Sorry for the long wait, lovelies! I was worried about how I wanted this chapter to play out, but figured looking at it from Maleah's point of view was probably best. There is way more interaction between her and Danny than we got to see in the prologue so I wanted you all to get a glimpse of it.

Well, I'll quit yammering and let you all get to it!

Presenting Chapter One! Enjoy!

~BlainexKurtxLovex

As Maleah Evans made her way through the hustle and bustle of the busy airport she realized just how nervous she really was. There were too many people rushing past her and she worried that one of them would start screaming at her for being in their way. Maleah knew it was irrational and that even if someone did yell at her it wasn't worth an emotional break down.

However, as she finally made it to the car that the Fenton's had rented for her Maleah wished she had taken Maddie up on her offer to pick her up. At the very least, there would have been a friendly face to greet her at the gate and someone to fill the silence as they drove to the Fenton home. Now, as Maleah made her way through the eerily quiet streets of Amity Park, there was only silence between the driver and herself. The quiet only served to rattle her nerves even more and allow her time to panic.

What if the Fentons decided they didn't want her anymore? What if they concluded that she would be better off in foster care? Would Mr. Fenton and Danny even like her? Would they accept her into their home with open arms? Would she have to sleep in the basement…the attic? Would she have to eat scraps off the floor and do chores for her room and board?

Maleah knew that all the questions, 'what if' scenarios, and Cinderella drama running through her head was not only illogical but highly unlikely. Her mother had assured her that Maddie and Jack were good people with good hearts even if they had a fascination with the paranormal. It also was a plus that Maleah had gotten to meet both Maddie and her daughter prior to her mother's death. She hadn't gotten any malignant feelings from the female Fentons and she supposed that was a step in the right direction.

Suddenly, the car pulled over and Maleah knew she had arrived. She looked out the back-passenger window to see a tall red brick building with a small concrete staircase and a simple wooden door. There was a large neon sign in the shape of an arrow flashing the words "FentonWorks" which caused Maleah to wonder what its purpose was. As she looked up, she also noticed that there was a large circular metal structure attached with all sorts of scientific equipment and doodads sticking out in random directions.

The driver quickly got her suitcases and bags out of the trunk and set them down on the sidewalk as she got out. Maleah thanked him before gathering her things, as well as her courage, before approaching the door.

As she reached out to ring the doorbell, Leah noticed that her hands were noticeably shaking. She could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest and hear her pulse thrumming in her ears. She knew that it was okay to be nervous and afraid of the oncoming future. She had just hoped that she would've been able to make it over the threshold of her new home before she lost her nerve.

She kept having to remind herself that she had enjoyed Maddie and Jazz's company when they attended her mother's funeral. Maleah also had to keep telling herself that the female Fentons had been a great help to her over the last several months. They had helped her in ways most of her mother's "supposed" friends hadn't. They'd stayed with her until she could find a place to stay for a few days before the move. They had provided her with emotional support and unconditional love. Everything Maddie and Jazz Fenton had done for her was genuine.

The two women had answered all the questions she had about the town, the school, their jobs, the rest of their family, and anything else she could think of. They had even taken the time to explain that Jack Fenton couldn't wait to meet her and that even if Danny was hesitant about the idea he would come around eventually.

She had nothing to worry about for now. All she had to do was knock and hope to whatever deity existed that Danny and his father liked her as much as Maddie and Jazz did.

So, with that thought in mind, Maleah knocked on the door.

After a few moments, Maleah heard voices on the other side of the door. One was male and the other was female. She assumed the latter was Maddie while the other voice had to belong to either Danny or Mr. Fenton. She deduced that the second voice didn't sound threatening or angry so Maleah took that as a step in the right direction.

Leah took a deep breath just as the door opened and she came face-to-face with who could only be Danny Fenton. Shy sky-blue eyes met deep blue and her heart seemed to stop. Leah recognized them from her nightmares, the ones she had been having every night for the last five months, as a comfort and haven from the entities that constantly chased her down. He would grab her hand and tell her to run. Sometimes, his eyes would flash a bright neon-green and his ebony hair would become white. A bright beacon of light in the darkness that seemed to lead her out of danger.

There was a slight maturity about Danny that Leah couldn't help but admire. His pale skin was offset with ebony hair with bangs that hung in his face. He was lanky, but the amount of arms showing from the sleeves of his shirt revealed sinewy muscle. Blue jeans covered his lower half and red chucks covered his feet.

Danny looked her up and down before some type of recognition seemed to flash across his face for a brief moment. Leah thought that, just maybe, he had been having the same dreams she had been. She wanted to ask him about it, but kept the question to herself since it seemed like Danny wasn't about to bring it up.

"You must be, Maleah," Danny stated. He extended his hand out to her. "I'm Danny."

Maleah reached out tentatively and took his hand. She shivered at how cold his hand was compared to her warm one. A shock seemed to run through her at upon contact and the feeling of comfort that surged through her was a bit of a concern, but Maleah smiled as she said, "It's nice to finally meet you, Danny. I've heard a lot about you from you mom and sister. Please, call me Leah."

Danny sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm sure none of it was good. I'm not exactly the role model child they wanted, but I guess they got Jazz."

"No, gosh, no," Leah said quickly. "Danny, I promise it was all good things."

God, Leah knew that this first meeting was not going the way she wanted it to at all. It was obvious that Danny thought of himself as a screw up if that was his response, but Leah was sure there was more going on. Especially, if he was the one in her dreams every night protecting her from the entities that wanted to end her life. He was definitely not a screw up if that was the case.

"Yeah, right." Danny rolled his eyes again and moved past her to grab her things. "I'll grab your stuff and take it inside. Why don't you head into the living room and then I'll show you to the kitchen where everyone is waiting?"

Leah just nodded even as she heaved a mental sigh. How had she screwed this up so badly already? Danny had been hesitant about letting her stay with them and here she was making him feel bad. Leah knew that her social skills were severely lacking as an only child, but she had hoped that she would be able to connect with Danny since they were the same age.

Leah headed inside and stopped in the living room. She saw the stairs to the second level off to her left and a large open living space with a couple of couches, a coffee table, and a television to her right. The walls were a medium blue color and the carpet was a light gray. There were a couple of plants around the room, but they looked to be on their last legs. There was an entrance way that Leah could only guess led to the kitchen.

Leah's nerves came back in full-force at the thought of meeting Mr. Fenton. She had already found a way to upset Danny, what made her think she would even be successful with his father? She couldn't do this. She couldn't walk in there. She couldn't face them.

Leah could feel the panic as it started to set in, inside her heart. Her breath was rickety as it came out of her mouth. It felt as if a brick rested on top of her ribcage, pushing down onto her lungs. She knew that she was having a panic attack because she couldn't breathe. Leah couldn't drag enough air into her constricted lungs.

"Lea…Mal…Leah…Maleah," Danny soothed as he came to stand in front of her. She could feel his hands on her shoulders, but she couldn't focus past that until he spoke again. "What's wrong?"

"Pan…Panic…attack…attack," she stuttered out.

"Okay. Okay, Leah I need you to look at me," Danny soothed.

Leah nodded quickly before raising her gaze to meet his. She could feel the tears in her eyes and her vision was starting to blur. Leah knew that she had to get a grip before she passed out completely.

Wouldn't that make a great introduction?

"Focus on me, Leah. Focus on the sound of my voice, okay," Danny coached. She felt him take her hands in his and bring them to rest against his chest. "Breathe with me."

Danny took a deep breath and Leah attempted to do the same thing. Her breathing was staggered, but Danny was patient with her. He kept taking deep breaths until her breathing started to even out. Once Leah was sure she could breathe on her own she met his gaze and found his eyes focused on her. The look in his eyes was soft and Leah wondered how he could look at her like that when she had already royally screwed up.

Danny raised an eyebrow when he noticed that she was staring at him. "Better?"

Leah nodded, "Better. Thank you. I…I wasn't expecting to…to…I haven't had a panic attack since…since the night of my mother's funeral."

The admission hit her hard and it must have had some effect on Danny because he pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her. Leah was shocked at the initial contact, but relaxed when she realized Danny was trying to comfort her. Her hands were still resting against his chest, but Leah couldn't find any reason to pull away. Her body warmed at the contact and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. After losing her mother and having the nightmares of ghostly attacks it was nice to feel happy and comfortable.

"I'm…I'm sorry. I don't know what I would do if I lost either of my parents and I'm sure that I wouldn't have taken it as well as you seem to," Danny offered.

"Yeah, well," Leah began, "There is a lot more going on beneath the mask than most people know. The panic attacks are just a small part of that."

"Well, you're here now. We'll do what we can to make your life here comfortable."

Leah pulled away and met his gaze again. There was a spark of something in his eyes. It was an emotion she couldn't really place, but it made her cheeks warm. Maybe it was acceptance…maybe it was understanding…the need to protect, maybe…Leah didn't know, but she hoped to figure it out.

"Thanks, Danny. I know…I know you weren't excited about…about having me, but…."

"Yeah," Danny interrupted, "I wasn't the biggest fan of the idea, but…but you lost your mom. You lost someone you love to a disease that couldn't be controlled even with treatment. I can hardly fault you for that. You're locked into this as much as I am."

It took Leah a moment to realize that Danny was trying to calm her worries about the whole thing. He was making an attempt to let her know that, even though he wasn't keen to the idea of another person in the house, he was still going to treat her like part of the family. If he was going to have to see her every day it would just be easier for them both to get along.

"So, I'll…I mean…we'll just have to look out for you."

Leah felt her heart clench at those words. They meant more to her than he could possibly imagine. All Leah wanted was for someone to be on her side to face the trials she now had to face without her mother. She would ignore the fact that he had indicated himself before his family, for now.

A small smile pulled at her mouth and she couldn't help, but wrap her arms tightly around him quickly before he had time to really process it. "Thanks, Danny."

Leah pulled away and waited to see what Danny's reaction would be. Would he be mad? Would he tell her never to touch him again? Would he tell her to stay away from him? She highly doubted it after the way he comforted her, but one never knew.

After the shock of her hug wore off Danny smiled back. He stepped away from her and inclined his head towards the kitchen. "You ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Okay, oh, before I forget. My dad gives really tight bear hugs when he gets excited. So, I suggest bracing yourself," Danny suggested. Leah nodded in understand. "Good. Come on."

Leah caught up with easily and stood close enough for them to brush their arms if they wanted. Danny didn't seem to mind and Leah took comfort in that. The two of them had had a rocky start, but everything seemed to be okay for now.

Once in the doorway, Danny stopped and Leah got her first look at Jazz and Maddie since her mother's funeral. Maddie asked for Danny to go get his father and he nodded before removing himself from his spot beside her. Maddie greeted her and told her how happy her family was to have her in their home.

Leah thanked her and expressed her appreciation for their kindness. Maddie told her not to worry about it and walked over. Leah tried not to flinch as Maddie wrapped her arms around her. After a moment, Leah wrapped her arms around the taller woman's waist and held on tight. Maddie may not have been her mother, but Leah was happy to have her nonetheless. She felt as Jazz moved in to wrap her arms around her too in a type of group hug that Leah couldn't help but appreciate.

Leah heard Danny and Mr. Fenton coming back up the stairs as Maddie pulled away and Leah couldn't help, but tense up at the thought of meeting the patriarch of the Fenton family. Jazz must have felt her tense because she squeezed Leah a little tighter while Maddie warned her about Mr. Fenton's bear hugs. She kindly informed her, while Jazz released her, that Danny had already given her fair warning so that she wouldn't be surprised.

Leah watched as Jack appeared in the doorway with Danny close behind him. Leah tensed again as the huge hulk of a man moved into the kitchen and toward her with a small smile on his face. He wrapped her in a gentle bear hug and Leah knew he was afraid of hurting her if the slight shaking in his frame was any indication, but Leah could tell that he was holding her as tenderly as is bulky form would allow. He was worried her would harm her and it took Leah a few minutes to realize that he was just as afraid of offending her as she was of offending him.

Maddie, Jazz, and Danny all watched in silence as Leah tried to reconcile herself to adult male contact. She had never had a true father figure in her life since her mother never sought any type of male companionship. Her mother had always stated that she never needed any other type of companionship as long as she had Leah.

It took her a minute to get her arms free long enough to wrap them tightly around Jack's neck. He was trying so hard to get her to accept him in the only way he knew how and Leah really wanted to get to know him as well. If she was going to have a father figure in her life than she was going to let Jack Fenton be that father. Leah buried her face in his shoulder as all the feelings overflowed and she began to cry.

"Thank…Thank you…you."

"Your welcome, little one," Jack whispered back.

Leah snuck a look from Mr. Fenton's neck to meet Danny's eyes. He looked happy and content with the whole situation. Leah noticed that the glint was back in his eyes from earlier and it took everything in her not to escape from Mr. Fenton's arms and run to him. The Fentons made her feel safe and wanted, but it seemed that only with Danny did she feel truly complete and she had no idea why.

"Welcome to the family, Leah."

Danny had made it clear before that he was okay with having her around, but the fact that he said in front of his family shocked her. But the smile that spread across her face was enough to make the tears disappear if only for a moment. It was simple acceptance, but it was enough for Leah. A part of her really wanted to hug him again, but she wasn't sure if Danny would allow it for a third time. It was hard though. The urge to hug him and be as close to him as possible was an urge she was having a hard time keeping in check.

When Danny opened his arms with a smile and a wiggle of his fingers Leah didn't hold back. She released her grip on Mr. Fenton who allowed her to disengage from his person. Then she ran straight at Danny and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Leah had been afraid that she was going to knock him over, but he was steady on his feet. Danny wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her just a bit closer. The feeling of being whole never dissipated as they clung to each other and Leah hoped it never would.

"You are safe now. You're home," Danny whispered.

The tears almost came back full force and Leah wondered if that was his way of telling her that he was the boy in her dreams, but she didn't let the hope blossom. She was sure that the boy in her dreams was just a figment of her imagination even if she hoped otherwise. The words themselves, however, had a profound effect on her and she physically relaxed against him for a moment.

It was almost like he knew and understood exactly how scared she was of everything. If Leah was honest with herself, she was afraid of a lot at the present time. She was terrified of being abandoned again. She was afraid of facing the trials of the world alone. She was worried that she would never fit in or be loved by anyone and while these may be normal teenage problems Leah felt like they were much more than that. The fears were tangible…real. They tormented her in her dreams and followed her around in the light of day. Somehow, Danny knew that his words were exactly what she needed to hear.

Those words and actions of the rest of the Fenton family had been making things easier, but those words…those words had made all the difference to her. She had been so afraid that the Fentons would be unable to do that. She had been terrified that they would turn her out and decide they didn't really want her in the first place, but they had proven her wrong.

The one who had surprised her the most was Danny. Although his original reaction had been a bit hostile he had warmed up to her quite quickly and Leah knew she had found someone who would always have her back. He would protect her even if the both of them didn't know why.

That's a wrap for Chapter One!

Thank you for reading and reviewing! It means a lot to me when you leave reviews. They make my day especially when the day is long and filled with pure nonsense.

Have a great day!

Keep a look out for Chapter Two!

~BlainexKurtxLovex