Title: Subject D

Rating: K+

Genre: Family, drama, angst, a little adventure

Characters: Daniel, Douglas, Daniel's parents, and the Dooley-Davenports (in chapter 2)

Pairing(s): None

Summary: '"Hey, Mom? Why does this say my last name is Davenport?"' Daniel never was different. He wasn't popular, wasn't a nerd, wasn't anything. He didn't even know he was adopted until he found the papers. Then, he found his real father. He learned the truth. It wasn't necessarily a good truth, but he would accept it nonetheless. (Two-shot)

Warnings: None

Notes: (Shoutout to Susz for reading over this before I posted this!) I've really been wanting to post something with Daniel, since we don't know much about his life (or him at all, for that matter). Oh, I have this idea that he didn't know he was adopted until he found out about Douglas, so that's what's happening here. This takes place before ATTWF, obviously. I hope you like the first chapter!

A year ago, if Daniel had to choose one word to describe himself, it would be normal. Because that was the truth. He was a typical kid. His dad was a teacher at his school, his mom was an engineer. He was an only child. He had very few friends. He got average grades. He had easily-forgettable features: brown hair, brown eyes, medium height. Nothing about him was special—that was a lie he believed his entire life.

The way Daniel found out was completely accidental—if he could go back in time, he would stop himself from ever looking for his records.

Because of a school project involving his ancestry, he was in the attic of his house searching for his birth certificate. He located the box labeled 'Daniel's records' fairly easily and quickly opened it, scrabbling for his birth certificate. He came up empty for a few moments, but then found it in a folder all the way at the bottom of the box.

Flipping open the folder, he rifled through the papers until he found his birth certificate. Finally, I can see an A+ in my future! he thought gleefully. Suddenly, something odd caught his eye, and he squinted at the paper. On the name line, it said 'Daniel Davenport'. That wasn't his name. That had never been his name.

"Mom?" He stood, clutching the folder, and rushed downstairs. "Mom!"

"In the kitchen, Dan!" his mother called.

He hurried over to her, holding out the papers. His mother's eyes widened, and Daniel noticed. "Hey, Mom? Why does it say my last name is Davenport?"

"I… I don't…" His mother seemed at a loss for words, and that helped Daniel put the pieces of the puzzle together. He didn't look like either of his parents, or any of his relatives. His records said that he had a different last name.

Daniel felt extraordinarily calm, considering the circumstances. "It's because Davenport really is my name, isn't it? You're not my mom, are you? And Dad isn't my dad. I'm adopted, aren't I?"

His mother sighed. "Daniel, honey, we didn't want you to find out like this…"

"Well, how did you expect for me to find out?" he demanded.

"We were going to tell you—" she began to protest, but he cut her off.

"Sure you were!" he shouted sarcastically, frustrated. "When, Mom? After thirteen years? When were you going to tell me? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Danny—"

"Don't call me that," he snapped, voice cracking slightly. "You're not my mom and you didn't even tell me, so don't call me that."

She sighed once again. "Daniel. You want the truth? Okay, fine. When you were a baby, your father left you at the adoption center before getting himself killed in a fire. He didn't want you, but we did. We wanted you to grown up with parents, with us as parents, because the moment we saw you, we knew that you were special!"

"Don't give me that cliché 'we-knew-you-were-special' speech," Daniel snapped. "I'm not special. I'm not! I'm just a typical kid who happens to have a dad who is dead and was adopted. Don't say that I'm special, you're just lying to me yet again! I hate you!"

He hadn't meant it. He had just been so mad, and in the moment he had been just so overwhelmed by the frustration that the words had just spilled from his lips. That didn't stop him from saying it again, quieter this time. "I hate you."

At that moment, Daniel's 'dad' walked in, grinning. As he saw his wife's helpless look faced with Daniel's murderous expression, his smile slid off his face and turned into a confused frown. "So… what did I miss?"

"He's not dead, you know."

Daniel's 'mom' looked up in surprise as the two of them sat at the dining table. Daniel hadn't spoken to anyone for a week, and he was only being more cryptic than ever. "Who isn't?" she asked.

"My dad. Douglas Davenport. I researched him. He was assumed dead for years after that fire, but he resurfaced just a few months ago. Guess what? He's working at that Bionic Academy we keep hearing about."

His adopted mother's lip curled. "He's training those freaks? Why?"

Daniel had to refrain from literally punching her. "His brother is Donald Davenport, the billionaire. Donald's kids are the bionic heroes. They're not freaks."

"Daniel, they're part machine!"

"So are the guys who have prosthetic limbs because they lost their real arms and legs in war! And guess what? We call them heroes, not freaks. Why are the bionic humans any different?" he demanded.

"Daniel, they're not even human!"

He stood and slammed his hands on the table. "They are! I've done research on them, and they're human, okay? They're humans who are just enhanced. They can save people better than any police officer or firefighter or anyone, so I don't see why you don't like them! They're my family, it doesn't matter that I've never met them, they're my flesh and blood!" He spun on his heel and stalked from the room.

Daniel's fingers trembled slightly as he typed the numbers into his phone and hit the 'call' button. His entire hand was shaking by the time he raised the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

Daniel swallowed hard and took in a breath. "Hi. Is this Douglas Davenport?"

"Uh, yes. Who is this?"

"I'm Daniel… Davenport. I just found out I'm adopted… and apparently, I'm your son." He bit his lip, wondering if he'd been too straightforward.

Something in Douglas Davenport's voice changed. "Daniel? They kept the name I gave you…"

"Yeah."

"Oh my… I never thought…"

"I know, you never thought we would meet again. But I just have a question," Daniel said. "Why? I'm not mad, honestly. I just want to know why you left me, why you didn't raise me."

He heard a burst of static, indicating that Douglas had sighed. "Daniel, I… I was in a dark place back then. Truly, it was awful. I had to make a decision—you were just a baby and I didn't want to drag you into my mess. I really am sorry."

"It's okay," Daniel said immediately. He didn't want to be mad anymore. He was hurt, and he felt so alone, but he knew he couldn't keep pushing people away. He had to accept these people into his life, whether he liked them or not. "I know this is a lot to ask, but… can I maybe meet you?"

"Daniel, I… would love to meet you, really, but I just… can't right now. You may be ready, but I'm not. I'm really sorry."

"Oh," Daniel said, admittedly a little disappointed. "Well… that's okay. But someday, maybe?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise. If you ever need something, just call, okay? I have thirteen years of fathering to make up for."

"Okay. Thank you."

"I'll see you soon, Daniel."

The line went dead, and Daniel lowered the phone from his ear. "I'll see you soon."

"Hey… Mom?"

Daniel entered the dining, warily watching his mother as she sat there, writing something mathy-looking—for work, evidently.

"What?" she replied shortly.

"I just… wanted to apologize," he said. "I was just hurt and upset that you didn't tell me that I was adopted, and I really took my anger out on you. I don't hate you. It wasn't fair, and I'm sorry."

"Oh, Danny…" she suddenly stood and pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have said what I did earlier. They're your biological family, and I shouldn't have insulted them like that. I guess I was just…" she trailed off.

"What, Mom?'"

"I was just worried I would lose you," she murmured, tearing up. "I really do love you, Daniel, I didn't want to see you just run off with a random person you'd never met before, even if he is your father."

He pulled away from the hug. "Mom… I called him."

"Douglas?" she asked, surprised. "What did he say?"

Daniel shrugged. "He was nice. But he said he wasn't ready to meet me yet, and I'm okay with that. He said that… well, maybe someday. You don't have to worry about losing me, Mom, not yet. You're the one who raised me, not him. He may be my father, but you're my real parent. And even though someday soon, I'm going to have to grow up and leave, you won't lose me. I promise."

She drew him into another hug at the precise moment Daniel's adoptive dad walked in. "Seriously, again?" he exclaimed. "I am definitely missing something!"

Reviews are appreciated, and chapter 2 should be up soon!