WOW.
This chapter came to a whopping 6,033 words (OH MY GOSH!)
I was actually shocked at that big number, but seriously, copy past this in a word counter if you don't believe me. It might take you a few days to read this one, which is good because I don't know when the next chapter will be out. :P Oh and Maddie and Danny's trip won, so that is the one I am posting first.
But enough about that. You have some reading to get to :)
Danny woke up with the sun that morning. He threw himself out of bed. Today was the day him and his mother going camping together... alone. There was no way in hell she was going to let him out of her sight to fight a ghost, so he could pray there wouldn't be any. And if their were, he was counting on his mother to take care of it.
He was expecting to have some nice alone time to sort things out. It was the reason he'd woken up so early in the first place! But when he exited his cabin, he was greeted by his mother sitting on the logs around the campfire.
"Danny!" his mother shrieked. "How did you sleep?" she asked.
"Fine," Danny answered shortly. His tone sounded harsh, but it was only because he was a little annoyed at his mother's idea of "bonding." He had hoped that she wouldn't notice the coarse tone, but one look at her face gave away that she had.
"Oh," she began, a little shocked. "Are you excited for the next two nights?" she asked, trying to lighten the air.
Danny tried his best to return the happy attitude, so he showed a wide smile, and told her, "Yeah! I can't wait. As long as it's nothing like the last one," he joked.
This made his mother smile at the memory of their unplanned camping trip where Vlad Masters had not only hit on her, but when she declined, threw them from his home, and sent crazy ghost-experiments after them; of course, Maddie didn't know about that last part
Danny realized he was still standing in front of his cabin door, so he walked to meet her, and sat on the same log to her left. "So what's for breakfast?" he asked, changing the subject.
Maddie poured him a bowl, and offered it to him. "Oatmeal. It's got some sugar in it."
Danny accepted it, and dug into his serving. He always woke up hungry, and being as he was knocked out for a lot of the day yesterday, he was even more hungry than usual.
Once he was done, Maddie suggested that he go get his pack, and she hers. She would wake up Jack, and he would wake up Jazz. They departed, but returned within five minutes to the area between the two cabins. Maddie's eyes asked Danny if he was ready, and Danny told her yes with a smiling nod. He was trying his hardest to stay positive through this trip.
…
Within an hour or so of walking, Danny was exhausted. He had never realized how out of shape his human form was until the moment his knees were about to give under all his body weight. God did he wish he could just go ghost; just for that unique energy shoot it would give him. Then he reminded himself of the dangers, and realized he probably shouldn't.
"How much longer?" he asked his mom, sounding defeated. Maddie, who was still hyped up with energy smiled cheerily. " 'How much longer'?" she quoted. "We've only just begun!"
"I didn't know this was a hiking trip," he muttered, not realizing his mother's owl ears.
"It isn't. I know the best landing to camp out on that's just a little uphill. I was so happy when you woke up with the morning sun because I wanted to get an early start with the journey!"
Danny groaned, "How much further is it?"
Maddie thought for a moment before responding. "I'd say we'll make it in maybe two or three hours. Depending on our pace."
Danny was terrified for the next three days. He had no idea what to expect or what he was going to tell his mother. He tried to remind himself that if he did need to go ghost, his mother had at least not brought any ghost equipment with them.
There was still one problem Danny couldn't sort out. If a ghost threat appeared, and his mother tried to protect him with her body, so he couldn't get away, what was he going to do? As far as Danny could tell there were two things possible: one, go ghost in his mother's grip, or two, let them both die.
Frankly, Danny couldn't decide which he would rather.
…
Danny stopped in his tracks when he heard a low grumble, and felt his stomach vibrate. He was starving. Danny had no phone or watch, but he could tell by the position of the sky that it was most likely noon. He called out to his mother, who had kept walking on.
"Mom! Is it time for lunch now?" he asked. Danny watch as his mother stopped in her tracks as well, and turned to face him.
"Sure. We're almost there anyway, so now would be a good time to stop." Maddie sat down, and took a small sack from her larger Fenton backpack.
She laid out peanut butter and bread. She held up a knife, and offered for Danny to make his sandwich first. He accepted, not having the patience to be polite with his hunger, and dug into the jar of JIF Peanut Butter, as he spread the creamy goodness onto his bunny bread. Once his bread was thoroughly lathered, he handed his mom the peanut butter jar, with the knife sitting in it, and she did the same.
"You're having fun, right Danny?" his mother asked out of the blue.
He nodded, his mouth too full of sticky bread and peanut butter to speak. Once he swallowed, and regained control of his voice, he told his mother, "Yeah! It hasn't even started yet, and I'm having a great time!"
Unfortunately, Maddie noticed her son's lying tone, and hung her head. Danny smiled. "I'm serious, Mom," he said, genuinely. "I'm having a great time."
Maddie bit her lip, and tried to fight back the urge to say what was really on her mind. She had told herself she would do it, but now that she was here, Maddie had no idea how she was going to bring it up. She opened her mouth, but stopped mid effort because she noticed Danny's lips part.
Danny had intended on asking his mother what was on her mind, but when he opened his mouth to do so, an icy puff escaped his lips. Danny's eyes widened in horror, and he knew he had to think of a quick solution.
"Can we get a move on?" he asked, sounding a bit agitated though he had no idea why. "I really want to see this nice place you talked about."
Maddie was a little confused at his hurriedness, but she nonetheless packed up the food, and motioned for him to follow her uphill.
Danny tried to walk next to her, but kept lagging behind as he patrolled the sky for any unwanted ghost friends. He looked throughout the trees, but whatever enemy of his that it was, they were not showing themselves. Danny tried to calm his nerves and say that it might just be something like the Box Ghost, but his gut instinct was telling him that was most likely inaccurate. Still, what was he going to do? He couldn't go ghost not with his mom around. Then again, maybe he wouldn't have to. His ghost sense hadn't gone off since, so maybe they were flying by, and minding their own-
He'd spoken too soon. Before he was even able to complete his thought, a ghostly breath escaped him, and this time he saw the ghost that triggered his ghost sense. It was the same ghost from school two weeks ago. Danny shook his head, in utter disbelief, and looked up on the high tree branch again, but he was gone. Just like when he went outside yesterday, he disappeared.
Danny knew he shouldn't be shocked. He was a ghost, and he could just disappear. As a matter of fact, the ghost could still be there, just invisible. It didn't matter because Danny suddenly realized his mom noticed him staring up at the tree.
"Are you alright?" She asked empathetically.
Danny shook his head, removed from his trance, and faced his mother. "Yeah, I just thought I saw a, er, woodpecker," he lied.
"Really? Where?" his mother asked excitedly.
"It, er, flew away. It was, er, pretty, though."
"Wow," his mother awed. "What color was it?"
Danny gulped. How was he supposed to know what color a woodpecker was?
He took his best guess, and hoped for the best. "Er, blue."
Maddie smiled widely. "Sounds pretty."
She kept walking, and Danny trailed behind, making sure to keep looking up in case that scientist-ghost guy came back.
…
An hour later, and with no more ghostly disturbances, Danny and his mother finally reached the small, open spot up the mountain. "We're here!" Maddie exclaimed, and threw her Fenton-pack down. Danny looked around.
The small, circular grassland was surrounded by trees. In every way Danny looked, he couldn't see behind the dense forest. Being it fall, the leaves were beautiful hues of red and yellow. Fallen colorful leaves were laid across the field, and Danny had to admit it: his mother was completely right. This landing was beyond beautiful. The serene setting calmed Danny's anxious nerves, and for a few short seconds he'd forgotten about ghosts and ghost hunting.
Then his ghost sense went off.
Danny felt the icy chill from deep within his throat, continuing until it passed his lips. Danny slapped his hand on his forehead. How could this get any worse?
"Are you alright?" his mother asked, seeing him slap himself in the face.
Danny, who had a lot of practice with the matter, thought of a quick excuse on the spot. "Fine. I just thought I felt like a bug or something crawl on my forehead. Er, probably just a gnat." Maddie thought nothing else of the white lie, and sat down to take things out of her bag.
"We only have a few more hours of daylight left, so one of us will have to set up camp, and one collect some firewood because we don't have time to do both," Maddie decided. Danny nodded his understanding, and asked his mother, "Alright. Which do you want to do?"
"It's up to you, Sweetie," his mother responded, cheerily.
Danny shrugged. "I guess I'll stay here and set up the tent," he decided, remembering the last time he'd collected firewood. Maddie nodded, and turned to leave her son to do his work while she did hers.
…
Once his mother was no longer insight, he looked around in all the trees, and up at the sky. Where was that ghost? He looked in every spot thought possible, but he realized the ghost was either invisible or flew away. Danny had a hunch for the former, though. He finally gave up his search, and bent over the pile of cloth and stakes. He sighed and began working on the tent.
After a few failed attempts and having to start over a lot, Danny finally got the tent set up right, and smiled proudly at himself for doing so. Just in time, too because his mother walked out of the woods holding a bundle of sticks.
"I see you got lucky," Danny smiled, and ran over to help his mom with the load. She smiled back, and handed him a few sticks. "We can set up the fire right here," Maddie decided, and dropped her sticks on the ground, 4 yards from the opening of the tent. Danny did the same, and within ten minutes, his mother had a crackling fire going. It was a good thing, too because the orangey sky gave away that sunset was upon them.
His mother took out a box of elbow noodle pasta, and poured water from her water bottle into the metal pot. How she was able to fit everything in the small pack was amazing to Danny. Once the water was boiling, his mother added the noodles, and in 15 minutes - though it felt like hours to Danny - the dinner was ready, and fully flavored with powdered cheese. Maddie served Danny and herself a bowl, and they both dug in, starving from the long hike up.
"I'm really glad you decided to come, Danny," his mother smiled. Though Danny normally would've made a witty remark about how it wasn't really a choice, he didn't. "I'm really glad you came up with the idea," was what he said instead. This made Maddie blush. She couldn't believe how easy this was. Her son was - almost - opening up to her. Just a few more right words, and he'd be spilling!
"I'm very sorry about what happened to your wrist," she said empathetically. "It's not your fault," Danny said, adjusting his position uncomfortably.
"Not directly, no, but I should've been there to protect you," his mother looked away from him. Danny awkwardly shoveled more food into his mouth.
"It's okay, Mom. I'm fifteen. I think I can take care of myself," he smiled.
Danny felt his throat go cold, and could almost feel the goosebumps on his tongue. The ball of icy air traveled upwards, and finally appeared out his lips. His ghost sense.
Why? That was all Danny needed to know. Why, of all times, had his ghost sense been going off so many times in a span of a few hours? Did the world just want his own mother to dissect him?
He knew he couldn't go ghost; not yet. But if he waited until the ghost emerged from the shadows, he'd never get a chance.
He heard a rumbling in the bushes, and felt his blood run cold. "Danny, are you alright?" his mother asked. "You look a bit pale."
Danny didn't have time to respond because suddenly a hairy ghost in a lime green hoody tumbled through the bush that Danny heard..
Wulf! Danny exclaimed to himself. He was so thankful that there would be no real need to go ghost. Wulf, though a viscous thing, was an ally of Danny, and they had helped each other through a lot.
He looked through the enormous green eyes at the happy ghost. Wulf was panting and smiling at his friend. .
Hey Wulf, his eyes smiled back. Then he saw the cuffs binding Wulf's front paws.
"Danny!" his mother shielded him. "Step away from the ghost!"
Danny suddenly remembered that his mother had no idea that this ghost was a friend, not a foe. How was he going to explain without revealing his secret? Though his mother seemed more open minded about ghosts than his father, she still had a one-track mind to kill all ghosts.
"Wait," he pulled away from her protective embrace. "If he'd wanted to hurt us, he could've already done that from way over there," he explained. She was shocked and took a step back. "Y-you're defending him? A ghost?"
Danny hung his head. "His front paws are chained. He just needs our help." Danny placed one hand on Wulf's snout to show his understanding, but it was ripped off by his mother. "What are you doing? That thing is dangerous!" His mother warned. Danny pried his mother's fingers from his, and put his hand back on his snout, trying to communicate without words to Wulf that everything was going to be okay.
"Mom," he protested. "Not all ghosts are evil. Look at him. He's injured and helpless. Someone handcuffed his paws together we have to do something! Anything with ectoplasm should melt it away!"
Maddie looked like she was having an internal debate with herself. Should she go get the one weapon she brought or tell her son she had nothing. As if reading her face, Danny locked eyes with his conflicted mother.
"Come on, Mom, I won't tell Jazz, but you must have something!" his voice sounded urgent, but Maddie was still trying to decide what to do. She did need to stay on her son's good side, so she fetched the Fenton wrist ray from her bag, and aimed it between Wulf's paws. Immediately the handcuffs evaporated, and Wulf looked happily at his paws. He gave Maddie a big lick of gratitude, and turned to Danny before leaving. His eyes said everything: "Till next time, Friend."
…
Danny told his mother he needed to use the bathroom, but he really just needed to get away for a few moments and think. He needed a strategy for the next few days. He needed a way to get out of his mother's grip incase that scientist came back. He needed to get the scientist before he disappeared... again. He needed to figure out how he was going to be able to go ghost quick enough and fly to wherever he was without letting his mother see him or letting the ghost fly away. He needed a miracle.
…
Gleaming red eyes peered through lab goggles, as Professor WinCorpse stared from the mountaintop. This ghost boy was tougher than he'd ever dreamed him to be. The perfect thing to experiment on! Though he had always believed the rumors when his fellow ghosts told him of a notorious half boy-half ghost, he never once dreamed of seeing it with his own eyes. How marvelous!
The ghost boy, though very powerful and resourceful, had many great powers. Just by studying him for two weeks, he was able to get a remarkable insight into most - if not all - of his powers, and he was, in short, impressed. He had the ability to freeze objects, and shoot icy frost from his fingertips. Though he had not witnessed it yet, he heard of his famous "Ghostly Wail" that could clear an entire area of ghosts. The Professor could only dream of being able to contain such power. But soon that dream would be become a reality, and the ghostboy had one major downfall.
He would do anything to make sure no one knew his secret.
…
When Danny walked back to their campsite, he found his mother laying on the ground staring at the night sky. He smiled gently, and walked over next to her.
"Mind if I sit?" he asked her. Maddie smiled back at him, and nodded encouragingly.
"What's on your mind?" he asked, as he laid down next to her.
Maddie sighed before responding. "I'm not sure," she lied, not wanting to ask Danny about his secret yet. She knew she needed to, but... No. She had to, and now was as good as a time as any.
"Actually, Danny, I have a question for you," she began. Danny muttered, "Hm-mh," so Maddie continued. She took a deep breath, and worded this very carefully. "You know that no matter what, I'll always love and accept you right?"
Danny was caught off guard. Did his mother know something? Was this her way of being subtle in asking him to tell? Did she already know the whole story like Jazz, but was waiting for him to open up? A thousand more question raged through Danny's mind.
Danny's silence only kept Maddie even more on edge. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Maybe it was the wrong time.
Danny took a deep breath, and told his mother, "Of course. You're my mom. I know you'll always be there for me." Danny smiled, happy at his words, and Maddie did, too, but in the inside, her heart fell apart.
He had just lied to her. There was something he felt she wouldn't understand, but she was going to get Danny to open up, even if it killed her.
Maddie sat up, and crawled into the tent Danny had set up to drift to sleep. Danny followed her a few moments after she'd fallen asleep, and he awkwardly tried to go to drift off. Guilt, however, kept his mind awake, and he was sickened by the fact that he had just lied to the person sleeping next to him, because the truth was; Danny had no idea if his mother could love and accept him through this. Still, she had helped Wulf. Maybe he should give her a chance...
…
When Danny crawled from the tent, he noticed his mother already had a fire going, and was boiling water for their morning instant oatmeal. She lifted her head from her concentrated cooking in time to see Danny slowly protrude from the fabric shelter.
"Good morning, Danny," she called in a singsong voice. Danny had finally gotten all the way out of the tent's threshold, and stood to stretch his back. Sleeping on the ground can do you in; even if you're a 15 year old!
Danny walked over to his mother and the camp fire, and yawned, "Morning."
Maddie ostentatiously invited Danny to choose between the contents of her left and right hand.
"Okay, Sweetums, do you want Apples & Cinnamon or Brown Sugar & Maple Syrup?"
Danny lazily pointed to her right hand, and Maddie poured hot water and the Apples & Cinnamon oatmeal into his bowl. She chose the latter, and they both dug into their servings of breakfast.
Danny had to sit his bowl on his lap and use his right hand only to eat because of his currently crippled left hand. He knew that if he could go ghost for just an hour, it would be all healed, but that would be risky…
Danny's anticipations were proven true when a jolt of pain ignited his wrist. He already knew why. When your bone is sprained or broken, and your body's cells are fixing it, it can sometimes stimulate nociceptors, which is a pain-stimulation. Though he'd never broken any bones before, he knew this because science was always his favorite subject. Though he preferred astro-science, personally.
Still, Danny couldn't take the aches anymore, especially with no painkillers available. He made the executive decision to go ghost for 10 minutes at a time, 6 times throughout the day. That should be doable.
…
"Danny!" his mother called to him. He was sitting quietly under the shade of a tree, thinking to himself. Maddie woke him from his daydream, however, so he turned his full attention to the brown, bobbed woman. "Hm-mh?" he muttered.
"I was curious if you'd want to go for a walk with me? It's so nice out here, and I just wanted to know if you'd like to go exploring!" She sounded excited, and for a moment he was, too. Then he remembered his wrist. He needed it to heal, and his mother leaving for a while would be the perfect excuse to stay ghost for at least ten minutes. He stared shyly at the ground, and begrudgingly told his mother, "I'm okay, actually. My wrist is really bugging me, and I'm not much in the mood for walking."
Maddie was suddenly concerned. "Do you want me to stay with you?"
"No!" Danny blurted, then corrected himself. "I mean... er, no, that's okay. I don't want you to cancel your plans for me. Please, you go on ahead. I'll just stay here... and sit... under this tree."
His mother looked shocked and sad at the same time. "Well if that's what you want... I'll be back soon. Try to stay out of trouble," she tried joking around, but they both knew how hurt she really was. And it pained Danny to know he'd put her through that pain.
Maddie turned on her heels, and walked into the dense forest. "I'm sorry," he muttered after her, once out of earshot. He really was.
After a minute or two, Danny decided she was far enough into the forest that he could phase, and go find a hiding spot it stay ghost for a while. He did a panoramic scan, and quickly phased, the blinding pure energy giving him the strength to go on.
He knew he was now a ghost. Not only did his eyes ignite from green ectoplasm and his wispy hair fly in his face, but his wrist was suddenly no longer in pain. He took off the protective binding, and immediately felt the ectoplasm coursing through his veins flood into the affected area. He would be healed in no time. However, the healing process would quicken if he was staying still. Then again, he couldn't stay under the tree, in fear of his mother unexpectedly returning.
He looked around, but finally chose the upward region to fly towards. He prepared himself for the lift off, and accelerated off the ground. He went intangible and continued his flight until he was above the canopy of the forest. He appeared visible again, and did a 360 scan. He needed to find a spot to sit on for the few minutes his mother would be gone, but somewhere that he could keep an eye on his mom.
His intangibility returned, and he slipped into the thick leaves to search for his mother. Luckily, he found her quickly, and nestled in a nook of a tree to keep an eye on her and the campsite.
Even though he felt terrible for refusing his mom's offer, he had to do this. He had to stay his ghostly half for as long as it took for his arm to heal. He couldn't live with his wrist not being able to sustain any weight.
Looking at the more positive side, however, he noticed how nice the entire world looked from a bird's point of view. He could see for a mile out, and beyond that was still beautiful. He rested his arms behind his back, and laid against the trunk of the top of the tree, and smiled at the sky. Being a ghost could have some advantages.
Luckily for him, Maddie stayed on her walk for an entire hour. He didn't even need to do the intervals. And though she was out of sight, she was definitely not out of mind. It was all Danny could think about for the hour she was gone: whether or not he should tell her about Danny Phantom. He knew that she deserved to know, but he couldn't bring himself to "do the deed," and come clean on his own. Danny decided that if she brought it up, he would tell her. Scared of the chances she might know something already, Danny almost went back on his deal with himself immediately. Then he reasoned that it would be up to the universe to decide whether or not she should know.
Danny flew back down and returned to his and his mother's landing and phased back to his Fenton side. He rewrapped the wrist bandage, even though it no longer pained him, and returned to sit under the tree just in time to see his mother emerge from the forest.
Maddie smiled at Danny when she got back, but didn't say a word. Danny wondered if his refusal hurt his mom more than he knew.
…
While Maddie was fixing dinner, Danny decided to set up the tarp on the tent. His mother quietly agreed with him that the skies revealed the possibility of rain, so they both thought it best that they be prepared.
With dinner fully prepared and the tarp on top the tent, Danny and Maddie helped themselves to a bowl of macaroni and cheese. Maddie stared at her feet the entire time, and did not say a word. It wasn't until Danny had almost finished his bowl that he realized he needed to break the silence.
"Mom..." he began, his voice sounding weak. "Mom," he restated, stronger. "Are... are you okay?"
Maddie swallowed her last spoonful before wordlessly nodding her head. Danny was about to push further, and say how serious he was, but Maddie pounced up from the ground across from Danny, and went to sit next to him.
"Actually... no I'm not," she admitted. Danny looked at her, his eyes wide with concern. "What's wrong?"
Maddie took a deep breath. This was it; her moment of truth. "Well, Danny, it's you, really?"
Danny was shocked by his mother's words, but they didn't sound mean or purposefully offensive; just sad and hurt.
Maddie continued, "I know that babies grow up, Danny. I know that you're fifteen, and you don't need my help - or want it for that matter. I even know that teenagers keep secrets and hide things from their parents. It's... it's a part of growing up, and I understand that. Or, at least, I thought I did."
She paused, trying to find the right words. "Danny," she restarted. "I want you, more than anything in the world, to know that I will always accept you. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't?"
Danny hung his head, and, for some reason, couldn't look his mother in the eye. He wanted to think she was right, but at the same point in time, she didn't know his secret.
"Danny," she began again, since she figured Danny's silence granted her the honor. She opened her mouth a few times before responding. She had to word this perfectly. "I know that... I know that you have been keeping secrets and telling lies. I've known forever. And I always said that you would grow out of it. You started acting funny and distant when you began high school. I guess I was just shocked because your sister never went through that phase. Then when your sister started telling lies, too, I just... I just sort of lost it. This whole vacation, that has been the only thing I can think about. It terrifies me, Danny."
She placed one hand on Danny's right knee, causing him to lift his head and look her dead in the eyes. "You can tell me anything," she assured. Danny immediately broke eye contact, and stared back at the ground. This was his chance. His moment of truth. He would either lie one last time and further shatter his mother's heart, or he could come clean and accept her resentment.
Danny remembered the promise he made to himself. Then, within the moment of a heartbeat, he made what could be the biggest mistake of his life.
It's now or never, he decided, and continued facing the ground. He inhaled, but never looked his mother in the eyes.
"You're right," he muttered. Unsure whether or not she heard, he said, with a little more force, "You're right. I have been keeping secrets. Well secret, anyway. It's only one, really." He gulped, and prepared himself for the worst.
Sensing his discomfort, Maddie removed her hand from his knee, and inched farther away to give him space. She noticed him not wanting to look at her, so she turned her head towards the starry night sky, instead.
Oh no, he mumbled to himself when he felt a cold bubbly feeling come from his throat. It sneaked its way up his larynx, and finally escaped past his soft lips, leaving its icy kiss upon them.
What could he do? He knew if he left now, his mother would not only be further crushed, but he'd never work up the courage to do this again. Danny figured it was only the scientist ghost again, so he kept focusing on how to tell his mother the truth. Words or actions? What would be more of an explanation. Should he explain before or after?
"It all started back around this time in ninth grade. I-"
"A ghost!" his mother shrieked, cutting him off.
Maddie pointed into the black sky at a green ghost flying above. Danny followed her finger, and saw the mad lab ghost flying yet again over head, except this time, it would appear Danny had a chance. He wasn't disappearing.
Maddie grabbed Danny's left wrist, which was no longer in pain, and said, urgently, "Stay close to me. This could get ugly."
Now Danny really needed to think. The only weapon his mother had was one wrist ray. She could never protect her self with only that. It was time for Danny to decide which he feared more: his mother's resentment and hatred or losing her forever.
Maddie left to find shelter, but stopped when she noticed Danny did not move. She gave one glance at her son, and realized the ghost interrupted his meaningful talk. He was about to open up to her, and the darn ghost got in the way.
Danny was staring hard at the ground. He had to think on his feet a lot, but decisions had ever been this big. His eyes remained down even when his mother lay a caring hand on his shoulder, and told him, "We can finish this conversation later, Sweetie."
Danny inhaled. "No," he demanded. "It can't wait, Mom."
Maddie was at a loss. The only thing she could think as a compromise would be to shuttle them both off to shelter, but then the ghost would be running around, and cause more danger. She needed to snip this in the bud. She was about to order Danny to get out of the way, but he spoke before her.
Standing up, and facing his back to her, he restated, "You were right." He paused, his hands shaking with nerves. "You were right, okay? I... I'm not the kid you think I am, Mom. I've lied, I've kept secrets, and..." he stopped short, unsure whether to reveal this or not. Then he realized it didn't matter. He was officially going to stop keeping secrets. "And Jazz has been covering for me." If Maddie was shocked, she wasn't giving it away verbally. "The reason this can't wait, Mom, is because you don't need to fight this ghost," he said, much more confidently, much to his mother's confusion.
"I do."
Danny turned to face his mother straight through her eyes before shutting his tightly, and shooting both hands up into the air. "I'm going ghost!" he shouted. It seemed like forever since he'd been able to do this at full volume.
Immediately a hot-white light appeared around his lower abdomen, and it hovered there for a moment. Soon the beam split into two circles, and they began to encase opposite ends of his body at the same time. The upper energy ring stretched over his white shirt, changing his red dot into the traditional "DP" emblem. It traveled around his neck to complete the white finishing of his black jumpsuit. It went over his chin and to his nose, changing his pasty skin to an olive glow. The light journeyed over the top of his head, morphing his dense, coal-like hair into fine, blanched fibers. The circlet moved up his extended arms, passed his elbow, and began his white gloves in the middle of his forearm. The beam finished past his clenched fist, and evaporated once no longer connected to the metamorphosing boy.
The lower hoop, on the other hand, voyaged down his waist, adding an ivory belt in this ebony jumpsuit. His regular jeans altered into that of the lower half of his spandex suit. When the bright glow of the halo reached his mid calf, white boots suddenly appeared, and the ring went past the forest floor, underneath the crust of the earth.
Once Danny was fully transformed, he opened his eyes and heard his mother gasp at their ectoplasmic color. He locked eyes with her before pushing off his booted feet, and missile off towards the pitch-black sky, in search for the mad scientist.
Finished? Are you sure you read all 6,033 words? That quick? You clearly need to revisit the chapter :P
Haha, anywho, I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that I'm thinking this FanFic may come to 14 or 15 chapters, so it is slowly coming to an end :(
Wait! Don't cry! Save your tears for the last chapter. Luckily for you, this wasn't it
As usual, I have to send a shoutout to all of my wonderful reviewers. You guys are awesome! To those who aren't reviewing... start to. I just wrote you over 6,000 words, I think I deserve it :P
See you next time! I'll try to post the next chapter ASAP! I'm sure you're all dying to know what's gonna happen :D