Danny and Jack bonding? But of course!

-Phanny


"So, that makes salt a covalent - no, ionic - no, no, it's covalent, I'm sure of it, salt is a covalent bond…ack! What's the difference?" A loud slam echoed through the Fenton house one Tuesday night - the very last Tuesday night before winter break. Finals week. And Danny Fenton was freaking out.

"Ionic bonds are…wait, no - they're…they donate electrons to one another, and covalent…no! Is it…who cares?"

Jack Fenton hesitantly walked up to his son at the kitchen table, wary that he may be hindering one of the few instances where his son was actually studying. Not just looking at his book blankly, but studying it.

"Uh…Danny?"

"WHAT?" Jack jumped back as his son started, turning around and glaring daggers at whoever had disturbed him. The moment he saw his father, his expression softened. "Sorry dad…I just…"

"It's all right, Danny-boy," Jack sat down next to his son, looking at the source of his stress - a sheet of paper marked "Chemistry Study Guide for Final Exam." Jack winced.

"Oh, a study guide," he said, "I always hated these things. How long do you have to finish it?"

"Until tomorrow," Danny said hopelessly, "chemistry is stupid."

Jack smirked at his son's habit - ever since he could talk, anything he didn't like or quite understand was automatically stupid.

"Well, son," Jack said, "I may look a bit dim when compared to your mother - but who doesn't? - but in the science department, we're about equal. And yes, even ghost hunting involves a little bit of chemistry. So what's the issue here…" Jack glanced at the paper, seeing one question where the line underneath was covered with eraser marks so thick that if any answer was scrawled down it would be lost in the gray-black smudges of what remained of Danny's previous guesses.

"I can see a little bit of the word 'ionic' here…" Jack squinted at the erased word, "and that's right. Salt is an ionic bond."

"But why does it matter?" Danny asked, his head down on the table and pillowed in his arms, "I mean, it's salt. Is, like, the world going to end if I call it a covalent bond once by mistake? I don't get the difference…"

"What do you get when you think of the word 'co-'?" Jack asked.

"I think of…like, together…like co-workers and stuff…"

"Right. And covalent bonds…?"

"Share electrons?" It was dawning on him, Jack could see it. "So…like…they're together."

"That's right."

Danny nodded, not quite enthusiastic, "thanks, dad."

Jack frowned, "something else wrong?" Jack didn't know what that question had gotten him into. Danny took a deep breath and started talking so fast that Jack could hardly comprehend it.

"Well along with this I have my English final which is a test over all the books we've read and then a timed essay on Hamlet then for my media class I have to finish editing my film then I need to study for my math final which is really hard because I hate math and there's just too much for me to do and I hate school so much right now dad-"

"Danny, calm down!" Jack said hurriedly, afraid his son was going to run out of air.

"I can't calm down when the public school system is trying to screw me over with all of this…this work."

Jack felt guilty for what he was about to say, but seeing as Danny was beginning to develop a rather unappealing eye-twitch…

"Normally I wouldn't want you to stop working on this, but I think you should probably go and take a break for awhile."

Danny nodded, "I…I think…yeah that might be good. I was up late last night too, you know…and when I tried to help Riley with her new interest in cake decorating I freaked out because I thought the cake was crooked…dad, she doesn't take criticism very well - I think there's still frosting in my hair."

"Well, school's almost out, son, just a little longer," Jack reassured him. He nodded shakily, sitting down on the couch. After a moment of silence, he looked up at his father.

"This is where you tell me that it all gets easier as I get older, right?"

Jack averted his eyes.

"I'm going to go help your mother in the lab."

"Dad?"

"Take a rest for a few minutes and then you should probably take another stab at that study guide."

"Dad!" Danny called desperately after his father, "it does get easier, right?"

"Can't talk now son-"

"Dad!"


I seem to be into RL based idea right now...only I'm not taking chemistry or math.

Jack seems to be dodging the issue in that last part.

Also, I've decided that Riley will be a cake decorator when she grows up.