It took Maddie Fenton almost a year to notice something odd about Danny.
That's not to say she didn't notice his odd behaviour, slipping grades, breaking curfews, and the laundry list of other problems he suddenly developed after the accident with the Ghost Portal. Maddie noticed, and tried to tell Danny that she was there when he wanted to talk.
However, a year on, she finally noticed something else: Danny rarely wore anything that could be considered revealing. No tank tops, no shorts, no t-shirts. Just long pants and long sleeves.
Thinking back, Maddie realized the transition happened slowly; that he'd dressed as he usually dressed for months. Then, time had passed, and Danny had begun to wear more and more layers, and always got dressed after drying himself off in the bathroom so she couldn't even get a glimpse of his torso when he was walking from the bathroom to his room.
Maddie was worried, absent-mindedly fiddling with Jack's newest invention, wondering what he son had gotten into now. She'd discussed it all before: with Danny's teachers, with Jack, with Jazz, with Danny's friends. She'd even tried to talk to Danny a few times. She'd thought of nearly everything he could have gotten himself into: drugs, gangs, fights, and more. None of it seemed to fit Danny's behaviour, not really.
Hearing the front door shut, Maddie set the fragile piece of equipment down, and climbed the basement stairs to find Danny kicking off his shoes, and trudging up the stairs. He offered a small smile, almost trying to reassure her, but Maddie didn't feel reassured.
Shaking herself, Maddie checked the clock, and decided it would be a good time to start dinner. Opening the refrigerator, Maddie slammed it shut again, holding it shut against the ecto-entity that resided within. That scraps that idea. Maddie mused. A sudden thought eclipsed her brain, and Maddie smiled. I'll get something delivered! Jazz, at least, can't complain about that. I'll ask Jack to get that ghostly roast beef out of the fridge after dinner.
Maddie climbed upstairs, knocking on Jazz's door, "Hey Sweetie," she said, poking her head through the doorway.
Jazz, who had been sitting at her desk, spun around in her seat, "Hey, Mom. What's up?" Jazz's face darkened, "You don't want me to try out some ghost hunting weapon, do you?"
"No,' Maddie offered a smile, "I was thinking about ordering take-out for dinner. What would you like?"
Jazz shrugged, "I don't care. Ask Danny, I'll eat whatever he wants."
"Okay," Maddie eased herself out of her daughter's room, and made her way to Danny's. She knocked, and opened the door a little, just enough for her to poke her head inside the door.
What Maddie saw made her heart skip a beat.
Danny was facing away from the door, and he didn't have a shirt on. Why he wasn't wearing the long-sleeved shirt he'd been wearing only minutes before wasn't important. Now Maddie had an idea as to why Danny had started wearing long sleeves: Danny was covered in scars.
The most prominent scar on Danny's back was a very large, peculiar scar that stretched from his left shoulder to his right hip. It looked like lightning, the lines varying in length and thickness. There seemed to be a multitude of others as well, but before Maddie could get a good look, Danny had spun around, freezing in place, and trying to cover up his torso with his arms.
"Uh..." Danny's wide, blue eyes were filled with fear, "I-I guess we're gonna have to talk, aren't we?"
Maddie nodded numbly, and entered the room, "We are."
(LINE BREAK)
Like I mentioned in the summary, this fic will be a serious of one-shots/short stories. I might continue the chapters I post, but I might not. You have been warned.