Chapter 3

Danny started descending, turning invisible as Fenton Works grew closer. He gave a quick check around the neighborhood and was about to dive straight through the ops center when he noticed his mom, dressed suspiciously in jeans and a flowery button up with a sun hat, carrying a plate of cookies outside and onto the ill-used picnic table in the back yard. He shifted slightly and landed just outside the back door as the lights split to reveal Fenton standing on the back steps. "Mom?" Danny asked, not used to seeing her in anything but her jumpsuit.

Maddie turned with a hand on the large umbrella crank and smiled at him. "Is everything alright?" Maddie asked, turning back to open up the large umbrella. "I wasn't sure where in Willow you were."

"The Box Ghost was terrorizing some movers," Danny threw off, stepping over to the picnic table. He took a seat and added, "I gave them your card in case he comes back."

"Thank you," Maddie said, resting her hands against the graying wood table. She looked at him and informed, "Jazz said she wanted to join us, but I said only if you wanted."

"Sure," Danny said, the butterflies returning as he shoved his hands between his legs.

"You're not in trouble," Maddie said, the start of a smile appearing on her face only for it to freeze. "You've been fearing this since the accident, haven't you?"

"Can you blame him?" Jazz defended as she stepped out of the back door, balancing three glasses with straws already inserted in her arms. "You and Dad threatened him almost every day." She shut the door behind herself and repositioned the drinks as she asked, "Danny, did you want me to help?"

"You're not too busy packing?" Danny asked, forcing a smile as he kept his hands where they were.

"I need a break," Jazz admitted. She stopped beside the table and sat the first drink down. Sitting the other two in front of the person she already knew they went to, she stayed standing, waiting for Danny's answer.

Danny silently scooted himself down the bench seat, releasing his hands to grab his spicy milkshake to slide it down with him.

Jazz took her seat beside Danny and started sipping at her chocolate-looking milkshake, eyeing their mother.

Danny gave his drink a sip, surprised how well the flavors mixed on his tongue. He looked up at Maddie, silently hoping she'd take a seat.

Maddie held her elbows, her arms across her stomach, as she took a breath. She dropped her arms and took the seat across from her children. Looking at Danny she said, "Danny, I'm sorry-"

"Mom," Danny started, not wanting her to feel bad.

"No, please," Maddie interrupted, wrapping her hands around her milkshake glass. She kept her eyes down on the drink as she added, "I need to say this." She looked up and focused on Danny, getting him to drop his hands back below the table. He pressed his palms into his thighs, the rough wood of the seat poking at his knuckles as he forced himself to listen to his mother's words. "I'm sorry," she started up again. "For the past few months, I've blamed myself. Even before I knew, right after your accident, I blamed myself. Our obsession with ghosts hurt you, and I fear I'll never truly know the extent." She took a breath, Danny desperately wanting to end her mental suffering but held his tongue. "I'm sorry, and if you can forgive me, I'd like to do what I can help."

"Mom," Danny started, trying to figure out how best to word what he wanted to say. A smile appeared on his face as he admitted, "Sure, I've been afraid of you, but I never kept a grudge against you or Dad." As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he should've left out the being afraid part.

"Then let me apologize for making you scared of us," Maddie tried. She lowered her eyes as she added, "A parent should never put terror in their kids the way we have."

Danny let his mind flash back almost two years ago, remembering before they held a grudge against his ghost half and just threatened any ghost they got their hands on. His mind shifted to the first time his mother had shot at him, though he knew he had shot at her first thinking she was overshadowed. Forcing himself back to the present he looked back to her eyes and offered, "It's alright, Mom. I'm just glad you're not mad."

"If I had been in your shoes, I'd be scared to tell my parents too," Maddie admitted.

Danny leaned forward, taking a sip of his milkshake without moving his hands. He knew how he was sitting was childish, but in a weird way it felt comforting as he waited for where his mother's conversation was going to turn.

"Now, can you tell me about the things I missed?" Maddie asked, pleading in her purple eyes. "I've tried to piece a few things together, but I know I'm missing a lot."

"I guess you want us to start from the beginning, huh?" Danny said, giving a look towards his sister.

"Eighties beginning or two years ago beginning?" Jazz asked.

"Crud, I wasn't even thinking about that," Danny realized, sure he and Jazz were thinking of two different events in the eighties. He looked back at Maddie and said, "I was there, when Vlad got the initial outbreak of ecto-acne."

"What?" Maddie exclaimed. "How?"

"Oh right," Jazz mumbled, taking a sip of her drink. "Danny, maybe start with two years ago." She rested her head on her propped up hand and added, "Especially if you plan on telling her about the alternate timelines."

Danny remembered back to the alternate timeline he still hadn't told anyone about. Letting his mouth replay two years' worth of lies and untangling the truths he hid there, he debated about telling them what Sam and Tucker still didn't know. He kept them informed on the other things that happened when they weren't around, but he couldn't convince himself to tell them about what had been erased from their minds. By the time he got to Dani's second appearance in his life, a part of his mind registered she hadn't asked one question. Jazz had only added a word here or there, putting in her perspective.

Once he finished explaining what had happened during the Disasteroid, he pulled out a hand and grabbed a cookie. He almost shoved it completely in his mouth as he worried about what all might be running through her brain.

Maddie sat with her elbows propped on the table, her fingers together under her chin, lost in thought for a moment. She took a breath and simply said, "You skipped a few things."

"I haven't even told Sam and Tucker the things I skipped," Danny admitted.

"You were there, when Vlad got the ecto-acne?" Maddie said, sounding more like she was processing the information.

"Invisible by the ceiling," Danny admitted.

"And Clockwork let you," Maddie realized.

"He wanted to prove not all events should be changed, I believe," Jazz offered.

"So you know about when Clockwork saved him?" Maddie asked, looking at her daughter.

"Not fully," Jazz admitted, giving a look to Danny.

"She knows most of it," Danny said, looking down at his drink to avoid their eyes. "Right after, I had some nightmares." He tilted his head to look up at his sister and added with a small smile, "Nice to have a budding psychiatrist as a sister."

Silently Jazz reached over and wrapped her arm around his shoulder to give him a short side-hug. Once she released him, Danny looked back up at his mom. He shoved his hand back under his thigh, squeezing his shoulders up as he waited for the next question.

"How long did you know about the red Huntress?" Maddie asked. "Valerie."

"How do you know about that?" Danny asked, dropping his shoulders as his back straightened.

"Damon told me shortly after he found out," Maddie admitted.

"Pretty much right after she got the first suit," Danny admitted, slouching again. "Sam recognized her voice."

"But you dated her at the beginning of the year," Maddie pointed out.

"Surprised you noticed," Danny said without thinking. "Dad didn't."

"Your father means well, but he's clueless about a lot of things," Maddie defended. "It's why he's not here. He didn't feel all of us needed to talk."

"He's given me the same accepting speech twice now," Danny pointed out. "Guess I never expected more." He took a sip and went back to her curiosity. "But yeah, I knew, but she didn't learn about me until you did. Only a few days ago did we even talk."

"It's a lot to learn the ghost you have been hunting was the same boy you dated," Jazz offered.

"She said she'd got to Floody Waters with us Saturday," Danny informed, turning to Jazz with a smile. "The offer's still there for you, too."

"It'd be good for you to have some fun," Maddie offered. "We've only got the one device left on the list to work on."

"I've been thinking about it," Jazz admitted.

"If you come, then it'll be all of the Ghost Getters," Danny said with a laugh.

Maddie let out a snort through her nose before saying, "That sounds like something your father came up with."

"We are our parent's kids," Danny said, smiling at his mom. "We can't give anything a good name but we're smart and hunt ghosts."

Maddie's eyes caught his attention, getting his smile to fade a bit before she said, "Danny, I'm proud of you.'

Danny felt his shoulders hunching even more, unsure what to do or say about the praise.

"I know a lot has changed in the last few months, a lot to get used to," Maddie continued with a forced smile on her face. "But we're family and more so, I love you. Both of you."

Danny forced his shoulders down and looked back at her. "Love you too, Mom."

AN: his parents mean well, and after learning about the truth, I feel like there would be a growing period – growing pains included. Maddie and Jack need to accept the fact that their son is not only part ghost (which I feel might be the easiest part to accept) but also accept that he's a better ghost hunter than they are. They have to figure out where in Danny's ghost hunting they belong and maybe even taking a back seat to support class when needed. But then again Danny needs to get more used to his parents fighting alongside him. He needs to start trusting his mom at least can hold her own.