Melinoe finally wrestled Rusty off herself and wiped her cheek dry with a chuckle. Melinoe's laughs slowed and eventually Melinoe was sitting quietly on the couch, frowning to herself as she replayed the strange conversation Tucker and Danny had in front of her before disappearing down to the basement for a private talk. Melinoe didn't know Danny, but she did know Tucker. Tucker had babysat her whenever her mother had been busy all her life. Tucker was more than her mother's best friend; he was like an uncle to her. And she had recognised the man's suspicion and gentle prodding for what it truly was, recognising it from when he had pried into her mother's or even her own troubles.
Melinoe leant back, rubbing her dog absentmindedly beside her as she thought. The more she thought, the less she could make sense of Danny Fenton's motives. She understood that he was friends with Tucker and that it had been Tucker who asked Danny to help her, but she didn't understand why a person like Danny could help her. He couldn't keep a job. He didn't even have a bedroom. True he was the son of ghost hunters, but that didn't mean that Danny was the best equipped to protect her. Danny had dated her mother. Melinoe scowled as she recalled that her mother and Danny broke up sixteen years ago. Melinoe shook her head as a thought tried to worm its way into her mind.
Instead she got up and decided to get some answers. She was done being kept in the dark. She crept to the basement door and opened it a crack, whispering for Rusty to be quiet as she put her ear to the crack.
"-Talking about. Dude, I know. You don't have to keep lying to me about Mel," Tucker's voice drifted up from the workshop. Melinoe sighed to herself in relief. The men hadn't walked deep into the basement where their voices wouldn't have carried up the stairs.
"What about Mel?" Danny's voice retorted. Melinoe frowned to herself. She agreed, what could Danny be lying to Tucker about her for. She hardly knew the guy. That thought from earlier tried to make itself know in her mind again, but she shoved it back down. It wasn't possible.
"I know she's your daughter Danny," Tucker's voice announced.
Melinoe gasped in shock, pulling her ear away from the crack for a split second before she rushed back to the crack, fearing she'd miss Danny's reply.
"So, you do know," Tucker's voice continued. Melinoe scowled at the wood in front of her unseeingly.
"Of course, I know. Did you really think Sam wouldn't have told me? How do you know?" Danny's voice confirmed. Melinoe's green eyes flooded with unshed tears. All her life she had wondered who her father was. She had formulated her own theories on why he left. From childish beliefs that her father had been someone important and she was some kind of princess or something, but her parents wanted her to have a normal life. Later she feared that a ghost took her father or that he was involved in a terrible accident and had died. But she soon realised that her mother wouldn't have hidden his identity if that had been the case. Until finally she realised that her father just hadn't wanted anything to do with her, leaving her mother when he learnt that they were having a baby and Sam had been too hurt to dwell on the man. Danny's words that morning had given her hope when he suggested that maybe her father never knew about her. But the hope his reassurances had built was now in ashes.
"Does it matter? Why are you lying to her? Mel knows that you were with Sam. She's wondered her whole life who her father was. Why haven't you been there for her?" Tucker's voice challenged and Melinoe hauled herself out of her swirling thoughts.
"Tucker, how do you know Mel's my daughter?" Danny's voice pressed and Melinoe pulled away from the crack, shaking her head. Tucker had known. All these years when she begged him for answers, he had lied to her and told her that he didn't know who her father was. She stumbled to her feet as her tears spilled out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She had fantasised as a little girl about meeting her father. That he'd tell her he loved her and that he hadn't wanted to be apart from her but now they could be a family. She had dreamt of him scooping her up into a warm hug, kissing her mother and being there for her from then on. Melinoe choked down a sob. She had never dreamt that she had already met her father on a stormy night in the winter. That she would sit down with her parents for a family dinner of pizza and then for a movie and not even know it. Danny lived in Amity Park. Why hadn't she ever been told the truth?
Melinoe sniffed, wiped pointlessly at her flowing tears before she glanced back at the basement door. She scowled at the wood angrily before she marched into the living room and grabbed Rusty's leash.
"We're leaving Rusty. We're gonna find mom by ourselves," Melinoe growled and clipped the lead on the dog's collar. Rusty wagged his tail at her and trotted with her to the front door. Melinoe paused for a moment before she opened the door and stepped out, carelessly pulling the door behind her, thinking that it would slam shut. She then picked a direction and began to walk. She didn't know where she was going to go. All she knew was that she didn't want to be anywhere near the man who had ignored her for her whole life.
She glared at the pavement ahead of her, ignoring anyone who had to side-step her. She yanked Rusty onwards whenever he tried to stop and sniff anything on the ground. Why had her mother hidden that Danny Fenton was her father? She had thought that it was because of who her father was or that her mother couldn't bear to recall the man's name. But when they met up when she was seven, they had been friendly. She did recall that her mother had to encourage Danny to get into the car, she practically force-fed the man some pizza. She hadn't noticed back then, but Danny had been nervous, like he didn't know how to act around a little girl. Melinoe gritted her teeth, swiping away another tear as she realised that Danny hadn't been nervous of how to act around a seven-year-old, he was nervous of how to act around his seven-year-old. Why hadn't they told her then!?
Why had Danny disappeared from her and her mother's life again after that night? She had expected to see the man again. Even wondered if the man would attend her birthday party as he mentioned it. But after a while, Danny Fenton became a half-forgotten memory until the day before when Tucker called the man to his house to help him protect Melinoe. Amity park wasn't a big town. How had Danny avoided her and Sam all these years, especially since Melinoe's small family was close to Tucker. If Danny was still in contact with Tucker, shouldn't they have come across each other again through the inventor? Why hadn't Tucker ever mentioned Danny to her mother, even just conversationally?
Melinoe blinked as she realised that Danny had a sister. If Danny was her father, that made Jazz her aunt, and Jazz's husband and unborn child would be Melinoe's uncle and cousin, respectively. Melinoe had paternal grandparents she had never even met. Madeline and Jack Fenton were her grandparents, as well as Pamela and Jeremy Manson. If Tucker knew who her father was, did other people know? Who else had been lying to her? Did her maternal grandparents know? Did Danny's family know? Melinoe shook her head. She didn't know who to trust anymore. Suddenly her arm was yanked back, and she turned to find that Rusty had gotten himself tangled around a streetlight. She huffed in annoyance, but she stopped her angry march down the street and turned back to her dog. She carefully untangled the lead around the streetlight, somehow the dog had walked around the pole twice without her noticing.
"Mel!? Mel!?" a man's voice shouted fearfully and Melinoe glanced down the street to see Danny Fenton frantically searching the street, even pulling people to one side and asking if they saw her. Melinoe scowled when one passer-by nodded and pointed directly at her. Danny threw a quick thanks over his shoulder before he sprinted to her. Melinoe glowered at the man before she turned back to the leash and tried to untangle it faster and run away but Rusty spotted the man first and pulled on the lead, making it even harder to untangle. The dog barked happily as Danny reached them. Danny pushed the dog down and turned worriedly to Melinoe.
"Mel, why did you leave the house?" Danny demanded breathlessly.
"Because I don't want your help anymore," Melinoe hissed, finally releasing her dog's lead from the streetlight and pulled for Rusty to follow her. The dog stumbled after his owner as she stormed down the street again. Danny blinked at her back before rushing after her.
"Wait Mel. It's not safe for you to be out here alone," Danny called.
"I'm not alone. I have Rusty," Melinoe retorted stiffly. Danny reached her side, easily keeping up with the teenaged girl despite her hurried long strides.
"Rusty can't protect you from a ghost Mel," Danny pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"But you can?" Melinoe challenged with a scoff. Danny scowled at her before stepping in front of her, forcing her to stop and face him.
"Yes. I can. You have to believe me Mel. I only want to keep you safe," Danny replied, his voice strong and unwavering. Melinoe frowned and tried to side-step the man but he stopped her by simply stepping back into her path.
"So now you care about me?" Melinoe spat, giving up on running away from the man for the moment.
"You did overhear us then," Danny mumbled. Melinoe scowled at him.
"Yeah. I know the truth. You're my father," Melinoe confirmed. Danny huffed out a stressed breath before nodding.
"I know you're upset, and you want answers, and I'll give them to you, but not here. We have to go back to Tucker's," Danny reasoned. Danny rested a gentle hand on her shoulder which she furiously shrugged off.
"I want nothing to do with you," Melinoe hissed.
"Well, tough. I am your father and I'm your best chance at finding Sam," Danny decided, frowning firmly at her. Melinoe glared at him before huffing and turned on her heel and trudged back towards Tucker's house. Danny trailed along beside her, sweeping nervous eyes around them.
"Could you ring Tucker and let him know we're on our way back to his?" Danny requested after half a block of walking in silence.
"Can't you," Melinoe growled. Danny glanced at her before awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck and shook his head.
"I'm kinda… out of credit," he admitted with a weak smile. Melinoe rolled her eyes and slipped her phone out of her pocket and tapped on Tucker's number. A few seconds later Tucker answered the phone.
"Mel!? Where are you? Are you okay?" Tucker's voice exclaimed. Melinoe glanced at Danny beside her before sighing.
"I'm okay. We're on our way back to your house," Melinoe informed the man on the other end of the phone call in defeat.
"We? Danny found you then?" Tucker pressed. Melinoe scowled at the man in question before giving a tight confirmation.
"Good. I'll meet you both back at mine then," Tucker concluded before he ended the call. Melinoe stuffed her phone back into her pocket.
"He'll meet us there," Melinoe announced to Danny shortly before resuming her angered silence.
"I'm sorry you found out like this," Danny ventured carefully after another tense silence. Melinoe grunted uncaringly.
"I mean it Mel. Neither me nor your mother wanted you to find out about me in these circumstances," Danny insisted.
"Don't you mean you never wanted me to find out, period," Melinoe growled. Danny frowned guiltily at her before shaking his head.
"That's not true Mel. I wanted to be your father," Danny corrected.
"Then why haven't you?" Melinoe snapped, glaring at the man beside her before speeding up half a step, hoping to get ahead of him.
"I have my reasons. I'd rather wait for Tucker before I explain everything since he kind of deserves an explanation too," Danny replied with a shrug, easily catching up with the girl.
"But he knew you were my father," Melinoe pointed out with a confused frown, momentarily forgetting her fury.
"He worked out who you were, but not why I haven't been part of your life," Danny admitted, reminding the teen of her anger which she quickly pulled back to the surface.
"Why didn't he say anything to me though?" Melinoe wondered stiffly. Danny sighed.
"He didn't want to upset your mother or me. He thought I didn't know about you. He thought something terrible happened between your mother and I and he was trying to do right by all of us," Danny defended his friend.
"By lying to me," Melinoe added.
"Mel, you weren't the only one your mother and I lied to," Danny informed her.
"Who else?" Melinoe prompted, her curiosity quelling her fury once again.
"I had to lie to my parents and my sister. We both lied to Tucker. Sam lied to the doctors and her parents. You weren't born prematurely Mel, but Sam bribed the doctors to say you were. Sam had to lie to a lot of people in order to hide who your father was," Danny recalled.
"Why? Is it so bad you're my father?" Melinoe asked, sadness and hurt seeping into her voice, replacing the tight anger it once held. Danny shook his head.
"We did it all for you Mel. To protect you. Honest," Danny revealed, glancing at her, pleading with his eyes for her to forgive him. Melinoe hesitated a moment before returning her angry scowl and shook her head, stopping at Tucker's door.
About a minute later, Tucker jogged down the street, panting breathlessly and clutching his side with a stitch. He stopped beside them, bending over his knees as he caught his breath.
"Jeez Tuck, you have to get fitter," Danny remarked with a raised eyebrow.
"Hey, I haven't had to run like that for years," Tucker retorted with a scowl. Danny rolled his eyes and waited for his friend to recover before the inventor pulled out his keys, having locked the door behind them despite their rush to find Melinoe. He unlocked the door and held it open for Melinoe, who trudged inside obediently with her dog at her heels, wagging gently with his tongue lolling to one side. Melinoe dropped onto the couch and pushed Rusty down with a scowl, folding her arms angrily. Danny and Tucker followed her, and Tucker sat down beside her.
"Start talking then," Melinoe prompted stiffly, refusing to look at Danny for now. Danny sighed, glancing at Tucker who shrugged at him helplessly.
"She takes after Sam when she's angry," Tucker commented.
"I've noticed," Danny muttered as he brushed his hand through his hair.
"Alright, I can't say everything right now-" Danny began.
"You promised me answers. I want the whole truth," Melinoe interrupted, glaring at the man. Danny frowned at her.
"If I explain everything, it'll take too long. Besides, you won't understand or believe everything, and I don't want to overwhelm you with information. I will tell you everything but not right now," Danny replied.
"So what? I'm on some twisted need to know basis," Melinoe challenged, narrowing her eyes. Danny's frown deepened.
"Despite what you think, I do care about you Mel. And I know best. So, for now, yes. You're on a need to know basis," Danny retorted. Melinoe glowered at him but didn't argue further.
"Sixteen years ago, my actions caused a ghost to be destroyed," Danny started, sadness entering his eyes as he recalled what happened.
"So?" Melinoe pressed uncaringly. Danny scowled at her.
"You don't understand. Because of me, a ghost died. Be more respectful," Danny scolded.
"But it's a ghost," Melinoe pointed out with a shrug. Danny shook his head.
"Ghosts are like us Mel. They feel. They love and hate. They have lives. Think of it like I caused a person's death," Danny elaborated patiently.
"Why is that important?" Melinoe asked, understanding what Danny was trying to explain but couldn't bring herself to feel sorrow for a ghost who was long dead.
"Because that ghost had a mother. She was heartbroken and blamed me," Danny revealed carefully.
"Sounds like you blame yourself too," Melinoe commented. Danny sighed and rubbed a hand over his face tiredly, perching on Tucker's coffee table.
"To a degree, I guess I do. It was a young ghost. What destroyed him was meant for me. I was trying to protect him but because I was careless, he got hurt instead of me. And it was his core that got hurt," Danny admitted.
Tucker's eyes widened slightly in understanding but Melinoe frowned in confusion, lifting her angry gaze from the ground to look at Danny. Danny noticed her curiosity.
"A ghost core is a little like a human heart Mel. It's the source of all their power which means if it's critically injured, the ghost can't survive. There was absolutely nothing me and Leto could do to save him. She had to watch her son fade into nothing," Danny explained.
"Leto?" Tucker repeated.
"The ghost who vowed revenge. It's her name," Danny clarified.
"Vowed revenge?" Melinoe echoed with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah. You see, in her grief, Leto turned to the only thing she had left. Her anger. And directed it full force at me. She wanted to avenge her son," Danny confirmed.
"So, she wants you dead," Melinoe guessed. Danny shook his head, causing her to frown in confusion.
"She wants me to feel the same pain she felt. She wants… you Mel. She vowed to take my child the same way I took hers," Danny revealed. Melinoe's eyes widened in alarm and fell silent.
"When Sam told me that she was pregnant with you… I remembered what Leto promised. I knew you were in danger. The only way for me and Sam to protect you was to hide that I was your father. We didn't have a lot of time. We couldn't hide an entire pregnancy or a child, so we had to break up. Sam had to date a lot of guys to make it impossible to tell who your father was. She had to lie to everyone and say she didn't know. I had to keep my distance just in case Leto was watching and decided to go after you just because you were like a daughter to me. I couldn't be part of your life as long as Leto was out there," Danny resumed.
"So, what's changed now?" Melinoe asked.
"Leto knows who you are to me. I dunno why she took your mother. Maybe she got you two confused and took Sam by mistake. Maybe she took your mother to draw me or you, or even both of us, out. Maybe she took Sam simply to hide that she knew who you were and was close. But I know it was Leto," Danny theorised.
"How does she know? I mean I didn't even know," Melinoe pressed.
"The same way Tucker figured it out. Math, and educated guesses," Danny offered, ignoring Tucker's surprised glance.
Melinoe frowned at Danny but nodded slowly as she absorbed the information, he just gave her.
"So, you've just been living your life this whole time, hoping no one would ever figure out who you were to me," Melinoe guessed. Danny shook his head.
"I've been trying to find Leto. All this time. Unfortunately, I haven't even managed to get close her," Danny admitted. Melinoe scowled at the confession before her eyes widened in alarm.
"But if Leto has my mom… you promised to find her," Melinoe recalled, unfolding her arms and leaning forward in her seat. Danny nodded.
"I intend to keep that promise," Danny assured.
"How? You've been looking all these years without a breakthrough," Melinoe pressed. Danny glanced at the inventor sitting beside Melinoe with a weak smile.
"Now I know that Tucker knows the truth, I can call in his help. He has tech that can pick up ectoplasmic residues left behind by ghosts," Danny answered.
"But Danny Phantom already tried that. It got too weak for him to follow," Melinoe retorted with a frown.
"Mel, Phantom needs to find a strong and fresh trail to follow it. I've designed my tech to pick up trace elements of ectoplasm, even days after the ghost has run away. The ectoplasm left behind might be too weak for a ghost to detect, but it's hopefully not too weak for my tech to pick up," Tucker explained, a proud puff to his chest.
Melinoe glanced between the two men and frowned.
"Then why are we sitting here? Let's go," Melinoe prompted and started to get to her feet.
"Me and Tucker are going to go soon, we just need to drop you and Rusty somewhere safe," Danny interjected, not moving from his perch on Tucker's coffee table.
"Somewhere safe? No way! I'm coming with you. I'm sick of sitting on the side lines waiting for news," Melinoe retorted firmly.
"Mel, it's not safe-" Danny began. Melinoe surged to her feet.
"Because of you! I don't care anyway. My mom was taken. I want to find her. If you try to leave me behind somewhere again, I'll just run away and start looking for myself," Melinoe argued defiantly. Danny blinked at her before frowning.
"I am not taking you on a ghost hunt Mel. It's way too dangerous, especially since this ghost is after you!" Danny decided sternly.
"You're taking Tucker," Melinoe pointed out, gesturing to the man still sitting on the couch watching the argument silently.
"Tucker has experience and he knows his tech. You have neither," Danny replied, calm but firm.
"And I know my mom and my house," Melinoe countered.
"I know both also. I helped Sam pick out that house," Danny revealed, surprising Melinoe.
"It could have changed since you were with mom," Melinoe offered.
Danny frowned at the teenager before turning to Tucker. The inventor shook his head, waving his arms in front of him wildly.
"Oh no. Dude you're on your own. You're her dad, not me," Tucker refused. Danny rolled his eyes before he turned his gaze back towards Melinoe but rested a moment on Rusty who had sat on the ground, panting happily at the people in the room with him.
"What about Rusty?" Danny asked. Melinoe blinked at the man and turned to the dog at her feet with a confused frown.
"What about him?" Melinoe prompted.
"We can't take a dog who's terrified of ghosts on a ghost hunt, it's not fair," Danny elaborated, sitting up straighter knowing that he had won the argument with this change in tactic.
"Well, maybe we could leave him with Jazz," Melinoe suggested uncertainly.
"Jazz? She's pregnant Mel. She's not gonna be able to control Rusty if he gets boisterous. And Richard doesn't like dogs, he hasn't a clue how to look after one," Danny replied, easily tearing down Melinoe's hopeful solution.
"There isn't anywhere else though. I don't have any friends I can leave him with," Melinoe complained.
"Danny… you do remember who you're arguing with right?" Tucker interjected.
"Of course, I remember Tuck," Danny grumbled with a roll of his eyes.
"Did you ever win an argument with Sam?" Tucker retorted, raising a doubtful eyebrow. Danny opened his mouth to reply but stopped himself. He scowled for a split second before turning his attention to Tucker.
"I thought you were staying out of it," Danny recalled. Tucker shrugged.
"I kinda figured that the safest place for Mel is with you. At least we'd know she's safe," Tucker commented.
"Again, you were staying out of it," Danny repeated with a slight scowl. Tucker sighed deeply.
"Do you really want to fall out with Mel so soon?" Tucker asked. Danny hesitated, glancing at Melinoe out of the corner of his eye. Melinoe scowled in determination at him. Danny slumped on the coffee table.
"If something happens it's your fault Tuck," Danny relented as he got to his feet. Melinoe's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Although, you did bring up a good point Danny. We can't bring Rusty, so where can he stay? Holly's out for the rest of the day," Tucker admitted with a frown, remaining sitting for now. Melinoe frowned worriedly at her dog before dropping into her seat on the couch, pondering where Rusty could stay. Danny waited a moment before sighing and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I know where Rusty can go," Danny mumbled in defeat. Melinoe glanced up at him with a frown.
"I'm not putting him in an animal shelter. I don't care if your old boss was nice. He'll freak out," Melinoe refused. Danny chuckled and shook his head.
"I never intended to suggest the animal shelter I worked in. I'm not even sure if it's still there anyway. Nah, I meant Fentonworks," Danny corrected.
"Fentonworks?" Melinoe repeated in confusion.
"And your folks' place is better than a ghost hunt how?" Tucker pointed out.
"Because Rusty knows them," Danny confessed.
"How would Rusty know your parents?" Melinoe retorted with a shake of her head. Danny blinked before glancing at Tucker who also looked confused.
"Oh, I thought it was obvious," Danny muttered.
"What?" Melinoe pressed with a scowl.
"Mel, I kinda lied to you yesterday. It was to hide that I'm your father though," Danny began and when Melinoe didn't get upset again he continued.
"There is no trick on Earth or in the Ghost Zone that would make Rusty like me as much as he does Mel. Nothing I could do would make him listen to me the way he does," Danny resumed, noticing Tucker's agreeing nod. Melinoe frowned in confusion, looking down at the contented dog at her feet.
"Rusty remembers me Mel. He knows me," Danny resumed, drawing the teen's attention back to himself.
"How?" Melinoe asked, her confused frown deepening. Tucker suddenly gasped in understanding.
"Sam never agreed to get Mel a dog, did she?" Tucker muttered. Danny flashed his friend an awkward half-grin, half grimace and nodded.
"But if mom never agreed…" Melinoe mumbled, trailing off as she understood what the men were hinting.
"I gave you Rusty. Sam wasn't exactly happy with me since I didn't ask her first. But she relented and took the credit to hide that I was responsible," Danny confirmed with a shrug.
"How did you afford a dog?" Melinoe wondered.
"Kinda wondering that myself. It's not like Rusty's some mutt. We reckon he's a purebred, or at least a purebred crossed with something," Tucker agreed.
"I didn't buy him. I found him," Danny admitted.
"Found?" Melinoe repeated with wide eyes.
"I found Rusty and his two sisters a week before that Christmas. Their mom was dead. The mom was a stray, no collar. So, I took in the puppies and tried to rehome them," Danny explained.
"Why not just come to me and mom and offer us the choice?" Melinoe pointed out. Danny shook his head.
"I rehomed one the next day. A co-worker took her in," Danny began.
"Co-worker?" Melinoe interjected in astonishment. Danny rolled his eyes.
"Yes. Occasionally I do have a job. It's easy to get jobs over Christmas, with all the present shopping people do, shops need a lot more staff," Danny informed her. Melinoe blushed and ducked her head in embarrassment.
"So, I rehomed one easily, and the other puppy I managed to find a home as well. My mom wasn't happy that I brought home puppies without asking her first, so she told me that if I didn't rehome them all by new year's, then they had to go to a shelter. But a few days after I found the puppies, I saw you and Sam in the mall. I overheard you mention how you liked a toy dog and that you could pretend it was a puppy. So, I decided to give the last puppy to you," Danny concluded.
"So Rusty remembers you from back then? If you only had him for a week, I'm surprised he likes you so much," Melinoe muttered with a slight frown.
"Rusty got really attached to me Mel. And honestly, I got pretty attached to him. I was sad to see him go but I knew that I couldn't give him a home. I couldn't afford to look after myself, let alone a dog as well. I was living with my parents and they didn't want to look after a dog, they were busy with their research. I figured I could give Rusty a good home with someone I knew would love him, you. And I knew Sam wouldn't turn him away, she's a big animal lover. But I think that Rusty realised that if I hadn't taken him and his sisters in, they wouldn't have survived alone. Not in that weather," Danny recalled, aiming a warm but sad smile at the dog in question. Melinoe blinked at the man and then turned to her dog who wagged his tail at her.
"How did you manage to give Mel Rusty without your parents finding out?" Tucker wondered curiously.
"It was pretty easy. I told my parents that someone wanted to home the puppy but wanted me to hold on to him until they were ready for him. I even lied and hid Rusty in my room overnight the day before Christmas and snuck across town to put Rusty under Mel's Christmas tree," Danny admitted.
"You put Rusty in our living room," Melinoe mumbled in surprise.
"I helped Sam pick that house Mel. I know where she keeps the emergency key in case she ever got locked out," Danny added.
The room fell silent as the information sunk in with Melinoe and Tucker. Melinoe shook her head, shocked that once again something she had always dreamed of had come true without her even knowing. As a child, she had dreamt of getting a mysterious present on her birthday or Christmas from her father. She had hoped that such a gift would reveal to her who her father was.
"I know it's a bit late but… do you like him?" Danny asked, smiling tenderly at Melinoe. Melinoe blinked out of her thoughts before she nodded, a lump sticking in her throat.
"I love him," Melinoe whispered. Danny's tender smile widened slightly. Melinoe choked on a laugh and shook her head.
"That was the best Christmas I ever had," Melinoe confessed, wiping away an escaped tear. Danny grinned at her.
"So, we're gonna take Rusty to Fentonworks and then all three of us will go back to Sam and Mel's to try and pick up a trail to follow," Tucker summarised, bringing Danny and Melinoe out of their quiet bonding moment. Danny turned to his best friend and nodded.
"Pretty much," Danny agreed as Tucker stood up. Melinoe got to her feet, scooping up Rusty's lead and blew out a rough breath, regaining control over her emotions again.
"I'll grab my keys," Tucker offered.
"I think we should walk Tuck," Danny interjected before the inventor could disappear. Tucker frowned at his friend.
"Danny, it's like a ten-minute drive. Fentonworks is halfway across town," Tucker complained.
"It's better to be on foot if a ghost attacks. You can run and dodge attacks easier than when you're driving," Danny pointed out. Tucker raised an eyebrow.
"Is that why you never bothered to learn to drive?" Tucker wondered. Danny shrugged.
"I couldn't afford a car or insurance or anything like that. I never planned on leaving Amity Park. But I guess it was another reason not to waste my time. I've gotten by this long without driving a car," Danny admitted.
"You do realise that if you could drive, you'd be able to go for delivery jobs," Tucker retorted. Danny shrugged again. Tucker sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
"Alright, let's start walking then," Tucker relented.
"It's good for your heart Tuck," Danny muttered as they followed the inventor out of the house.
Yep, Melinoe knows the truth now, at least some of it.
But now we get to meet Danny's parents and then back to Sam and Melinoe's house for, fingers crossed, some answers.
Until the next chapter.