Authors Notes: Once again Zareth belongs to Grumpy-Zane :D Go look at her Zareth art. Its freakin awesome!


Mistaken

Chapter 31

Danny's Birthday

Zareth slowly walked out of his room and looked into the room that belonged to Danny. It technically was a walk in closet remodeled into a small bedroom. It was fairly large technically specially for someone as small as Danny. It was actually her idea. Dareth didn't mind sharing his room. Even offered a small floor plan to put in another bed. But Danny already felt bad about existing in his apartment as it was. So closet it was. The bruise on the side of her face was far more pronounced now that the sunlight was bearing down on it from the tiny window at the top of the room.

Zareth watched her for a moment to make sure her chest rose and fell as it should, he knew they hit her last night, but he wasn't totally sure how bad. He inwardly turned on his scanner and his eyes lit up and he looked over her body. He usual technical stuff that was there the last time he scanned her a few months back after their last misadventure. At least her ribs had refused themselves. No lasting damage. He turned back around and smiled.

"Well gentlemen...I think we have a party to get together." He said and walked into the kitchen and began to make breakfast for her.

To Zareths surprise Danny didn't to much like cake. She said it kind of hurt her teeth. But she loved cheesecake. He pulled out everything from the fridge and began to make the strawberry cheese delectable that he had been planning on making her for some weeks now. At least Zane was in his head, or this could have turned out wrong. Dareth wasn't much of a cook at all.

Danny had woke up feeling sore, her face felt like it was stepped on. She pulled on her slippers and walked out of her room heading for the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and gasped. Her fingers trailed over her face. The purple, green color was a very dark contrast to the white android skin she had. It even made the wisp marks on her cheeks look like storm clouds. She sighed and looked down at the sink. The events of last night started to come back to her. Specially of what she had said about Dareth. Accusing him of not loving her like that. She looked back up at the mirror.

"You're a monster." She whispered to herself before stepping into the shower.

Zareth had the Cheesecake, pancakes, bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns on the table. It sounded weird but its what Zane said they did for Lloyd...well except the cheese cake of course. It was usually normal cake. Zane sighed in the back of Zareths head.

'She is one weird woman. Not liking cake. Cole would be disappointed.' Zane said. Zareth smiled and nodded his head. He turned on the radio just in time to hear 'Shine' start playing. It was one of Dannys favorite bands 'Collective Soul'

Danny walked into the kitchen to Zareth dancing back and forth in front of the sink cleaning the last of the bowls he had used to make the pancakes. He stopped dancing when he felt Dannys forehead on his back. To get an idea on how they differed in size. She reached to just under his shoulder blades.

"Hey babe." He said over his shoulders.

"Thank you...for not hating me." Zareth shook his head.

"Babe you needed to vent and thats cool. Just next time...make sure its at home and not near an alley where you almost got raped." Dannys eyes grew wide.

"Raped?!" She nearly screamed. Zareth nodded his head and ran his fingers over her face. She gasped at the pain. "Zareth I'm so sorry you had to see what they were doing."

"I said almost…" His eyes flashed red for a moment. Danny knew what that meant.

"You...you defended me?"

"Well of course babe. Your my sister arncha?" He winked at her. This pulled her back to her present. She looked around the room and smiled. She had totally walked by the table with all the food on it, and a cheesecake.

"Zareth...you can make a cheesecake?" She asked. Zareth laughed and pulled her to him dancing to the last of the song.

"Oh come on babe. What do you expect?" He spun her around guiding her over to the table. "Now you sit down and I'll grab the lighter." He said and grabbed the package with the lighter in it. When Zareth turned back around Danny had loaded her own plate with many different things. She had this huge habit of taking a pancake folding it and then putting hash browns, eggs, and crumbling the bacon over it and putting the syrup on it as if it were a taco. He chuckled and followed suit, it wasn't that bad and Dareth loved the taste too. Breakfast tacos.

Danny watched Zareth eating his food. Once again perfectly made.

"Is there anything you can't cook?" Danny asked smiling through her own food.

"Oh there are a few things I'd love to try to cook. I'm sure there's something out there that will stump me." Zareth chuckled. "Coffee?" He held out the pot. Danny nodded putting the cup she had just drained down on the table.

"So whats the plan today?" She asked. He shrugged his shoulders and then snapped his finger. Danny jumped at the sudden sound of it.

"I know…" He smiled pulling the cake to her. She blew the single candle. "So what did you wish for?" He asked. Danny pretend gasped and put her hand on her chest.

"But I'm not supposed to tell good sir." She giggled and picked up her fork digging into her cake.

An hour later Danny and Zareth were standing outside of the institute of art. Danny had always mentioned her fascination for odd arts. This place had some really odd hodgepodge sorts of art.

Walking in and going to the right Danny saw what looked like a bright blue car sticking out of the floor. The other half was on the ceiling. Danny looked at the one on the floor before she giggled and looked up at the one on the ceiling. The floor was painted sky blue with little patches of clouds while the ceiling was painted like the ground complete with flowers sticking out also.

"Wow...thats pretty in depth...dude…" Zareth looked around the room.

"It is…" Danny giggled bumping into one another. Zareth put his arms around her shoulders so they didn't as they mused over the art. Eventually they moved onto the next room, and then the next...then the next. Finally they got to some stairs. Above the stairs it said 'Fear room.' Below it were warnings of triggers.

"So art made like Goth?" Zareth asked. Danny shrugged her shoulders and went up the stairs.

"I guess we'll just have to see huh?" They stopped at the door that requested they be at least 18 when entering.

"Better not tell them its your first birthday huh?" Zareth winked at her. She giggled and opened the door. The room was full of blood.

Danny and Zareths smiles faltered.

Danny wasn't to sure how long she had been staring at the hodgepodge of bloody naked people or crashed cars with dead people in them. Even a few mock murder scenes. 'All faked' she knew it was just art. This kids were just doing what they loved to do...act their part. But she couldn't stop staring.

"Danny…" She didn't respond.

Zareth could hear her breathing quicken as she stared at the people. "Danny?" He turned her forcefully toward him. Her head however kept staring in the same direction he had to physically break her eye contact by covering her eyes to get her to respond to him. He ran his hand over her small cheek. The tears that were shed were silent and unknowing by the person they belonged to.

"Wh...What?" Danny looked up at Zareths concerned face.

"Its to much for you. Come on...Lets go back downstairs." He motioned back for the door. Danny allowed for him to steer her toward the exit.

Finally at the bottom of the stairwell Zareth pulled Danny aside. "You okay now?" He asked. Danny nodded her head and swallowed hard.

"Yeah...Yeah thanks. I don't know why that affected me so much." Danny whispered.

"Your a tender heart Danny." Zareth smiled at her although the smile was a little unsure. She walked forward and hugged him. She was really glad he was there. She however felt him pull her tighter.

"Geez Zareth I didn't think you needed a hug that bad." She giggled.

"Hush…" It was harsh. Danny wasn't to sure what was going on until Zareth began to back up into the stairwell.

"Stay here…" He told her. Danny gasped and turned around shaking her head.

"N...No Zareth...what about you?" Danny asked. Zareth smiled around at her.

"I'm Zareth baby." He winked at her.