Summary: After sneaking out and doing god knows what, Dan and Clockwork return home.
Features agender!Clockwork, Dan, mamabear!Maddie, stern!papabear!Jack. I might as well tell you, all of these will contain agender!Clockwork.
Warnings: none
Word count: 435 words
Note: This is an AU where Jack and Maddie find out about Danny after a fight with Dan, Clockwork, and Danielle. Dan and Clockwork are turned into children after a strange turn of events; Dan, Dani, Clockwork are soon adopted by Jack and Maddie. This is considered an AU of ectoplasm-bodyshots Buy Two, Get Two Free.
Looking at the brick exterior of Fenton Works, Clockwork grabbed Dan's hand, turning them both intangible, floated inside, and flew both upstairs to the second floor. Once inside, they retained their solidity, tip-toeing the floors of the hallway.
"Busted."
Both ghosts turned around, bobbing their Adam's apple seeing Maddie's pajama clad form angrily eyeing them. "And just what were the two of you doing out at two-thirty in the morning?" she asked in a low harsh voice.
"Actually it's three forty-six in the morning." corrected Clockwork unhelpfully.
Dan's red eyes widened in alarm at the correction. Didn't they understand they were only making their case worse by correcting their adoptive mother? He quickly elbowed them in their side, regretting it as they yelped, moving their hands to their side, applying pressure to one of their more serious injuries.
Maddie noticed the silent interactions between her two boys, exhausted purple eyes narrowed dangerously at the thought of Dan and Clockwork not only sneaking out but also injuring themselves doing who knows what. "Are you two injured?"
Her boys stared at her in consternation, furtively eyeballing each other, then began to shake their heads no.
"Don't you dare lie to me, you're in enough trouble as it is. Lying is only going to make it worse." Maddie cut in.
"...Yes ma'am." Cue Dan awkwardly shuffling his feet, white boots scraping each other, Clockwork swishing their tail back and forth, lightly lapping against the floor.
Maddie sighed, walking to a door, rapping against it three times. "Jack wake up, the boys snuck out and got themselves injured. I need your help."
Shuffling could be heard behind the door as Jack got up, stepping out into the hallway, more alert than any normal person would be at three forty-six in the morning. Jack looked at his boys, his wife, then back to the boys again. "Mads, they don't look injured."
The five foot three woman glowered at her husband. "The boys did something so we can't see their injuries. If my babies weren't injured, then how come Clockwork is holding their side?"
Clockwork suddenly inched away from where they stood as Jack leaned over Clockwork. "Move your hand."
Clockwork shook their head no.
Jack merely rose an eyebrow at their reaction. "Well then," he began, turning around and curtly nodding his head at his wife. "prepare the infirmary."
"On it!"
Jack picked up his two boys, placing one under each arm, beginning to march downstairs. "I hope whatever you two snuck out for was worth it, because you, your mother, and I are going to have a long talk."