Chapter Seven: Unexpected

**Dani**

Tucker, Sam and I quickly caught up with Mr. Fenton, who was abnormally quiet. The silence prompted the three of us to remain that way, at least until we got overwhelmed with the sheer awkwardness of the quiet. Sam decided that she wasn't going to be pleasant, exactly. She made it her business to complain about how Danny just decided everything for her like she was some clueless dolt. I wanted to tell her that Danny was just trying to protect everyone and that he just spoke out without considering anyone else's feelings, but her earlier comment about me smelling awful had me fuming silently. I knew I stank. I didn't need to hear it from everyone!

So Sam continued to complain, though her words had become a bit slurred. She was finally dozing off. Tucker, who had been walking quickly to keep up with me wasn't paying us that much attention, though I did notice him occasionally looking from Mr. Fenton to the Time Scepter. His main focus, however, seemed to have been examining the Time Scepter. This resulted in him nearly bumping into a bunch of parked cars and lampposts.

"The tech that went into this is incredible! You can't really tell at first glance, but this is a highly advance piece of technology. You think Danny would get mad if I tried to take it apart?"

I snort at Tucker and his question before responding with a simple, "Duh."

Tucker pouted before he looked back over the Time Scepter. I stopped and hovered a little bit so that I could look around and make sure that the coast was clear. I turned to look in Tucker's direction and frowned a little bit.

"Hey Tuck?" I asked as I looked at the Time Scepter.

"Yeah?"

"Did that thing shrink?"

At first, it was clear that Tucker had no idea what I was referring to. I nodded my head at the scepter, and watched as Tucker looked it over, and then think about it.

"You're right. It's been changing its sizes. When that Clockwork dude had it, it was an actual 'staff', not a scepter. When Danny held it, he was able to balance it on his hand since it was the size of a baton."

"Mhm, but when I saw Sam with it, it was almost the same size as when Clockwork had it."

"Yeah, and when you held it, it was a little longer than when Danny was holding it back at the house!"

"Why do you think it's doing that, Tucker?"

Tucker looked at the Time Scepter with a frown on his face. He turned it over and over in his hand, looking for anything that could possibly explain why it would extend and retract, but he couldn't see anything.

"Maybe there's a hidden button on here somewhere," he stated more so to himself than to me.

I nodded my head then decided that we shouldn't remain in one spot for too long. Mr. Fenton had the right idea, considering how far ahead of us he had gotten. It was clear that he wasn't concerned with anything but his failures at the moment, and seeing him act like that was really depressing. With a sigh, I look at Tucker who was standing still underneath a lamppost, taking a much more…less than subtle approach to figuring out the scepter.

"Let's get a move on Tuck, it's late."

"Yeah, right," stated Tucker absently while he walked and looked over the scepter at the same time.

I just shook my head and continued to fly with my focus clearly on Mr. Fenton. I knew that everything he had gone through must have been rough. I mean, finding out that your best friend was the Wisconsin Ghost and that he had blamed you for everything, then learning that this same guy was trying to marry your wife and steal your son who you also found out was the world famous and infamous Danny Phantom? Maybe the big kicker was when your best friend not only betrayed you but the ENTIRE WORLD? Either way, Mr. Fenton was no doubt confused and riddled with guilt, and there wasn't anything I could do about it because…well, he doesn't like me too much.

Sam shifted her weight a few times, clearly sleeping in my arms. I couldn't help but groan at the sudden movement because I nearly dropped her. It's not that she was heavy though, but because I wasn't paying her any attention. With a shake of my head, and an eye roll at Tucker who was chuckling at me, I continued on ahead like nothing had happened.

A little while later, the four of us had made it back to FentonWorks where Mrs. Fenton and Jasmine had been waiting. Mr. Fenton had gone inside first while Tucker let me go in next since I was carrying Sam. I laid Danny's girlfriend on the couch before I reverted back to my human form, took a breath and flopped down on the floor. Tucker came inside last and sat himself down on the recliner chair to finish examining the Time Staff.

Mr. Fenton had gone up the stairs while Mrs. Fenton and Jazz looked on. Eventually though, the two remaining Fentons began to sniff the air, both their noses turning up in disgust.

"What is that smell?" they both asked aloud.

"Danni," Tucker replied almost instantly.

At first, it seemed that Jazz and Mrs. Fenton were thinking that he meant Danny, ya know, the guy I'm cloned from, but then they both turned to look at me. Jazz had her arms over her chest while giving me this disapproving look.

"What?!" I asked, moodily. "I fell in a dumpster while fighting that future ghost version of Danny."

"You need a shower, little sister, and I mean immediately."

When Jazz gets serious with me, she calls me her little sister. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Sure, I needed a bath badly, but I didn't bring any extra clothes, but I should have known that Jazz would have the solution to all my problems.

"I have some old clothes that are just your size. You go get into the shower, and I'll bring you some."

"Amen," muttered Tucker who still had yet to look up.

Unable to help myself, I sent small sparks of ecto-energy at Tucker, shocking his arm.

"Ow! Okay, Okay!"

I nodded my head once in triumph before Jazz shook her head disapprovingly.

"But wait, I can't take a bath now! I mean, not with all the stuff that's going on."

"Sure you can, sweetie," was Mrs. Fenton's reply.

"Jazz, Tucker and I can monitor the situation while you shower, and when you're done we'll fill you in, and Danny when he gets home."

"What about Mr. Fenton?" I asked, showing my concern for the oldest male Fenton.

"I'm going to talk to him in a moment, so don't you worry. An adorable young lady shouldn't smell like raw sewage and ectoplasmic backup, so go take a shower."

With a sigh and a shake of my head, I head up the stares to the shower room. In the entire time Mrs. Fenton and I had been talking, Jazz had already laid out some clothes for me in the bathroom. I couldn't help but smile at her promptness or her overprotective-ness.

**Jazz**

I couldn't believe it at first when Danny had told me that that fruit loop Vlad had tried to clone him and that Danielle wasn't the only clone that had been created. The other clones didn't survive though, but either way…

When I look at Danielle, I can't help but feel this rage build up inside my chest, but it isn't directed at her. How can it be when none of this is her fault? Vlad is the one to blame for most of Danny's troubles, and now Danielle's. it's so hard to believe that Vlad had once been best friends with my dad considering how those two are the prime definition of contrast. Though Danielle was introduced to Sam, Tucker, Danny and I as a cousin, she's more like a sister to Danny and I. Despite her creation and upbringing, I couldn't be angry with her and I couldn't hate her, especially knowing the ordeals that she and Danny have both been through together.

Like Danny is my brother, Danielle is my sister, and being my sister…well…

The moment Danielle got out of the shower, I knew it by the sound of her yelling my name. I couldn't help but let a smile grace my lips as she came out of the bathroom wearing the clothes that I had laid out for her. It was clear by her expression that she wasn't too found of the hearts that littered the pink and red shirt or black shorts that had pink riddled in. She was so much like Danny that I just couldn't help myself, that and those were the only clothes that actually matched. Despite black going with everything, those black pants had red and a few splotches of pick in them.

"Jazzzzzz, what is this?! I don't mean to be picky, but I know you have other clothes."

"Yeah, but I couldn't find them, and I didn't want to keep you waiting. You'll just have to wear those. It won't be so bad."

"UGGGGGH!"

I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched Danielle retreat back into the living where I immediately heard Tucker make some sort of muffled comment. The painful 'ouch' that followed was a clear sign of Danielle's annoyance. I sighed before I decided that I should probably go and check the bathroom. If Danielle was anything like the boy she was cloned from then there would be clothes on the floor, accompanied by water.

Sure enough, Danielle's clothes were laying about on the floor. I couldn't help but shake my head in annoyance. I know that Danielle was cloned from Danny, raised more or less by Vlad, then self-taught, but having your clothes laying about for the world to see was just un-lady like. I knew than that I had to teach Danielle some form of etiquette.

As I cleaned up the bathroom I could hear my parents, or at least my dad from their bedroom down the hall and he was…yelling? For a moment I stopped to see if maybe it was my imagination, but sure enough I heard my dad yelling at my mom? That only happened once a year, and that was usually around their anniversary.

Taking Danielle's clothes and tossing them in the clothes hamper, I made my way silently to their room to see if I could hear the conversation better.

"Jack, you really need to stop this. You know more than anyone that you're a competent ghost hunter. You've proven that on more than one occasion!"

"It doesn't matter, Maddie! I couldn't even see my best friend for what he really was! I was so blinded by our old college days that I neglected to see what was right there in front of me, and the ghost hunting? HA! Don't even get me started on that. The only thing I do is botch up the catches. I'm probably the laughingstock of the whole ghost hunting community. No wonder why the Guys in White, my HEROES, don't even acknowledge me!"

"Jack, you can't let things like this deter you from what's really important. You're a ghost hunter and an important member of our family. If Danny were here, he'd tell you the same thing."

"But only because he's out son, Mads. How many times has he lied to us to protect us both as Danny Phantom and Danny Fenton? How many things has he said to get out of being in one of our ghost hunting nets? How many times has he been lying about our inventions? How many times has he lied about our parenting? Maddie, I don't know what I can believe anymore."

There was a pause from my parents' room, and I had to admit that I was scared. I had never heard my dad sound so genuinely concerned and even frightened. I knew that I had to talk to Danny and soon. Luckily for me, at the precise moment my little brother was heard downstairs.

**Danny**

I was still thinking about all that had happened to me today. The Clockwork appearance, the fight with my future self, the quick fight between Sam and Paulina, even when my dad scared me with his weird behavior. I don't really understand why things are happening the way it is, but I know one thing's for sure. My life is definitely becoming a lot more hectic.

As I continued to fly home, I began to wonder about the other ghosts who I hadn't seen in a while. Skulker, for example, wasn't the type to give up and yet I hadn't seen him for at least three months. I'm not one to complain, but both Tucker and I had agreed that it was definitely suspicious.

With a sigh, I fly higher into the sky, though I instantly feel a sudden sense of vertigo and have to land. I begin to walk down the street, continuing on my way home when the hair on the back of my neck stands up. My ghost sense doesn't alert me to any ghostly threat, but I know better than to let my guard down, especially with a Dark Future Phantom lurking about and a clone of a fruit loop calling the shots.

A few times I stop walking to take a look around, something in my gut telling me that I'm being followed. Despite this, I keep going because I don't see anyone, and again, my ghost sense hasn't gone off. Besides, I'm Danny Phantom. I have ecto-blasts that I can shoot from my hands, my mouth, my eyes and this one time, my backside. I can defend myself no sweat, although…the Guys in White…have become a lot more…formidable?

With that thought in mind, I pick up my pace until I can see the Fenton Works sign. Eventually my paranoia gets the better of me and I start to run to my porch. It's at that precise moment that my ghost sense decides to go off. I stop and whirl around, only to find a brown floating trench coat and fedora. Now, any other time, I'd probably be confused, but I had seen this ensemble before.

"You again?" I asked, recalling the first time I had seen…er…these floating articles of clothing.

The fedora nodded at me before he tossed something towards me. I almost missed it, but I somehow managed to catch it. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it looked like an upgraded version of the Plasmius Maximus, an invention of Vlad's that rendered my powers useless for three hours…it also worked on Vlad too.

"What…how? What is this?"

The ghost didn't answer me. Instead he disappeared. That was also how the first encounter went too. I looked over the item curiously before I started scanning the area. There was no point, I know, but it's not everyday when the Invisible Man comes up to you and gives you an upgraded piece of ghost hunting tech.

Speaking of ghost tech, I turned back around and headed inside of FentonWorks. I was tired, annoyed, hungry, and now confused. Upon my entering the house, I noticed Tuck and Dani staring at each other. The second thing I noticed was Dani in some of Jazz's hand-me-downs. The sight made me laugh. Dani and Tucker finally acknowledged my presence; Tucker smiling and Dani giving me her 'What Are You Laughing At Look'. I wave my hands defensively, unintentionally showing both her and Tucker what the invisible ghost had given me.

"Dude, what's that?" asked Tucker as he put down the Time Staff.

"I honestly don't know. Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about that invisible ghost in the brown fedora and coat?"

"Yeah," responded Tucker in his skeptical voice, but I ignored him.

"He just showed up not to long ago and gave this to me. It kinda looks like the Plasmius Maximus, but I'm gonna ask mom and dad to see what it does."

I put the item down at the small table beside the couch and sit down making sure to be careful of Sam. Dani decides to sit on the floor against the cough. It's clear that she was officially annoyed. Tucker, on the other hand, had a grin on his face three miles wide.

"Dude, you promised you'd tell me about the whole Sam and Paulina thing. I mean, I knew that it was going to happen one day, but I had always imagined that I'd be there to see it."

I rubbed the back of my head before I looked down at Sam. I was hoping that she was fully asleep, otherwise I was probably going to regret telling Tucker this later.

"The door to the Nasty Burger was locked. Sam knocked on the window. Paulina heard her, but didn't say anything cause…she was talking to me. Sam got angry, you know, typical Sam behavior. She punched through the glass, came inside the place, told Paulina off and well, Paulina got offended, tried to sucker punch Sam who then retaliated by giving Paulina a shiner."

"Dude, you make it sound so lame."

I shook my head at Tucker before remembering that Tucker promised to tell me what he knew about my dad's weirdness.

"Whatever, Tuck. What about my dad?"

Tucker sort of fidgeted where he sat, but then out of nowhere Jazz popped up behind.

"Dad's been in a funk, ya know, one of the ones brought on by Vlad? It's worse this time. He and mom are actually arguing. DANNY! You're covered in BLOOD!"

"Arguing?" I repeated, ignoring the obvious fact that I was indeed covered in blood.

Jazz just frowned at me, but then nodded her confirmation, though she eyed me wearily.

That was all it took for me to go upstairs to check on them. Despite me running on fumes, I had to make sure that everything was alright. I knew my dad felt guilty about Vlad, and even about me, but I wanted him to know that none of this was his fault. What happened to Vlad had been an accident, and to be perfectly honest it was Vlad's fault for having his face too close to the proto-portal.

With a shrug to myself, I prepare to knock on the door, only to stop when I hear my dad's voice.

"Maddie, you know as well as I do that not everything Danny's said to us has been true. I know what half of our inventions can do to him. I know what some of them no doubt has done to him, and it's all because we…because I've been so blind and neglectful to my only son. It's amazing that he still calls me dad at all."

"Jack, I don't want to hear any of this. You know you mean the world to Danny. You know more than anyone else that Danny lied to us to protect us and himself. Jack, you can't place all the blame on yourself because not all of it is your fault. How could Danny becoming Danny Phantom be your fault? Were you the one who pushed him in the portal and turned it on?"

"No, but I was the idiot who put the 'On' button on the inside of the portal."

"Were you the one who pushed Vlad's face ridiculously close to the proto-portal?"

"No, but I did ignore you when you said the calculations weren't right, and I turned the portal on anyway."

"Jack…"

"No, Maddie, just admit it! Admit that I'm an idiot! Admit that you would have been better off with someone who's brain isn't a one celled organism. Admit that you would have been better of with someone like Vlad! Your mother and sister liked him better after all."

The next thing I heard was what I am forever going to refer to as the smack heard round the world. Jazz had come running up the steps the same moment my mom had run out of her room for the lab. I immediately grabbed Jazz and turned us both invisible before I dragged her to my room and phased us both through the door.

"Danny what the heck was that?" she asked, sounding slightly panicked. The first thing I wanted to do to Jazz was lie, but that part of my life was behind me.

"I don't know, but I think it might have been mom slapping dad. He said something that may or may not have been called for."

"Danny," Jazz said to me in her 'You Better Tell Me Now' tone of voice. I sighed before I took a deep breath.

"They were having a heated argument, Jazz. I didn't even bother to try knocking. Dad was so upset and was adamant on getting mom to admit that he was a failure that he said something about along the lines of her probably being better off with Vlad."

Jazz covered her mouth, barely hiding the shocked gasp that she made. I closed my eyes thinking that this whole ordeal could not have come at a worse time. I needed my family united to fight this threat that was no doubt lurking near the horizon. Mom was most likely too upset to work now, and dad…well, I don't know what to make of him at the moment. That just left me, Tucker, Sam, Jazz and Dani to do the work, that is unless the freaking Fedora ghost wants to help out.

With a shake of my head, I fall back on my bed and stare at the ceiling. It's hard to believe that I can literally see my family falling apart at the seems. Even when he's not here Vlad has the uncanny ability to make my life miserable. Why did we have to be stuck with that fruit loop? Couldn't, I don't know, Dash get stuck with the crazy rich guy, or someone from the GiW?

Jazz was pacing around my room, though it was clear that she was holding back with something. I try to sit up, but I just let out a groan. Now that I'm laying down on my nice soft bed, it's difficult to get back up considering I've been looking forward to sleeping all day, ever since I left school which seemed like years ago.

"Jaazzzz," I whined as I finally manage to force myself into a sitting position.

She turns to look at me, her expression indicating her worry. She was about to start panicking.

"Jazz," I said as she opened her mouth to speak. "They're not gonna get a divorce over this, and I am completely fine. My body heals quickly thanks to my ghost half, remember? I'm just worn out so chill. Remember what happened last time?"

Jazz nodded her head, but her lower lip and began playing in her hair. She wanted to vent, I knew she did, but I didn't have time to listen to her. I needed to get to dad.

"Jazz, go talk to mom and make sure she's okay. I'll go and try to talk to dad; to make him understand that none of this is entirely his fault."

"Okay, little brother, but you might want to shower first otherwise dad might flip."

I smile at Jazz before she walks over to me and rubs the top of my head. It was a good luck gesture, but seriously, I'm too old for that sort of stuff now.

"Knock it off, and get going Jazz," I say as I turn my head intangible causing Jazz to squeak then frown.

"Fine," she said as she walked out of my room with a huff while I forced myself out of bed.

As I forced myself to stand, I almost regret as I sway forward. I wait a few moments to make sure I don't topple over before grabbing a pair of boxers and my blue-grey pajama top with matching bottoms then I head for the door which Jazz had left open for me.

I walk towards the bathroom, hoping that my sister could calm my mom down that I had neglected to make sure my dad wouldn't be coming from the bedroom. It was only when I heard him shout, "Galloping Ghosts" did I realize I had been spotted, and unlike in the Nasty Burger, he actually took notice of the mixture of green and red blood. It wasn't that obvious when I was in Phantom form.

"Danny, you're hurt," he said as he looked at me but not…at me.

"No dad, I'm fine. Really. I'm was just about to take a shower and then come talk to you."

"You were?" he asked, obviously not believing a word I was saying.

"Yes, I was." I argued back, my voice laced with annoyance.

I knew I hadn't exactly been the good an honest son my parents wanted me to be, but I only did it to make sure that everyone would be alright. Sure I could have been hurt, but the only person in the Fenton household that I needed to be on the look out for was mom and her incredible aim and martial arts mastery.

"Look, we can talk now if you want, but this gunk cakes up on my skin and makes me itch. Just throwing that out there."

My dad lowered his head before he looked back at me and jerked his thumb towards my room. Apparently my dad wanted to talk now. With a huff I followed him to my bedroom where the bed looked soooo invited. Due to the obvious invitation for sleep, I sat in my computer chair while my dad took the bed. He looked at me expectantly while I tried not to yawn.

"I heard from Tucker that you think you're a failure. Dad, you know that isn't true right?"

"It IS true, Danny. You don't have to lie to me anymore."

"Oh come on dad, enough is enough. I can name a bunch of stuff that proves you're not a failure."

"Oh yeah, go on then, Danny-boy."

"Alright, fine. That Ecto-Dejecto stuff. It may have done the opposite of what you wanted, but it came in handy. It was that stuff that stabilized Danielle."

"But it was still a failed experiment. Try again son."

"Alright, the Specter Speeder, on of the greatest inventions that's downstairs. It flies like a dream, the weapons fire nicely, and it was that invention that Sam and Tucker used to save me from Vlad."

"Your mother did the calculations."

"So you're not good at math, neither am I but look at what I've accomplished! Dad, do you know I'm going to graduate soon? If it weren't for all the extra tutoring I wouldn't be where I am now. It's the same with you. You have someone helping you accomplish your goals. You're the writer and mom's the spellchecker! Let's not forget my favorite moment! You beat Vlad back into the Ghost Zone when he tried to steal the Fenton Portal. Dad, that was all YOU, and you were incredible."

Dad looked at me, uncertain of if I was being truthful or not.

"How do I know you weren't there helping me?"

"Because I was handling the other ghost hunters, remember? By the time I got back to the lab, you were already handling everything, not to mention I started to clean the lab while you two were fighting. Remember? I changed the filtrater and you blew into the clogged one and sent all the ectoplasm into Vlad's face!"

"…You're right son, but that's just one thing."

"Are you serious? Dad come on, I named a bunch of stuff, and you're counting that as one? Alright, there was this one time when I tampered with the time stream in order to find a cure for Sam and Tucker…and Vlad. I sort of messed up the present by preventing Vlad from getting his ghost powers."

"You never told us that," his dad said, a look on his face reflecting a bit of guilt for whatever reason.

"Yeah because I didn't want to see that look on your face, and I kinda didn't want another lecture about disrupting the nature flow of time and blah blah blah. The point is, when I messed up the present, I created some very unwanted side effects. You with the ghost powers that should have been Vlad's, my nonexistence, and mom married to Vlad."

My dad's expression saddened considerably, and I knew why. It was the argument that he had with mom that he didn't know I had been listening in to.

"After hearing that alternate story which consisted of you getting your powers, trying to use them for good only to fail because you debuted on Halloween, and how you ended up living her, you chased me around until I reached the lab. That's when I found out Vlad was married to mom. There was a newspaper clipping hung up on the wall, and well…I ended up telling you what happened and you chased me out of the house."

"Danny, where is-"

"Let me finish, dad."

My dad hesitated before he nodded. I could see that he wasn't understanding what it was that I was trying to do or say, but I had to say this. I had to be completely honest with him, and if that meant telling him the more…awkward and painful details of this story, then so be it.

"It only took me a second to realize where it was that I needed to be. I had to make my way to Wisconsin, and that was going to be a really long journey unless I was lucky enough to run into a natural portal into the Ghost Zone where I could easily make the trip, but I had no such luck. I flew all the way to Wisconsin, turned human and rang the doorbell. When the door opened, mom and Vlad were standing side by side. Vlad looked annoyed with the intrusion and said something about no cheese samples, but I had been so tired that I passed out at the steps.

The next thing I remember was being sat down at a table so that I could eat something to get my strength back up. It seemed that this time around Vlad was the descendant of the Dairy King, and so what was laid out in front of me was different cheeses and some milk. Mom asked me where my parents were and I told her that there had been an accident. She and Vlad took pity on me, and let me sleep in one of the guest rooms."

I rubbed the back of my neck. I was leaving out a very crucial part of information i.e. the kiss between mom and Vlad, eww to the max might I add, but it was for the best.

"When I figured that everyone was sleep, I decided to look around in ghost mode. Despite the none ghostly appearance of the place and Vlad's hatred for ghosts, I knew that mom wouldn't give up studying and hunting ghosts. There was no way that she would. Eventually my search lead me to their basement, but they didn't have a lab, or so I thought until I dove through the basement floor. I had been right. There was ghost hunting equipment everyone complete with a ghost portal! I was so happy that I dropped my guard and instantly regretted it. The moment I exclaimed that I had found it was the same moment that mom knocked me out cold."

"She knocked you out?" my dad asked and I smiled and nodded.

"Remember, I didn't exist in that world, so she had no idea that I was half ghost or her son. I tried to explain my case to her, telling her that I was her son. She didn't believe me, but that's when you showed up and gave her my wallet which I had unintentionally left with you. It had a picture of you, me, mom and Jazz. It was then that you believed me and you let me free. I gotta admit that the one thing I was glad about was having scientist for parents. Alternate timeline equals valid excuse. Anyway, mom had said that she had always loved you but Vlad had told her that you blamed her for you having ghost powers which was totally untrue. He had lied to her, and it was clear that she was unhappy with him."

My dad smiled a bit as my own grew wider.

"Mom opened the portal with me so that I could get back here to this timeline, but I was attacked by Vlad. That was when you helped me, and again you saved me not to mention mom."

"What happened next?"

"I went back in time to when I had meddled and figured out what I needed to know in order to save Sam, Tucker and Vlad, then I came back here. I couldn't have done that without you dad."

"But you wouldn't have had to if-"

"Dad, we all make mistakes, and sometimes their for the best. I wouldn't change having ghost powers or you as my parent for anything in the world. I love you dad, and right now, I really need you and mom to get it together. We have two very powerful ghosts in our midst and I could really use the support."

Without warning, my dad stood from the bed and yanked me in one of his bear hug. I held my breath, not wanting to let on that I wasn't exactly at one hundred percent, otherwise it would really ruin the moment and my dad's guilt would no doubt kick in.

"Dad, you're getting blood…over your jumpsuit…"

"Oh, right! You had been on your way to the shower."

My dad let me go and I gave a sigh of relief before watching my dad walk towards the door. Suddenly his face fell.

"I said some things to your mother…she'd never forgive me…"

"Did she forgive you for forgetting her birthday?"

"Yes."

"Did she forgive you for forgetting her anniversary?"

"Yes."

"Did she forgive you for all the times you went over the top and shot ecto-goo everywhere?"

"YES!"

I smiled as I watched my dad's expression lighten considerably before he bounced happily out of the room. Before he got too far though, I recalled the invention that I had brought in.

"Hey dad! There's something on the table downstairs that I really need you and mom to take a look at. It might really come in handy!"

"Will do son!"

I shook my head and chuckled at my dad's enthusiasm. It was clear that he was feeling much better which was more than I could say for myself.

"Better go shower before I give in to my need for sleep."

With that, I made my way to the bathroom with my clothes in hand, ready to take a nice relaxing shower.

TBC