A/N: sorry for the delay folks, I've been working a lot lately and then my keyboard died on me ;; but I'm back now with a bit of a slow chapter as a rest from all the recent excitement. Musings on people's relationships with Alex. Enjoy my lovely reviewers.
"I'll tell you what though, when I find that Danny Phantom, I'm gonna rip him apart, molecule by molecule."
Danny Fenton, though presently in the form of Danny Phantom hovered invisibly in the air in the corner of Alex's room, he hadn't even meant to fly through there, he was so on his way to get back those ghosts that made him hurt his Alex that he hadn't been paying attention.
Alex's harsh words rang in his head, she had rarely sounded so much like his father before; he remembered the days of when he had to hide his ghost powers from his father. He remembered the deceit and the fear of being caught. Did Alex feel that way around him? And would she still feel the same about destroying him if she knew that Danny Phantom was really Danny Fenton?
He shook his head, he hadn't ever planned to bring up the topic of his ghostly-ness with Alex, as par Sam's instructions. For a moment he could almost feel Sam at his side, would she want him to go to these lengths to keep these things a secret from their daughter? She said that they'd cross this ghost bridge when they came to it, together, but she was no longer here and to be honest he knew that he was floundering. But Sam had always been the smarter one, he hated to admit it, and he wasn't stupid by any means but Sam had always been sharper and quicker on the uptake. Something that Alex had inherited from her. What if Alex ever discovered him, it wasn't hard, his ghost name was hardly a stretch to his real name. And he had known that if Alex has spent more time investigating the matter she would have realized; the moment when she explained his own accident to him through sheer guesswork had frightened him.
He looked down at Alex from his invisible hiding spot, all venom was gone in her voice and she was laughing and joking with Aaron happily again. His face softened, he knew Alex was the same age as he was when he got his powers, older now actually with her just turning fifteen, but she seemed far too young, far too innocent for all of this. And it hit him, he was worried that his daughter, his only daughter and his only connection left to Sam, for her family had deserted him the moment Sam was parted from him, and he was scared, terrified of her reaction to him. It was like telling his parents his secret all over again. Except worse, however much you love your parents it never compares to the love a parent feels for their child, the one that they saw born, the one that they cradled in the first moments of their life. If Alex were to hate him when or if she found out… well… it didn't bear thinking about.
Danny growled as his mind fell upon those who had forced this situation upon him, those ghosts, Stalker, Technus, Desiree, Walker, Ember… what a fool he had been to trust them. His fist clenched and he flew off to his original destination, to beat the crap out of a few evil ghosts.
"So I'll bring you back some science stuff for your to get your brain around then." Aaron nodded.
"Yeah, I'm sure I'll go out of my mind here all day with nothing to do, but they're insisting on keeping me here for 'observation'. I hate hospitals." Alex sighed.
"Kay, want me to bring you back your boy?" Aaron teased knowing that this comment would get a rise out of her.
"He's not my boy!" Alex scolded him, Aaron laughed anyway until his eye caught on something. His eyes fell to the small blue sun pendant resting lightly in the hollow between Alex's collarbones, it was almost hidden by her sling, perhaps why he hadn't noticed it sooner. His fingers lifted it off of her chest for further inspection.
"What's this? You're not normally one for jewellery." Aaron remarked curiously as he eyed his childhood friend with a little knowing suspicion.
"I… Max gave it to me." Alex blushed squirming slightly.
"Oooh. And what was the occasion for such a gift?" Aaron probed as eloquently as ever.
"I… my birthday, yesterday. He stopped by in the morning." Alex said quietly.
"Your birthday?" Aaron remarked genuinely surprised, he had known long ago never to mention or even attempt to celebrate her birthday. Even the teachers and other students at school said nothing when the day came each year, they all knew of Sam's death and how cruel it was to say anything to her.
"And you accepted? That's unlike you." Aaron said softly knowing that this could be thin ice.
"I know… I just, I haven't had a birthday in so long. And he surprised me, he honestly didn't know why I don't celebrate them. It was so sweet that I couldn't say no, I tried but, well…" Alex trailed off.
"About damn time, I've got lots of birthday catching up to do with you for all these years." Aaron grinned.
"Heh, I guess so. I've no idea who told him though, surely anyone who told him would have warned him that I'm somewhat…" Alex searched for the word.
"Angry? Violent? Hostile?" Aaron offered, Alex glowered at him.
"Sensitive, on my birthday. Who would be so cruel to him and me to set him up for that I wonder?" Alex asked not expecting an answer as she stroked the pendant absentmindedly.
"Yes. I wonder." Aaron agreed slightly coldly as the image of Josh swam into his mind, surely he wouldn't risk being that cruel to Alex just to get one over on Max…. could he? He had seemed out of sorts since the other boy showed up, apparently fearing for his non-existent claim on the dark haired girl in question. If that were the case Aaron might have to have a slightly intimidating talk with him, he was very protective over Alex, and as much as he liked Josh, Alex came first, they had only known him since high school after all. And despite his usual gentle nature to people, he'd be perfectly willing to turn anyone into mincemeat for hurting or attempting to hurt Alex.
He remembered when they were kids the day that Sam had died, Alex barely talked for a while and lost all of her other childhood friends but him. Even when she refused to talk to anyone he stuck at her side and when she eventually came around they had a new bond. He had seen her and supported her through her worst moments, he always had her back and although their relationship was always platonic, Alex being practically a sister to him, he loved her deeply, fiercely and protectively as family. They might not have the same blood or the same parents, but it didn't matter. Even when he followed in his father's footsteps and joined the football team and thus becoming a star he still kept Alex close, she may be a science kid like her family but that didn't matter. Socially they should have been worlds apart but he stayed by her side and her by his.
It had taken him time for him to allow Josh close to Alex and to be fair he was still somewhat defensive around him, but as long as Alex enjoyed his company he would do nothing to stop him. But this… well… if Josh had set Alex up for potential tears just to get at Max, well… that was something that he would not stand. But who was to say Max was any better? He barely knew him, he seemed nice, genuine, and cared for Alex evidently; but was that enough? Was it even his call who could be trusted around Alex?
"Aaron?" Alex asked poking him, Aaron snapped from his internal musings to look at her.
"Sorry?" He murmured shaking himself out of it.
"You kinda spaced out on me there." She giggled.
"Yeah, sorry. Anyway I gotta go, some of us have school." He teased carefully hugging her to avoid hurting her.
"Meanie!" She called after him laughing. Aaron stalked down the hallway of the hospital to leave for school, he was definitely going to be getting to the bottom of things today and someone would pay for it.
