*Sips on fictional characters tears like it's the best thing since sliced bread* mmmm yes t e a r s

Personally I dislike fics where Jack is portrayed as abusive since he's much more of a cinnamon roll despite hating ghosts. But that's just my opinion anyways.

Also Vlad's in for a treat lmaoo

--

While Danny had been out clearing his head from the sudden revelation, Jack had gotten down to the lab after a trip to the kitchen in search for fudge.

Jack didn't like what he saw when he entered the lab. Right before the lab computer was his dear wife, bent on her knees, letting out ugly sobs. The man scanned the room in search for his son who had gotten in the lab earlier with his mother.

"Mads?" The man's voice echoed across the lab. His wife was still focused on her crying.

The large man inched closer to his crying wife and knelt down beside her, pulling his wife in an embrace.

His wife had been crying and his son had gone missing. Maybe that's why Maddie had been crying, something had happened to Danny. The lab had remained silent for the next few minutes to come.

Maddie looked at Jack then back to the floor as Jack still embraced her. "I-I'm sorry Jack..."

Jack gave out a confused look in response to his wife's apology. "What are you saying, Mads?" His voice had been a mixture of anxiety and confusion.

Tears remained to spill out of his wife's eyes as she glanced at the computer screen.

Jack followed his wife's actions and narrowed his eyes at the sudden revelation. He let go of the embrace on his wife and looked back at the computer screen. Only one thing at his mind.

"Where's dann-o?"

"He said he needed some space..." Maddie replied flatly before letting out another sob.

"I-is he okay?" Jack asked.Based from Danny's disappearance, it was clear Danny had not been okay. Jack himself couldn't imagine to be at Danny's position, the unimaginable pain it must have brought upon the poor boy.

"I don't know..." Maddie had stopped sobbing, the two of them listened to each other's breaths. Jack didn't know how long but it felt like forever.

"It...it was when we were running out of money and resources. I only did what I thought of doing..." Maddie explained causing Jack to grimace a little.

Jack clearly didn't know how to react, wether he should be mad at her or not. His stomach stirred at the revelation that Danny wasn't his. This was too much to stomach for him.

"I-I'm so sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry."

"...I-It's okay, you did what you could..." Jack put on a tired smile as he picked himself up from the floor.

"Care for some water?" Jack offered his hand to his wife, gesturing her to grab it as she did and he picked her up.

The both of them left the lab and Jack went for the kitchen to get Maddie a glass of water. Maddie had been sitted at the living room.

When Jack had entered the living room, glass of water in hand, he could feel his heart shatter at the sight before him.

He couldn't stand seeing his wife like this, eyes reddened from all the crying and her hand massaging her head. She hadn't even stopped crying.

"Here." Jack offered her the glass of water as he plopped himself down beside her. Jack watched his wife reluctantly gulp down the glass of water.

"I...I failed you...I failed Danny...I'm a bad mother." Jack hushed his wife and pulled her into another embrace.

"I-I'm a bad mother...A bad wife...A failure.."

"I'm sure Danny-boy would understand, he's a nice kid, Mads." Jack reassured.

"I'm not so sure about that." Maddie choked out, placing the empty glass of water down on the coffee table in front of them.

"It'll be fine, I promise... "

The couple then shot up from their position and their gaze was met with Danny's who had just unlocked the front door, an agitated expression clearly written across his face.

--

Behind the door was his parents' muffled exchange of words.

"I'm sure Danny-boy would understand, he's a nice kid, Mads." Danny could hear Jack's reassuring words to his mother from behind the door as Danny pressed his ears against the door to listen to the conversation.

"I'm not so sure about that." He heard Maddie choke out. His mother's voice had been shaky.

"It'll be fine, I promise... " Jack had known as well. And had surprisingly taken it well. (Not really much of a surprise considering that Jack had been a nice man, himself) At least Jack's reaction had been ruled out from Danny's list of worries now.

After having unlocked the door to his home, Danny's gaze met that of his parents who were huddled at the couch together, his mother still crying and his father-no, Jack comforting her with an embrace.

"Mom?" Danny tensed, the couple remained silent as Danny slowly proceeded to enter to building.

Maddie let herself relax as Jack continued to embrace her. "I...I think I owe you both an explanation... from the very beginning." Maddie shut her eyes tight, letting out a huge sigh, Danny stopped in his tracks to listen to his mother's explanation and Jack only blinked in response.

"We...we were runing short on money at the time...I-I had no choice...just a short exchange..." Maddie hiccuped, Jack gave her an understanding look. Danny only bit his lip, tears still visible at the corner of his eyes.

"It was when...when no one wanted to fund me and Jack's research, we've been fired recently, We couldn't afford to raise Jazz on our own and I didn't want to let go of her. We were out of jobs for the market and none of our families would offer support...So I...I did what I thought I had too..." Danny kept his eyes on the couple before him. "I...went to Vlad for support...it was supposed to be secret...nothing was supposed to come out of it..."

"V-man's the father?" Jack's mouth had been agape. Now Jack really didn't what to feel, first Danny hadn't been his, now Vlad who was supposed to be his best friend was the father? But then again, Vlad had been a big help to the family after that. Nevertheless, Jack was still confused on what to feel about this. This whole revelation had been nerve-wracking for the family and they weren't sure how Jazz would take it either once she gets home from the library.

"I...I understand." Danny paused. "Does Vlad know?" He gulped as he watched his mother wipe away her tears and Jack let go of his embrace with her.

"I-I'll call Vlad..." Maddie sighed as her husband stayed silent.

"I'll be at my room if you need me..." Danny softly whispered and exchanged a few looks with his mother before she wentlooking for the family phone as Danny trailed off to his room. Jack had tailed after Danny, seeking to comfort the younger boy.

After such an eventful day for Vlad, he was finally happy to be finally home at last. The day had started out fairly normal where he had finally gotten back to Amity Park after a short business trip in Florida. After that, there were a lot of paperwork on City Hall that had to be dealt with after his absence as mayor.

When He'd finally given up, he went out to clear his head at his favorite spot to do so in Amity Park, He wasn't expecting Daniel to be at the same spot, though.

The boy seemed so troubled and clearly needed comfort.

Vlad hadn't expected the boy to hug him though or partially tell him what had been bothering him.

No matter, he'll find out what was going on with Danny and his father through his spy cams anyway.

Vlad had gotten himself comfortable, wearing his favorite robe and holding a hot cup of tea on his hands.

Before he could turn on the television to do some illegal spying on the Fentons, the phone had suddenly rung.

Vlad had let out an irritated groan as he hesitantly grabbed the phone. On one hand, he could ignore the phone call that was probably from one of his business partners (he could just send a text explaining he had been busy anyways) and continue to do his favorite hobby, spying on the Fentons. Or he could answer the phone call and avoid future complaints and be seen as a much more competent business partner.

He chose the latter. Nonetheless, he could just spy on the Fenton's later anyways.

Taking a sip of his tea, he let out an agitated sigh and started to speak "Vlad Masters speaking."

He narrowed his eyes to the voice of the caller. It was Maddie's.

Maddie was calling him and he couldn't shake off the feeling it had something to do with whatever was troubling Daniel.

He simply assumed that something had happened to Jack and that the Fentons were finally coming to him for comfort. The thought alone caused him to grin wide enough to reveal a pair of canines.

"Why Madeline my dear, what seems to be the problem?" Vlad continued to take a sip of his tea with a wide grin still plastered on his face as the voice on the other end of the line spoke.

As the voice progressed to speak the more the grin on his face faltered, taking another sip of his tea as Maddie continued to speak, his expression was that of a shocked man.

Vlad swore he would've choked on his tea if he hadn't spit it out.

"What?!"