GUESS WHO DECIDED TO UPDATE IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH. WOOOOOOOOOHHHHH
Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews. It's nice to know people are still reading this story.
I once made a reference to a very rude reviewer and I wanted them to fuck off. Like fanboy021898, some people apologized about being rude and that made me feel so bad because so many of you are just precious honeybuns. So, I'm posting the rude review here. As long as you're not this person, we're cool:
Guest: "'Because I have ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD FOR THIS.' if you had all the time in the world for this where is chapter 3 i am sorry but come on already"
That review pissed me off so bad, and was the start of many reviews just saying stuff like "update already". It made me angry because I got excited for new reviews, and it was the same guest spamming me to finish the story and making me feel like everyone else had stopped reading. I'm okay dealing with the mean and nice reviews nowadays (thankfully, the mean reviews are basically nonexistent at this point). So, please, whatever you feel like sharing in your review, do not hesitate to share and don't be sorry for sharing it. I won't even ask that you be polite. I'm just grateful that people are still reading this story, so thank you. Heart
8
Junior pouted. "How are we supposed to help them when we're drilling combat into Danny's head and he's passed out by the time he leaves?"
"Perhaps this world's a hindrance upon us."
"What?"
"Dear brother, brave and strong as Hercules. Dear brother, I too can fight, when needs be. Perhaps this world's a hindrance upon us. Let's find a world not so superfluous. It's obvious they need our help, dearest. And one world allows our interference."
Junior blinked. "Wait, are you saying what I think you're saying?"
Minnie smiled. Junior grinned back, excitedly grabbing her shoulders.
"Pack a bag, Minnie. We're going on holiday…
To Earth."
And so time marches on…
"Okay, get off," Dan muttered. Jazz laughed and let him go, surreptitiously wiping her eyes. Heaving a sigh, Dan leaned back on his elbows, looking at the ceiling. "Well, that felt weird."
"What did?" Jazz asked.
"Feeling. It felt weird."
Jazz rolled her eyes. "You're going to be a lifetime of work, aren't you?"
"I believe someone once described me as incorrigible…"
Jazz snorted and flopped down beside him. "So…what now?"
Dan's face twisted. "You just do not stop, do you?"
The redhead smirked. "I believe someone once described me as incor—"
"Okay, okay, I get it. I don't really know what to do, honestly. I didn't plan to get so heavily invested myself. I just wanted Danny to need me, so that I would definitely survive."
Jazz frowned. "You…you weren't ever planning on betraying Danny, were you?"
Dan scoffed. "What? God, no. I'd just get erased. Besides, there's not much fun in a world without that kid to bully around."
"I'll take that as your misanthropic way of saying you would have missed Danny."
"Must you?"
"Hey," a voice said, prompting both their heads up. In the doorway, illuminated by the soft hallway light, stood a smiling Danny Fenton. "I know you two are thicker than thieves, but could you have this conversation in the ops center? I think I'm just gonna head to bed."
"Actually, I was just leaving, " Jazz said, pushing herself off the bed. "You two behave."
"Jazz!" Danny groaned. Dan merely smirked.
"I think it's against my DNA to behave," he replied.
Jazz rolled her eyes as she gently pushed Danny into the room and shut the door behind her. Danny stared at the door for a moment before turning back to Dan. The older ghost laid back on the bed with his eyes closed.
"Are you going to bed, too?" Danny asked, approaching quietly to put a plastic bag on his desk.
"S'prolly a good idea," Dan mumbled, his voice hoarse with sleepiness. "Today's been shit. I think we can skip Grim n' Mandy."
Danny stared down at Dan—or, rather, Ezra. Danny knew Dan had stamina to outlast even Pariah Dark, so being in his human form wasn't what was draining him.
Even if it's odd that he's decided to look like that all day, at home. Danny thought.
Whatever Dan must've gone through in his head—maybe even emotionally—must be what drained him. Suddenly, Dan opened his eyes.
His red eyes.
Danny's brow furrowed. "Uh…your eyes are red."
Dan raised a brow in reply. "They usually are."
"Yeah, but you look like Ezra right now. Just…with red eyes. I thought your Ezra disguise had green eyes."
Dan snorted. "You think my Ezra look is just a disguise?"
Danny blinked, sitting beside Dan and taking his shoes off. "Yes?"
"Figures. No, the way I look right now is the way I'd look if I had a human half. When I 'go ghost,' I look like I usually do."
"So…Ezra, with red eyes, is how you would normally look if you had a human side, like I do?"
"I literally just said that," Dan retorted.
"Is there anything else? Something else that's different?" Danny asked, suddenly awake.
Dan shrugged, "My hair doesn't have to be on fire. I just do that."
Danny laughed. "You're kidding. Show me."
"No way. I don't put out on the first date."
The conversation sailed easily from there, both forgetting their fatigue as they talked into the night. Eventually, tiredness won, and they feel asleep beside each other on Danny's small bed. As customary, Maddie snuck into their room to make sure they hadn't escaped; touched, she quietly threw a blanket over Dan and Danny before she crept out.
Clockwork watched the scene passively from his tower. After a few more minutes of merely watching them sleep, Clockwork waved a hand and allowed the image to fade away. As the portal bled into another feed, Clockwork turned away and floated to his chambers.
As he expected, the children of the Castle Grim were sitting on his bed, doing their best to look innocent while inconspicuously looking around.
"Before you start calling me 'uncle Clockwork' to butter me up, don't," Clockwork said as they opened their mouths.
Junior pouted. "All right, fine. Well, you probably already know why we're here and where we're trying to go. Why not just help us?"
Minnie smiled. "Our only goal is to see two souls merge."
"You're also lucky I already know your parents won't kill me," Clockword replied, sighing. Even knowing the future didn't help Clockwork's exasperation.
"Let's go, kids."
"Boys! You'll be late for school!" Maddie's voice called from downstairs, rousing both ghosts.
"Is it just me, or does her voice sound like screeching harpies in the morning?" Dan mumbled, turning over and stealing the blankets.
Danny snorted, but didn't disagree. He sat up and stretched as Dan continued dozing. Just before going to the bathroom, he poked the older man. "Get up. She's gonna hunt you down if you're not down for breakfast." Dan grunted, but made no move to leave the bed. Danny rolled his eyes and shoved Dan a little more forcefully. "We can't skip school, you know. We already skipped yesterday, basically."
Dan gave him a one-fingered salute in response. Despite himself, Danny could feel his eyebrow twitch in irritation at Dan's surprising lethargy. Just as he was about to throw an ecto-blast at Dan, though, Danny's eyes widened.
If we go to school, he thought, he'll talk to Paulina. If we skip, we'll spend the whole day together…But if we skip again today, they'll definitely call mom. I guess our clones could go, but then part of Dan will still hang with Paulina.
What kind of excuse could I use to skip school today?
Danny stood there, staring at Dan—intensely enough to rouse the older ghost. Mouth set in a scowl, Dan turned over to glare at Danny. His eyebrows shot up, though, when Danny flickered. Dan blinked his eyes, wondering what could have happened to make it seem as if Danny's entire body literally blinked and disappeared for a second. Confused, he opened his mouth to ask.
Suddenly, red mist seeped out of Dan's nose and Maddie's shrill scream tore through the house; Dan and Danny immediately jumped to attention, changed forms, and phased through the floor. Both ghosts appeared in front of Maddie, glowing green hands raised in an identical pose.
"What's wrong, mom?" Danny asked.
Maddie, who was clutching her chest, pointed under the kitchen table mutely. Nodding to each other, Danny floated closer to his mother while Dan floated closer to the table to investigate. Once he saw what had caused the scream, he heaved a great sigh. As he changed back to Ezra and straightened, Jazz and Jack ran into the kitchen, immediately asking Maddie if she was okay.
"Jesus fuck," Dan groaned over their frantic questions. "You're not gonna believe this."
Danny raised a brow, lowering his hand slightly. "Don't tell me it's just the Box Ghost."
"I wouldn't scream if it was just the Box Ghost!" Maddie said, petulant.
Dan rolled his eyes. "He'd be less troublesome." With that, he reached under the table and dragged out a small skeletal boy and a patched-together girl.
"Danny!" they cheered simultaneously.
"Junior! Minnie!" Danny greeted. "What are you two doing here?"
"Y-You know these two?" Maddie asked. "They just appeared in the kitchen all of a sudden. I usually don't freak out easily, but they look like children…"
"They are children," Dan replied, eyes narrowed and focused on Danny. "They're the children of some friends of Clockwork's. We see them sometimes when we see Clockwork."
"What are you talk—" Junior started, but swiftly quieted under Dan's look. Jazz crossed her arms and gave both Dan and Danny an incredulous look, but Jack and Maddie were easily convinced.
"So, they're really children? Why do they look like that? They don't register as ghosts," Maddie commented, getting closer to examine them. Junior blushed under the scrutiny and Minnie smiled prettily.
"They're not ghosts," Danny said, steadfastly ignoring the look of growing confusion on Dan's face. "They're undead, but not ghosts or zombies. I don't really know how to explain what they are."
"If I may say my piece," Minnie interjected, "we simply are. Father mine is the bane of living things; Mother, the bane of all things alive and dead. We, the children of Evil and Grim, seek your hospitality and kindness. Think not of our sires, 'stead think of our hearts. Children are we still, despite how we seem. Not alive, nor dead, nor common beings, we babes crave the attention of our friends."
Junior rolled his eye when no one responded. "She said we're otherworldly beings and we just wanted to play with Dan and Danny."
"Oh!" Maddie chuckled, if somewhat uneasily, "I think I heard quite a bit more in there, but if that's the gist…"
"So!" Jack boomed. "How did you little tykes get here from your home? Do you live in the ghost zone?"
"No," Junior replied before either ghost could stop him. "We live in hell with our parents."
"From the deepest pits, aflame with anguish, we came o'er the ghost zone…though secretly." Minnie added.
"Secretly?" Dan perked. "You mean Grim and Mandy don't know where you are?"
"Nope!" Junior cheerily said. "And we can't go back until tomorrow, because there's this huge meeting between all the leaders of the Underworld, so all the transport is tied up."
Maddie frowned. "So…if I'm understanding this correctly, you came all the way from hell to spend time with Dan and Danny, and you can't go back until tomorrow because of some sort of…traffic jam?"
"Essentially," Dan sighed. "What should we do?"
Danny shrugged. "Only one thing, really. Spend the day with them. They did come all this way to see us."
Jazz hesitated, but eventually nodded. "I agree. It's the most sensible idea. You guys won't miss much in school that you can't easily recover over the weekend."
Maddie blinked. "Jazz, I do believe that's the first time I've ever heard you suggest that anyone skip school."
"College has softened me, mom," the redhead grinned.
Danny tried to hide his smile. "Uh, mom, you should know that Dan and I skipped yesterday, because we had some issues with a ghost and because we had to talk to Sam."
"Sam?" she asked.
"What's wrong with Sam?" Jack asked. "I thought all of you were squared away."
"We are now," Danny nodded, smiling. "I promise. But we did take the whole day, so I just wanted to tell you before you got a call."
Maddie sighed. "Well, all right. I suppose it's fine. Jack and I have to go for a one-day conference today, though, so will you kids be all right by yourselves?"
Dan rolled his eyes, deadpan. "I'm 28, mother."
"I'm 20, mom," Jazz added with a fond smile.
"I'm a teenage ghost hero," Danny grinned, cheeky.
"We frequently have to hunt for our food," Junior supplied, Minnie nodding in agreement.
Maddie shook her head. "Let's go, Jack. They'll be fine."
As his parents left and Jazz turned to the kitchen to make breakfast, Danny smiled happily at the two kids engaging Dan. For the moment, they definitely were not going to school.
"Has anyone seen Danny?" Kwan asked as he approached Tucker and Sam. Dash walked by them determinedly. Sam shook her head, frowning, and Tucker sighed exasperatedly while glancing at his phone. "He's not coming today," Tucker replied as they watched the blond stomp away. "He's got some visitors from out of town who can only stay for today, so he and Dan decided to stay home."
"Dan, too?" a voice asked, and they turned to face Paulina. Sam's face flushed and her hands clenched as she unconsciously prepared herself, but Paulina seemed uninterested in her. "Did you say Ezra is staying home, too? He doesn't have a cellphone yet, so I can't text him or anything."
Sam sighed, deigning to answer. "Yeah, D—" Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Wait…what did you say?"
Paulina looked at her strangely. "I asked if Ezra was staying home today."
"No, before that. You said another name," Sam replied. "What name did you say?"
Paulina rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to answer, but no sound escaped. Instead, her face lost all color and her head shook wordlessly.
"Paulina, what was that name you just said?" Sam asked again.
"N-Nothing! Forget it," she said hurriedly and ran to Star. Kwan looked between Sam and Paulina, scratching his head.
"What just happened?" Kwan finally asked. "Why were you so set on having Paulina repeat Dan's name?"
"That's just it, Kwan," Sam muttered. "Paulina shouldn't have any idea who we're talking about when we say the name 'Dan.' But, not only did she not ask who 'Dan' was, she even knew that his other name is 'Ezra.' It seems like Paulina knows that Dan and Ezra are the same person and, if she knows that, she knows exactly who Dan is." Sam's purple eyes widened in understanding. "Now it makes sense! Why she was so gung-ho about defending Dan yesterday! She knows who he is and she even knows what's going on!"
Kwan tilted his head, looking at where Paulina and Star were talking quietly. "Really? I know Danny and Paulina might have hung out a little because Dan and Paulina are close, but I don't see him revealing all this stuff to her out of the blue."
"Maybe it wasn't Danny," she offered. "You did say Dan and Paulina are getting close; maybe Dan told Paulina himself." Sam frowned. "I don't know how I feel about that. On one hand, it sort of proves that Dan really is rehabilitating and choosing his own friends. On the other hand, why confide in Paulina? Dan doesn't seem like the kind of guy who doesn't make sure everything goes his way. In what way does Paulina benefit whatever plans Dan's got?"
Tucker rolled his eyes, scoffing. "We've been over this. Dan has no other agenda than surviving, Sam. Maybe Dan realizes he can't suffocate Danny all the time and he decided to make a friend on his own."
"Maybe," Sam conceded.
As Sam and Kwan continued talking about the possibilities, Tucker followed them quietly into the school, hoping they wouldn't dig deeper than that. While Tucker wasn't aware how much Paulina knew regarding the matter, Tucker didn't want Kwan and Sam realizing how Danny felt about Dan until Danny was ready to talk.
Besides, it struck Tucker as odd that Paulina was only concerned with Dan's whereabouts and not Danny's. He wasn't exactly an expert on girls, but that screamed "I have a crush on this guy!"
What have you gotten yourself into, Dan? Danny? Tucker wondered.
Not two hours had passed, and Danny was already regretting allowing the children of the Castle Grim to stay with him. Junior was overly excited and demanded that everything in the house be explained to him. Minnie, who usually latched onto the Junior with a vice grip, apparently decided to allow her brother to enjoy himself and sat quietly on the couch with Jazz and Dan. Glaring at them from across the room as Junior dragged Danny to another part of the house, Danny fervently hoped Minnie was at least asking uncomfortable questions.
"Dan, (second) evilest among evil; please, do tell how you will gain Danny's love?"
Dan's eyebrow twitched and he noticed Jazz valiantly trying to keep a straight face.
And failing.
"Did you two just come up here to try and shove Danny and I together?" he eventually asked.
Minnie nodded. "Perhaps too expedient on our behalf, but we see two souls not yet become one. We worried perhaps the battle was lost, yea, as I sensed your heart drifting away."
"And having Danny act as Junior's tour guide was part of the plan?"
Minnie had the grace to blush. "I admit, my love's excitement o'erflows. Allow him his fill, for this chance is rare. He will remember our mission, I'm sure, as your happiness is what he hopes for."
"Do you always talk like that?" Jazz asked. Minnie and Dan nodded.
"And what do you mean my heart is drifting?" Dan demanded. "One: I don't have a heart. Two: even if I did, it's not drifting."
"No fair maiden has caught your eye, Phantom?" Minnie asked shrewdly, "Images I see say differently. Yea, the phantom asks the maiden to sing. This young maiden, with eyes like the ocean; with hair, black and smooth as the onyx stone; and skin, a seductive, caramel brown, has swayed the attentions of the phantom, and lures the phantom from his destiny."
"Goddammit," he growled. "Can't a guy live his life without everyone suddenly knowing his every secret?"
Jazz chuckled. "Apparently not. My advice still holds."
"Talk to him?"
"It is wise advice, to speak to Danny. The maiden sings, but songs paint mirages. Banish the illusions this maiden sings, though she herself is unaware of them. Instead, use words to face reality. You'll find a sweeter world outside of dreams."
Dan's eyebrows drew together. "I'm going to ignore all that. Do tell: how did you two get here?"
"We flew through the ghost zone, excitedly," Minnie replied.
"No, I know that part. The thing is, I know how hard it is to travel between worlds. I can make my own ghost portals, but it generally drains a lot of energy and I prefer not to. So, how did two little kids—strong though you may be—make it through hell, the ghost zone, and to earth in one piece?"
"Clockwork did show us the way, my dear friend."
Dan frowned. "Well, that explains why my ghost sense went off when you guys arrived, but that's only half my question. Clockwork could get you from the ghost zone to here, but how did you get from hell to the ghost zone?"
Jazz tilted her head. "Is it really that difficult a passage?"
Dan nodded. "Without the Doom Train or whatever, traveling outside of worlds is heavily regulated and nearly impossible. In fact, with these two breaking the rules coming here without permission, Walker should have stopped them as soon as they got into the ghost zone." Dan turned back to Minnie. "So spill, little girl. What really happened?"
Minnie frowned. "Truly, honestly, I have no answer. T'was easy to travel to the ghost zone. No guard, no sentry, no protector there; once, at home, then suddenly with Clockwork. It was nearly instantaneous, friend. Clockwork served escort the rest of the way."
"Okay, but how did you even make it all the way to Clockwork?"
"More of the same, I will tell you Phantom. Once, at home, then suddenly with Clockwork. It was nearly instantaneous, friend."
Jazz frowned. "She's right, this is getting nowhere."
"No," Dan held his chin, staring at the wall in front of him. "No, it means someone helped them without their knowledge. And, even though it usually takes days to travel, these kids traveled instantly. Someone already planned their coming here in advance and prepared for it. And there's only really one person—or ghost— who could do that."
"Clockwork," Jazz surmised.
Dan nodded. "He brought them here today for some reason, but for the death of me, I can't figure out why."
Dan watched as Danny chased Junior through the kitchen again, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. As Junior passed by the living room, Minnie jumped off the couch and latched onto him, stopping the boy from running further.
"Dear brother, I believe we are waylaid; we came here for a task—did you forget? Two souls have not yet become one, brother. Was it not us to be Cupid's arrows? Let us guide them true, let us not waver."
Junior blushed, nodding. "Sorry, Minnie. I was just so excited, but you're right."
The girl smiled and cuddled closer to her brother, forgiving him with a nod. Dan rolled his eyes as Jazz cooed at them. As one, the group turned to face Danny, groaning as he crawled into the room. "Is he finally done?"
Dan snorted. "Yeah, he's done. You tagging out?"
In response, Danny weakly lifted his arm and tapped Dan's hand.
Jazz laughed. "Poor Danny. Though, they're only here for a day. Maybe we should take the time to show them the outside world as well. Obviously Danny's out though; think you can handle it, Dan?"
Scoffing, Dan stood and reconstructed "Ezra," with green eyes and a sportier outfit. "I'll show you what real stamina is. I'm sure Junior would love to see what a skate rink looks like."
"OHMYGODYES!" Junior immediately cheered. Minnie frowned, eyebrows creased in worry.
"Dan—" she began, but Jazz shook her head, seizing the opportunity.
"That sounds good. Danny and I could use the time to catch up. We spent all day helping Sam yesterday, and I'm here for a few days. Go have fun."
Dan raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Fun? Right. Anyway, there's nothing we can do about Minnie, but you should change the way you look, Junior."
With an excited nod, Junior's nergal powers manifested and he looked like a normal boy, albeit with one eye. Waving a hand at the Fenton siblings, Dan walked out with the children, shooting Jazz a look as he left. Once the door closed, Danny shot up and sat beside Jazz.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Probably wondering why I'm forcing him to go out with the kids when he knows you and I can talk whenever."
"Ah. Why did you make him go out?"
"I'll answer that when you tell me why Clockwork brought those kids over here."
Danny flushed. "Figured that out?"
"Dan did. Judging by your expression, you know why."
Danny grinned. "Well…"
"Boys! You'll be late for school!" Maddie's voice called from downstairs, rousing both ghosts.
"Is it just me, or does her voice sound like screeching harpies in the morning?" Dan mumbled, turning over and stealing the blankets.
Danny snorted, but didn't disagree. He sat up and stretched as Dan continued dozing. Just before going to the bathroom, he poked the older man. "Get up. She's gonna hunt you down if you're not down for breakfast." Dan grunted, but made no move to leave the bed. Danny rolled his eyes and shoved Dan a little more forcefully. "We can't skip school, you know. We already skipped yesterday, basically."
Dan gave him a one-fingered salute in response. Despite himself, Danny could feel his eyebrow twitch in irritation at Dan's surprising lethargy. Just as he was about to throw an ecto-blast at Dan, though, Danny's eyes widened.
If we go to school, he thought, he'll talk to Paulina. If we skip, we'll spend the whole day together…But if we skip again today, they'll definitely call mom. I guess our clones could go, but then part of Dan will still hang with Paulina.
What kind of excuse could I use to skip school today?
"I don't know," a voice suddenly said. "What excuse could you use?"
Danny whipped around, taking note of the stillness of the room, and smiled at Clockwork. "The kind of excuse where I couldn't leave the house but my parents wouldn't want to stick around."
"Any ideas?"
"Junior always did want to see the human realm, didn't he? If he and Minnie came over, Dan and I could babysit. And since they're visiting all the way from hell, it'd be rude for us to go to school and leave them home with mom, who has plans today."
"I suppose I could get the kids over here, if need be. I'm sure Grim and Mandy would appreciate the quiet. Don't ask me to reset time when you regret it, though."
Danny laughed. "Thanks, Clockwork."
"Well, get back to where you were standing. Dan will be suspicious enough without you suddenly standing in a different part of the room."
Nodding, Danny stood back where he was, staring at Dan, and time resumed. Dan, who had turned over, blinked in surprise. Danny hid a smirk as Dan opened his mouth to ask what happened. Suddenly, Maddie's shrill scream tore through the house.
Jazz laughed incredulously. "Really? You planned this? That's kind of surprising. I would've expected something like this from Dan, actually."
Danny shrugged. "I needed a way for him to get away from Paulina for a bit, so I wouldn't worry about him while I figure myself out. I did admittedly see us spending the day together, though."
Jazz frowned. "You two won't solve all this in a day. And you still have to read that journal, Danny."
Danny sighed heavily. "Right. Will you stay here and warn me if they get back before I'm done?"
Jazz nodded; solemnly, she watched her brother trudge upstairs towards his room. Once she heard his door closed, she slouched on the couch, exhausted. She knew her reaction was extreme, but warranted, and worried at how Danny would react. She worried at how Danny would behave around Dan afterwards.
Mostly, she worried about how Dan and Danny would handle telling others of their relationship. As it was, Maddie saw them as brothers; Jack saw them as friends or roommates; and Danny's friends, with the exception of Tucker, saw Dan as evil incarnate.
"Speaking of," Jazz muttered, pulling out her phone, "Tucker seemed to know quite a bit…" She sent a quick text to Tucker, asking him to pass by the house later. It seemed wise to have some supportive back up, in case Danny—or Dan—needed it.
Paulina flipped her hair nervously as she waited for Star to join her at their regular spot near the tree. After her slip earlier, the Latina had been avoiding Team Phantom like the plague. Unfortunately, that didn't occupy her enough to not berate herself for her mistake, and she'd been distracted all day.
"This is all Ezra's fault…" she pouted.
"Like, what is?" Star asked, sitting beside Paulina.
Paulina bit her lip. As much as she wanted someone to talk to, she couldn't reveal Dan's secret to Star.
"I had a small spat with Team Phantom again because I asked where Ezra was, that's all. It's his fault for being absent."
Star gave her a deadpan look. "You're obviously lying, girl, but I'll let it go. You'll tell me eventually."
Paulina rolled her eyes, but sent her friend a grateful smile. They started eating and talking about other things, until they were interrupted by a looming shadow.
"Ladies?" Tucker smiled. "Mind if I join you?"
Star and Paulina glanced at each other. "Why?" they asked in unison.
"Well, the excuse is that I join you to hit on Star, Star gets insulted and leaves, and then I get to talk to Paulina about something private."
Star raised her eyebrows. "You two share a secret? So unfair."
"It's about a mutual friend. Big, dark hair, green eyes?" Tucker shrugged.
Paulina smiled ruefully. "Sorry, Star. If it were my secret to tell…"
Star groaned, but stood up and dutifully slapped Tucker. "Whatever, you two. Tell me later, when he's cool with it." Efficiently, Star collected her possessions and walked away. Tucker rubbed his cheek, wincing.
"She did not have to slap that hard."
Paulina laughed. "Your friends wouldn't believe you without the mark to prove it."
"Fair enough. So, I think you've figured out that we know you know about Dan and Ezra." Paulina nodded. Tucker sighed, continuing. "What Sam, Kwan, and Dash don't know is that I'm cool with Danny again and he gave me all the deets regarding you and Dan. So, I already knew that you knew, but I don't know to what extent."
Paulina raised a brow. "So, you want to…what? Compare notes?"
Tucker sat down. "In a sense. Danny told me he and Dan told you the truth about Dan and his purpose. Now, the purpose Danny was originally told and the purpose Dan intends on fulfilling—as far as I understand—are not the same. Is that what you're understanding?"
Paulina puckered her lips. "Yes. Ezra isn't subtle about his intentions and he confirmed them to me. I don't know how aware Danny is of it, but Ezra is definitely playing on another field."
"My question is, if Dan let you know where he wants to take his relationship with Danny, why are you two suddenly so close?" Tucker leaned against the tree, skeptical brow raised. "I may not know the mysterious ways of women, but you're acting like you two are seconds away from going steady."
Paulina blushed and looked away, silent.
"Paulina, please. I know the others haven't always been really open to listening to you, but I'm willing to listen and I won't judge you. I just want the best for Danny."
She huffed. "I want the best for Danny, too, you know. We really bonded. He and I are very similar, actually."
"That doesn't answer my question, though," Tucker pointed out.
The Latina groaned. "Okay, fine. Maybe there was something between Ezra and I. Maybe I want that to happen. Maybe Danny doesn't see what's right in front of him, but I did."
Tucker shook his head, uncomprehending.
"Look, I know that Danny maybe has feelings for Ezra and I know that Ezra was clearly trying to win him over. I also know that Ezra has to find some way to get Danny attached to him, or Ezra could end up erased. As much as I love Danny, Ezra's behavior seems more like he was thinking about his survival than actually wanting Danny to like him back. But Ezra is real with me. We talk and we get each other. There are no pretenses and no manipulations and no reasons that we should be together. If we're together, it's just because we want to be, not because Ezra will die or whatever if we don't get along."
Tucker frowned. "There's still a lot about Dan that you don't know, Paulina. You don't know what he's done in the past and who he's hurt. You don't know who he was willing to hurt, just to secure his future."
Paulina scowled. "So? Are you saying you wouldn't do whatever you could to make sure you still existed? That you wouldn't fight your hardest if someone came around threatening your very being? Anyone would!"
"You're not listening to me, Paulina. He's killed people for fun."
Paulina paled, but her eyebrows were still drawn together stubbornly. "I don't care. That was the Ezra before. This Ezra gets the opportunity to recreate himself however he wants. He doesn't have to act a certain way anymore because his future and his life don't depend on it."
"And if he still likes killing people for fun? Even now?"
"But he doesn't! I haven't heard of any random killing sprees, have you? He finds other outlets, because he recognizes that his killing before was some sort of coping mechanism he needed when he was alone! He's not alone now. He has Danny and he has me."
Tucker huffed out a laugh. "Wow. I heard about the math thing, but are you sure you shouldn't be a politician? You can out-debate anyone."
The dark hair girl smirked and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I'm a genius, thanks."
Tucker smiled back, wryly. "Then, how do you justify taking Dan from Danny, right as Danny's figuring out his feelings?"
Paulina sucked in a breath and lifted her chin. Tucker waited patiently for her answer, even as the bell rang and the other students walked back to class. Dash passed them by, giving them an odd look. Still, Paulina didn't answer.
"You don't have anything, do you?" Tucker finally asked. "You can't justify it."
"He doesn't have dibs on Ezra, Tucker."
"No," Tucker nodded. "But he's sacrificed enough for us, hasn't he? Should he have this one thing?"
Paulina's fist hit the ground, making Tucker jump. The girl drew her legs up and hid her face behind a curtain of hair as she rested her forehead on her knees. She shuddered.
"I know."
Tucker nodded, moving to stand, but Paulina's watery voice stopped him.
"But hasn't Ezra suffered enough, too? Doesn't he deserve to be with someone just because he likes them? Not because his entire existence depends on it? As alone as he was, and as many enemies as he made, he always had to watch his back and doubt the intentions of others. How can he trust Danny's intentions? Danny could choose to erase him at any time, for any reason. But, with me, Ezra will never have to worry about my intentions."
Tucker tilted his head. "How do you figure?"
The girl lifted her head, blue eyes misty, but her caramel cheeks were still dry. "Because I don't have any leverage on him. I never will, until he trusts me with it. Danny's always going to have leverage on Ezra. Ezra never had a choice in that."
Tucker let out a long breath, closing his eyes.
"Maybe Dan never had the choice before, but he's got the choice now. And maybe you're right, that I shouldn't ask you to back off for Danny's sake. Maybe that's a choice Dan's got to make on his own. But...can I trust you to respect his choice if it's not you?"
The Latina laughed. "It won't be me. I know it won't."
"What?" Tucker asked, sitting down again. "I don't understand. If you know it won't be you, why are you trying? And why are you so sure it won't be you?"
"Because if I don't try, I'll look back and hate myself for it. Just because something seems impossible, it shouldn't mean you shouldn't strive for it. I spent years doing that, Tucker, because I was so scared to be me. I'm not allowing myself to make the same mistake over and over.
And I know it won't be me because I know that Danny will get his head out of his ass and realize what I realized about Ezra. And Ezra needs Danny, even if I think their whole situation is unfair."
Tucker smiled sadly. "You know, Paulina. I think you're one of the coolest girls I've ever known."
Paulina snorted. "I'm obviously amazing."
"Obviously."
They smiled at each other, but Paulina's slid off her face. Tucker attempted to keep smiling in the face of Paulina's open vulnerability. She sighed heavily.
"I just want them to be happy."
Danny stared solemnly at the journal in his hands. It'd been twenty minutes since he'd dug the book out from under his bed, but he still hadn't opened it. He knew that his time was limited and he knew he'd want to process his emotions away from Dan first, but he couldn't bring himself to open it just yet.
Despite the feelings he'd been harboring for Dan, Danny wasn't sure he could open the book and completely upend his life. He wasn't sure he was ready to suddenly find out he was head over heels in love with Dan and had asked for those memories to be erased. He wasn't sure how he would be able to act if he really did find out he was in love.
Danny in love was never a great thing, because Danny had a tendency to act like an idiot around the person he loved. He'd done it with Sam—making constant mistakes on the field, bending to most of her whims, forgiving her transgressions easily—and he feared that Dan, though reformed, would only take advantage of that. Because Jazz was right; Dan was still a sociopathic, homicidal serial killer and that hadn't gone away just because of a few weeks together. What would Dan manipulate Danny into doing, just for his own satisfaction?
Danny sighed, glancing at the bag that sat innocently on his nightstand. Inside was a piece of Attila the Hun's sword, The Sword of Mars, that Danny borrowed. Shaking his head, Danny realized the lengths he'd already gone to for Dan's happiness, and he only felt a mild, if possessive attraction to Dan. Would it be worse if Danny was in love with him? Or, if he could manipulate Dan as well as Dan manipulated Danny, would it even out?
What does Dan need? Danny asked himself, frowning. Clearly, as Jazz pointed out, it was just acceptance. The ability to listen to Dan completely without judging his sins. Danny, who's moral compass may have swayed but always remained true when it mattered, wasn't sure he could listen impartially to Dan's past actions.
Danny shook his head. But he's not asking that I listen to the stuff he's done. He wants someone to accept him and his feelings. For someone to tell him…
Danny's eyes widened, a sense of déjà vu overwhelming him. He's waiting for someone to tell him he's not crazy.
Something Paulina managed in all of one conversation, apparently.
And Danny, who definitely knew Dan much more intimately than Paulina ever would, could do the same. But he needed to know how he felt first. Determination renewed, Danny looked at the journal still in his grip and, with a deep sigh, opened it.
And, without even having to read a single entry, Danny remembered everything.
Every agonized moment he spent wondering if he was insane to consider this attraction; every second he despised himself for wanting this; every day he wasted with Ember, convincing himself that he needed a change of scenery; every single fight with Sam, claiming he was tired of her overbearing nature, while hating himself because he really craved someone else; every minute he counted, trying to keep himself from going to Clockwork's tower and releasing Dan. All those feelings he'd forced himself to forget, that were locked away, came rushing back.
But it wasn't love.
Gasping, Danny dropped the book and clutched at his head, keeping himself upright by quickly grabbing the bedpost. The feelings that rushed him were real, were definite, and were deep, but it wasn't love.
"Thank God," Danny muttered.
That it wasn't love meant Danny wouldn't have to have opened a book to have that feeling for Dan. Besides, even with how deep his affections for Dan were—especially now that he remembered how those feelings manifested—Danny didn't feel ready to ever call it love. But, those feelings of affection were real, and they were not the manipulation of Dan, who wasn't around when these feelings began. Instead, it was just as Dan himself had said before: these feelings were likely a by-product of the incompleteness they both felt when they were around each other, but these feelings were not manufactured by Dan's need to survive or Danny's need to have someone by him.
Danny let himself fall on the bed, covering his eyes with his arm. Breathing deeply, he phased through his bed and his floor, landing on the floor right in front of Jazz. The redhead blinked and put her book aside, staring at her brother. After a few moments, Danny opened his mouth.
"I like him," he said.
Jazz nodded, silent.
"Like, a lot. I genuinely like this guy, despite what he's done. I had dreams of this guy killing me and everyone I loved, and I still want to know what having sex with him is like. Am I insane?"
Jazz shook her head. "No, Danny. You're not insane."
"You don't believe that."
Jazz shrugged. "I try to, but then again, I'm not about to become the master of time and I don't have ghost powers and I don't have a person who has the other half of me within them. So, in my boring-life context, that sounds pretty crazy. But I feel like someone who understands you and has been through the same, extreme circumstances would tell you that you're not crazy."
"How do I even approach him with this?"
Jazz tilted her head. "Did you figure out what Dan needs?"
"The same thing I need: he needs someone to understand him."
"Can you provide that?"
Danny snorted. "God, yes. I definitely get the crazy bastard."
Jazz chuckled. "Then, it sounds like you guys will be fine. I don't know how to start this conversation, but probably something like: 'Dan, can we talk?' is a good place."
Danny sat up on his elbows, smiling at his sister. Jazz's eyes widened: Danny's shoulders were far looser than she'd seen in days; his smile was clear and reached his eyes, making them shine a bright, crystalline blue. Danny's general aura exuded calm and acceptance, instead of the manic energy she felt had begun to overtake him.
"That's probably a good place, yeah," Danny responded. "Thanks, Jazz. You are, without a doubt, the best."
The redhead smiled, crossing her arms and legs and sitting back. "I try, little brother."
The door slammed open, and the Fenton siblings turned to the commotion, watching Dan practically haul Junior and Minnie into the home. "We are fucking done at the skate park, you fucking brats! I can't believe you almost let your nergal eat someone, you little shit!"
"But I want to skate more!" Junior protested, vehemently wielding a skateboard as his nergal tentacles grasped at the door frame. Minnie, to her credit, was attempting to dislodge Junior's hold. Dan growled, his aura gathering around him in a familiar white ring. The ring dissipated, however, as Danny's hand fell onto Dan's shoulder. Dan blinked, turning to face Danny, his hold on Junior still as strong as Junior's hold on the frame. Curious, Jazz, Junior, and Minnie all also watched Danny.
"Danny?" Dan asked. "You feeling all right? You seem kind of…mellow. You haven't been drinking, have you?"
Danny chuckled. "No, not quite. But, I was hoping you'd leave Junior and Minnie to Jazz."
Jazz groaned and slouched in her seat, but was largely ignored by the ghosts. Junior's hold was steadfast, even as his attention was riveted on the ghosts, but Minnie grinned excitedly.
"Dear brother, you must cease this game post haste. Cupid has drawn his weapons and aimed true. I the arrow, you the bow, claim success! In life, in death, two souls will become one!"
"Wait, what?" Junior said, withdrawing his nergal powers entirely. With a cheer, Minnie grabbed his arm and dragged him to Jazz, to Dan's bewilderment.
"Wait, what?" Dan parroted, looking between the children and Danny. Danny merely smiled.
"Dan, can we talk?"
Red, sunken eyes fixated on the blue planet before them, drinking in the long-denied beauty. A toothy smile spread across Vlad's face as he finally beheld his home for the first time in three years. Though the trip was arduous, it was well worth it.
Soon, Vlad would be able to take his family—save his family—from the clutches of Jack Fenton. But, even as Vlad craved to return straight home to Amityville, he knew he would have to make preparations. Vlad cracked his neck and rubbed his arms, attempting to soothe the itch beneath his skin that demanded he rush to Fentonworks and immediately kill Jack. Though satisfying, simply killing Jack would not help Vlad achieve his ultimate goal.
No, Vlad realized; he still had to make preparations. His family was likely still brainwashed, and he would need a plan to break Jack's hold on them. His human half was weak and needed nourishment, and obviously Vlad had to attend to those needs as soon as he returned. Smiling gleefully, Vlad flew slowly but steadily to his abandoned mansion, where the prototype for his ghost gauntlets were.
Indeed—Vlad would soon deal with his human weakness, and then he would be ready to save Maddie, Jazz, and especially Danny.
"I'm almost there, my dears," he whispered, voice hoarse. "I'll save you all and then we can live together, forever…
In death."
And so time marches on...
Fuck yeah! BAM.
To be fair, this chapter basically wrote itself. It's about to get good, kids. Stick with me a little longer.