It's a rather nice feeling...having a family.

Chapter Thirty Seven - Family

::

"You know, I haven't seen you in your ghost form lately." Danny looked up from where he was sketching Valerie, who was giving him a curious, and somewhat worried, look. "I mean, I know Paulina and Wes are determined, but not that determined."

"Y-Yeah, I guess." Giving a shrug, the teen went back to sketching, lasting three seconds under the glare he was given. "I've just been tired lately, is all. It takes energy to switch between forms, you know!" At the dignified huff he gave, Valerie rolled her eyes. "I don't see what the big deal is, it's not like Phantom is needed right now, I mean, the ghosts are all getting along...mostly."

"What do you mean by 'mostly'?" In answer, Danny flipped to another picture in his sketchbook, flipping it around to show Valerie. "Nice use of devil horns."

"Come on, you can't tell me Vlad doesn't deserve devil horns," Danny argued, flipping the book back to where he had been working on Valerie's picture. "His hair might as well be devil horns, the way it's styled."

"Does nothing to explain the mounds of skulls and bones I saw in the background."

"Aesthetic," Danny smiled, gently smearing the pencil marks around the hair, doing his best to add the wild look it so often possessed. "On the flip side, though, I've seen the Red Huntress around town quite a bit. Can't stay out of the skies?"

"It is rather difficult," Valerie mused, glancing at the front of the room where the teacher was asleep. "I don't know, just feels better being in the air. Plus it's great for soothing my thoughts, you know?"

"Don't I ever," Danny snorted, adding a holster slung around the girl's hip, ecto pistol in her hands and charging up. "Like as long as you're in the air, nothing bad can really happen, right?" At the nod, he gave a smile. "Yeah...it's a good feeling."

"Then why haven't you been flying lately?" Danny shrugged, adding a few finishing touches, and then gently blowing away eraser shavings and graphite flakes. "Guy like you? You seem like someone who couldn't stay out of the air no matter what."

"Yeah… Guess I've just been busy, lately." Busy trying to change, and finding it harder and harder. Whether going from ghost to human, or human to ghost, each change took his breath, and left him shivering for minutes at a time, pain wracking through his body. He'd rather not think behind the reasons, either. "I'll be fine, Val."

"You sure?" Pausing at the question, Danny gave a quiet laugh, sound more broken than it should have been.

"No...not really."

::

"Yo, petit mec!" Randy watched in amusement as the teen jumped from where he had been drawing on his bed, glasses slipping off, eyes green, and hands building up with energy. "Relax, it's just your brother-in-law!"

"You know, Andrew and I aren't married yet," Danny muttered, ghostly energy leaving him as he looked at the smoking remains of his pencil, sighing and tossing it aside. "Dare I ask why you're here, and, is it an answer I'm going to regret hearing?"

"I'm just here to collect you!" Danny blinked as he was suddenly picked up by the back of his jacket, Randy phasing them down to the basement. It wasn't until they were in the Ghost Zone that he was struggling to get free, past events finally catching up with him.

"What the hell are you doing?! Kidnapping me?!"

"Sort of kind of," Randy shrugged, looking unbothered at the the struggling teenager in his grasp. "Come on, don't you own a calendar? It's Thanksgiving!"

"...And?" At the look, Danny gave as best a shrug as he could. "Dude, we don't really do Thanksgiving. It's just another day, as far as I'm concerned." Not like his parents ever came out of the lab long enough to sit and eat with them, anyways.

"Luckily, I'm pushy, and your sister is a genius!" With that, Danny yelped as he was dropped out of the air, blinking in confusion as Andrew easily caught him.

"Didn't I ask you to be careful when getting him?" At his brother's shrug, Andrew gave a sigh. "Vous êtes une catastrophe." Danny, slightly disorientated, glanced around, surprised to see that they were heading into the Clock Citadel.

"Um...what just happened?"

"Kidnapping!" Danny blinked as Elle suddenly appeared in front of him, Andrew finally setting him down as the girl tackled him. "Thanksgiving kidnapping, actually. Fun, right?"

"...No. Not really," Danny muttered, glaring up at Randy, who gave a cheery wave. "I thought you were in New York?"

"I was, but Jazzy and Daddy decided to come get me for Thanksgiving," Elle smiled, in her human form as well, as she started pulling Danny along by his hand. "And, well, you know. Free food. How could I say no to that? Besides, Daddy said he'd put me back where they found me after it was over."

"Fair enough, I suppose," Danny laughed, nose twitching at all the smells he was starting to notice. "Please tell me Jazz didn't help cook."

"No, she didn't," Andrew chuckled, throwing a knife at Randy as he passed by, the older brother easily plucking it out of the air and tossing it back, Andrew catching it with practiced ease. "She tried, but Clockwork kept distracting her while Randy and I cooked everything."

"Hopefully their cooking is better than Jazzy's," Elle grinned, Danny patting her head in amusement, small chuckle escaping him.

"After eating Andrew's food for months, I can say with certainty that his food is definitely better than hers. Not sure about Randy, though."

"I'm a better cook," Randy grinned, dodging the knife thrown at him. Danny was by now getting used to his mate randomly throwing knives at his brother, Randy often throwing them back to him. "He just doesn't like to admit it."

"You burned down the church we were hiding in because you tried to fix yourself something to eat," Andrew muttered, looking at Danny, who was biting his lip in order to not laugh. "What?"

"You were called the Priest of Death...and you burnt down a church. I just. I am amused." Not much more conversation was had, since they were then dragged into one of the spare rooms, large meal laid out that reminded Danny of something he might see in a movie, or in a book. "I...am impressed."

It was halfway through the meal that he realized he had a family again. He didn't mean Sam, Tucker, Valerie, who were the best friends he had ever had and in a category all their own, but an actual family. It was a novel feeling, one that he did his best to tuck away into his memories. It was something he didn't want to forget, not ever.

::

"Complain one more time. See what happens."

"But Saaaam. This is so booorring!" Danny whined, rather impressively, as he trudged after his friend. Sam, on her part, only jerked the teen's coat hood over his head, hoping it would shut him up. "Oh, come on! Why do you need me to help you Christmas shop, anyways? You know how bad I am at this stuff!"

"The only places you go are your house, and Ghostwriter's. Someone had to drag you out." Danny huffed, crossing his arms and turning his head. Considering his hood was still up, that meant he tripped over a trash can and fell to the ground in a rather spectacular display of clumsiness. "Now that? That was amusing."

"You're mean, Sammy," Danny groaned, trying not to show just how badly his back hurt with that fall. The pain had been getting worse, but sometimes he forgot just how bad it was. "Just leave me here. Go on without me!"

"Yeah, no. You need to help carry everything." With that, Danny blinked, confused as he saw ceiling passing in front of him. Tilting his head back, he saw Sam had grabbed his arm and began pulling him through the store, jacket sliding across the polished linoleum rather nicely. "Lucky for me you are very tiny, and I am very strong."

"I cannot argue with this," Danny nodded, happy to be pulled around, well, until it ended him ramming head first into a column, Sam snickering from above. "Nice, Sammy. Nice." Pulling himself up, he kept up his complaints. "But, I mean, come on. It's only the first week of December! Why do we have to shop now?!"

"Alright, what are you getting everyone for Christmas?" At the blank look, she gave a sigh. "You don't know, do you?" A shrug and she had to resist the urge to bang her head, or his, against something. "Why don't you use today as a chance to get things for everyone?"

"Because I'm a terrible gift giver?" Danny suggested, staring back at Sam with one of his own flat looks. "Your last birthday, I got you nail polish."

"...It was black, at least." Sam patted the teen's back at the hopeless groan he gave. "Well, just, alright. What do you think Tucker wants most right now?"

"I don't know," Danny shrugged. "Probably that new version of Doom he's been eyeing forever- That and the cheat codes for it."

"See? Just get him the game, then! You said you've been saving up all your money from the music store, right?" At the nod, she smiled. "There, see? Problem solved. I'll take care of the cheat codes, though. Might put them in one of those unlocking puzzles, though, just to see him panic a little."

"That is cruel, and I approve," Danny grinned, following Sam into a shop that looked like something the girl's parents would go into. "Shopping for your parents?"

"I have to at least make an effort," Sam snorted, shuddering as she headed to the floral and pastels section of the store. "I won't ask what you'll get me, since that'll spoil it-" The teen paused to cough, Danny raising an eyebrow at the not so subtle hint of her coughing out what she did want. "-but, what about Val?"

"Hm...she needs a new ecto pistol, her old one broke. I can rifle through the lab for something, maybe upgrade it a little- I can also give her that old pair of goggles I used to use, the ones that sense ghost signatures? Not like I need them, anymore."

"See? You got this! Here's a toughie, though, what are you getting that mate of yours?" At the silence, she looked back, sighing at the broken expression. "You have no idea, do you?"

"Of course I don't! I have nothing! I mean, what would he even want?! Like, I can't top what I gave him for his birthday, or what he gave me for mine! How am I ever supposed to-" Stopping in his tracks, he let out a bright grin, one that made him look even younger. "Sammy, I just had the best idea ever!"

"Uh, okay- Hey! Where are you going?!" The teen was already around the corner, Sam shielding her eyes at the flash of bright light she saw. "Danny!"

"Sorry, Sammy! Have to visit Technus!" Shaking her head, Sam went back to shopping, absently wondering what Danny would need from Technus. Andrew wasn't exactly the most tech savvy. In fact, the only thing he really used was his laptop and- Oh… Oh.

Danny might just be a genius after all.

::

"I'm not exactly complaining...but why are half your clothes missing?"

"The lions," Danny hissed in ghostspeak, Andrew only watching his mate peek around the edge of the bookshelf he had found him behind, looking for said stone beasts. "They decided it would be funny if they took my shirt and jacket!"

"You can at least be thankful the scarf was left," Andrew pointed out, smiling at Danny's glare. It was hardly his fault if the teen was so adorable, besides, this way he was able to see just how many bites and bruises the teen had. He had to say, he was rather proud of his work. "How did they get your clothing off of you?"

"I don't know! I was with Technus-"

"You're speaking ghost, mon cher."

"Huh- Oh. Oh. Sorry, was irritated. Um, anyways, one second I was with Technus, right? Next second something explodes and I get oil and everything on myself! So I phased what I could off the jacket and scarf, but the shirt was pretty much burned away by the fires, so I came here to change. Then Mufasa grabbed my jacket when I took it off, and Sasha grabbed the new shirt out of my hands! They're evil, I tell you! Evil!"

"Mm. Did you check the gardens?" Seeing the pause, Ghostwriter laughed, nudging the teen towards the very direction he suggested. "Come on, they're probably there and enjoying playing with their new toys."

"Yeah, yeah. Just wait until I find them, those little- Wait. Don't you usually walk beside me?" Glancing back, Danny blushed at the wicked smirk he was given.

"I do, yes. For now, however, I'd rather like to enjoy the view."

"You...I don't have words." Luckily, the lions were indeed in the garden, as well as in possession of his missing clothing. It took only fifteen minutes to get it back from them, and another half hour to actually get the clothing on. What could he say, though?

He was easily distracted.

::

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up." Danny paced around the gardens, movements erratic, as his hands covered his head, eyes wide as he kept jumping at each noise he heard. The pain was hard enough to deal with, but the voices. Snatches of conversations, words he didn't understand, and glimpses of things he could never hope to make sense of.

If the pain wasn't killing him, the nightly attacks certainly were. It was all he could do to avoid the others during his attacks, not wanting to let them know just how bad it was. He was starting to regret that decision, though, because the thought of curling up in someone's lap, and have them lie and say everything would be okay, would be great right about now.

"Danny? What are you doing out here?" Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.

"Oh, you know, just looking at the stars," Danny chuckled, giving a vague gesture to the glass dome, which showed an image of what the human skies would look like. "Couldn't sleep, I guess. Decided to just wander around and ended up here, heh."

"Mm, strange, since you usually sleep rather well." Shit. Just how bad did he look? He hoped the bags under his eyes weren't noticeable. Or the lines. Or the neverending fear and terror in his eyes. He really hoped that wasn't noticeable.

"Yeah, says the one who sleeps like the actual dead," Danny snorted, arms behind his back, and nails digging into whatever skin he could reach. Keep it together, Danny. No need to worry your mate with your supposed insanity and descent into death. Nope. No need at all. "Weren't you working on your super secret project that you won't tell me about, though?"

"We've been over this, mon cher, it's hardly fair to let you see your Christmas present early." Danny only grinned, just barely hearing the words over the ones that kept screaming and pounding in his head. If he could just get through the next ten minutes. Just reassure Andrew, find an excuse to escape, crawl back into the deepest part of Vidya he could find, and then never leave. "Are you sure you're alright? Vidya says she can't hear you…"

"Hm? Really? Weird, maybe it's just where I don't really think, huh?" Danny joked, absently scratching the back of his head. Louder, louder, louder, louder, louder, louder, they were getting so much louder.

"Amusing, but no. She should be able to hear at least the baseline of your thoughts, but it's like...you're not here." Danny jerked back when Andrew lifted his hand, regretting the action at the confused and hurt look on his mate's face. "Danny…"

"I- It's nothing. I just-" Why was everything so loud?! It hurt. And Andrew was getting closer, and there was a tree blocking him, and he couldn't feel his powers anymore, and- "I just-" The lightest touch of fingers on his cheek, Danny's eyes widening in shock as everything...went silent.

"Danny...you're starting to worry me." No more voices. No more pain. Just...silence. "Are you sure you're alright? Really?" There was nothing in his head but his own thoughts, and Vidya's soothing notes.

"I'm...fine, mon ange." Letting out a sigh of relief, Danny smiled, clasping both his hands around Andrew's, and smiling a bit more brightly. "Just fine." After Christmas. After Christmas he would tell Andrew what was happening to him.

If he lasted that long…

There can be a lot of comfort in taking refuge next to a loved one.