so bad.

“I’m sorry.”

He didn’t respond.

“I love you so much, Danny. I’m so sorry.”

He didn’t respond.

---

“You alright there, son?” Jack asked. He tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

It didn’t seem to matter. Jazz doubted Danny even heard their father’s question. She was honestly questioning if he even realized they were in the room.

His eyes wandered around the room as if he were still trying to take in the walls of the hospital. He woke up four days ago, and yet every day had been the same blank wandering gaze. 

Jazz hoped it was just the pain medication the hospital was giving him. She desperately clung onto the belief that her brother would snap out of it one day and would come home and he would be back to normal.

Back to how he was before.

“Your mother and I are going to meet with the surgeon.” Jack put an arm around Maddie, pulling her into his side. 

Her face was white, streaked with red as if she’d been crying recently, and the bags under her eyes had never been so pronounced. But Jazz couldn’t blame her. After all, she probably looked more or less the same.

“Stay with Danny, alright? We’ll come grab you after.”

“Sure, Dad,” Jazz said, putting on a smile she hoped was comforting.

Her mother muttered something that Jazz didn’t catch, and then both parents were gone. 

And Jazz was alone. With Danny.

Again.

She turned back to face him. The doctors had said that he’d sustained significant brain damage, and they weren’t sure yet how much communication he would be able to do. He was too drugged up still, too out of it. 

He couldn’t speak, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t understand her.

Or maybe that was her hopeful side talking again. She shouldn’t get her hopes up. She would only be hurt in the end.

“Hey, Danny,” Jazz tried. Her voice was thin. Dry. She tried to wet her lips and spoke again. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I hope you’re comfortable. If you were wondering, you broke your spine. I mean, I’m sure you already knew that but—” Her voice cracked. “—you know. That’s why you, um, might be uncomfortable right now. It’s the brace.”

He didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at her.

Just continued staring at the ceiling.

Jazz wondered if anything was going through his mind. If he had any questions. She would if she were Danny. 

She tried to imagine the sort of things he would say. His voice, crackling through the throes of puberty, as he poked fun at her in that annoying way only a brother could accomplish. She tried to envision a world where he could still do that.

And she tried not to think about the fact that there was a good chance that she’d never hear his voice again.

“Your SCI was incomplete, you know. So there’s still a chance…” Jazz shook her head. 

There she was getting hopeful again. 

“Everyone really missed you, Danny. I—I really missed you.”

He blinked slowly. In her imagination, Jazz heard him say “I missed you too.”

“I love you.”

He didn’t respond.

---

“What band are we in the mood for today?” Jazz asked, scrolling through her playlist.

Danny was starting to come to. He seemed to be able to hold eye contact, albeit not for very long, and his minute facial expressions showed at least some understanding of what was happening around him.

Although, he still hadn’t spoken yet.

Jazz glanced brightly down at him. Now that she knew he was conscious of her presence, she couldn’t afford to show up at the hospital in sweats with her tear-stained face anymore. She had to be there for him. She had to be strong.

Maybe she had been too weak to help him before. Maybe back then, she had failed him.

But she would be damned if she wasn’t strong enough to help him now.

“What do you think? MCR? Blink-182?” she asked. “I got these band names from Sam, by the way. So if she lied to me about what music you listen to now, don’t blame me.”

Danny just stared at her with his owl-ish expression.

“Here, if you want, you can choose.” Jazz held her phone screen out in front of him, watching as his eyebrows scrunched up ever so slightly as he gazed up at the screen.

Jazz felt her smile falter for a split second before she pulled her phone away and straightened herself up on her chair.

She had to be strong.

“It’s okay, I’ll just choose one.” She tapped the screen and set her phone down. 

The sound of over-compressed guitars filled the tiny bluetooth speaker on the windowsill, and Jazz beamed down at Danny, waiting for that tiny flicker of recognition to hit his face.

And, to her delight, some of the fog in his eyes momentarily lifted. He looked over to Jazz as if he were seeing her for the first time, the shock and disbelief seeping through the blank slate that was his expression.

Jazz was hardly able to keep the glee out of her voice. “You like it?”

His eyes flickered between Jazz and the bluetooth speaker. Back and forth again before settling back on the ceiling.

“Well, I’ll have to thank Sam for the recommendation later! She can’t wait to see you, you know. The doctors are only allowing family in your room right now, but maybe next week if you’re feeling up to it, Sam and Tucker can stop by. I don’t want to make any promises right now, but you never know.”

Danny’s eyes slowly traveled around the ceiling.

“Are you thirsty?” Jazz asked. “Hungry? Well, you’re probably not hungry. Doctors have been monitoring your nutrient intake a lot. I’m glad, too, because you have some color in your face again.”

His eyes shut, and a content smile twitched on his face.

Jazz couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked so peaceful.

“I love you, Danny.”

He didn’t respond. 

---

Danny was home now. That should have been a good thing. 

It should have been.

And it was. In so many ways, it was wonderful having him home again.

But in so many other ways, it wasn’t.

Jazz had been under some illusion that once he made it home, things would go back to normal. Sure, he would be in a wheelchair until his PT started, and he might not be able to turn into a ghost for a few weeks either, but her brother would be home. 

Except, Danny never came home. Physically, he did. But mentally he was still trapped somewhere far away.

He was talking now at least. He’d started talking the week before he’d left the hospital. He wasn’t able to speak in full sentences, at least not without pausing, and he wasn’t able to really understand long sentences either, but this was a start.

Jazz wanted to hope that things would get better, but hope was a dangerous drug.

After all, even though he’d started speaking again, he still refused to talk about what happened to him. Anytime Jazz would try to bring the conversation up, he’d clam up and close off for the rest of the day.

And that hurt. It hurt so bad. She so desperately wanted to be there and support him, to help him talk through the trauma he’d experienced, but he just didn’t want to.

But that was okay. It had to be okay. She had to be strong.

She stood in front of his door, pausing only to compose herself before knocking.

He didn’t acknowledge her knock, but Jazz wasn’t expecting him too. He was trying to isolate himself, and Jazz wasn’t going to let him.

She’d already failed him once. 

“Good morning, Danny!” Jazz bursted into the room, her voice chipper despite the fact that she hadn’t slept last night.

She doubted that Danny did either.

Danny was lying on top of his comforter, already dressed. Their mom must have gotten him situated before shutting herself down in the lab.

Their parents seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

“Come on, get up. I come bearing an activity!”

“Too early,” Danny grumbled.

Jazz ignored him, sauntering into the room brandishing a large, easy piece jigsaw puzzle she’d just ran out to buy that morning.

It was hard to find one for kids that wasn’t either a princess castle or a race car scene. Fortunately, the store had one on sale that had colorful, cartoon baby ghosts covering the image.

“Either you get up, or I drag you up. Either way, you’re doing this puzzle with me.”

“Puzzle?” Danny asked.

Jazz tried not to stare as he struggled upright, only swooping in to set his pillows upright behind him. “Yeah, puzzle.”

She set the box down in front of him, pulling off the lid and revealing the large pieces in front of him.

“That’s...so Boring.”

“Well, the doctors still want you avoiding screens for a little while longer. I figured this was better than staring at the wall.”

Danny eyed the box, his face impassive. 

“Here, wait.” She went out into the hallway, grabbing a large piece of cardboard from the wall. “I brought something to make the puzzle on. Figured it would be easier than the mattress.”

“Okay.” He picked up one of the pieces, inspecting it slowly as if he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

“So…” Jazz plopped herself down on the mattress next to Danny and put the cardboard over their laps. “What do you think we should do first?”

Danny gazed blankly down, his eyes trailing between the cardboard and the puzzle piece in his hand. He blinked, and then put the puzzle piece down on the cardboard.

“Okay, we can start with that one!” Jazz chirped.

“No…” Danny ran his hand through his hair. “No that’s not...need to sort.”

“Oh?” Jazz grabbed another piece from the box. “So what should I do with this one then?”

Danny gazed quizzically over at Jazz, grabbing the piece to inspect it. “Edge,” he finally said, setting the piece down on the opposite side of the board from the first piece.

“So we’re sorting the edge pieces from the regular pieces?” 

Danny hummed, grabbing another piece from the box.

“Sounds like a good plan!”

They worked together in near silence after that, Jazz only stopping every so often when she could feel Danny’s attention slipping to ask him to help her sort a piece. It was almost cute how determined he was to complete the task correctly. It almost reminded Jazz of the quiet determination that would slip onto his features in the moments just before he transformed into Phantom. 

Solving the puzzle was a whole different beast. If Jazz were honest, she wasn’t sure if they would have been able to finish in one sitting. Danny still tired far too rapidly throughout the day, and he still slept for more hours than he was awake.

But finally Danny snapped the last piece into place, completing their simple blob ghost picture.

“Nice job!” Jazz put her hand up for a high five.

Danny blinked, slowly processing the motion, before his brain caught up and he gave a little smirk, a tiny eye roll, but met Jazz’s hand all the same.

She put the cardboard with the now completed puzzle on the floor before sitting back against the fluffy pillows. Breathing out, she allowed herself to sink back into the cushions for just a moment.

She was so tired. 

Her brain swirled, and she wanted to sink deeper into the darkness. But she couldn’t. She wasn’t allowed to.

“Are you asleep?” Danny asked.

“No.”

“Oh. Okay.”

A quiet trepidation settled over the pair. Jazz could feel the unspoken questions hanging in the air like forbidden fruit ripe for picking. But the apples were just out of reach, and she knew the branches wouldn’t sink lower until Danny was ready. 

But he had to come home first. He would never be ready to tell her what happened until he finally came back to them. And Jazz didn’t know how long that would take.

“I love you,” Jazz said.

Danny didn’t respond.

---

Thanks for reading!

[ghost-strawberry]

Taking Control

Prompt by Dekalkomania for Phic Phight 2021. Danny hasn't been feeling himself, blacking out and having strange dreams. Unbeknownst to him, Freak Show's staff was not the only artifact that could control ghosts. Even worse, Jack and Maddie are the ones who get their hands on that object.

"I'm not sure Jack," Maddie murmured, distrust in her eyes. She picked up the object tenderly, examining it. It was some kind of orb, about the size of her palm. Shining red and encased in an intricate wire structure. Even through her gloves a cold temperature leeched out from within it. "This is a great opportunity Maddie! How often do we get our hands on something like this?" It seemed nothing could dampen her husband's elation when faced with such an interesting project. "Of course, it is wonderful to find an artefact like this, and I will take great pleasure in examining it thoroughly, I just wonder how dangerous it could be." She delicately placed the orb in a glass box and slid a heavy metal lid over. She crouched down beside it, staring at it through the glass. There was something... compelling about it. Maddie didn't believe in magic or superstition, she only put stock in that which could be clearly defined and measured with science. Ghosts residing in latter category. This object though, well, it was like nothing the scientist had ever seen before; she had only read about the like in damp ridden, old textbooks on the occult. The swirling crimson pattern seemed almost to move as she stared.

"Let's get this show on the road," she said, reaching for the controls next to her. Maddie deftly flicked several switches on the machine beside the glass case and twisted a dial, causing it to generate a smooth hum. Jack was almost bouncing up and down with excitement. Maddie smirked at his child-like joy whilst maintaining her concentration on the equipment. She had no idea what kind of results they would uncover. The object began to shiver in its cage and Jack observed the fluctuating results, taking notes. In her mind, Maddie dredged up all her limited memories on studying ecto-artefacts such as these and their possible abilities. She hoped it would be some kind of device they could use in their ghost hunting, perhaps to capture, or control the spectral beings? Wouldn't it be great to find something that could properly capture that ghost kid menace: Danny Phantom?

*

The infinite fog rolled towards him in voluminous banks, the insubstantial trees beside him were withered and twisted. Harsh rain lashed down, stinging his face and eyes. The dark earth trembled and cracked beneath his feet. A disembodied voice drifted through the haze. "What?" The rasping words crept out, "how did you get in here?" A face appeared, mouth malformed, twisted and confused. Glass eyes like an insects shimmered in and out of sight. A scent of fear suffused the air. Glowing ruby trails traced an outline around a familiar room. His lips moved of their own accord. "You requested it of me," came out in a drawl. "Turn it off! Now!" Before he could react, complete darkness fell.

*

Nightmares were nothing new to Danny. Something about having died, facing horrible creatures everyday and fighting fearsome ghosts did that to a boy. But this dream, this nightmare last night... it was... different. He shivered in his bed, pyjamas sodden with sweat. He tried to recall what the dream was about. He couldn't remember anything particularly scary about it, in fact, he could only clearly see one image, imprinted on his mind. His mother, wearing her usual blue hazmat suit and red safety goggles. Danny shook of the vestiges of the dream and swung himself out of bed. It probably didn't mean anything important.

*

"Hey Danny-o!" The jovial voice greeted him as he walked into the kitchen. The large, blockish figure of his dad bundled across the room, obviously excited about something. "Hey, Dad," Danny responded, in a monotone voice that was his attempt at expressing his disinterest in whatever crazy experiment his dad was working on. Needless to say, his dad wouldn't pick up on anything as subtle as that. "Got some big stuff we're investigating today! Can't wait to show you!" His white teeth gleamed as he spoke. "Now Jack, don't go getting Danny intrigued. You know we can't show it just yet, not until we know what it does," his mum calmly chimed in as she finished her bowl of cereal. That actually made this project more interesting to Danny. His parents were not the kind of scientists to adhere to any kind of health and safety, or to purposefully shut him out like this. Danny had been allowed full access around their laboratory and usually informed about all of their work since he'd been about ten years old. "So," he said, trying to show a natural curiosity whilst busying himself making breakfast, "what does it do?" "Well, it's basically-" his dad started, but was abruptly cut off by his wife standing up and sharply clapping him on the shoulder. "Basically sweetie, we don't know... yet. And we couldn't tell you anything because we don't know, right Jack?" She turned to look at him pointedly, hand still resting on his shoulder. Danny sat down and started to eat, not surprised. He would have to find out about this experiment another way. "Yes... yes of course." His dad grinned with the secret and shot a sly, deliberate wink to Danny. "Danny, would you be a dear and wash up our dishes from breakfast? We've really got to get to the lab," his mum asked. Before she had finished speaking, a strange rush of feeling rose up in Danny, his stomach turned over like he had butterflies, his hair stood on end. Without meaning to, Danny got up quickly, dropping his spoon which clattered noisily in his bowl. He snatched his parent's dishes from the table and began cleaning them in the kitchen sink. "Yes," the one syllable word dropped out of his mouth, in a voice that didn't seem like his own. It was as if he was watching someone else washing up, with his arms, from the confines of his own head. "Oh... thanks sweetie!" His mum remarked, in a surprised tone, "it would be nice if you reacted like this every time your father and I asked you to do something!" Danny's head nodded, his eyes in the sink and on the task, unable to look anywhere else. He heard his parents footsteps leave the kitchen and go downstairs to the basement. His thoughts tumbled over in his mind, his vision growing darker around the edges. This sensation, it was too familiar. Then, as swiftly as it had come over him, he was back to normal. The dishes lay clean and dripping on the draining board. Danny slumped down in a chair, unnerved. What was that all about? He ran his hands through his inky black hair, trying to make sense of the experience.  His mum had offhandedly asked him to do something, and he had been somehow forced to do it. Remnants of last nights dream came back to his mind, involuntarily. He racked his brains for an answer, for the familiarity of the sensation to explain itself. This must have had something to do with his parents' 'secret project'. He would have to go and investigate this for himself, now. Just as he reached for the power within him to turn into his ghost side, he blacked out.

*

"Maddie... Maddie... Maddie!" Jack shouted, either ecstatic or extremely anxious. Probably both. "Shhh Jack! I know," Maddie hissed through clenched teeth. She was gently shuddering with anticipation. Here it was, just as she had imagined, the ghost kid. In their laboratory! Dozens of mechanical objects whirred and ticked around the scientists. "Are you getting this data?" "Sure am," Jack whispered, pen flying across the page of his notebook, eyes darting to and from various devices and the floating ghostly child in the centre of the room. Maddie observed the phenomenon. It was, just hanging there, weightlessly, with a blank look on it's face. It's eyes were glazed and still and it wasn't exhibiting any of the usual traits they had associated with the ghost kid, namely being aggressiveness. In fact, it wasn't doing anything at all. The glowing, red artefact shimmered in her hand. It was obviously an ancient object used to summon ghosts. Since the phantom had appeared, the lab had grown cold; Maddie could see her breath drift in the air. In her other hand, she had an ecto-weapon directed at the ghost kid's head. If it noticed this, it made no sign. "What are you doing here?" Maddie asked, more steadily than she felt. "You requested it of me." The chilling voice echoed in the basement and reverberated in her mind. "What are you?" "A ghost." It's head slowly turned to look directly in her eyes. The unblinking, icy blue glare sent a shiver down her spine. She raised her weapon. "A human," it continued. "Now, that's not possible. A human can't be a ghost..." "Your son." These words from the spectre sunk into her chest, heavy. "No... no that can't be. You're not Danny, you're not my Danny. This is obviously a trick." Maddie turned towards her husband imploringly, eyes wide in suspicion. "Yeah, no putrid ectoplasmic manifestation is a son of ours!" Jack bellowed, as if he wasn't afraid, notes and pen forgotten. A solid thunk on the metal floor made them both jump. Maddie's eyes shot down to see she had dropped the artefact in her distress. The ghost seemed to flicker, it's face turning from Maddie, to Jack, then to the room around it. It appeared to regain control of it's limbs, it's mouth noiselessly hanging open. Maddie instinctively charged up the weapon and fired, but was left only with a black, smoking ring on the wall behind where the phantom had been. The lab was suddenly quiet. All of their equipment stood still. Jack moved quickly to her side, comforting her. "Don't worry Maddie, it was just trying to trick us." Maddie said nothing, only remembering in horror the look of fear and confusion on the ghost kid's face before it disappeared. In that one moment, it had looked too much like her son, like Danny.

[bloodshedaria]

The knives came out then with soft metallic shhks, clicking against each other as they slid smoothly into familiar grips. Danny was scared of him. Good.

"No, no, no. We're hardly friends. I want to pull him inside-out and see what sort of song he makes~" Ji-Woon giggled, pressing on to the spot where Ghostface vanished and looking around for any sign of the man. Of course there wasn't. "Come out... I want to hear all about it. I want to know what sort of fun I missed~ Can't we be friends?"

This wasn't working well.... Unfortunately the perk of being revealed for who he truly was meant he couldn't get away with the same friendly faces that worked outside of the fog....

So... He let the invitation hang for a moment, pouting, before letting it go with a sigh and turning to Plan B, tossing knives among the trees and seeing which brilliant comet of colour brought out a grunt of pain or a rustle of motion to dodge.

"[Son of a dog,]" He cursed in Korean, lovely features distorted by an angry snarl. "[If you don't want to play my games, we'll just have to do it the commoner way. Tch.]"

(@bloodshedaria ) As casually as ever the Popstar sought out Ghostface, humming to himself as he went and looking a little dreamy-eyed. "Helllooo~☆♡!??" He called out, knowing stalker sorts could be hidden just about anywhere. "Mr. Johnson, is it? Care for an interview♡??"

Maybe leaving his house for once was a bad idea after all. The infamous Ghostface had decided to get some fresh air for a change, thinking that wandering the fog a little would do himself some good considering how shitty he's been feeling cooped up in his house. Adorned in his outfit for trials, complete with his scarf, he had been out for a good 20 minutes until he heard a familiar and frankly ominous voice call out to him. Almost in a panic, his night shroud darkened his form and he stayed closer to the sidelines.

The Trickster? An interview? Why the fuck did Ji-Woon want to interview him? He's the one who likes the spotlight and attention. Didn't make sense, and he was a bit wary of things. But it seemed like he was... heading towards his house. That didn't bode well. As much as he didn't want to engage, he'd rather not have more people know where he lives.

"What do you want, Trickster?" Danny stepped out of the shadows, eyeing him carefully. He knows how unpredictable and sadistic the other could be, and would rather not have to pluck blades off his outfit this time.