So heres chapter two. So far no reviews have popped up but thats ok. I did get a follower tho, so I'm glad I got one bite in the lake known as fanfiction. I hope I do start getting reviews tho. I know how when you review on a new story only to find out that it won't get updated for like months, so it feels like "Well why did I even bother reviewing." But I promise I won't do that. Lol please read and review, feed back is appreciated.
I don't own Danny phantom, only Ester, her father, John and a hand full of other OC's.
Chapter 2 Dealing with demons
Present day.
"I'm telling you man, Colin is bad news. I mean he yelled at Sam the last time we saw you, and you didn't even really stop him, dude. What's up with that?" Danny sighed into the phone as he picked up an apple to examine it. He was at the local grocery store picking up some things before Colin would get home.
Deciding the apple was good, he put it in the bag along with some more. "I'm sorry about that Tuck. If I had known he was gonna throw her in the pool like he did. I would have had us go out to eat, instead of staying at the house for dinner" Moving onto the next produce isle he grabbed a bag of potatoes. "Is Sam ok though? I mean I know she's pregnant and all with your second kid. She's not still mad is she? It was a few months ago after all."
Danny then grabbed a few red and green peppers and put them in a separate bag. "Dude, she was this close to calling the cops for child endangerment or something." Danny wince at that remark. "The only thing that stopped her though, was that you woulda' probably been arrested too. so be greatful." Danny secretly thanks Sam for not calling the cops. He really didn't need more stress to deal with.
The last time the cops where called; Colin had to pay a fine for causing a disturbance in public, when he tried to run a biker off the road for getting to close to the car. Needless to say, when that bill came in the mail, Danny had to take the brunt of his boyfriends anger.
He couldn't walk very well for a few days after that, and even sported a pretty good black eye too.
Moving onto down the isle to where the lettuce was, he grabbed what he needed and kept going. "Listen man, tell Sam that I'll try to make it up to you guys. I mean, Colin wasn't exactly having a good day that day... I know, why don't you guys come over and celebrate our three year anniversary. I can send you the date and time you can come over once I talk it over with Colin."
Danny looked at his list for what else he needed. Seeing that he needed chicken, Danny moved onto the back of the store to where the packaged meat was. "Sure man, you know, you can always come over to our place once in a while, right? You're always welcome here dude." Picking up the package of chicken he was looking for, he frowned at it, thinking about what Tucker was offering.
He couldn't help the feeling of longing that nagged at his gut, to see his two best friends. They had expressed more then once that they didn't like Colin; didn't like how the man was treating their friend. But Danny couldn't help but stick by his boyfriend. Colin had a steady income; what with being the CEO of one of the many office buildings of Delv Enterprise. Granted, Danny himself was also making money, but being an accomplished novelist only got you so much.
That and Vlad had also expressed more then once that if he didn't stay with Colin he would go after his mother. Danny also suspected it was to keep an eye on him too. He also really didn't want his family coming to find him if Vlad "happen" to "let it slip" to his mother that he knew where her son was. There was only a small handful of people who knew where he was.
Not including ghosts, there was Vlad, his "cousin" Dani, Sam and Tucker, and Valerie.
Regardless, when he was first introduced to Colin; by Vlad, he had his suspicions about the man. But as he got to know him, he realized that he was stuck, because at the beginning Colin did all he could the get Danny to fall for him.
And it worked.
But over time he started noticing things.
Like how; when angered, Colin would throw things, or punch walls. He never aimed at him though, so it didn't really bother him to much. But one day, Danny just happen to be the closest thing when Colin got home in a rage, and threw a punch.
Danny had literally just been on his way from the kitchen to the living room when the front door slammed open, and instead of the wall being the target of Colin's aggression, Danny's face got hit instead. Leaving him with a bad black eye, and soup all over the floor with a shattered bowl, that he had to clean up. Colin later apologized for what he did, and that he honestly felt horrible for hitting him so Danny forgave him.
But when it started happening over and over it was getting harder to be forgiving. Danny absentmindedly rubbed at a faded bruise on the side of his neck.
"Uh. Danny? You still there?" said Tucker, sounding concerned. "Sorry Tuck, spaced out for a moment..." He said, jolting out of his thoughts. He looked around for a moment to make sure no one saw him space out. Then looked down at the chicken he was still holding. Making a quick decision he put it in the cart and moved on. "Jeez Danny. One of these days you're gonna space out at the wrong moment and cause an accident, or get your ass handed to you in a ghost fight."
Danny made a face at that comment. "Tucker, there haven't been any ghost around lately. Not since most of them aren't my enemies anymore." He muttered as he skirted around a women and her son. "True... but you never know." His friend countered. Just then Danny could make out a girls high pitched talking on Tucker's end of the phone, and instantly recognized it as Tia, Tucker's oldest daughter.
After a moment of hearing the two talking Tucker finally got back to the phone. "Hey man I gotta get going. Tia's wantin' to go to the park. She says she misses her uncle Danny too, by the way." Danny smiled sadly at hearing that. "Tell her I said hi and I'll see her soon." Tucker chuckled, knowing that Danny liked being called an uncle even though he had no real nieces or nephews. "Alright man I will. You make sure be safe, alright?" Danny smiled. "Sure Tuck, you too man. Talk to you later"
Ending the phone call, Danny looked at the time. The screen read 5:30. "Good I have a half hour."
Looking back at his list, he realized that he forgot to grab some ground beef. Walking back through, he got back to where he got the chicken. He just picked up the 1lb of beef when he heard his name get called. More specifically his last name. Making him look up and around.
"Fenton? Is that really you?" Still looking around, Danny almost didn't catch that it came from the tall, blond man standing a few feet from him.
The guy looked familiar. "Uhh, depends. Who's wanting to know?" He said quirking and eye brow. The man in front go him looked surprised at his answer. "You don't remember me? It's Dash. From high school." Danny's eye brows went up in surprise and recognition as he found himself giving the taller man a once over. Dash was still muscular with broad shoulders; and his hair was a bit longer, giving a bit of a rigid look to him. It was no longer the same buzz cut style it was back in high school.
Danny felt a sudden nervousness come over him at the idea that Dash seemed to be talking to him like a normal human being. "No we're like 28. he's not gonna act like the jock I knew in high school." Looking him over again he spotted a police badge hooked to the mans belt."Yea I remember now. Though I figured you be some quarter back in the foot ball league, not a cop. Not that I'm judging... Heh..." He scratched at the back of his head. A nervous tick he had since for ever.
Dash crossed his arms in mock defense. "Yea well you don't seem like the accomplished novelist with more then one best seller either." Dash shot back jokingly. "You still seem to have that nervous tick though." Dash pointed out, at seeing Danny scratch the back of his head. Danny's hand instantly went to his side as if he's been caught, and smirked bashfully. That's when Dash spotted the bruising on the side of the shorter mans neck that looked somewhat like a hand print. It looked old though; like he got it a while ago.
Dash couldn't help the sudden feeling of concern welling up in his chest. Being a cop that specifically worked abuse cases. It wasn't hard to analyze behavior or spot certain abnormalities on a person. Brushing off the feeling, he leaned against the cooler they were standing next too and crossed him arms as he watched Danny sputter for a moment.
That's when a thought accrued to him "You know. Didn't you just kinda disappear half way through high school? Where did you go?" Danny looked at him for a long moment, before looking away, a half hidden sad expression crossing his face. "Ahh... had a disagreement with my father. Got kicked out basically... finished high school elsewhere." Dash looked at him wide eyed. "What could you have possibly done that got you kicked out of your own house? I mean you were like a goody two shoes back in school..."
Danny looked around the store trying to avoid the look Dash was giving him. Sighing he gave Dash a frosty side long look. "You don't remember my coming out back in freshman year?" "Well yea I remember that, you kinda made it so everyone knew. That kiss was certainly convincing enough for me..." Danny's face turned red at the mention of the kiss. Dash had been the closest guy to him that day in the cafeteria, when he pulled that stunt.
Dash had been in Danny's face that day, picking on him. Trying the get a rise out of him; saying that maybe he should get his girlfriend to fight his fights for him if he wasn't gonna stick up for himself. Well that was pretty much what made Danny snap. He had shop up so fast from the chair and pushed him that the chair itself toppled over. That initial movement had caught the attention of the whole room.
Danny then yelled that he was gay and was getting sick and tired of hearing people assuming that he and Sam were a thing. Then he had looked around at the room full of disbelieving stares, growled, and went the few feet to Dash and had planted a good long kiss on him that left him stunned and standing there long after Danny had stepped away and walked off. Basically leaving the whole cafeteria silent.
Danny looked away from Dash, crossing his arms over his chest. "After that little stunt. My father found out through Mr. Lancer, of all people, and things just kinda snowballed from there. I went through two years of-" Just then an air raid siren when off and Danny's whole demeanor changed from some what relaxed to stiff.
Dash watch him as the man dug into his jean pocket and pulled out an iPhone to see who was calling. "Sorry I gotta take this." With that he turned around and started speaking.
"Hey Coli-" "Where are you!" Danny winced at his boyfriends harsh tone. "I'm at the store getting some food, we were running low on some things." Dash frowned as he watched Danny scratched at he back of his head again out of nerves. He didn't really like the way Danny seemed to tighten up on himself when his phone went off; and the way he flinched when whoever was on the other end seemed to not be happy.
"Well get home now. You know I would rather you be home when I get back from work. Keeps me from wondering where you could be." Danny sighed exasperatedly into the phone. "Colin. What could I possibly be doing that you wouldn't know about." "I could name one. That day you had that guy and his wife show up unannounced." Danny pursed his lips at that and turned to lean in the cooler, letting Dash see the side of his face. It was at that moment that Dash felt he could take a closer look at Danny.
For some reason, when he spotted the bruise on the mans neck, a red flag was raised at the back of his mind.
Shifting to lean on the cooler next to him, he took a good look at his face. He could see the faint shadow of an older injury; another bruise, and a small scare cutting through the end of his eyebrow. Suggesting, that at some point, Danny could have been in a fight and whoever punched him broke the skin. Because it looked like it had needed stitches.
"Ok, no. I told you that they wanted to come over to see the house and you said it was ok. And their names are Sam and Tucker." Said Danny, sounding agitated. "I don't care Danny. Just hurry up and get home." Then the call ended.
Danny looked at his phone, the frown on his face deepening. "Love you too..." He mumbled to himself. That's when he heard someone clear their throat.
Looking up, he realized Dash was still there. "Sorry about that... that would be my um... boyfriend... I guess he's had a bad day at the office today. Heh." Danny gave a sheepish smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. In fact Danny seemed to be forcing it. "It's ok man. What was that all about anyway?" Asked Dash as they started walking back to the front of the store. "Colin would prefer if I was home when he gets home. Other wise he gets kinda anxious."
Dash gave him a questioning look. It wasn't the first time he had ever heard that being said by women; or men, who've needed help getting away from their boyfriends or husbands.
But still. He's been wrong before about over analyzing people's situations.
But Danny's stiff demeanor; after the phone call, the bruises on his neck, the nervousness. He kept feeling that something wasn't right. "That sounds like he's being over protective, Fenton." "You sound like my sister, dude." Said Danny as they made it to the line for the register. "Yea well. Like I said I'm a cop. I can't help it if I pick up on some things." Danny made a face at that comment. "Dash, seriously, Things are fine between him and I."
Danny flashed that same smile from before; the one that didn't quite reach his eyes, and again Dash was hit with that same feeling of apprehension. He watched him as Danny started putting his groceries on the belt, and started helping him out in order to give himself something to do. "If you say so man. From what I just saw it seems like the guys smothering you a bit." He said as he put the milk and some cans of soup on the belt.
That's when he had an idea. "Hey, I have an idea. You free Friday night?" Danny looked at him then paused in thought. He couldn't think of anything that he had planned for friday. That and Colin would be on a business trip starting Thursday. "Yea, I'm free. Colin's gonna be gone on a business trip for Delv Enterprise, starting Thursday. What did you have in mind?" "I was thinking you and I could go out drinking for the night. You look like you could use a night out to have some fun."
Moving down the line he watched as Danny paid for the food and they moved on towards the front doors. "I don't see a problem with that, sure. Did you want to meet me somewhere or..." "I can come pick you up at your place if that's ok with you?" "Sure. How about around seven?"
They were now leaving the store and were making their way to Danny's dark blue SUV. "That would be perfect. I get done at the precinct at five." Danny smirked as he unlocked the car and started loading his groceries into the back. "Guess I'll see you then?" "Yup." Said Dash as he clapped Danny on the shoulder. Danny laughed as he tried to suppress a wince. Lucky for him it went unnoticed.
"Anyway I gotta get going. So I'll see you friday." With that he said his good byes and got in the car. Dash waved him off as he pulled away before going back to the store to get what he needed, then went home.
As he got into his car he kept thinking about Danny and the way he acted. He couldn't get around what he had picked up on when he watched Danny talking on the phone with Colin; his boyfriend. "I think I'm gonna have a look into this Colin character. Something just don't seem right." With that thought he got out his cell and called John, his partner. "Yea, hey man, it's Dash. Listen I got something I need looking into. You think you can do that for me?" "Sure man, who you need me to look up?" Answered john.
Dash's partner was a big black guy, who could put Tucker's computer skills to shame. John was able to hack into any server for the information he needed. He claimed it was his specialty. The guy was also a bit of a jokester, cracking jokes even when he was on the job. But he was good at what he does. That and he knew how to get kids to laugh and calm down after bad situations when they get scared and don't know whats going on.
Dash pulled out of the parking lot to Food Lion and on to the main road to get home. "Look up a guy named Colin, the guy works for Delv Enterprise." "That big ass building on the other end of town? Damn. What'd this guy do to get on your radar?" "Well I met up with an old friend from school and from what I picked up on and how he talked, I think the guy may be someone to keep an eye on." "I hear ya man." There was a pause as Dash could here some furious keyboard clicking on the other end. "Yo I think I found your guy." "Alright, what do ya' got for me?" "Well the guys name is Colin Fairdale, for starters, and he's the CEO of this branch of Delv Enterprise. Apparently he's one of the right hand men the one Vlad Masters. The big man who founded the company."
Dash raised an eyebrow at that bit of info. He knew that name. The guy was known as the richest man in the world, and was the family friend the Danny's parents.
Another red flag came up at the back of him mind. It felt like it was too much of a coincidence that Colin just happen to be dating someone who knew the founder of Delv Enterprise personally. Especially when the guy already knew Vlad as one of his lap dogs. "Does the guy got a record?" "Not that I can see with the initial search, man, but if I dig a little deeper I might find something." "Thanks John, when you get more dirt let me know." "Sure thing man, your friend must be really important if you're wanting to dig this deep into his boyfriends history." "Better to be safe then sorry man." "You got me there, alright man I'll talk to you later." Dash had just pulled into his driveway. By the end of the call. "Yea sure, see ya." With that he ended the call and got out of his car.
Something told him he was digging into something a lot more complicated then just a simple abuse case.
Else where in another part of the town, Danny had just gotten home and was getting the groceries to the front door. Getting in, he found the house kinda dark; and kinda foreboding, in that he knew Colin was somewhere in the house. Getting everything into the kitchen he started putting everything away, and then set out the new drill kit on the table, that his boyfriend wanted.
Once everything was put away, he moved on down the hall; past the living room, to where Colin's office was. Sure enough, his boyfriend of three years was sitting at his desk, looking through some paper work.
Knocking on the door frame, he leaned against it, and crossed his arms. Colin looked up from the papers in his hand and glanced over his glasses at Danny. "So you finally decided to come home? You do know it like six-thirty right?"
Danny sighed, then came into the office to sit on the small couch off to the side of the desk. "All I was doing was going to the store, I'm sorry I lost track of time. Tucker had called, I hadn't spoken to him in a while..." Said Danny, thinking it better not to mention his surprise meeting with Dash.
Danny heard papers shifting then a chair being moved. Looking up he saw Colin coming towards him and he tensed up. "Tucker called you again? I'm starting to think that that friend of yours is trying to get you away from me."
Danny looked up at Colin; a confused frown on his face, as the man leaned over him. Trapping him on the couch. "Don't look at my like that. You know I know what you two talk about." He said leaning closer to Danny. "Ever since I throw his wife into the pool, he's been on my case and complaining to you about me. I mean she did throw her wine in my face, and I barely said a word to her."
Danny scoffed as that remark. "You made a snide comment about her views on being an ultra-recyclable vegetarian, and threatened her to stay out of your way, if she tried to get between us. She told me that you waited for me and Tucker to go in side for more drinks, before you said all that crap to her. So... I honestly think she was in the right to throw her drink at you."
Colin scowled at him and smacked the back of the couch hard enough to make Danny jump. "How dare you. I have every right to protect what's mine. She made me feel threatened, Danny. I mean she kept throwing out all these remarks about how I don't let you do anything, or let you visit. When that's a total lie." Danny looked away still frowning. "Colin, she's pregnant, and hormonal. She's bound to say things that she won't mean later. What you did could have put the baby in danger, you know..." Colin leaned away making that face, letting Danny know he had said to much.
Danny found himself preparing for a possible hit to the face. But when Colin stood up straight, still looking at him. He looked back up at him wearily.
Sighing, Colin rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. "Look, Danny, I'm tired of having this conversation. You and I both know she was the instigator and that my actions where justified. A little pool water wasn't going to hurt that baby, and I did apologize. So can we drop the issue?" Danny crossed his arms tightly over his chest.
Without even touching him, Colin had made him feel insecure again. He sometimes didn't know if he hated it more that he couldn't predict the hit coming or when he knew it would come. He just nodded his head before getting up off the couch. Walking past Colin to the door he stopped when he remembered the tool kit he had gotten for him. "Um, if it make you feel any better, I got you that drill kit you been wanting. It's on the kitchen table. I hope it makes up for me being late getting home."
With that he walked out and went back towards the living room where his laptop was located. He needed something get his mind off of the argument and working on his next novel sounded perfect.
