It was silent in the kitchen. The only noise was the sizzling of the pan and the occasional clicking of silverware from Maddie and Jazz making the lunch. After a good 5 more minutes of cooking, breakfast was ready. Jazz got out the plates and silverware while Maddie poured some orange juice for everyone. Both setting up the table while Danny served the four plates. Making sure that his father got his fill. Five pieces of bacon, three toast, and lots of scrambled eggs. Then moving to his mother and sister's seat. Two bacon, a piece of toast and some eggs. After making sure they got enough, he turns to his plate. One piece of bacon, a slice of toast, and barely any eggs. Danny knew everyone else had more but he wasn't complaining. At least he even got food at all.
Danny sat down in his usual seat, to his right was his fathers, his left was his moms and directly in front of him was Jazz's seat. His mom and sister sat down with him. No one touched their food as they waited for Jack. It wouldn't be a family breakfast if he was here as well, after all. It only took a few moments before they heard and felt Jack bounding down the stairs. Everyone's muscles ceased up and the atmosphere became thick with tension.
Jack came through the archway mere seconds later dressed up in his usual obnoxiously orange hazmat suit, he looks over the table and see's his wife as she politely folded her hands and gives him a smile. Jazz looks at her food and Danny looks at his lap. Everything is how its supposed to be. Jack strides towards his seat and sits. Picking up his fork he begins to eat, starting with his bacon. Everyone shortly follows suit. Breakfast was quiet as usual.
Jazz was the first to finish, "May I be excused?" She cues in without looking her father directly in the eye.
"Go ahead," Jack grumbles still chewing on a piece of toast. She gets up, taking her plate with her and sets it in the sink, then proceeds to walk back upstairs. Danny was the second to finish but he didn't make any indication he was going to leave. Instead, he looked down and played with the hem of his black long sleeve shirt.
Maddie was last to finish. Silently standing she takes Danny's plate and set them both in the sink. "Hon, would you like to-" Before she could finish, her husband abruptly shouts.
"Ugh! Who the hell made this? It's fucking disgusting!" Jack stands and storms over to Maddie. She tenses as he steps closer. "What the hell did you put in this? It tastes like rubber!"
"Sweetie I-I..." Maddie begins to tremble visibly.
"Don't sweetie me! If you can't make proper food without burning it, what the hell are you good for besides cleaning and getting me a beer?" Spit going darting out of his mouth and hits Maddie right in the face but she makes no move to wipe off.
Her eyes are wide with fear and panic. "Honey... I-I'm sorry, I... I just-" Maddie's breathing stops as she mentally kicks herself. You not supposed to apologize or make excuses.
Jack gets a look in his eyes and raises his hand to slap her. But before his open hand can land on its target, the scrape of a chair fills the kitchen for a split second and Danny suddenly stands in front of his mother. The slap comes down hard on Danny's left cheek, where he already has a bruise from ghost hunting, making him stumble a bit, spit flying out of his own mouth.
"Danny!" Maddie grabs hold of her baby boy but Danny keeps her at arm's length. "Danny please..."
"I made breakfast." Danny breathes. He stands in front of his mother, even though his knees are about to give. "After you told me to wake Jazz and Mom up, I came downstairs and made breakfast." It was an excuse filled with lies through Jacks eyes but it was the truth. "If anyone should be hit... it's me." He stares directly into his father's eyes.
"Are you defying me boy?" Jack glares down at his son, who shrinks back a tiny amount but still stands tall.
"...No, Sir."
"Then why are you making excuses!" He slaps Danny's other cheek before he grabs him by the hair. Yanking him up off the ground and causing Danny's neck to stick out uncomfortably. "You know the rules, you brat! No excuses! Now hand over your phone!" Jack sticks his hand out expectantly. It takes a minute but Danny reluctantly gives his father his phone.
Still holding Danny up by his hair, Jack lifts his hand to meet Danny's gaze. Danny's face pales as his father crushes his phone with one hand. Jack shoves Danny to the ground and throws his phone at him. "Clean up this mess before you leave," Jack spits. He turns to leave and before he passes the door, without turning around he speaks again, "And get me a beer." Leaving the mother and son alone. He walks to the living room, flops on the couch and turns on the tv.
Back in the kitchen, Maddie is helping her son, "Danny... you really shouldn't have done that. I can handle my own. You need to look out for yourself more. Please... I-I don't want to see you get hurt like this." She gently runs her hand through his hair as he slightly leans on her to help him stand.
"I'm okay mom. I made breakfast and he was gonna punish whoever burnt it... You don't need to have him hit you for my mistake. And I know you can handle your own... but I can't just stand by and let him do that to you." Danny reaches over to the broom and sweeps up his shattered phone into the dustpan. "If it makes you feel any better I'll let you help make dinner." Danny knew his mother always loved to cook. She used to cook all the time before his father turned abusive. It all started after he defeated his evil self. Clockwork told him by changing the course of time he opened up a new rift in reality and that the previous river of time broke off into another river of different actions and reactions creating new people and causing some events to not happen at all. Some points in peoples life change completely, and one of those points was his fathers' behavior. Before his father was a loveable goofball. Always had something to say, even if it was always about ghosts. He would blabber on and on about his passion. He cared for his family. He loved his family.
Now, Jack Fenton was an old, fat, drunk. He hates all of us. Danny especially. He used to only ever went to the bar on a special occasion, then it was a few times a month, then almost every week, then that turned into a few times a week. Now it's almost every day he goes. He gets pissed at the smallest things. Mostly Danny's fault. He yells and screams, he curses a lot, he even gets physical quite a bit. He's gone as far as choking Danny until he passes out after he threw a chair at his back causing him to fall and bang his head on the ground. His mother wouldn't let him go to school for a long time after that. Claiming to the Principal that he came down with a serious illness and because of this "illness" he fell down the stairs and broke his leg. Again his dads' fault. Danny went to Clockwork the very first time his dad hit him. He yelled at him asking why my father who was a big goofball just hit him. His only answer was "I am sorry, but because of your actions to change your own future, you have hereby changed your fathers as well. There is nothing I can do." Yes, Danny tried to argue but even he could understand his point. He caused my own father to become a horrible man.
"Sweetie..." Maddie calls to her son bringing him out of his thoughts. Danny looks at her and saw the sadness and guilt for his fathers' actions-his actions.
"Danny if you..." Maddie absolutely hates it when Danny pushes himself like this. He's only a boy! He shouldn't have to deal with being hurt almost every day, dressing his mother, keeping every step silent, or terrified about coming home! He should be worried about girls, puberty, having friends and doing well in school! Even during the times that Jack seems to return to his old self Danny always puts others before him. The house gets lighter and it's just like old times. Danny and Jazz, more from Jazz's side, will have a genuine smile. But the very second, something or someone inside or outside the family makes Jack even the tiniest bit upset. It's straight back to being in hell, with Jack drinking away his sorry ass. Its back to Danny being her and Jazz's protector, taking his hits so they don't have too. It sickens Maddie that Jack would ever do this. Breathing softly, Maddie stares back at her son. His face is covered in bruises and cuts. She can clearly see the new bruising under the makeup he applied. She continues to pet her son lightly, stroking his head into a nice coaxing relaxation. "If you'd like you can stay home from school today. We can go out into town and get a few things. I'll even get you your favorite ice cream."
Danny shakes his head, lifting it up to meet his mothers gaze, "I'm alright mom. Besides, I already missed too many days of school to stay home another one," Though the offer was incredibly tempting, even with Jack being home for a little longer today. Danny turns to the clock on the stove. It reads 7:32 AM. They had to be at school at 13 minutes or they would be late. "I'll go get Jazz, and will head off to school. But the moment Dad leaves I want you to leave as well. And don't come home until I get back. Alright? I don't want Dad getting angry and doing something to you." Danny hugs his mother before he turns to the fridge. He grabs a tall cold Budweiser. Walking into the living room he hands his dad the alcoholic drink. Danny leaves the moment the beer is out of his hand, jogging upstairs and down the hall, he gets to his sisters' room.
Danny knocks on her door. Hearing a faint 'come in' he opens the door and cast his eyes downward. "Hey, Jazz... It's time to go to school. We'll be late if we don't leave now..."
Jazz sits up, grabs her phone, keys, and backpack before heading out the door. "Go get your things and meet me outside, okay little brother?" She smiles lightly at him even though his head is downcasted and can't see her.
"Alright, I'll meet you outside." Danny backs out of the room and heads for his, which was only a few doors down. He opens his door to his plain room. A bed, desk, and his closet. He had a skateboard, which leaned against the desk next to his backpack. The only thing up on his wall was a flyer for NASA summer camp that came and went the previous summer. He never got the chance to go because his father had beaten him pretty hard the day before the bus left for the trip. Drowning the memory to the deepest part of his mind, Danny strolled over to his desk. He grabbed his backpack and skateboard leaning against it, then reached up to grab his phone. Danny momentarily shutdown as he recalled that his phone was now a pile of broken circuitry, metal, and glass in the trash can. He slowly took his hand back and it fell limp at his side. Danny looked at his shoes, eyes glossed over as he remembered the look of utter hatred in his father's eyes. His neck and scalp were still aching from the painful angel he was held by from his hair.
Danny shook his head and rubbed his eyes as they began to water. "Breathe Danny, breathe," He mumbled this over and over like a mantra. It took time but Danny's breathing returned to normal. A big and heavy sigh left his mouth as he turned to his bedroom door. Suddenly Danny's breath caught in his throat as he watches his father pass his bedroom door. Seemingly oblivious to his presence. Danny stood for maybe a minute more before he felt it was safe enough to bolt on the door. Quickly he ran out of his room, down the stairs and to the front door. His mother had been waiting for him at the front door. Danny slows his steps and reaches his mother. She hands him his lunch for today and quickly kisses his forehead. "Thanks, Mom."
"You're welcome, sweetie. Have a nice day at school and remember that I love you, alright?" Maddie constantly felt the need to remind her son of that. She was afraid that if she never said it enough he would lose all hope and en- Maddie quickly puts a stop to those thoughts for they only brought on pain and heartache for the mother. She could never bear to lose a child that way. It would be too much for her already frail heart.
"I know Mom. I love you too." Danny wraps his arms around his mother, quickly adding, "More than you'll ever know." Lifting his head up he gives her a quick mini smile and walks out the door. The second the door is closed his smile fades and he walks to Jazz's car. He slams the door shut and buckles his seatbelt.
"You ready?" Jazz asks looking at her brother with her psychologistic eyes.
"No... " He flashes her a quick grin, letting a mischievous glint enter his eyes, "But when am I ever ready?"
"Touche." She gives a light laugh and starts the car.
