Jack beamed at his newest invention. Maddie had finished up the final soldering last night and insisted that he at least wait until the morning before testing it.

He wasn't the best at being patient, but he did his best. He waited until the kids were up before running into the lab to fetch it. It was like Christmas morning finally having it in his hands.

"Is that new?" His son asked, eyeing the fresh invention.

"You betcha!" Jack loved it whenever anyone showed interest in his work, but it was ten-fold when it came to his children.

"So what does it do?"

"Glad you asked!" Jack held up the device, it was around the size of the Fenton Finder and its design lay somewhere between a handgun and a taser, but its use was purely for research. "This baby uses a high current of ectoplasmic electricity to stun a ghost into submission."

"So a ghost taser?" Jazz asked with a skeptical brow raise. "I thought you were working on non-lethal tech."

"Now Jazzy-pants, you can't kill something that's already dead. Besides, its main purpose is to get them to divulge their obsession."

In an act of, admittedly, carelessness, Jack accidentally pulled the trigger.

He of course wasn't aiming it at anyone. He knew better than that, but the metallic kitchen table wasn't any better.

Jazz was safely at the kitchen counter, having just put a box of cereal away when Jack had entered the room, Jack was still standing, and Maddie was sleeping in this morning.

Danny on the other hand, was at the table, where his poor table manners betrayed him. As the current made its way to the connection point of his elbow his arm jerked forward and slammed down hard against the metal of the table. The spoon in his other hand was being held in the tightest of death grips.

Jack was horrified by the rigid form of his son but then was taken aback when he started to speak.

"I… I…" he stammered through the convulsions, "need to… n-need…" He winced before squeaking out, "help."

Jack fumbled with his device trying to remember if there was an off switch or not.

"Space." He heaved through labored breaths, "W-want to. N-need t-to."

The machine ran its course and he went limp, collapsing out of the chair in a heap.

Jazz rushed to his aid, carefully propping him up on her knees and lightly brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Hey Little Brother, can you hear me? You okay?"

Danny's eyes fluttered open. His words came out in a slurred soup, "Well that sure was a shocking turn of events."

"Danny no." Jazz sighed. "Now really isn't the best time for puns."

"You know me. Everybody's favorite joking cope-ster."

"I think you said that wrong." Jazz gave her dad a worried look.

Jack set down his invention and carefully picked up his son. "I'm so sorry."

"It's k." Danny's voice came out in more of a slur than Jack would have liked. If he hadn't been a witness, he would have thought he was drunk.

He hadn't noticed the slight tremors that occasionally ran through his son's lithe frame until he held him. "Let's lay you down somewhere more comfortable."

"M'kay," Danny agreed, resting his head against his father's shoulder.

Cradling the boy in his arms was an incredibly easy task. He must be ninety pounds soaking wet. "Geez, how are you so light? You got a hollow leg or something?" Jack teased, figuring it would be easier on Danny to keep things light.

Danny smiled sleepily, "Nah, just a secret half. Uses up a bunch of my energy, but it's cool. We have a symbiotic relationship."

"Well, that's a new one." Jack chuckled. At least Danny was aware enough to be creative.

Jazz had followed them up the stairs and squeezed past to open Danny's door. Jack tucked him into bed and gently pried the spoon from Danny's grip. "I'll clean up the kitchen and let your mother know, can you stay with him?"

"Of course." Jazz smiled sympathetically, "it's okay dad, it was an accident."

He nodded knowing it was true.

It didn't stop the guilt.