Chapter 46- A Frosty Night

2024 came fast and it was an ongoing battle over whose bed Franklin would sleep on each night. Willow suggested a chess match and the winner would get to sleep with the puppy. Danny was appalled at this notion since he knew she would win. He suggested a race through the pond, which Willow complained that 1. He was the better swimmer. And 2. It would be freezing in the winter, even if it was a fairly mild winter at that point. Drew then stepped in and said they would alternate nights, youngest to oldest since Scout was the only one not competing. After humming and hawing, Danny finally agreed when he remembered he was still meeting Angelica three nights a week and didn't want to leave Franklin alone when he was gone.

Aunt Kristina and Chase decided to stay at Wyndemere. They figured they would actually have more privacy there than in the house Chase was living. This pleased Alexis to have at least one of her daughters stay with them, even though they moved to another wing. Leo was sad when all the puppies went to their new homes, but he would take Annabelle the Second to visit each of them once a week. He said it was important for all the puppies to still know their mother.

They were anxious to start taking Franklin for walks, but it was too soon to put him on a leash. So, they would just carry him when they took him outside. Scout had been doing much better since they got the puppy. She was sleeping with Drew and Sam less, especially the nights he slept in her room. And she would even look out at the water on their walks without it triggering a panic attack. They would often see Kevin out walking Franklin's father, a black and white shih tzu whom he named Pavlov. Pavlov would bark happily when he saw them and liked to lick their noses.

Danny still looked forward to his nights with Angelica, he just wished she could move to Spoon Island. She still hadn't been able to sneak in to free the captives on Kailano Island, because security was so strict. She did, however, tell him that Nina had her baby the first of January. A little boy whom they called Valentin Jr, or Yiós V, which meant son of V in Greek. Other names people were calling him were the Mighty V or the Good V (Almighty and Great was still reserved for Valentin himself). They apparently had a huge parade and naming ceremony in V-Town a few days after he was born, in which Charlotte seemed to receive less recognition and a lesser seat of honour.

It was the first week of February, and finally the first actual cold day, which Danny hoped would mean a snowfall was coming. Drew wanted to join Danny on Franklin's evening "walk". Willow and Scout wanted to tag along, but Drew said he needed to talk to Danny.

Danny was not pleased because he knew what he wanted to talk about…

"Danny," Drew said. "Are you still having nightmares?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes…"

"What are they about?"

Danny scratched Franklin's ears and hugged him to his chest. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You say that every time I ask," Drew said. "I think you need to talk about it. To someone. If not to me, then your mom, or your grandpa. Or Kevin or Andre when they take on more clients."

"I don't want to talk to a shrink!" Danny snapped. "It's stupid and does nothing."

"Then will you talk to me?"

"There's nothing to talk about… talking does nothing."

"But it's not good to bottle it up inside," Drew said. "That's not healthy. You'll just burst."

"Yeah? Then why don't you talk to a shrink? You were kidnapped, mind-mapped, locked up! I've never seen you burst!"

Drew sighed. "Maybe I should. But we're talking about you."

"No, you are talking about me, and you're not listening when I say I don't want to talk!"

"If I agree to talk to someone, then will you as well?"

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Danny shouted, then turned around walking briskly back home.

"Danny!" Drew called after him.

When Danny reached home, he slammed the door behind him, even though he knew his dad was on his trail. Sam, Willow, and Scout were sitting around the table playing cards. Danny passed Franklin to Willow.

"Hey, how was your walk?" Sam asked. "Where's your dad?"

Danny simply gritted his teeth as Drew walked in.

"Danny…" Drew said. "I understand you're angry, but I'm not going to stand for you being disrespectful."

"Disrespectful? What about respect for me when I say I don't want to talk about it?"

"Stop fighting…" Scout whined.

Danny darted to his room and slammed the door. He plopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

He felt like he laid there for a long time before his breathing slowed down. Finally, there was a knock on his door and Sam peeked her head in.

"Danny?" she said. "Are you okay?"

Danny huffed. "I'm fine…"

"You don't seem fine." She walked in.

"Mom, please," Danny said. "I don't want to talk."

"Okay, if you don't want to talk about everything else, can we at least talk about your dad?"

He shrugged. "I guess."

She sat on the edge of his bed. "Try not to be mad at him. He's just trying to help."

"But you guys keep saying you want me to talk to a shrink, yet you guys won't."

"Well, first of all, only children are allowed therapy right now due to limited space," Sam said. "Then they're opening it up to teens and young adults. Then eventually everyone else. But you know I went to therapy before V-Town took over and Grandma did too. It really helped us back then."

"That's true… I forgot," Danny said. "But Dad's never been…"

"Doesn't mean he won't," Sam said. "Look, if you want us to stop pushing you to talk to us, can you at least promise to think about therapy… and I mean really think about it?

Danny took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, I can do that."

Sam smiled a little. "Okay. Or if you change your mind, you can still talk to one of us."

"Okay… but can I just be alone now?"

She nodded and kissed his forehead. "I love you."

He watched her walk out and gently close the door behind her. He grabbed an old newspaper from his bedside table and turned to the comics. It didn't take long for him to read Ellie and Mac nor could he really focus on it.

Several hours later he looked at his watch: 2:00am. He grabbed his flashlight and sneaked out to the hallway. Silence. He slipped on his boots and winter coat but stopped suddenly when he heard a shuffling sound from Scout's room. But it didn't last long. He waited a couple minutes, then headed outside.

It was freezing… he lifted the flashlight near his head and could see his own breath in the air. There was even frost on the grass. He couldn't believe how fast the temperature dropped.

He headed towards the castle and heard footsteps. He whipped around and moved his flashlight every which way but couldn't see anything. Maybe it was just a raccoon or something.

He made his way to the stairs and went down to the dock. He flashed the light onto the Gel, then onto the water… except the water was frozen solid! He groaned… Maybe he should be careful what he wishes for. Winter might mean he won't get to see Angelica. He heard a noise through the bushes and turned his flashlight to it. Could an animal be following him?

"What are you doing?"

Danny's chest went heavy and his breathing sped up at the sound of Willow's voice. He flashed his light to where she was standing on the stairs in her winter coat and boots.

"Danny… what's going on?" She walked down the stairs and pointed her flashlight at him. "Do Sam and Drew know you're out here?"

"No… please don't tell them!" Danny begged.

"I won't, because you will!" she said. "Come on, you have to with the V and the Marchesis are out there."

"I can't tell them, or they'll stop me from coming."

"This isn't the first time?" Willow asked.

"Please… don't say anything…" Danny sighed. "Okay, I've been meeting Angelica."

Her eyes grew wide. "The Marchesi girl? You've been sneaking out to see a girl?"

"She's… she's my girlfriend. And she helped us escape V-Town. I trust her."

"Okay, even if you can trust her, how do you know her family isn't watching her?"

"Come on, she helped Elizabeth's parents escape!'

Willow sighed. "Danny, I'm not judging her character. But I know what her family is like. Not only are you putting yourself in danger but all of us too. We have to tell Sam and Drew."

Danny clenched his jaw. "I'm not going to stop seeing her and you're not going to tell Mom and Dad!"

"If you don't tell them, than I am!"

"How did you even find me?" Danny asked. "Did you hear me sneak out?"

"No, I'm looking for—"

"Stop fighting!" Scout shouted.

Both of them turned their flashlights to Scout, who was holding a flashlight and standing a few feet from the deck on the frozen water!

Both Danny and Willow's eyes grew wide.

Willow lifted her hands a little. "Scout, stay right there. Don't move."

Danny's heart pounded against his chest and he walked over to Scout. "Stay still… I'm com—"

Crack!

"Ahhhh!" Scout fell through the thin ice and disappeared in the dark waters.