Finally!! Chapter 12 is up! :DD Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time; you guys are absolutely marvelous!! Also a big glomp to the beautiful Cori for using her fabuolous beta skills on this story!

Alright, read and enjoy! I order you to, or I will send my angry muses after you! (Which isn't really a threat because I don't really have muses :D Nonetheless, I still order you to R&R and enjoy! :))


Danny had always been a strong kid. When he was six, he climbed up on the kitchen table and tried to do the splits. Just as he was about to perform his extraordinary gymnastic feat before an imaginary audience, his sock slipped against the smooth surface of the table and he went crashing down to the floor. John came running to the rescue, fearing the worst, but Danny was strong; he didn't cry.

Another time, when Danny was eight, Judy had left the stove on while she went to answer the phone in the living room. Before leaving, she specifically told Danny not to touch the stovetop, as it was very hot. Of course, as any regular child would, Danny took this as the perfect invitation to satisfy his curiosity. He reached his hand all the way up to the stove, and, deciding it couldn't be that hot and that Judy must've been exaggerating, he touched it. He yelped in pain, but even when Judy dropped the phone and ran to the kitchen to see if he was all right, Danny didn't cry; he stayed strong.

Today however, an almost fifteen-year-old Danny's strength was being severely tested. He'd spent the majority of the last few hours in his room, pacing nervously as he mulled over all the new discoveries of his past. His head was swirling and he couldn't focus. He'd never felt weaker, he'd never felt more vulnerable in his life.

Maybe I'm not really as strong as I thought. I mean, I thought I could handle my past, but …Danny's thoughts trailed off for a few moments before he firmly scolded himself. No. Stop thinking like this. Judy said it herself, didn't she? She said my past is very different, very distressful. I'm not weak. I'm just…well…Danny gave up with a sigh as he threw himself onto the bed. Who knew life was so complicated…

Thoughts spun chaotically in Danny's mind. He tried desperately to put the pieces of his past together, trying to fit the bits into the same puzzle. I don't understand how this could be happening to me. It seems so surreal. I wish I could just figure out what it all means. What did Plasmius want with me? Why am I so important to him?

Danny heaved a sigh that seemed to drain all his remaining energy. Then, suddenly, his pool of thoughts seemed to magically assemble for a fraction of a moment as he realized something.

Wait a minute. These ghostly symptoms Judy was talking about. That must be it. Those must be symptoms of turning into a ghost! I mean, it only makes sense, right? Judy said she and John thought Plasmius wanted me so he could turn me into a ghost. What if he's not going to turn me into a ghost... What if I'm already turning into a ghost on my own? I mean, I threw up green. Isn't that like ectoplasm? And I opened the hotel room door with my hands glowing green. What if those were like powers? And I got really sick after each of those displays of the 'symptoms'. Maybe that means something. Maybe that's all part of turning into a ghost.

Danny seemed almost proud for a moment, like he'd made an amazing discovery, but he then desperately ran his hand through his hair, feeling frustrated once more. That doesn't make sense though. Humans don't just spontaneously turn into ghosts. And why would this be happening to me? Unless Plasmius' ectobeam really was loaded with something dangerous. Maybe the substance in the beam is having some long-term effect on me...

Danny's head was beginning to hurt from all the different thoughts that were running through his mind. So that basically means I'm turning into that ghost I drew, right? But that picture was evil; why would I turn evil? The boy felt horrified and confused. Should I tell Judy about this? I mean, she and John know that I got sick twice, but they don't know about the door-opening powers and the ectoplasmic vomit. Maybe that's important…maybe I should tell them…

Danny mulled over this for awhile, but in the end decided against it. I've caused them enough trouble as it is. Besides, I really doubt it would do any good, it'll just worry them. I don't think they need anymore stress because of me, he decided.


The next few days were awkward for Danny and John. The two tried to avoid each other as much as possible. Danny only left his room to eat, and only did so when John wasn't in the kitchen.

Deep down, Danny had forgiven John; mostly after hearing how his guardian had helped him in his past. But he just felt too uncomfortable to talk or even look at his guardian after that humiliating smack. Danny was so unaccustomed to that kind of treatment, so he didn't really know how to react; he instinctively felt embarrassed.

John himself seemed friendlier towards Danny, like he was hoping the boy would forgive him without actually having to hear the words 'I'm sorry'. Danny guessed John was a little embarrassed about what he'd done and wanted the situation to pass quickly, with the least possible retrospection on the event. Three days had passed since Julia's visit. Friday had come around and the two were still sticking to the silent treatment.

Danny happened to wake up extra early on Friday. He headed to the kitchen to get some food before John awoke. When Danny passed by his guardian's room however, he found no one there. Must've gone to get the mail or something, he decided.

Danny entered the kitchen and got himself a bowl and some cereal. A few moments later, just as he was pouring some milk in the bowl, he heard the door's handle shake as John entered the apartment, followed by Judy.

Oh yeah, Danny remembered. Judy called and said she'd come over today.

"Hey Judy," he called as he twisted the cap back on the carton, ignoring John's presence.

"Hi sweetie," Judy answered glumly.

Danny stuffed the milk back in the fridge and grabbed a spoon before heading back to his room. On his way out of the kitchen, he felt Judy's hand stop him.

"Honey, do you mind coming with me for a second? John and I need to talk to you."

"Um…I dunno Judy…" Danny said, looking at the woman uneasily. "I' don't really feel comfortable being around John at the mome-."

"I know, Danny. But trust me, you'll want to be sitting there," Judy interrupted solemnly.

"What's the matter?" Danny asked, slightly concerned by Judy's uncharacteristically somber tone of voice.

Danny's heart skipped a beat as Judy said the unexpected words he'd tried to forget to dread. "We just got the letter from the social worker."


Danny followed Judy nervously to the living room and took a seat on one of the two couches. He watched John fiddle with the large brown envelope in his hands. Despite the fact that Danny had arrived late, he was still very confident that the social worker's inspection had gone well. To him, there was only a twenty-five percent chance that he would be taken to a foster home.

John carefully and wordlessly slipped the papers out of the envelope. For a few moments Danny watched John's eyes scan the papers. With every passing moment of silence, Danny's tension and anxiety rose another notch. His previous confidence had now vanished, and, no longer able to contain himself, he blurted out the first words he'd spoken to John in days, "Well? What is it John? What does it say?"

John seemed a bit surprised by Danny's sudden mini-outburst, but didn't reply. He just gulped, shook his head and continued reading. Finally, after a few more apprehensive moments, he looked up. The whole room held it's breath as John opened his mouth to give the verdict.

"I don't believe it…there's going to be…" he began, whisper-breathing.

"What? There's going to be what?" Judy asked cautiously.

"A trial. A trial to decide who gets to keep custody of Danny," John finished, shaking his head.

"What? What do you mean 'to decide who gets to keep custody of Danny'?" Judy asked, biting her lip.

John sighed heavily. "Apparently we just barely passed the inspection. But it seems that there's some other guy who wants to adopt Danny. The letter says they're considering him, because even though we passed, he'd be a better guardian and can give Danny a better life. It says here it's up to the judge to decide where Danny goes."

Danny's eyes widened. "You mean…I could really…I might have to…" he stammered. His heart raced and he held his breath.

"I'm afraid so…" John nodded solemnly, looking at the floor.

"I don't understand. If we passed, how can they still have the right to adopt Danny?" Judy asked.

"They have the right to do anything justified."

"And how is this justified?" Judy asked, anger beginning to rise in her voice.

"If someone wants to adopt Danny and the association thinks that said person could give Danny a better home, they are allowed to take him away from us."

Danny began to feel light-headed. How was this possible? He'd been so sure they'd passed the inspection, and they had…but now someone else wanted to adopt him?

"But how is that possible…no one really knows about Danny. Who could want to adopt him if they've never seen him?" Judy echoed Danny's thoughts.

John shook his head. "I don't know…" he trailed off, placing the envelope and papers on the table.

Judy picked them up, and after a few moments of skimming, she gasped. "Vlad Masters?"

"What?" John asked. "What about him?"

"Vlad Masters! He's the one who wants to adopt Danny!"

"What? Where did you see that?" John demanded.

"It says so right here!" Judy said angrily, pointing to a paragraph on the letter and showing it to John.

"Vlad Masters? Isn't that the guy from the wedding reception? What does he want with me?" Danny asked, finally speaking out among the disorder.

"I don't know…I mean…I don't even know how he knows about you," Judy paused for a moment before looking suspiciously at John, "Unless…"

John stared straight back at Judy for a few moments, completely confused, before he let his head fall into his hands with a muffled sigh.

"Oh no! John! You didn't!" Judy said desperately.

"Ugh! Of course!" John scolded himself as he realized what Judy was leading to. "I introduced Danny to Vlad at the party…What a stupid thing to do!"

"John, I know you can become a real socialite at parties. I know that somehow, even though you don't drink, you can kind of lose your better judgment at big events. But really! Introducing Danny? You didn't hide him for twelve years just so you could go wreck it all in one night!"

"I'm sorry!" John said hopelessly, trying to find a way to defend himself. "I didn't think it would cause a problem! I mean, I figured he might've probably seen Danny at the reception anyways, and since we were in a completely different state, I didn't seem to see the harm in it…"

"I really should've seen this coming!" Judy sighed exasperatedly. "Well, whatever. There's no use getting upset now. You just better find yourself a good lawyer Jonathan, because there is no way any Vlad Masters is taking Danny away from us," Judy said fiercely.

"But…I don't understand," Danny spoke up. "Why does he want me? I mean, it's not like he knows me, or even you…right?" Danny asked the adults.

"I'm pretty positive the first time I met him was at the wedding," John responded.

"I've never met him before either."

"Then what does he want from me…" Danny trailed off. Well, I do remember he kept glancing at me while he was talking to John. He had this really weird look on his face. He seemed really interested in me…

"Well, I guess I'd better call my lawyer…Man, I'm gonna have a lot of explaining to do…Stella doesn't know about any of this adoption thing."

"But I don't understand," Danny began, "Don't I get a say? Don't I get to decide where I want to go?"

"Well, that would make sense, but according to these papers, minors aren't allowed to make the final decision concerning their placement. You are allowed to tell the judge where you'd prefer to stay, and he might take that into consideration. But ultimately, it's his decision. Unfortunately, you're a minor up until sixteen," Judy said.

"Well, when's the trial anyways?" Danny questioned.

John picked up the papers and skimmed through them. "Well, it says here…" he began, "Oh…"

"What? What's wrong?" Danny asked, concerned that John had so suddenly trailed off.

"Um…I'm really sorry Dan…It says here it's next Friday. The 29th."

For a moment, Danny felt all his spirits plummet as he sunk into the couch with a sigh. He saw Judy's eyes widen in surprise and John's expression of pity. Of all the rotten luck. Go figure the trial would be on my birthday. With my kind of life, it's almost expected.

"Oh, Danny, I'm so sorry honey-," Judy started.

Danny shook his head and cut her off. "Don't-don't worry about it," he said, his voice strained and his throat tight. "Look, if you guys don't mind, I think I'll just go, um, to my room, or something," he finished, rising from the couch and leaving for his bedroom.