Chapter 27
Fractures
Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Smallville
Hey, Danny. Sorry 'bout running off last night. That was a pretty wild storm, right? Anyway, um, I was sorta wondering if you'd like to catch up again? Call me. – Beep
Danny, hi. So, um, we're in Metropolis for the rest of the week, and I wanted to see if you were up for hanging out again? Say, tonight outside that Diner? Give me a call. – Beep
Hey Danny. It's been a few days since I heard from you. Are you okay? It's Wednesday now and we're checking out the Metropolis Museum today. I think Lancer'll let you come if I ask. Please call me. - Beep
Er, hi Danny. It's Val. Um, I missed you last night. Where are you? It's like you've dropped off the face of the planet. But, seriously, are you okay? I'm getting worried. See you soon? – Beep
Danny, please call back. You're scaring me. I haven't heard from you since Monday night. Nothing's happened, right? Call me when you get this. – Beep
Danny, it's Valerie again. The bus leaves in an hour and... I just wanted to say I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to run off the other night, so if you're avoiding me I'm sorry... But, please, just call back. I've missed you, and I was really looking to seeing you again this week. Um, anyway, hope you're okay. I'll see you... yeah. Goodbye. – Beep
Danny sighed, staring at the screen of his phone as it darkened into blackness. He didn't know why he'd even pulled it out; it wasn't exactly like he could call anyone from inside the Ghost Zone. He wasn't even sure there was anyone to call. Both Clark and his aunt knew he was here, Chloe might worry but he'd gone weeks without speaking to her before. Lex, well, Lex was probably off gallivanting about with whatever project had recently taken fancy of. There was always Victor stone, but even Victor was becoming more accepting of his situation. And Valerie... well the idea of talking to her after everything that had happened just wasn't something he could handle.
It was clear, in retrospect, how Vlad had manipulated them all, how badly they'd all been played. Danny knew that Vortex was supposed to have been on trial in the Observant's Council a fortnight ago and the only person desperate enough and clever enough to trick him into the Real World was Vlad. And Casper High had never had an excursion to Metropolis before. Really, what were the odds that the one year that got the opportunity was the exact same year that had the Red Huntress among the students? And the fact that not only Valerie but the GIW were ready and waiting at the end of his fight... it was all too obvious.
What hurt the most was Clark. Vlad had conned Clark into trusting Vlad with him. And that was... it was despicable on Vlad's part that he'd seen fit to manipulate Clark like that. Part of him wanted to get mad at Clark for falling for it, but in the end it was his own fault. Danny had never given Clark a warning about Vlad; thinking that it would keep Clark safe from the psychopathic billionaire. And Vlad had just walked on in and used that against him. Danny hated the fact that Vlad knew him so well, knew that Danny would do anything to keep the people around him safe and was still able to turn that to his advantage.
Danny sighed, his hand reaching absently to his stomach where the still healing scar from his... his vivisection remained. Painfully dazed as he was, the ghostly memories of white clad men with glimmering silver instruments still danced behind his eyes if he let them. It was horrifying, and dehumanising. The only way he could deal with that particular pain, the fact that he had been treated as little more than a lab rat was to reject a part of his human identity. But the fact that Vlad was behind it all and what Vlad had done afterwards... Vlad was responsible for so much pain in his life. So much misery. But at the end of the day Danny couldn't find it in himself to feel anything other than pity for the elder man.
He frowned, slouching over to stare at his hands, fisted firmly around his silent cell phone. He was human at the moment, as human as he ever could be. But it hardly mattered. Ghost in the Real World or human in the Ghost Zone he was a misfit. The only one of his kind and however he justified it, however good the action may have been, he was responsible for what had happened to Vlad. The man who had once been his arch-nemesis was only human now and nothing would change the fact that it was Danny that had destroyed the only other half-ghost in the world.
"Hey." Danny jerked at the feminine voice, looking up at the blue haired ghost who had come to stand in front of him. Ember had been so good to him, undeservedly so. She had taken him into her home while he was still lost somewhere on the verge of agonised unconsciousness. She'd welcomed him into her lair, offering him the only bed she had, kept hidden in the backstage props room. And when he'd woken up she'd been the one to help take care of his wounds, despite the pain she was still in from Vlad's attack on her core. He was grateful to her, so very grateful. But he couldn't help but wonder what he'd done to deserve such kindness from her.
Ember handed him a steaming cup of coffee, and Danny felt the sofa depress as she came to sit beside him. "You know you can't keep beating yourself up." Ember commented softly, gently nudging his shoulder. "Vlad is a jerk, we've always known that. But Plasmius was like a rabid dog. You did the right thing, you kept us all safe. And I know you're upset about what you had to do, but... I think it just shows what kind of person you are. That you can still care about him after what he's done."
Danny nodded, considering. He felt guilty, yes. But it wasn't really about destroying Plasmius. Ember was right in that respect; Plasmius had been as much a danger to himself as to anyone else and the world was better off without him. But... "Everything's just gotten so complicated." Danny whispered, more to himself than anything, but at Ember's questioning glance he continued.
"It's just, I don't know..." Danny paused. "Ever since I was fourteen I've sort of known what I was supposed to do. Known I was supposed to protect people and keep them safe. And it was easy, so easy. But things change and we all... humans grow up. And things weren't so easy anymore. Even before everyone died I started seeing that. I mean, it'd always been ghosts attacking humans and it was clear, then, who I was supposed to keep safe. But after everything that's happened... who am I to say that humans aren't the bigger monsters?"
Ember just nodded, laying a cautious hand supportively on his thigh. "And then there was the meteor strike." Danny sighed, his shoulders slouching over. "I woke up in one of Vlad's hospital rooms. He had the same doctors take care of me this time too. But back then... part of me wanted to stay with him. Vlad was like me, you know? And when I heard that they were all gone I just didn't wanna alone anymore."
He shook his head, ruefully looking into the coffee. "But I couldn't. I've seen what could happen if I did, if I let myself give into him. And I didn't want to take that risk. So I chose to stay away from him. Vlad never knew about Aunt Martha, about the Kents. Or if he did he ignored them. But they were, are, still family. Even if Mom and Aunt Martha hadn't really spoken properly for years. So I went to live with them. And that was fine, and I was okay with that."
He sighed, watching as the dark liquid swirled thickly about in the mug. "I promised myself I'd keep them safe. Keep everyone safe. I had to be strong, couldn't let myself feel the pain, couldn't let myself give in. I realise now it was stupid. I put on a mask. Convinced myself I was invincible so long as I kept the world at arm's length. I didn't trust them, not fully. Clark trusted me. He's told me everything, I think. But I never did the same. And he never knew. If I'd warned him about Vlad... maybe none of this would've happened. But I didn't, and I was stupid, and because of me not trusting anyone, they all got hurt. Even you."
Danny heard Ember sigh beside him, felt her hand shift to rest softly on his shoulder. "Danny..." she whispered sounding unsure. Danny couldn't bring himself to look at her. "I wish... You know, you're one of the bravest most confusingly stupid people I've ever met. I'm serious. Okay, fine you thought that the best way to keep people safe was to keep them in the dark. I get that. But really, they've known about your secret for months now. Not giving the heads up about Vlad was just asking for trouble."
Danny turned to look at her, watching her green eyes flash as she picked up speed. "And really, what did you expect. I know that things aren't the same as when you were the stupid little dipstick back in Amity Park. Even before you left you started seeing different and honestly I'm glad for that. But you don't have to pretend to be invincible. I don't expect that of you and nobody else would either. We both know you're not, and pretending is only gonna hurt you more."
Ember paused, meeting his eyes firmly before she nodded once to herself. "The way I see it you have two choices. First, you can keep pretending and watch as everyone else gives up on you. Or you can get over it and realise that people care about you. I don't really give a damn about Phantom or Fenton, but I care about Danny. And I think Clark is the same. You're not perfect, no one is. But you'll get a lot more done if you don't pretend to be and focus on doing what needs to be done."
Danny half laughed, but something in Ember's rant had struck a chord. "It's strange." He commented. "When I was... out of it... I had this really weird dream. I was walking down a path in the darkness, and as I walked I saw little things that reminded me of all the people in my life. None of you were actually there, but you were all there in as much as you were with me... if that makes any sense." Danny shook his head to clear it, vaguely recalling the last part of the dream. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her, but it had been so significant to him.
"What happened then?" Ember asked.
Danny half smiled, her curiosity spurring him forward. This whole conversation was strangely cathartic and admitting all this to her... it made what he'd experienced easier to deal with. "I came across an altar type thing. And on the altar were three things; a dagger a shield and a sword."
"You've been spending time in Aragon again, haven't you?" Ember commented lightly, rolling her eyes. Danny fought the urge to laugh at her comment. He was a knight under Princess Dora after all. Not that he'd visited her recently.
"Maybe." He admitted. "But that's not really the point. When I saw them I could sort of understand. I mean, the dagger and the shield, they're sort of like me, who I have been. And the sword, I think that's a part of who I want to be."
Ember nodded, her eyes trying to understand. "Then..." She said, cocking her head to the side curiously. "I guess the question is, who are you gonna be for now?"
Line Break
Clark scowled as he stared across at the deputy officer. Earlier this evening his mom had asked him to pick up some papers from her chief of staff. Clark had been happy to oblige, glad to make himself more useful. But when he had arrived at Naomi's house he had been shocked. Every single downstairs window had been shattered, shards of glass glittering outside in the moonlight. The whole house was completely dark except for one of the upstairs bedrooms.
Fearful for the worst he had walked in, shocked at the sheer volume of shattered glass in the room. It was everywhere, piled in sharp shards three inches deep across the floor. But the underlying metallic scent of blood stained the air, and as the glass crunched beneath his boots he saw the lacerated corpse of Naomi. Even without checking he had known she was dead, and knowing that he had quickly proceeded upstairs. His mom was often talking about her chief of staff and her foster child, Maddie. With all the destruction downstairs he had been terrified that he'd find the young girl hurt.
But she was safe physically. Whoever had destroyed the downstairs floor had obviously left, and Clark had been quick to bring the young girl back to his home so she'd be safe. He may have failed Danny abysmally, but he wasn't about to leave a little girl in such a dangerous place. "I found Naomi in the kitchen." Clark explained, looking across at the deputy officer. "There was glass everywhere. What kind of person would commit such a brutal crime?"
The deputy looked briefly up from his notepad, sending Clark a carefully neutral look. "Whoever it was, the sound of your truck probably scared them off."
Both Clark and his mom shared a glance before looking into the lounge where Maddie was seated. She had been silent the whole ride home, and Clark just hoped that what she had seen didn't traumatise her permanently. She had been so quiet, barely looking at him at all. And as soon as they had gotten there she'd seated herself at the coffee table and pulled out a scrap of paper, her eyes fixed only on her drawing as she moved a black pencil across the page. Looking over at her, Clark couldn't help but be angry that anyone could do something so horrendous to someone so innocent.
"Well," his mom said, breaking the pondering silence. "Thank you for letting her stay with us tonight, deputy. After all she's been through there's no reason she should have to spend the night in some shelter."
The deputy nodded. "No problem, senator. Child services will come by in the morning to check in."
Clark watched his mom as she led the deputy out the door, but frowned as she turned around to look at him. "It makes no sense." His mom said, shaking her head in disbelief. "All Naomi wanted to do was help people. She was a foster parent, she ran a youth centre before she was my chief of staff."
Clark sighed, it was hard to imagine that Naomi was gone. While they'd only met a couple of times the bubbly woman had always seemed so kind. For someone to murder her like that was unimaginable. Clark looked back over to Maddie, still drawing in the lounge room with a melancholic sort of focus that weighed heavily in the air. "Maddie hasn't said a word since she got here." Clark whispered as his mom came to stand beside him. The both of them frowned, looking over at the young girl.
"Naomi told me she hasn't spoken since she was three years old." His mom answered quietly, directing a concerned frown at him. "That's when her birth mother was killed." Clark frowned, looking over at Maddie in a new light.
"Can't blame her." He murmured, although it was sad to think that the twelve year old girl hadn't spoken for nine years. "She's been through one tragedy after another."
"And countless foster homes." His mom added shaking her head. It was impossible not to feel bad for the poor girl. She looked so young, so alone. He heard his mom beside him sigh. "I should call Lionel in London."
Clark frowned. "Lionel?" He questioned. He still hadn't told his mom about his suspicions with Lionel. He didn't want her to worry. But at the same time he wanted to know what kind of game Lionel was playing. If he did know the secret, why hadn't he done anything about it yet? And if he didn't, what was he doing getting so close to his mom?
"Naomi used to run his children's foundation." His mom explained pulling away. "I really should let him know what happened..."
"Mom," Clark interrupted, not keen to involve Lionel in this. "Maybe you should wait." But she didn't listen, and really it was probably more for the distraction that she wanted to call him. Clark sighed, looking back over to Maddie as she drew. It was horrible, what had happened to her. And Clark couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Naomi was kind, and no doubt losing her had only hurt Maddie more.
Clark wandered over to her, taking a seat in the armchair beside her. Her shoulders were hunched over, her eyes fixed solely on the paper as she moved the pencil across the page. Her blue eyes looked dark in the firelight, weighted with a pain that Clark couldn't fathom. He didn't know what to do, how to help her. But she needed help, and Clark wanted to try.
With awkward curiosity Clark asked what she was drawing, but she gave him no response, her pencil not even slowing as it passed across the page. Clark twisted his neck a bit, trying to see. He frowned, unsure of exactly what to make of the image she was forming. The picture was black, a heavily shaded skeletal tree, with wiry branches clawing at the sky. And seated in one of the branches was a dark eyed crow. Automatically he drew the parallels between this girl and Danny. For all the beauty of his happier sketches, there were some in his books that were painful to look at, simply for the agony contained in each of the pencilled lines.
"You're quite the artist, aren't you?" he commented, not expecting her to answer him but he hoped she'd at least acknowledge his presence. When she didn't he pressed on anyway. "You know, I'm an artist too." This time she did look up, the half quirk of her eyebrow almost in scepticism made him bite back a smile. Instead he sighed, shaking his head in mock aggrievance. "All right, well, I'll just have to prove it to you then."
He exaggeratedly pulled a piece of paper across to himself, and made a show of selecting exactly the right colour. Eventually he settled on a red crayon and invested all of twenty seconds in his 'artwork'. Quickly he concealed the sheet, careful to put on an air of mock professionalism. "Now, prepare yourself." He said, eliciting a half curious glance from Maddie. "'Cause this is gonna be a self portrait. And you might not be able to tell the difference between this, and an actual photograph."
He smiled, turning the page around to show her the picture. She raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and Clark grinned more. The little red waving stick figure on his page was really bad, and Clark could see Maddie's stoic facade beginning to crack. He smiled kindly at the little girl, and while she wouldn't let herself laugh, a warm lightness rose in his chest when she smiled back.
Line Break
Phantom smiled, it was a genuine smile and the first he'd had in days. His talk with Ember had helped him resolve a lot of issues, and the ectoplasm rich foods of the Ghost Zone were going a long way towards healing the remnants of the wounds inflicted by both Vlad and the GIW. He felt happy, a guiltless sort of happiness that he had almost forgotten how to experience. But somehow Ember had helped bring it out in him. So he was smiling easily and laughing as he flew through the Zone with Ember.
Now that he was feeling better he had thought it might be fun for Ember to come and meet Princess Dora. Something gave Phantom the feeling that for all her gothic punk exterior, Ember might have a bit of fun playing medieval lady for a day. And in a way Phantom was itching for a chance at training with his sword. While the dream had been a symbolic journey, he didn't mind taking up his sword in the literal sense. So both of them were now weaving their way through one of the more crowded areas of the Zone, taking the shortest route to the Kingdom of Aragon.
The two of them flew through the cloudy mist that marked the gateway to Aragon. While the archaically oppressive reign of Prince Aragon may be over, Dora was being tastefully slow with the reintroduction of modern conveniences and it still felt very much like a flourishing medieval metropolis. Phantom and Ember floated easily through the forest outlying the castle before floating down to the massive wooden door. As usual one of the two guardsmen outside noticed him and ducked inside, leaving Ember and Phantom waiting outside. But it wasn't for long and soon both of them were being escorted through the castle.
"Sir Phantom and the Lady Ember, your Highness." Their escort announced as they were led into the large great hall. It had been some months since Danny had last seen anyone in Aragon, but the Princess looked just as regal as ever.
"Sir Phantom!" She cried, gracefully standing from her throne and crossing the room. Danny knelt down to kiss the seal on her finger before standing again, as was convention. But as per usual Dora pulled him into a hug immediately after. She stepped back, smiling at him. "You have gotten taller, Sir Phantom." She teased. "You shall have to tell me what brings you here, but first I should rather like to be introduced to your young friend."
Phantom smiled before setting his shoulders back. Being in the great hall they were surrounded by a large number of Dora's subjects, so some protocols had to be followed. "Your Highness, may I introduce Lady Ember McLain, both ally and friend. This past week, events in the Real World became unfavourable, and Lady Ember proved herself through her loyalty and bravery. In fact, it is largely thanks to her that I can officially report that the threat of Plasmius is no more."
Dora gasped, pressing her dainty green fingers to her lips. All through the room an excited buzzing of whispers leapt up, and beside him Ember shifted awkwardly at the praise. Dora took a moment to compose herself, a small smile playing at her lips. "It appears, Sir Phantom; that we have much to discuss. Let a feast be prepared that we may celebrate this most joyful news." The last sentence was announced to the room and as Phantom watched there was a flurry of movement as the servants leapt to action. Phantom allowed himself a small smile as he clasped at Ember's hand in a soft gesture of support.
This too, the particularities of court had somehow managed to become a part of his life. And in a way he was glad to be able to share it with someone like Ember.
Line Break
Clark frowned worriedly as he watched Maddie's innocently sleeping figure. It was hard to believe what she had been through; he couldn't imagine having to listen as someone he cared for died in such a horrific way. And yet she was unreserved in her sleep, a restful smile playing on her lips as she tucked herself further under the blankets. They had set her up in Danny's room since it was the only free bed available. Looking around the room, Clark had once more been reminded of how minimally Danny intruded on the family. The room was as sparsely decorated as ever, his ever present backpack being the only sign that someone actually lived in the room.
Eventually he continued downstairs, watching as his mom finished pouring herself a cup of coffee. It was a weekend, but she still had work to do as state senator. Clark was happy to look out for Maddie for the day; at the moment she probably needed human contact more than anything else. His mom was out the door before Maddie was even out of bed, but that was only to be expected. Maddie had had a hard night and so sleeping in a bit would probably help her get back on her feet. He heard a floorboard creak upstairs and wasn't surprised when a fully dressed Maddie came downstairs five minutes later.
Clark pushed a cup of hot chocolate in front of her, eliciting a small grateful smile. "So..." Clark commented, putting a stack of toast on the table. "I was thinking after breakfast we might have a bit of a tour of the farm. You've already seen most of the house, but there's more to check out outside." Maddie looked up, giving him a reluctant nod before spreading a bit of honey on her toast. Clark sipped his coffee, silently wondering about how best to entertain the young girl. She may enjoy drawing, but focusing constantly on such dark images wasn't gonna help her move on any faster. The two of them finished up, and Clark guided Maddie out the front door towards the barn.
"This," Clark pronounced, sliding the main door open and guiding the twelve year old in. "Is the world-famous Kent barn." He paused, his eyes flickering up into the rafters where the hay was kept in storage. "You know when I was about your age, my dad used to let me jump in the haystacks in here." In fact, that was a great idea. He smiled at her, even though she still seemed a bit daunted by the whole situation. "Hey," he continued, and it probably sounded like he was rambling, but this was an opportunity to build her confidence in people back. "Why don't you close your eyes, and turn around. I got a surprise for you." Maddie still looked unsure, but with a small encouraging smile she acquiesced.
With Maddie's back turned Clark smiled, racing up to the hay bales at super-speed. At this velocity it took no time to make a ten foot hay stack. He smiled, remembering fondly hours spent jumping through the hay with his dad standing on to watch. He slowed back down beside it, waiting for Maddie to turn around. Feeling the slight breeze from his movement Maddie spun around. "So, what do you think?" Clark rambled, looking at her surprised face. While she didn't speak it was amazing how expressive she was with just her eyes.
"Wanna give it a shot?" Clark asked, but Maddie raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Let me guess," Clark continued "you're afraid of heights?" She didn't move, but the insecurity in her eyes suggested he was at least close. "I can relate." He reassured. Smiling he walked over to her, kneeling so that he could look her in the eye. "You know Maddie, you and I have a lot more in common than you think. I was an orphan too." He smiled at her, hoping to get any sign that she was willing to let him in.
Instead there was a soft whining, and Shelby ran into the barn. The dog immediately raced over to Maddie, sniffing her and checking the stranger out. Maddie beamed widely and immediately knelt down to give Shelby a thorough pet. A similar image from several months previous leapt to mind; Danny on his second day at the farm had reacted similarly to Shelby's appearance. Although Maddie was accepted a lot faster than Clark's cousin had been. Clark smiled as he watched the two, but creased his brow when he thought he saw Maddie's lips move.
And when he really listened for it, just on the edge of his hearing he picked up a soft feminine whisper. "Hey boy," Clark smiled; she had a beautiful voice, even if she was only whispering. "Good doggie."
"Looks like Shelby likes you." Clark commented, carefully not betraying that he had heard her. He wanted to prove to her that she could trust him, and let her make the choice to speak to him on her own terms. It was clear that she'd been through a lot, and had closed herself off to the world. Forcing the truth out of her would only force her to lose her faith in people altogether. Instead he chose a different tactic.
"Animals are great, aren't they?" Clark asked, still studying her even as she poked her eyes up from behind Shelby's ears. "They listen to you, don't say mean things back." Clark absently scratched Shelby's ears as he searched Maddie's eyes. "Look," he offered, sending her a hopeful smile. "I might not be as furry as Shelby, or wag my tail or bark, but I promise, I'll never say mean things to you."
Maddie didn't immediately respond, searching his eyes for any sign of deceit. When she was done her eyes went to the loft stairs. "What's up there?" She asked out loud, meeting his eyes with curious determination. Clark was too startled to answer, instead beaming as he followed her up the stairs.
"It's kinda like my clubhouse." He explained, standing back at the top of the stairs to watch her explore.
"Oh, you're so lucky." Maddie said, picking her way through the collection of mementos on his shelves.
"You can be lucky too Maddie." Clark replied, smiling at her. "It's not too late. We're gonna find you a good family."
"People don't like me." Maddie commented, idly spinning a globe.
"What? Well those people are crazy." Clark replied disbelievingly. "I like you."
Maddie's fingers absently went over Danny's sketchbook which had been absently left on the trunk over a week ago. Obviously recognising it for what it was she picked it up, flicking through the pages. Clark could guess what she was seeing, knowing what Danny's current sketchbook looked like. The first half was mostly filled with ghosts and places around Smallville, or pictures of friends and family both here and back in Amity Park. But the pages had become increasingly filled with aerial sketches, and Clark regretted that he hadn't seen what was on his cousin's mind just by looking at his sketches.
"Who did these?" Maddie asked with genuine curiosity. She set the book open on the trunk, left at a loose picture of Sam Manson.
"Danny, my cousin." Clark answered with a sad smile. "He's not here at the moment, he's out of state visiting friends." That was close enough to the truth, and was a lot easier than explaining Danny's connections to ghosts to the twelve year old. "I think you'd like him." Clark added, his own hand flipping through the countless pages of Danny's sketching. He paused, looking at one of the pictures of Lana. It was amazing the detail that Danny was able to capture, and Clark missed the last time he'd truly seen that smile.
Maddie had wandered over to the desk during his musings, coming to pick up the framed picture of Lana Lang that he still kept there. "Is this your girlfriend?" She asked, once again changing the subject.
"Well, she used to be." Clark answered, looking down at the picture still in his lap. "We kind of parted ways." He moved over to the desk, now looking for a distraction of his own. "Hey, you wanna go for a horseback ride?" He offered, smiling at her as he put the picture face down on his desk. "Just you and me?" Maddie smiled at him, a warm smile that made Clark's heart tingle in something akin to pride. She was gaining confidence. The young girl nodded eagerly, and Clark couldn't help but grin back.
"Let's go." He suggested, picking up her small hand to help guide her down the stairs. "You can chat up Buttercup all you want."
"You have horses?" Maddie asked eagerly, and Clark nodded, still smiling.
"So, you can talk." Clark frowned, immediately recognising the voice of Lois Lane. Just like that he felt Maddie pull away from him, closing back up on herself. But Lois, being Lois, barrelled on ahead anyway. "I knew that whole Marcel Marceau silence thing was just a rumour. I'm Lois." She held out her hand in introduction, but Maddie stepped back warily and sent a pleading glance at Clark.
"She's a little shy." Clark said by way of explanation.
"I understand." Lois replied, apparently nonplussed. "A lot of artists are. You should meet Smallville's cousin. Once you get him talking he'll chat your ears off, but I swear Casper's just like his namesake 'till you do. Anyway, I brought you some crayons and a colouring book, Maddie. Check it out." Lois thrust the box out towards Maddie, shaking it almost obnoxiously in her overly-keen way. Flustered, Maddie took it, but retreated back further straight afterwards.
Lois turned her attention to Clark, leaning in to attempt to catch some privacy. "Your mom called from Topeka." She explained. "With her chief of staff gone she's been in meetings all day. She asked if I could help out since Danny's not around. And I'm not even gonna ask where he's got to."
Well, that accounted for her sudden appearance, but Maddie was closing up on herself again in Lois' bold presence. "Actually, I think we got it under control." Clark said, hoping that'd convince her to leave the two of them alone at least for now.
Lois just scoffed. "I'm the one with the little sister, remember?" She patted his shoulder, almost condescendingly before turning her attention back to Maddie. Clark frowned, recalling exactly how badly things had gone last time Lois' sister was in town. While they may be related by blood, they weren't close at all, in fact probably Danny and he were a better example of 'sibling' relationships, but he wasn't about to bring that up in front of her.
Lois continued on, blustering ahead in her own way. "Okay, you ready for a few games of hopscotch? I'm a bit rusty, but you'll be the odds-on favourite." Clark caught Maddie's terrified glance as she continued backing away from Lois. Hoping to stop things because they got much worse he interrupted.
"Actually, we were just about to saddle up and hit the trails." Clark said, reaching an arm out to wrap around Maddie's shoulders comfortingly.
Lois wasn't deterred, clapping her hands together. "Great! Bust out the spurs. I'm game." This time she caught on as Maddie sent a beseeching look up at Clark. "Oh, how adorable." And now Lois' voice sounded vaguely hurt, but she quickly recovered. "You wanna be alone with Clark. Hey, no worries. I will be galloping way ahead of you guys." Maddie frowned, pressing herself further into Clark's side.
Maddie's eyes squinted suddenly, as though she was in terrible pain. And there was an electrical explosion as one of the lights overhead shattered, the yellow globe igniting in a shower of hot sparks that rained down to the floor. The bulb next to it shattered, and then the rest of the series blew, leaving the acrid scent of smoke in the barn as it gathered on the ceiling. And just as quick Maddie was barrelling past him, racing down the stairs in abject terror, or... guilt?
Clark shared a quick glance with Lois before following Maddie down the stairs. His mind was whirling. If he didn't know any better he might have thought that Maddie had blown all those light bulbs, but that was impossible, right? Then again, they were in Smallville which had been weird even before the ghosts showed up. And Maddie had looked so scared when she ran away, and he remembered seeing that face in the mirror, fourteen years old and just into high school. He remembered his dad telling him that he was from another planet, and he'd been terrified that his powers would make him some sort of monster.
"Maddie?" He called, pulling the back door open and following the young girl into the house. He found her, sitting in the window seat in the kitchen. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her knees and she looked so broken. She took one glance at him before ducking her head between her knees, sobbing softly. Clark pulled up a chair so they could talk equally. "Hey," he asked as gently as he could. "Hey, what just happened out there?" He paused, getting no response from the distraught young girl. "Did you break all those light bulbs?"
Maddie still didn't respond, didn't acknowledge him. Gentling his tone he tried a different tactic. "Listen, Maddie, I understand." He empathised. "You have powers, abilities that normal people can't even dream of. And it's okay. You can trust me. You can tell me the truth." He sent a soft smile her way when she finally looked up. Her eyes were puffy and red, and tear tracks ran down her cheeks.
Maddie sniffled, and Clark's heart throbbed as he saw the pain and fear in her eyes. "Ever since I was little, I could break glass." She finally admitted, sniffing tearfully.
"Yeah?" Clark prodded gently, hoping that admitting the truth would be therapeutic for her.
Maddie nodded once, still tucked in on herself. "And when I get upset I can't control it." She admitted. Clark frowned, his mind whirring.
"Were you upset with Naomi?" He asked guiltily. He didn't want to believe that such a young girl could have that sort of weight on her shoulders, but he needed to know.
Maddie looked at him with harrowed incredulity. "You think I killed her?"
"Maddie, you have the power to break glass." Clark pressed, trying to understand. "And the way she died..."
Maddie cut him off, shaking her head vehemently. "I didn't do it." Her eyes turned soft, pleading. "Clark, I wasn't in the same room and I can't do anything through walls. I liked Naomi. I would never hurt her." And Clark could see, in her eyes the confusion and the horror; the isolation that having an uncontrollable power brought and the abject fear of discovery, of hurting someone, of looking at yourself in the mirror and only seeing a monster. And he could see the desperate need for understanding, to have just one person who accepted her for who she was. It was so very familiar, and he knew in that moment that he wanted to be that one person for Maddie.
"Clark, can I talk to you for just one minute?" Once more Lois' sharp voice made him jump, jerking from his musings. He sent Maddie a soft smile, silently promising that if nothing else he'd be there for her. He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder for just a second before stepping out into the hallway to talk to Lois.
"Look," Lois said bluntly, eyeing the doorway anxiously. "I'm gonna call the sheriff now, before we get sliced, diced and puréed."
Clark frowned, knowing that doing that wouldn't help. Maddie was innocent; he'd seen it in her eyes. And the problem was bigger than what Lois was seeing. "Lois, I'm not sure she killed anybody." He murmured, hoping to pull her off.
"Oh, yeah?" Lois retorted sceptically. "So someone else with the power to shatter glass just moseyed on in and murdered her foster-mom."
"Just because she has this ability doesn't make her a killer." Clark defended.
"Clark, I always knew you were naive, but come on." Lois replied, her head shaking. "Don't let her rosy cheeks and saucer eyes sway you. That girl's one step short of a demon seed."
"And what about Phantom?" Clark shot back almost automatically. Lois had never had any good experiences with meteor freaks, but lumping them all in the same category together was not fair to the good ones. "Phantom's a ghost, and most people say they're demons themselves."
"Phantom's different." Lois returned. "He uses his powers to help people, not shred them to pieces."
"Just give me an hour to see what I can find out." Clark asked, hoping that maybe Lois could at least give the girl a chance. At her dismissively raised eyebrow he tacked on "Then we'll go to the police."
Lois looked at him shocked. "Wait, you want me to babysit that little glass-smasher? Does my life mean nothing to you?"
Clark smiled encouragingly at her. "I don't think she's dangerous. If you're scared I can always call Chloe."
Predictably Lois took aggrievance at the barely veiled insult to her bravado. "Who said I was scared? I'm not scared." She defended, making Clark smile.
"Great. Thanks." He replied, sending a quick wave to Maddie in the kitchen as he ran out the door. He had a lot of work to do if he wanted to find out exactly what was going on. He really wished he had Danny in on this. Danny would probably be able to empathise with Maddie the same way Clark could, and with how Danny had encouraged Clark with his own powers it seemed likely that Danny could help Maddie find some control. But Danny was still recovering in the Zone, recovering from Clark's mistake. So even if he could get in contact he had to let Danny come back in his own time.
However, that didn't stop him from briefly x-raying the house to see Lois' flustered look of fear as she tried to compose herself. Smiling at Lois' overconfident nature he raced onwards, knowing that the best place to find information like this was Chloe.
Line Break
Phantom looked up to the tourney ground stands. In the royal box sat two female ghosts, one his liege and the other one of his closest friends. He stood in a line among nine other knights, all awaiting Dora's declaration to open the tournament. It was only a small one, but Dora had thought it would be a fun way to celebrate the end of Plasmius' imposing shadow in the Zone. Phantom was well aware that by the end of the week the whole Zone would know and that some things would necessarily change. No doubt Phantom would need to check in on Vlad someday, but for now the surge of adrenalin through his system made his heart rate quicken as he waited for Dora to open the tournament.
"It has been many years since we have had true cause to celebrate." Dora began, instantly drawing the attention of the whole crowd. Beside her Ember shifted almost shyly, unfamiliar with that sort of attention. "The end of my brother's reign marked the dawning of a new age for our peoples, however the shadow of Plasmius still remained. Today we have finally stepped out of this darkness, and it is thanks to Sir Danny Phantom, whose courage and just actions have freed not only us of Aragon, but the entire Ghost Zone of this dark threat. So it is with great joy that I declare this contest the mark of the beginning of a new era. Let the tournament begin!"
Phantom grinned, stepping out of the ring as the first two contestants faced each other. His eyes caught Ember's up in the stands and they shared a quick smile. Dora was right, with the imposing threat of Plasmius gone, and Vlad now fully human it could truly be the beginning of a new era.
Line Break
Chloe frowned, looking at the files that she'd pulled up. "I took a peek into Maddie Van Horn's Child Services files." Chloe commented, looking Clark firmly in the eye. "And I hate to break it to you, but there's more than just one reference to broken glass. I think Maddie's not just accident prone, she's disaster prone."
"Yeah, well that doesn't prove she's a killer." Clark defended. Chloe raised an eyebrow. Sometime's Clark's forgiving nature was a good thing, but it did tend to make him gloss over the facts. Clark quickly caught on, and sent a beseeching look back at her. "Chloe, if my parents hadn't found me out in that field it could've been me in the foster care system, scaring people with my powers." His eyes turned dark, meeting the floor. "Being accused of crimes I didn't commit."
Chloe sighed sadly. She hadn't ever thought of it like that. She knew that Clark had powers, but she'd never really thought about what it would have been like growing up with them. Her heart leapt in sympathy at her friend's admission, but it didn't change the facts that were staring at her from the officiated government files. "Yeah," She replied with saddened fondness. "And one of your greatest powers is your unrelenting faith in people."
She shook her head, eyes searching Clark's for any sign of understanding. "But I think when it comes to Maddie, the jury's in." She said as bluntly as possible. Clark was so good, so forgiving, but he needed to know everything about Maddie. She needed help, that much was certain, but it was possible she needed more help than even Clark could give. "When she was little, it wasn't just a car accident that killed her mother; it was a freak car accident." Chloe explained. "Witnesses saw the front windshield mysteriously shatter right before the crash."
Clark raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "So you think Maddie's responsible for her own mother's death?"
Chloe frowned sympathetically, knowing how hard this would be on Clark. "Well, didn't she say she was having a hard time controlling her powers?"
"I know." Clark admitted. "But I just don't see it." Chloe looked confusedly at him, not understanding.
"How do you mean?" She asked, watching as her dark haired friend sat down heavily on her desk.
"It wasn't in her eyes." Clark explained. "She might not be in control of her powers, but she just didn't have that guilt in her eyes. She's scared; she doesn't understand what's happening to her. But I just don't think she did it."
"Okay." Chloe nodded. She wasn't convinced, but maybe she could give the benefit of the doubt for a bit longer. A bit more digging couldn't hurt, and maybe if Chloe could find out how Maddie had gotten her powers she could understand what exactly was wrong. "I'll keep digging."
"Thanks." Clark replied, smiling lightly. Just as he was about to leave Chloe called him back.
"Clark, wait." Clark turned, his blue eyes looking at her curiously. "I was wondering if you'd heard from Danny?"
"No, he's still out of contact." Clark replied carefully. Chloe nodded again, sighing heavily. She'd been thinking, and most of Clark's explanation about what had happened to Danny didn't make sense. And then there was the problem of where Danny had been when Phantom was in captivity, where Phantom was when Danny was trapped with Vlad Masters. From what she'd understood Masters' relationship with Danny was like Lex Luthor for Clark, but even there the story was lacking.
The annoying thing was that Danny wasn't here to answer her questions, and something gave her the feeling that Clark was dodging her. It felt like she was back in high school, when she was trying to figure out what Clark's secret was and he was somehow able to just explain it all away. But she already knew Danny's secret. Danny was an unusual meteor freak; prolonged exposure to the kryptonite from the meteor had imbued him with more powers than the typical meteor freak received. And he had picked up an affinity with ghosts from living in a haunted town with two Ghost Hunters as parents.
But as she watched Clark leave she couldn't escape the feeling that she was still missing something. And as much as she liked Danny, she really needed to have that proper chat with him. Chloe sighed, shaking her head. Danny would be back in his own time, and in the interim she had a hyalokinetic to research.
Line Break
Ember gasped as she watched Phantom weave easily through what had to be a complex series of blows. His current adversary, whose name she couldn't quite remember, had come so close to landing a blow that Ember was worried. But at the same time... Phantom was amazing. She would never have expected him to be able to wield a sword with sick skill. She may be a young ghost, more familiar with the age of guns and switch-blade knives, but she couldn't help but gasp in awe as Phantom deflected and rebuffed the sword of his competitor.
"It appears that your young Phantom is toying with our Sir Toren." Princess Dora commented as Phantom twirled around. It was all so strange. She had been vaguely aware that Phantom had been knighted, it was a story rumoured through the Zone. But being here, surrounded by all the medieval trappings and costume, seeing the determined confidence in Phantom's bright green eyes as he lunged with his sword; it was only to easy to believe that he was a true knight. Looking closer, Ember believed Dora was right. While the other knight blocked and defended, Phantom looked like he was dancing around his competitor, the cloak which by rights should have gotten in his way instead swirling gracefully around him and accentuating every movement as he drew out the fight.
Eventually though the knight's, Toren's, blade was thrown free of the fight, and Phantom's blade came to rest by the knight's neck as the crowd erupted into applause. "I'm surprised." Ember admitted, watching as Phantom gracefully waved before walking off the field to await his next match. "I knew he was good in a fight, I mean, I don't think he's been beaten hands on in years. But I'd never have guessed that he could look so... knightish."
The Princess laughed; her soft cultured voice like tinkling bells. "Yes he does look rather knightish. Phantom has a talent for combat, more precisely; he embodies what it means to have something to fight for. It may well be a bygone age in the Real World, but had young Danny been born in my time I have no doubt that he would have become a truly mighty warrior. In a way he was born to it, or at least he was born to us to it. I am glad that he chose to fulfil the duties of his knighthood. It proves to me his worth, and that he is walking the path he needs to be on."
Ember blinked, her eyes moving from the current match to Princess Dora, taking in her stunning blue dress and tightly woven blonde braid. In the faux sunlight of her realm her red eyes glittered joyfully, taking in the tournament contestants. But Ember was curious. "What do you mean?" She asked, watching as the Princess turned to face her.
"Young Sir Phantom is just that; he is young." The princess sighed, her eyes darting to the arena as once more Phantom stepped in. "However two years past he set himself on a path. He is not ready to know of it, it is not in the way he was brought up, nor something that he has probably ever thought about. But in singlehandedly defeating Pariah Dark, Phantom earned Dark's crown. I am truly glad that he has proven himself to be of such valour, and in embracing his title as knight I have been able to impart on him some of the knowledge and duties that he must one day adhere to. One day he will no longer be knight or hero, but our King. And I for one believe that he will be ready when that day comes."
"Wait a minute." Ember denied, shaking her head. "You're telling me that the dipstick, pain-in-the-butt to half the ghosts that have visited the Real World in the last decade, is gonna be our King!?"
"Naturally." The princess answered dismissively. "That is one of the basic rules of inheritance upon which our society is founded. In proving his dominance over Pariah Dark, Phantom took on his responsibilities. I know I am not the only one preparing him for what he will one day face as our leader, but he is not yet ready." The two of them watched as Phantom blocked and parried, concentrating far more on this match than any of the others before. Ember gazed down at him, observing every move in a new light.
"That is where people such as you come in, my Lady Ember." The Princess continued. "He is not ready for this, and I acknowledge now that he has yet to pass his third year. He is so young and he deserves some time to find himself before he takes up his responsibilities. I, as one of his teachers can only do so much, but you are his friend... you can show him happiness and compassion in a way that I cannot. While I am not your liege in any way, please at least consider this request. Phantom is not yet ready to know of his responsibility, but you can be there as a friend for him. You can remind him of his humanity, keep him kind. He needs kind people around him, and despite your differences I can see that you are good for him as he is good for you."
Ember frowned, pressing her lips tight. But a round of applause burst from the audience and Ember looked forward to watch as Phantom darted forward, twisting his silver and emerald sword around that of the orange clad knight in front of him. The swords clung together loudly before the orange knight's sword was flipped into the air, cutting a neat arc to land in Phantom's outreached hand. Beside her the Princess stood up, clapping unabashedly, but Ember just stared down into the arena.
Phantom was declared winner, beaming proudly as he looked up to meet her eyes. Ember sent him a small smile back, but dropped it when he looked away. It was almost too much to believe, Danny, the same scrawny kid who had stopped her on her world tour all that time ago, Danny, the flailing young ghost who more easily offended the ghosts than befriended them. He was meant, destined, to become king? Ember looked down, taking in the silvery hair as it flowed in the spectral wind of the tourney ground, his white cloak billowing around him. Ember smiled, he was still a kid, but if anyone had to be king, maybe it wouldn't be too bad if it was someone like him.
'Besides,' Ember mused as she watched him wave cheerfully to the crowd, standing proud and tall as his green eyes flashed in proud joy. 'At least he's a lot easier on the eyes than the last king.'
Line Break
Phantom sighed as he floated through the Zone. He had escorted Ember back to her lair, but she had been reflectively silent the whole time. Seeing that he figured that maybe she needed some time to herself. These last days had to have been taxing on her and she deserved a break. His life, even before he'd made a conscious choice, had been intense these last few years. Not that he was ungrateful for all that Ember had done, and he didn't think he could ever let go of her friendship now that he had it. But he knew that she would need some time to think on her own, to spend time with her full ghost friends.
However he also knew that he wasn't quite ready to leave the Zone yet. He may have healed enough to compete in Dora's tournament, but it was only due to the ectoplasm rich environment that that was so. That's how he came to find himself drifting aimlessly through the cool green recesses of the Zone, just observing the floating purple doors as he passed by. It was beautiful in a way that he couldn't explain. There was no doubt that it was creepy, but over time he'd been coming to think of the Zone as home nearly as much as the Real World was.
He paused in midflight; it had been what, four, five days since he'd been in the Real World? Time in the Zone was always a bit... fuzzy. It probably had something to do with the fact that it was something of an infinitely endless environment and pretty much everyone who lived in it was immortal in some form. And that wasn't a thought he was quite ready for. The last two weeks had been packed with existential questions, answers, and epiphanies, but he didn't really want to delve into his own inner mortality debate today. Instead he altered his direction slightly, deciding that it would probably be wise to go and talk to Clockwork for a while. He wasn't going to question the necessity of what had happened, but spending a bit of time with the Ghostly Guardian of Time was usually informative.
And with all the decisions he'd come to recently he felt like talking to Clockwork could at least confirm that he's made some of the right choices. He did need to confirm that Plasmius was no longer a threat and that he'd done the right thing by him. And Phantom did also need advice; he knew that he had essentially blown off an important discussion with both Clark and Chloe, and that had partially resulted in Clark playing into Vlad's plans. However, now he was faced with the possible necessity of telling Chloe his secret, and he wanted some indication as to whether his hesitance was valid or if it was just driven by lingering fear. He still didn't exactly want her to know, but she was circling closer to the truth and had proven herself to be trustworthy with Clark's secret. Perhaps Clockwork could give him some council about whether to reveal the whole truth to Chloe.
Plus visiting Clockwork came with the benefit of being able to check in on the real world without actually being there.
Line Break
Lois was nervous. She'd never really been into the whole sister thing, and Lucy had never been interested either. But hanging around with a twelve year old who had the unstable ability to shatter glad, added into the fact that she was probably guilty of manslaughter, and, yeah, Lois felt that she was justified in feeling a little anxious.
"Whoever said you had to be indoors to have fun?" Lois commented, swinging her picnic basket as she led Maddie out towards one of the fields. "The best times I've ever had were way out in the boonies, as far away from breakables as possible." Nervously she looked over her shoulder, the girl was maybe twenty feet behind her, and clearly wanted to be with Lois nearly as much as Lois wanted to be around her.
"Where's Shelby?" Maddie whined, and Lois was just glad that they were away from well, everything. Maddie was dangerous, she may not mean it, maybe, but that didn't change the fact that she was unstable.
"Oh, I have no idea." Lois answered. "I'm allergic to him, and let's just say he's not too fond of me." Lois came to the crest of a hill and decided this was far away from the house. It was a sunny day, and the breeze was blowing lightly. Focusing solely on setting up she continued rambling, hoping to find something that would at least keep the little rug-rat in a happy mood. "Here, you know what, we're gonna have a good old time. We can, uh, pick flowers, or catch bugs. Whatever floats your boat. I even packed that little picnic for us. Granted, I'm not the greatest chef in the world, but how can you screw up PB&J?"
Lois paused, hearing a far off shout of "Shelby!" She turned around and inwardly groaned, watching as the girl's denim jacketed form disappeared back through the fence and towards the barn. Annoyed, she chased after her, hoping to catch up to the little brat before she caused too much trouble. Unfortunately, by the time she'd caught up Maddie was already well inside the barn.
"You can play with the pooch when Clark gets back." Lois stated firmly, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Now turn around and we can..." Lois paused, realising that the silence of the barn had been interrupted by an eerie tremor. Lois backed off, realising how precarious her situation was. She'd never realised just how much glass was all around her until suddenly it became a deadly potential weapon. "Okay." Lois said, trying to calm the girl down. "Now why don't we both just ease on out of here before one of us gets hurt? Okay?"
"What do you mean 'gets hurt'?" Lois jerked at the sound of an unfamiliar man in the barn.
"Who are you?" She demanded, turning to face him. He was dressed in a black business suit, greying brown hair neatly cut and his hands were clutched around a clipboard.
"Frank Colbert, Child Services." He introduced, frowning disapprovingly at Lois. "What's going on here?"
Lois looked between Maddie and the man. "Okay, look." She began, unsure of how to convey exactly how much danger both of them were in. "I know this sounds crazy, but I'm trying to keep her as far away from glass as possible."
The man raised his eyebrow before turning his attention to Maddie, completely bypassing Lois. "Maddie, why don't you get in the car?" He asked, but Maddie vehemently shook her head and Lois could almost feel the tense potential in the air as those glass bottles threatened to shake again.
"No, no. Not the car." Lois blustered. She knew she hadn't explained it right, but Maddie really couldn't be anywhere near glass. And in a car, she'd be surrounded by it. "You don't understand. I am telling you, this girl, she can shatter glass just by looking at it."
Frank once more turned his attention to her, but his voice was cold and condescending. "Thank you for your concern. Maddie, I'm gonna take you back to the shelter where you can be properly taken care of." Lois bristled, irked that the man was judging her like this. But he needed to see the truth. Lois couldn't let herself be if that man got hurt because he wasn't warned. And Lois had no doubt Maddie was dangerous. She may not have intended it, but Lois was now sure that Naomi's blood was on her hands. The girl was a killer, and she wasn't about to let Maddie get away with her runaway emotions when someone could get hurt.
Lois could do nothing but watch as Maddie went up to the car, led by the dark-suited man. The girl sent her a brief pleading look as the man closed the door behind her. Lois tried to ignore the guilty squirming in her stomach, focusing instead on trying to ensure Frank's safety. "Trust me." She beseeched, ignoring his disapproving gaze. "For your own safety, the girl can't be near glass."
"I heard you the first time." He replied emotionlessly. "Will you get her belongings, please?" Lois rolled her eyes, turning away in frustration. Unfortunately there was little she could do. The man was from Child Services, and if he decided that Maddie couldn't stay then Lois had to let her go. Irritated, she started making her way over to the house, mentally preparing her next rant. But she paused, there was a soft rattle in the air, gradually building.
Lois turned, eyes widening as she realised exactly what the rattling was coming from. "Oh God." She murmured, her mind screaming. "Maddie get out of the car!" She screeched, but there was no time, and before Lois could follow what was happening the glass exploded, Maddie only just ducking between the seats for safety. Lois lost her balance, trying to turn away from the glittering shards emanating out from the car. Lois flinched; there was something wrong with her shoulder but she didn't know what.
Dazedly Lois blinked, looking up from the ground. She heard the soft tinkling as shards of glass fell down off her. She looked up dizzily, noting the appearance of another man. He wore a dark leather jacket, and his blonde hair framed his face in an almost manic way. He shoved Maddie back inside the car, and Lois could only watch as he pulled out of the driveway, speeding off into the distance. The pain was mounting, and Lois' fingers searched her shoulder trying to find the source of the pain.
As her fingers touched two deeply embedded glass shards she felt the final dizzying edges of unconscious swoop in to take her. Fingers laced in blood and heart heavy with guilt she succumbed to the dark temptation of unconsciousness.
Line Break
Phantom frowned, watching the scene as it played out. It had been hard enough to just stand by and watch when that man, Tyler McKnight had come in and abducted Maddie. He knew he couldn't interfere. Clockwork had told him that this was Clark's lesson, and one he needed to learn on his own. His arrival at Clockworks had been anticipated, and his guardian had already been observing his viewing screens when Phantom had arrived. But it didn't make it any easier to watch, not when he knew that the man from Child Services had been killed and Lois would bleed out if she were left alone for too long.
"Why can't I help them?" Phantom begged, turning to face Clockwork. "They don't deserve this, and Tyler will hurt Maddie if they're left together too long."
"I am sorry, young Phantom." Clockwork replied, a sad frown on his elderly face. "But in this case such sacrifices need to be made."
"Why?" Phantom moaned. "If I was there..."
"If you were there you would have stopped Tyler by yourself." Clockwork interrupted. "Maddie would not have been abducted and the paths of three people would be drastically altered for your interference." Clockwork turned away from the screen, his elderly form morphing into a young adult. His eyes arched in sympathy as he stared across at Phantom.
"In your time, my charge, you will find many places where the simplest course seems to be for you to interfere." Clockwork advised "However we are not gods. It is not our place to impede and alter the lives of any mortal to one of our own design. You could have saved one man's life, yes. However in doing so you would have fated Maddie to a life of fear, your cousin would not find redemption in himself, and the one who is still unknown to Maddie would be robbed of the chance to meet her last blood-tie."
"But..." Phantom murmured.
"Danny, this is the charge of my position." Clockwork explained sadly. "There are many times where I wish to interfere, to change lives for what seems to be the better. But you know that this cannot be so. Even a small change can upset the course of time. This is one of the lessons you must remember."
Phantom frowned. He'd never really thought about it before. He knew about Clockwork's policy of not interfering but he'd never really thought of why. But in a way it made sense. Clockwork was powerful. And if he chose to interfere in every unfavourable path then it was possible that many of the good things in life wouldn't happen. Or they wouldn't be as meaningful. Clockwork had directly interfered in his life, but that was the exception to the rule. And in doing so he'd been taught a valuable lesson; one which he was being subtly reminded of now. Even the smallest change, like cheating on a test, could dramatically change the way things played out.
If there was a lesson that Clark needed to learn in this, then Clockwork wouldn't let Phantom leave until it had been learned. Sighing, he turned his attention back to the rippling screen. He watched as Tyler pulled up the car at an out of the way gas-station. Phantom knew exactly where it was, and he was immediately awed by Clockwork's willpower if he could watch this, know what was happening, and still hold back from meddling in pursuit of the greater good. Phantom's eyes scanned the screen; he wanted to know what Clark's lesson was, and how leaving Maddie in the hands of someone who was clearly psychotic would help him learn it.
Maddie immediately jumped out of the car, not sparing a glance for the dark clothed man as she ran towards a payphone. Edgily she shoved a few coins in, her movements betraying her anxiousness as she picked up the handset. "Come on Clark, please pick up." She pleaded, becoming desperate as she paced in front of the phone. "Pick up, Clark, please. Come on, Clark. Clark, please, where are...?"
Suddenly the phone was grappled away from her, hastily shoved back onto the handset. "What are you doing, princess?" Tyler asked, pulling the terrified girl away from the handset. "Why are you running away from me?" Maddie squirmed in a desperate attempt to get away from the man. "Look," Tyler pleaded, holding his hand out in a sick mimicry of calmingly. "Look, I'm your dad. I'm your dad."
Maddie visibly flinched, finally pulling free of his grasp. "What!?" The terrified girl exclaimed, searching the man's face in desperate hope of deception.
"With all those years locked up," Tyler explained, crouched down to meet her at eye level."You're the only thing that kept me going. I would do anything for you."
"You killed that man." Maddie accused, her eyes widening in horror. She ignored his objections, stepping back as she realised the full extent of what he'd done, of what she'd been blamed for. "You killed Naomi! You killed my real mom, didn't you?" She shook her head in muted disbelief. "You did." Her eyes filled with hurt and anger, blue eyes pooling with unsuppressed horror and betrayal.
"Your mother didn't want me near you." Tyler explained in an attempt to placate her. "She thought I was some monster. I swear, all I wanted was for us to be together." The man paused, an unfamiliar softness in his eyes. "You like butterflies don't you?" He asked, pulling out a beautiful purple crystal butterfly. The cut glass glittered in the sunlight, dazzling in its simple beauty. "I made this for you." Tyler explained, holding the butterfly out appeasingly.
Maddie scowled at the thing, and with an angered glance broke it in half, the crystal wings severed. "It's okay." Tyler soothed. "I know this is a big change. All I wanna do is put our family back together." His hands closed around the butterfly, and when he pulled the top one away the butterfly was whole again.
"You belong to me." Tyler claimed, tugging his hand before looking edgily around. All too easily he dragged his daughter along, shoving her into a second car before pulling away. "Come on," he said, looking over at her as she struggled in her seat. "I've got a surprise for you."
The screen swirled into misty blankness and Phantom scowled. While he may accept that he wasn't allowed to interfere, he didn't like the idea of leaving the innocent young girl in this man's hands. So much of what he'd said, and how he acted, reminded Phantom of Vlad. It rubbed against him in completely the wrong way, but for now there was little he could do but watch. "What's the 'surprise'?" Phantom asked, turning to face his mentor.
"Tyler McKnight has been in the mental institution, Belle Reve, for the past twelve years." Clockwork explained evenly, shifting into his youngest form disconcertingly. "At the time of the first meteor shower he was a professional glassworker, in fact he was working on a stained glass project when it happened. Maddie has inherited her powers from her birth father, not from exposure to kryptonite. However, Tyler used his powers inappropriately and robbed a jewellery store. He was able to conceal the seven diamonds he stole in one of his designs before he was apprehended."
Clockwork turned away, moving out of the viewing room and through the hallway. Phantom followed behind, listening keenly to his guardian's explanations. "At the moment he is taking Maddie to the Talon, where the glass design has been installed. Here Maddie will face one of her first true moral dilemmas, and she will need to choose between the family that she has so desperately wanted and what is right. On this subject, I believe your visit was not merely to appropriate my viewing screens?"
Phantom nodded, realising that Clockwork had led him into the library where many of his own private lessons were taught. "I need to know, do you think I did the right thing with Plasmius?" Phantom asked, looking his guardian in the eye.
"You know that the timelines..." Clockwork began, but Phantom quickly cut him off.
"I'm not asking you as Clockwork, Guardian of Time. I'm asking you as Clockwork, my guardian. One of the few ghosts I know that I can count on both as a friend and as council. I know there will be consequences, but do you think that I did the right thing in giving Vlad a second chance like this?"
Phantom looked up, studying his guardian's face. Clockwork was always so wise, and Phantom had come to look to him as something of a grandfatherly figure. He knew he couldn't ask about how it would affect the timeline, that wasn't what he wanted to know. What he needed most was to know that he'd done the right thing by someone objective to the circumstances. Clark, Ember and even Dora were all involved in some way, and none of them would have objected if he'd been too harsh in his judgement. But Clockwork's advice was always sound.
It was a long time before Clockwork spoke, but when he did Phantom could see the warm pride in his eyes. "Yes, Danny. I believe you did make the best possible choice."
Line Break
Clark frowned, running through the streets of Metropolis, mulling over all the news he'd been given. Lois had been taken to Smallville Medical Centre, the glass removed and her shoulder stitched up. But she was going to need to wear a shoulder brace for at least a week, and the four deep incisions from the glass were going to take longer to heal. Clark felt terrible for having left Lois like that. He couldn't help but feel that if he'd been there it wouldn't have happened. Maddie would still be safe and Lois wouldn't have gotten hurt. What was worse was that she was blaming herself for what had happened to Maddie when even Clark was at a loss for how to help the young blonde now.
After that Clark had headed into Metropolis, hoping to find out if Chloe had pulled up any more leads. And she had. It sounded like Maddie's abductor was a man called Tyler McKnight; a man who was conceivable Maddie's father. He's walked out of Belle Reve a model patient, but his actions after betrayed him. Kidnapping a twelve year old girl, even if the child was his, condemned him in Clark's eyes. Adding to the fact that he was still guilty for stealing seven five carat diamonds, Clark was worried. More than that, he was 'hyalokinetic' too, according to Chloe. So Maddie's meteor powers were second generation; which only served to further condemn Tyler for abusing his daughter like this.
The only lead they had was that Chloe had managed to find out that before his arrest, Tyler had been living with his mom in Smallville. With any luck, talking to Maddie's grandmother could give him a lead on how to find Maddie. So Clark found himself speeding through the darkening streets between Metropolis and Smallville, hoping to find the right house before Tyson took off completely with Maddie. Coming to a halt he knocked on the door, waiting a minute as a kind old lady came to open it. He smiled at her and gave a brief introduction, keen not to waste any time. She introduced herself as Maria, and Clark couldn't help but see Maddie's kindness in her eyes. At hearing that Clark was looking for Tyler she let him in, guiding him through a narrow hallway and towards the basement.
"I can't believe they let my son out." The woman commented, leading Clark down into Tyler's old glass-stain workshop. "Why didn't he come and see me?"
"Probably went straight to see his daughter." Clark replied, taking his first glance at the artistic panels that still hung from the roof.
"Daughter?" Maria questioned, looking strangely at him. "Tyler doesn't have a daughter."
"Her name is Maddie and she's twelve years old." Clark said quickly, offering her a small smile.
"I have a granddaughter?" Maria pressed, clutching her chest in disbelief.
Clark nodded, but he was in a hurry. "Yes, ma'am, and it's very important that we find her. She could be in danger." Clark kept looking. He wasn't sure of what he was looking for, but he'd take any clue about where Tyler may have taken Maddie at this point. And looking about his old home had seemed like a good start. His eyes caught on a particular design. It was just a paper outline, still on the light board. But he recognised the image.
"I've seen this before, at the Talon." Clark commented, switching the light board on. It was something that Lana had pointed out, years ago. The blonde knight's eyes closed in bliss as the fair blonde maid looked up to him lovingly. The two of them locked in an 'eternal sunset', loving each other forever. It had never fitted in with the Egyptian theme, being a medieval type of design. But Lana hadn't been able to take it out while she was manager, and it had stayed there ever since.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Maria asked, her voice soft as she brushed her fingers against the design. "Tyler made it right before he was arrested." She paused briefly, sighing heavily. "I don't have the finished piece. I had to sell it after my husband passed away."
Clark creased his eyebrow, his fingers hovering suspiciously over the seven circular dots on the woman's bodice. "Those seven diamonds he stole," Clark asked. "Did they ever find them?" Unsurprisingly Maria answered in the negative, but Clark had an idea of where to look now. It wasn't long before he was speeding his way through Smallville, hoping to get to the Talon in time.
Line Break
Maddie was scared. With all that had happened today she just wanted to run away. She wanted to be back at the farm. Back with Clark, where she felt safe. But instead this man, her father had practically kidnapped her and had broken into the Talon. She was trying to be brave, but it was hard when she was scared what the man might do to her. He dragged her over towards a stained glass window. It was pretty, but with everything else going on it didn't seem important.
"I made this," The man explained, looking at the window with twisted fascination. "Right before they threw me into Belle Reve. But I always knew that I'd get out. We'd be together." He rubbed his palms together, almost eagerly. And Maddie couldn't help but stare as he held his palms out. "Watch this." He commanded, and then there was a soft snap, followed by another and another and suddenly there were seven glass shards, no, diamonds, sparkling in her father's hands. The man laughed, turning back to face her wearing a smile that made her squirm. "I hid these for you, Maddie. For us. These are the start of our new life." He held his hand out, offering them to her like he had with the butterfly. "Take them." But Maddie held back, and he waved his hand more desperately. "Go on, take them."
"No." Maddie replied, backing away. This was wrong. They shouldn't be here. The man said he was her dad, but he was scary. And his smile was far creepier than Clark's was. And everything about this was wrong. They had broken in, the diamonds weren't his. And she didn't believe he'd have hidden them if they weren't stolen in the first place. "You stole them." Maddie accused, stepping further back from the man.
"No I didn't." He defended, but Maddie didn't want to hear it.
"You stole them." She repeated. She may have been in more foster homes than she could count, but she knew right from wrong. And whatever this man claimed stealing was wrong.
"Please, take them." He begged, frowning. And Maddie was scared. But then there was a strange whooshing, like back in the barn when Clark had made the hay appear. And suddenly Clark was there.
"Let her go!" Clark demanded, and Maddie took the chance to pull away from the dark man. She ran behind a table, hiding herself from her father and the man who had been so kind to her. Suddenly there was a rumbling, and Maddie recognised that feeling in the air, the feeling that glass was about to shatter. But this time it wasn't her, it was the man, her father. The man who was in such control of his powers that he could create and destroy as he pleased, and Maddie knew it. And she was terrified that Clark was gonna be killed, like Naomi had been for getting in the way.
Maddie ducked her head, clasping her hands over her ears in a desperate attempt to block out the world. But it didn't help, and she still heard the rumbling tremor of the glass. But then there was a loud crash and a bright flash. And Maddie felt tears prickling in her eyes because she knew Clark was hurt. How could he not be? Her father was a monster and Clark got in the way.
"Maddie?" She heard, but she didn't dare to believe. That had sounded like Clark. It had sounded like Clark was okay. "It's okay." Clark called comfortingly and she smiled. She couldn't help herself.
"Clark!" Maddie whispered gladly, turning around and pulling him into a tight hug. She tucked herself into the crook of herself, squeezing her arms tightly around his warm, comforting back. She smiled as he closed his arms around her. "It's okay." He promised comfortingly. "It's okay. He'll never hurt anyone again." And Maddie felt safe, Clark's promises making her feel like nothing would ever hurt her again. For the first time in her life she felt wanted, and that was something that she'd never dared to hope for.
Happy tears pricked in her eyes as Maddie nestled into Clark's comforting shoulder. The warm man's words continuing to comfort her with the promise of safety.
Line Break
Clark came down the stairs, smiling. Today promised to be a great day, Maddie was safe, and was going to meet her grandmother tomorrow morning. Danny was due home today, it having been a week since he went into the Zone. And Clark was looking forward to introducing his cousin to Maddie. The two had a lot in common, and Clark got the feeling that Danny might be able to really encourage Maddie into embracing her powers. Danny was somehow able to do that, even if he didn't demonstrate his own powers.
So Clark was in a good mood as he came downstairs for breakfast. But he became confused when he heard a soft squeaking coming from the kitchen. "Maddie?" he asked, rounding a corner and seeing the young girl smiling as she cleaned the kitchen window. "What are you doing?"
"Clark," Maddie said, smiling as she turned to face him. And that small but confident smile made his heart feel so warm. "You saved my life. I just wanted to help out."
"Maddie?" Clark's mom called, coming into the kitchen. "Sweetie, you don't need to do that."
Maddie smiled at the both of them before saying "Don't worry. I'm used to cleaning up after myself." Clark shook his head, taking the rag off her and laying it aside.
"Well in this house, you're a guest." Clark insisted. "And guests always get a double helping of Mom's banana pancakes." Maddie smiled at him, her blue eyes sparkling mirthfully in the sunlight as she came over to the kitchen counter.
From just beside him he could hear his mom's proud whisper. "The way you are with her, your dad would be so proud." His mom walked off, shaking her head happily as she went to fetch the pancakes. Clark sent a fond smile after his mom before joining Maddie at the counter himself.
"Clark, did you ever meet your real dad?" Maddie asked with genuine curiosity.
"Sort of." Clark replied, frowning.
Maddie must have picked up on it because her next question was "Is he bad like mine?"
Clark sighed, meeting her in the eyes. "Maybe worse." Clark answered, and she looked sadly away. Clark took her petite hands in his offering her a comforting smile. "But just because he gave me life doesn't mean I'm anything like him. See, the thing is, Maddie, anyone can be a father. But it takes someone very special to be a dad." Clark paused, a warm smile on his face. He had loved his dad, and always would. Even though he was gone, Jonathan Kent still touched his life every day. "I wish you could've met the man who raised me. He was my real dad. And he would have liked you a lot."
"Clark, could I stay here with you?" Maddie asked, her blue watery eyes pleading.
"Maddie, you have a grandmother." Clark answered. "She's very excited for you to come live with her."
Maddie frowned, a hint of alarm crossing into her childish face." I don't know her," She beseeched. "I know you."
"Well, Maddie," Clark comforted, trying to calm her down. He didn't want her to panic; he wanted the girl to have a nice, fun day with them before she met her grandmother the next day. "It's just you're gonna have to give her time, to get to know her." Maddie nodded sullenly, but the orange juice jug on the table started trembling menacingly. "Maddie?" Clark interrupted himself, finally noticing the trembling of the glass jug. "Maddie, listen. Maddie, I would never let you go with anyone who's not gonna accept you for who you really are. Okay?" he paused, as she sniffled and finally met his eyes. "I promise. You're gonna be okay. I'll make sure of it. Okay." He smiled encouragingly, and was enthused when she had the courage to nod and smile back.
The two of them headed back upstairs, Clark raiding Danny's art supplies before they both headed across into his room. Maddie contented herself with drawing at Clark's desk, although he was happy to note that she was picking up a good number of coloured pencils as she worked. "Clark?" Maddie asked after a while, pausing in her drawing. "Where is Danny? It's just, you and Martha, you both speak about him, and..."
"And it seems kinda weird he's not here?" Clark finished. Maddie nodded, coming to sit at the edge of his bed. "He's still kinda new in Amity Park." Clark explained. "See, earlier this year he had to move in with us. He's my mom's nephew, and he lost a lot in a short amount of time."
"He's from Amity Park?" Maddie asked. "Is that why he drew all those ghosts?"
"Sort of." Clark answered.
"That's so cool. Do you think he knows Phantom?" Maddie pressed with a curious smile on her face. And Clark didn't have the heart to try and steer the conversation away from the subject.
"You know what? He's actually helped him." Clark answered conspirationally. "See, Danny's parents were some of Amity Park's best ghost hunters." Maddie gasped appropriately, eliciting a smile from Clark. "But Danny actually liked the ghosts. Instead of being afraid of them, he chose to make friends."
"Danny was friends with Phantom?" Maddie pressed.
"Something like that." Clark replied, smiling at the younger girl. She was so happy now, she'd opened herself up and managed to worm her way into his heart. And he wouldn't change that for the world. Looking across at the eager young girl he continued. "And when the ghosts came here, Danny was the person who was able to get Phantom to come and help us."
"That's so cool. When's he getting back?" Maddie asked.
"I'm not sure." Clark replied with a slight frown. He had hoped that Danny would be back by now, but since Danny was currently in another dimension he couldn't exactly ask to find out how far away he was. "He was gonna spend the last week of the holidays with some of his old friends, he's probably running late."
Maddie nodded once. "He's lucky." She commented. "He's got Martha, and he's got you."
"Maddie, you have me." Clark replied, brushing a stray hair out of her eyes. "No matter what. You're stuck with me, like a bad smell." Maddie smiled and laughed, Clark joining is soon after with her infectious laughter. Soon the tow of them stopped, but still smiled at each other. And Clark decided that it might be an idea to play a couple of board games. Unfortunately that mainly consisted of checkers since that was the only game he could find. And by the time it was dark Clark realised that Shelby had eaten a couple of cards from the deck in his room.
"Hey mom," Clark called, walking down into the kitchen. "We need another pack of cards." But as he stepped on the bottom landing his eyes widened. The glass panel on the kitchen door had been broken, looking as though a brick had been thrown through. But with no bricks about, and Maddie upstairs... "Maddie, stay here." Clark ordered, feeling the presence of the young girl behind him. He had a terrible suspicion that Tyler was back.
Clark raced out into the barn, hoping that he was wrong. "Mom?" He called, desperate for any sign that it was just chance that the window had broken.
"Clark!" His mom gasped just as Clark rounded a corner. His mom was pressed hard against a wooden support beam, a large glass shard glittering menacingly in the low light of the barn.
"You move a muscle, your mom gets her throat slashed." Tyler commented, cricking his neck as he stepped out of the shadows. His dark eyes were even more menacing now than they had been the previous night. "Bring me my daughter." He demanded, not even waiting a moment before he barked the order again. "Bring me my daughter! Now!"
Clark scowled. He had never cowed to intimidation before and he wasn't about to start. He sent a fiery heat blast at the shard, knocking it safely out of the way. His mom dropped to the floor, gasping for breath before fleeing to the safety of the farmhouse. Clark warily eyed Tyler, who became clearly incensed at this turn of events. Tyler cracked his neck, and suddenly every single jar or bottle or light bulb was floating eerily around him. He leered, his neck snapping upright in perfect sync with the cacophonous sound of hundreds of glass items shattering.
Clark stepped forward, confidently ignoring the torrent of glass as it surged towards him like a tidal wave. But something was wrong. He should have felt the glass touching his skin, even if it couldn't pierce the top layer. Clark froze when he realised exactly what was happening. Maddie stepped out of the shadows, one arm raised in the air as the glass gathered together in glassy icicles. Maddie turned the attack back on her father, four glittering blades of glass floating menacingly around the blonde man's head, occasionally digging and pressing against the thin layer of skin at his neck.
"Don't worry Clark. I'm not gonna let him hurt any more people." Maddie commanded, a dark look in her eye as her arm stayed motionless in the air.
"Maddie, no!" Clark beseeched. This wasn't who Maddie wanted to be. It was like Danny and Vlad, they had the same powers but they weren't the same.
"Princess," Tyler gulped, eyeing the glass warily. He was clearly afraid, realising that his daughter had taken control of his element. "What are you doing to me? Don't..." But he was forced to stop as another dagger-like icicle pressed against his neck.
"Maddie," Clark called, trying to stop her from destroying herself. It would crush her to think, after all this, that she was nothing more than a murdering monster. She deserved better than that, and Clark wasn't about to let her do that to herself. "If you kill him, you'll be just like him. You don't have to turn into your father."
"Maybe I don't have a choice." Maddie commented, her expressive blue eyes darkening with a shade of cruelty that stabbed at Clark's heart.
"Maddie," Clark pressed. "Just because you're his child does not mean that you're destined to follow in his footsteps."
"But I don't want him to hurt any more people." Maddie insisted, taking a step towards her father. In the air the glass trembled, awaiting her command to kill.
"I won't." Tyler gasped. "I promise. I made a mistake, Maddie."
"Maddie, your father has already destroyed his life. Don't destroy yours." Clark persevered, hoping he could just get through to her.
The glass dug further into Tyler's neck, drawing a thin line of blood that ran down the blonde man's neck. "Maddie, I promise, I won't..."
Clark continued over the top of Tyler's begging promises. Anything Tyler said now could only anger her, but Maddie was so much better than that. "You have too much to offer this world." Clark said, and he saw the precise moment that he got through to her. Her whole body sagged, her arm dropping to her side. The glass icicles collapsed, falling to the ground in a shower of glassy dust.
"I'm sorry Clark." Maddie murmured, tears in her eyes as she turned to face him.
Clark smiled proudly as he knelt down. He pulled Maddie into a tight hug. "It's okay." He whispered. "It's over now." And the two of them stood hugging, ignoring the other man in the room. He didn't matter now. All that mattered to Clark was this brave little girl. She had overcome her own fear, and he was so very proud of her. He squeezed tighter, feeling her squeeze back. "It's okay."
Eventually Maddie pulled back, nodding at Clark. Carefully avoiding the pool of glass he led the little girl back into the house. She settled down with a cup of hot chocolate in front of the fire and Clark watched her as he heard the sheriff come and go. It was his mom who gave the statement, and this time Tyler was going to be apprehended for good. Maddie smiled at him again, and Clark couldn't conceal his own grin as the young girl emitted a tired yawn. He picked her up, slinging an arm around his shoulder as he carried her up the stairs for bed.
Clark pulled the blankets up around her, tucking her in. He smiled at the innocent softness her face relaxed into in sleep. Looking over at the young girl fondly he switched out the light, whispering a quiet "goodnight" to her as he shut the door. Still smiling he made his way into his own room, looking around as he settled into bed himself. It had been a long couple of days, but seeing Maddie like that made it all worthwhile.
And in a way he was proud of himself. After what had happened with Danny he had sincerely doubted in his own sense of judgement. But with Maddie it was so different. She was a little girl who had been pushed around by the world, but Clark felt he'd been able to bring her out of herself. She seemed more confident, and her smiles were so light and genuine that every single one made Clark grin inside. And she was speaking; her delightful voice, which she had been afraid to use for nine years, was being embraced. And Clark was glad to have been some small part in that. To know that she had come into herself with him right there beside her.
Clark smiled as he switched his own light off. Maybe Clark himself had needed to meet Maddie. She had given him back some of his confidence, helped him feel like he wasn't the worst thing that could possibly be in people's lives. It was hard to be unique in this world, whether it was because of special powers or not. And helping Maddie prove herself had reminded Clark of why he tried to good in the first place. It was worth it, no matter what the personal cost, to help people; even if it was for something as small as a smile. The fact that Maddie was smiling at all was delight enough, and Clark drifted off to sleep with a completely guiltless conscience for the first time in over a week.
When the sun rose the next day he found he was the last to rise. Maddie and his mom were already downstairs eating breakfast, Maddie adding a thick layer of syrup to her pancakes. Clark beamed at her as he took the seat beside the young girl, and his mom shook her head affectionately at the sight of the two of them beside each other. Maddie had dressed herself in a pink coat, the hot pink jacket looking both artistic and warm all at the same time. Her golden hair was pinned back with two little butterfly clips, framing her soft little face beautifully.
He was slightly saddened when he heard a car pull up, and Maddie looked up at him with watery blue eyes. His mom went out to greet Maria, and Clark helped Maddie pack up the last of her things. Heading out the door he laid a hand gently on her back. "Go ahead Maddie." He encouraged when she seemed to hold back. "There's nothing to be scared about."
Maddie turned around just as the door closed behind them. "Yes there is." She whispered sadly. "You won't be with me. I'll have no one to talk to."
"That's not true." Clark replied, shaking his head as he knelt down beside the young girl to meet her in the eyes. "Maddie, your grandmother can't wait to talk to you. She wants to hear every word you have to say." Both of them looked out across the porch to the driveway where his mom and Maria were chatting amicably.
"What about my powers?" Maddie beseeched. "What if I can't control them?"
Clark smiled, laying a hand encouragingly on her shoulder. "But you can, Maddie. I've seen you. Just like you did in the barn, remember?" he paused, frowning for a moment before meeting her eyes with a soft smile. "But I'll tell you what. If you ever feel like you're gonna lose control, all you have to do is pick up the phone. You call me, I'll be right there to talk you through it, okay?" he promised, and it was one that he'd all too happily keep.
"I already miss you, Clark." Maddie whispered, her voice wavering as she smiled and gave him a tight hug.
Clark smiled gently back, meeting the girl in the eyes. "I miss you too. Your grandmother's waiting for you. She's gonna take good care of you." He encouraged, but was still slightly saddened as Maddie's hand pulled away from his. She turned away, jumping down two of the stairs before she turned back around.
"I almost forgot." Maddie said, pulling a piece of paper out of her sketchbook. Clark curiously unfolded it, blinking as he realised what he was seeing. It was his silly little stick figure, a goofy gesture to try and get Maddie to open up. But she'd added to it. It was the farm; the red barn sitting beneath a sunshiny rainbow. And his mom was there, holding a plate of muffins in front of a field of sunflowers, Shelby running by her legs. But what really touched his heart was the little blonde haired girl, smiling and holding hands with his little stick figure self. Clark couldn't help his delighted smile, and he watched as Maddie jumped down the stairs before running over to meet her grandmother.
Clark stood on; watching proudly as Maddie gracefully accepted a hug and a welcoming present from the elderly lady.
"You did a good job, Clark." Danny commented, the younger boy coming to stand beside him with a smile on his face. Somehow Clark wasn't surprised at his sudden appearance or the fact that he seemed to know what was going on with Maddie. "You should be proud."
Clark smiled back at him, his attention still on the blossoming relationship between Maddie and her Grandmother. Clark sent an inquiring look at his cousin, but Danny shook his head. "For now I'm invisible to anyone but you. Today is your day, Clark. And you need to go see Maddie off."
Clark nodded, heading down the porch steps just as Maddie hopped into the car. He came to stand by his mom, the two of them side by side on the driveway as the car pulled away. But Clark didn't miss the last smile that Maddie sent him, or the happy wave goodbye that she mouthed through the car glass as it drove down the driveway. His mom and he stood there smiling in the sunlight for a minute, content in their own company as Shelby raced around their feet.
And as they turned to head into the house he could have sworn he saw a proud smile in Danny's young face. So Clark couldn't help but feel warm inside. He had met a wonderful little girl, and his cousin was finally home. With a warm smile on his lips, Clark closed the front door behind him; ready to face anything once more.
AN: Sorry for the late update. I just couldn't get this one to come together. But it is long, so I hope that goes towards making up for it. Plus, it's still Saturday here... Just... :/
Okay, well hopefully that was a bit lighter than the last three. I'll admit that this is very different to how I imagined the episode when I originally conceived the series, but this is where the boys were up to.
As for Danny/Ember, I wanted to, I was so close to it, but Danny isn't ready for that yet. Plus he's still clueless. And he views both Chloe and Ember in similar ways. Plus, it would be unsporting if I just gave it to her while Ember has the monopoly. No?
To fool;- sorry if the last chapter was confuzzling. What happened was that Danny released a whole onslaught of pure electrical energy which immediately integrated into the electrical wiring of the house. In doing so he created a power surge that blew all the fuses in the house, but it didn't actually hit Vlad because the electricity had elsewhere to go. Danny was left in his ghost form, but as soon as he came to, Vlad slammed on the neutralising cuffs, thus forcing Danny back to human against his body's demands. I hope that makes it clearer.
Anyway, thanks to all for reading and I sincerely hope you enjoyed this paltry offering. I won't often have Danny and Clark on separate plotlines, but in this case it was necessary. Danny needed to recover and Clark needed his confidence back. Nothing like a twelve year old girl with watery doe-eyes to do that for Clark. :)
Fare thee well,
Bluerose
