Fun fact - I actually wrote this at 1:30am. My brain needed to get this out... so much for correcting my sleep schedule. Please check out "Out of Time" if you haven't. It's one of the best things I've written and you can see here our Fenton family go from these littel stories.

MATW

Set near the end of "Making the Grade" (between the shield coming down and Danny emailing the GiW).

It was 1:30am.

Maddie paced up and down the hallway, desperately trying anything to get to sleep. It had been a week since they found out Danny's secret; saying it was an adjustment was an understatement.

Her own son had been fighting ghosts for almost a year. Basically a year really. Lying to her for a year. Scared of her for a year.

Half-dead for a year.

"Oomph."

She stopped midstride outside of Danny's door, frowning at the muffled noise coming from her son's bedroom. She raised a hand to knock, biting her lip and paused, listening for another sign that he was awake. When she heard a pained gasp, she unfroze. "Danny?" she called softly, knocking.

"Just a second!"

Maddie's frown deepened, turning the knob at his strained voice. She pushed the door open gently, peering into the dimly lit room. She couldn't stop her startled gasp or her wide eyes as she set eyes on the only light source.

Phantom sat against Danny's bed, first aid kit thrown across the floor as he bandaged his arm one handed.

Not Phantom - Danny. Danny was bleeding. She had seen enough of his ectoplasm in the last week. Guilt bubbled up in her chest as that thought crossed her mind.

The boy in question scuttled backward, eyes wide in terror at the figure in the doorway. "Maddie," he stuttered, a flash of panic dancing across his face. "I - this isn't what it looks like."

Maddie flinched slightly as he addressed her by name, walking to him slowly as if approaching an injured animal.

"I swear, Maddie I -"

"Mom," she corrected swiftly, crouching in front of him. He stopped, shoulders tense, mouth hanging open and eyes impossibly wide. Maddie stared into his green, concerned indigo boring deep. "Danny we know, remember?"

Danny blinked, swallowing slightly. "Right." He looked away, ashamed as he attempted to wrap the bandage around his arm.

"Let me." Gentle hands moved quickly, assessing the injury as she worked. Three deep gashes along his forearm. Once she was finished, she sat back, hand hovering slightly over the torn fabric of his jumpsuit as millions of questions flew across her mind.

"Skulker," Danny supplied reluctantly. Her eyes found his. "Lucky shot."

"Your arm begs to differ," she retorted with a raised eyebrow.

He scoffed. "I'll be fine," he said, aura shining brighter as he sat up. Maddie noticed some of the tension easing away from his body. "I dodged one of his missiles and went straight into his gauntlet - managed a few good shots in before I got him." He patted the battered Fenton Thermos beside him with a proud smile.

"Danny," she admonished. "You're hurt."

The smile widened. "I'll be okay," he said. "It'll be gone by morning. You won't even notice -" realizing what he was about to say, he stopped. The smile dropped from his face, mouth clamping shut in horror at the double meaning.

You won't even notice it's there.

This wasn't the first time he's come home this injured in the middle of the night. It won't be the last time either.

It was the first time she noticed.

They stared at each other, neither one wanting to break the silence. Danny broke away first; he let out a long breath before a ring of light appeared at his waist.

"Wait."

The word was out of her mouth faster than she thought to say it. Danny's head whipped up as the light disappeared. Maddie pushed the first aid kit out of the way and sat beside her son. She pulled him close, ignoring how the coolness of his skin gave her goosebumps and brought his head to her shoulder.

"What -"

She shushed him, placing a kiss on the top of his hair. "You told us you heal faster as a ghost," she said quietly. "Let your arm heal."

They stayed like that for some time, both content at each other's presence. She felt him relax in her hold, breathing deeply as he got used to it.

Used to a hug; her heart ached at the sadness of it.

"Danny?"

"Yeah?" he answered, bristling slightly.

She smiled into his hair. "Wake me next time."

He let out a breathy chuckle that sounded suspiciously like a sob. "Okay Mom."