Hurting You, Killing Me
Chapter Four:
Kitty's POV:
When Johnny and I found Danielle, we had no intention of keeping her. Once we found out that she was Danny's clone, we knew we should get her to him. Johnny and I had never really hated Danny. Even now we don't hate him, we have no respect for him, but we don't hate him. He was stupid to let Sam dictate his choices regarding Danielle.
Within the first few months of having Danielle live with us, she'd become our world. Johnny and I couldn't have kids, due to the fact that we were ghosts. I loved Johnny and he loved me, but sometimes that just didn't seem like enough. We had friends, we went out, but something was always missing…Until we found her.
She completed our little family. Johnny and I spoiled her. We decorated her bedroom in crème and dark red, making it the room of a princess. She had her own bathroom, which was designed in pink and white. I took her shopping and bought her frilly dresses, things that she wouldn't have normally worn or even thought that she would like. Within the first month or so, I took her to have pictures done. There were frames all over the house that had pictures of her in them, ones of her by herself, ones of her with Johnny, and ones of her with me. Anyone who came in the lair would be able to tell that our world revolved around her.
Johnny and I went out of our way to show her that she wasn't just a clone. When she told us that she no longer liked NASA and Dumpty Humpty, we encouraged her to find things that she did like, things that made her unique. I was thrilled when she stopped wearing her hair in ponytails.
One day, she came into the living room and asked us to quit calling her Dani. She said she didn't want to go by that anymore, she wanted to be Danielle. Johnny and I agreed. We hated to see her upset over Danny.
When Johnny told me that Danny didn't want her, he and I had talked for hours, trying to decide what to tell her. Finally, we decided that it would be unfair to keep it from her. The next morning, we explained as gently as we could what Danny had said, then invited her to stay with us. Johnny and I had been thrilled when she agreed.
I knew that Danny wouldn't be thrilled when he found out that Danielle was his biological daughter, but I'd hoped. The day that Johnny went to go talk to him, I called Ember and had her come with me and Danielle to the mall in the Ghost Zone. I didn't want Danielle to sit at home all day worrying about what could happen.
The three of us spent a few hours at the mall. I bought Danielle a new dress, a new pair of shoes, and a jean jacket. After we left the mall, the three of us went out to eat, letting Danielle pick the restaurant. Finally, we went home. Johnny was sitting on the sofa when we walked in.
Ember had come with us, but only stayed long enough to say hi to Johnny and bye to me and Danielle. The look on Johnny's face wasn't very welcoming and I couldn't say that I blamed her for not wanting to hang around.
I handed Danielle her shopping bags and asked her to take them to her room, trying to buy a few seconds alone with Johnny. "Well?" I mouthed, raising my eyebrows.
He crossed the room and lowered his voice drastically, "Sam threw a bitch-fit and he wimped out. I told him off and told him to stay out of her life. I'm tired of him hurting her, Kitty. I'm not letting him do that again."
I nodded, putting a finger to my lips as I saw Danielle walking back down the hall. "How did it go?" she asked, sitting down on the chair next to the couch.
Johnny looked at me and I looked down. After an awkward moment, Johnny knelt down next to her, taking both her hands in one of his, using his other hand to brush hair back away from her face. "You know that no matter what Danny thinks Kitty and I will always be here, right?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, her breath catching in her throat.
"And you know that we love you?"
She nodded, "What did he say?"
"He…well, it didn't go over well…" Johnny sighed.
"Why am I not surprised?" Danielle said, tears filling her eyes. "He never has cared about me! Why should I ever expect that to change? He should have just let Vlad destroy me!"
I watched as Johnny pulled her off the chair and into his arms, sitting on the floor with her on his lap. She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.
"Danielle, sweetheart, if Danny can't see what he's missing, then he doesn't deserve you. I promise you, Danielle, you will always have me and Kitty," he murmured.
I sat down beside them on the floor and Johnny wrapped one of his arms around me, pulling me into the hug. Danielle's crying finally subsided and she pulled back. Her face was flushed and still streaked with dry tears, but she smiled at us. "I love you guys," she said.
"We love you, too," I told her. "Danielle, you are our whole world." Johnny kissed the top of her head.
Danielle stood up and disappeared into her room for awhile. I went into the kitchen to get started on dinner, while Johnny went out to the garage to work on his bike. I knew he was still pissed off at Danny, but so was I, so I couldn't point fingers. Once dinner was ready, I called Johnny in. He went to get Danielle while I set the table.
I was laying down napkins when he walked back into the room, so quiet that I hadn't even heard him. "Kitty," he said right in my ear.
I jumped a bit and spun around, "You scared me! Where's Danielle?"
He laughed, "That's what I came in here for. Come here."
I followed him down to Danielle's bedroom and peaked into the door. She had fallen asleep, holding the heart necklace I'd given her in her hand.
I smiled and Johnny wrapped his arm around me, drawing me to his side. "She's ours," I whispered to him.
It was only a few months later that we decided to adopt her.