How Feelings Change
Chapter 26: Oops!
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.
Okay, I had a super awesome day today so I decided that in honor of this extremely rare occurrence I was going to sit down and finish this chapter for my wonderful reviewers! (I actually believe that the only reason that today was so great was that I got to shot stuff in my archery class this morning. I actually fired the arrow so hard that about four inches of it was sticking out the other side of the six inch thick target! Yeesh, I guess that I don't know my own strength.)
Well, anyway, on with the story!
ZZZ
It was almost an hour after Tucker's arrival that Maddie called everyone back into the kitchen for pumpkin pie. Instantly the proclamations of never eating again were forgotten, and the group headed into the kitchen. The pies were cut quickly and plates were passed around the table, along with a tub of whip topping for those who wanted it.
To Sam it seemed like one of those ideal family moments that you would see on TV shows in the late 50's early 60's, well minus the hazmat suits. The mom bringing the pie to the table as the extended family and family friends sat waiting expectantly. It was very surreal, and it reminded Sam of family holidays that she and her parents had shared when she was small.
Tears sprung to her eyes and she brushed them away quickly before anyone could notice. Pasting a smile on her face she accepted the plate that Maddie offered her, she didn't want to think about her parents right now. She was sitting at a table full of peopled who cared about her, with the man she loved. The last thing she wanted was to think about was the fact that her parents didn't want anything to do with her and their unborn grandchild.
Clenching her hands on the edge of the table she fought back the urge to get up and leave the room to cry. The surge of emotion was so strong, and unexpected that her shoulders started shaking with the force needed to suppress the coming tears. Danny looked over at her as he noticed her slight shoulders beginning to shake and her eyes set stonily despite the smile on her face. He was about to open his mouth to say something soothing to her when suddenly her hands were ablaze with the bright green ectoplasm of a ghost ray.
All eyes were suddenly on Sam, drawn by the bright green light, as the parts of the table clenched in her hands disintegrated in her grip and her hands formed fists around the remaining ashes.
The ghostly green energy instantly disappeared as her hands shot to her mouth, a horrified look etched on her face. Everyone started at her in shock, some more so than others.
The entire room was silent for a moment, until Danny's parents leapt to their feet, shouts of, "Ghost!" coming from their mouths in unison.
Danny jumped to his feet; pulling Sam up as well as he forced her behind him. "It's not what you think!" he yelled, his voice panicked as he stared at his parents, both in battle stance.
"She's being overshadowed, Danny!" Maddie shouted desperately, staring at her son wide eyed, as he still remained stubbornly between them and Sam.
"It's another ghost after her because of the baby!" Jack stated loudly.
"No it's not," he replied softly, bowing his head, as Sam rubbed his back soothingly, "It's because of me."
"That's what I just said," Jack insisted, not noticing the look on his son's face, "The ghost is overshadowing her to get to the baby because you're the father!"
"Not exactly," he replied, still refusing to meet his parent's eyes, "It's because the baby is part ghost."
"Sam's part ghost!" Jack shouted, as his face beginning to change colors.
Tucker stood up and went to stand next to Danny and Sam, "Sam's not part ghost, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton."
Jack and Maddie's mouths shot open to reply at the same time but they stopped instantly when Danny raised his head to look at them, and opened his mouth. "It's me," he said slowly, "I'm part ghost."
The Fentons stood there flabbergasted, staring at their son, mouths hanging open in shock. Jazz got to her feet and moved to her brother's side quickly, pulling him into a hug as she glared at their parents almost daring them to overreact. Gary still sat wordlessly at the table, looking between the two groups slowly. It was obvious from the expression on his face that he wasn't surprised by the revelation of Danny's true identity. Whether Jazz had let it slip or Gary had simply figured it out on his own, Danny didn't know. But right now that really wasn't very important.
Danny patted his sister's arm reassuringly, before pulling out of her grip and easing Sam's hand off of his one arm. Stepping forward he looked his parents straight in the eye, "I'm the ghost boy… I'm Danny Phantom." And with those words, a silvery blue ring formed around his midsection before splitting and traveling slowly up his body before disappearing around his head and feet, leaving the ghostly Danny Phantom standing solemnly before them.
Maddie's arms fell slowly to her side as she closed the distance between her and her son. Tentatively on of her hands came up slowly, her fingertips barely brushing his snowy white hair, before trailing softly down his cheek.
"I don't know how I didn't see it before," she murmured, looking deeply into his bright green eyes. "How did it happen?"
"I went into the ghost portal, right after you guys finished it, and couldn't get it to work," he answered just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. He wasn't sure if he could speak any louder if he tried, "I accidentally hit something and it turned on. I got thrown out of it and I woke up like this." He paused for a moment to glance over his mother's shoulder at his dad, "With Tucker and Sam's help I was able to transform back. Sam tried to get me to tell you guys about it but I was to scared. I didn't know how you'd react."
"You were telling the truth all those times that we thought you were up to no good," Jack said slowly, "All this time, you were the ghost boy, telling us that you were trying to help. And we never believed you."
Jack closed the distance between them quickly and pulled Danny into a hug, causing him to transform back in shock. "I'm so sorry, Danny," Jack told him, tearfully, "I'm sorry that I was so focused on ghost hunting that you were afraid to tell us about this."
"It's alright Dad," Danny told him as he released him from the crushing hug, "It's all out in the open now and everything's alright."
Jack looked at his son for a moment, and everyone resumed their seats at the table, before he spoke again, this time his voice coming across much more serious than anyone could ever recall hearing Jack sound, "So the other night. All that light at the bottom of the steps was you fighting the ghost that was after Sam and the baby?"
"Not exactly," Danny admitted, scratching the back of his head nervously, "You remember that pendant that Grams gave me before she died?"
"Her exorcism pendant?" Jack asked thoughtfully.
"Yeah," Danny replied with a nod, "Well apparently its more important than any of us knew, and now there are some pretty bad ghosts after it." He paused for a moment, "They didn't take into account, however, the fact that I've given it to Sam, and it's now protecting her and the baby."
"So that green light was from the pendant," Jack mumbled, the words coming out more as a statement than a question, "That actually makes sense. I remember mom going on about it providing protection to assure the survival of the family line when its current owner is male, and incapable of using its powers directly."
Danny was silently amazed at how calm and collected his father was being, given the current situation, "But despite the fact that its protecting them, I'm still worried. Plasmius will stop at nothing to get his hands on the pendant."
Maddie looked momentarily bewildered, "The Wisconsin Ghost? What does he have to do with this?"
"Let me handle this one Danny," Jazz said, patting her brother on the shoulder softly, before turning her attention to her parents, "Plasmius is a half ghost like Danny, but he's much older. He was created in that lab accident that you guys had in college with the prototype ghost portal." She paused, taking a deep breathe, "You see, Plasmius is none other than Vlad Masters, and he's spent all his time since the accident plotting revenge, and trying to figure out how to steal away mom."
"He's also the one who orchestrated the attack on me," Sam told them stonily, "He didn't realize that the pendant was protecting me, and he thought that by getting rid of me and the baby that Danny would play right into his hands. That's why he left before the attack; he knew that if it worked, Danny would be coming after him."
"All this happening right under my nose, and I didn't even know it," Jack said flabbergasted as he slumped back into his chair.
"Don't feel bad Dad," Danny sighed heavily, "There's probably tons of stuff that we still don't have figured out. The powers that be seem to enjoy mucking around with my life, and leaving me in the dark about it."
"Seriously Mr. Fenton," Tucker added, "We've spent the last four years in the dark about a lot of stuff. I've just gotten used to it by now. We won't now half of what's going on until everything's over and even then we still won't know the whole story." He let out an exasperated sigh, "We're like freaking play things for the paranormal!"
"Quit being so dramatic!" Sam scolded him as she kicked him under the table.
"Man you got meaner since you got pregnant!" Tucker whined, doing the best fake pout that he could manage.
"She ain't got nothing on Jazz," Danny told him, earning himself a kick in the shins compliments of his sister.
And just like that, what had been a tense situation dissolved back into a happy gathering of friends and family. Jokes were exchanged, and stories about college and work floated about the table. It was almost enough to let them forget about things to come, but in the back of everyone's mind the thought remained. 'What if this is the last time we're all together like this? What if Hollywood's belief that good always triumphs over evil is just a security blanket that we're all clinging to because reality isn't as kind?'
ZZZ
A/N: Yay! I finished before midnight! This is almost as rare a happening as me having a good day. It's almost worrying me with the good luck I've been having lately, its like the world is setting me up for a giant fall. For the last 19 years if it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all and then suddenly, BAM! I've been hit with the good luck bus!
I love you guys to pieces, and thank you for continuing to be the bright spot in my day. You rock my world.
Please R&R,
Dirty Thoughts of Bliss