Sorry, sorry, sorry, people! I feel bad for not writing recently, I've just been really busy with end-of-the-school-year stuff. So, anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter 26:
Danny POV-
Because Sam had a C-section, we had to stay at the hospital a little longer than we had hoped (despite the fact that Sam healed extremely quickly). But, finally, we were able to bring the babies home. We put them in their car seats, which, apparently have to face a different direction when they're younger, and drove them home.
Lizzie was being fussy when we pulled up in the driveway, but Grayson was sound asleep. Of course, Sam picked him up and, with a smirk, walked into the house, leaving me to deal with Lizzie. Finally, I got her calmed down, I carried her inside. Every time I pick one of the babies up, I'm afraid that I'm going to hurt them, they're both so small and fragile.
When we walked inside, Lizzie's bright eyes flitted all around the room, taking everything in, even though we had been assured, several times, that the babies couldn't see much more than our faces when we were holding them. But, personally, I think they can see a lot more than just that. I mean, after all, they still have my powers, so they'll be developing a little faster than normal babies.
It's funny, even though my family has seen Lizzie and Grayson with us at the hospital for days, they still gush every time they see them.
Like now, for instance.
Jazz took Lizzie out of my arms, cooing baby talk at her. I didn't even have time to warn Jazz how fussy she was being before Lizzie began to cry. Loudly.
Jazz panicked, freaking out that she was crying (as if that's something babies don't do), and trying to calm her down. My mom rolled her eyes, and with learned expertise, removed Lizzie from Jazz's arms and instantly soothed her.
It may seem weird, but I am soo happy that I got Sam pregnant while we're still living at my house. I would be freaking out if we had to do this all on our own.
"Danny, I think they need to go to bed, it's late," my mom said quietly.
"I'll bet, the nurses said she hasn't slept since yesterday night," I replied, as she handed my now-completely-calm baby back to me.
Gently, desperately trying not to alarm her again, I carried Lizzie upstairs to the nursery.
I set my daughter down in her crib, saying a quiet goodnight, and watched as Sam, did the same with Grayson. Then we switched each saying goodnight to the opposite baby.
"Ghost defense system: on," I commanded, and watched the ghost shield cover the walls.
"Bedtime sequence: activate," Sam added, and the bedtime sequence began to play. Sam and I lightly slipped out of the room, waking across the hall to our own.
"It seems weird," she said, getting undressed for bed.
"What?" I asked.
"Finally having them at home," she yawned.
"I'm sure it won't be weird for long, not once Lizzie starts screaming in the middle of the night," I joked.
"I'll take the first one," Sam volunteered, "I'm sure you're going to have to go fight some ghost anyway."
"Or you could take the ghost and I could take the baby," I grinned.
"Danny, we don't even know if I still have ghost powers," she sighed.
Actually, I was pretty sure that she did. For one thing, after they had revived her, Sam's eyes were momentarily green, which had never happened before that. Because, before that, we didn't even think he could transform. Now, I think she can. And I think it has something do to with the combination of a near-death experience and an electric shock (which she had received from the AED), just like it had been for me.
The fact that she healed remarkably fast from the C-section incision is only further proof of my point.
"Try it. Try and transform," I requested.
"Danny, I tried that like a million times that day we were training, it didn't work," she reminded me.
"I know, I know, but I have a good feeling about this time," I begged, she gave me a 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me' look.
"Come on, please," I asked again. She rolled her eyes and stood up.
"Okay, fine, Danny, but I'm only trying once, I'm tired," she informed me.
"Okay, okay, just close your eyes," I told her, she rolled her eyes again before obeying, "Now just focus on it."
"Danny this is silly—" she grumbled.
"No, it's not, now focus," I told her.
This time, she did. I saw the tension in her shoulders relax, the way I had told her to last time we trained, and her eyebrows pulled together in concentration.
Suddenly, a familiar white-blue light appeared, traveling up and down her body. It's weird; I don't get to see it from this perspective very often.
Her comfy sleep clothes (which consisted of one of my t-shirts and a pair of cotton shorts) immediately changed color to black and white and seconds later, so did her hair, changing from its usual midnight black, to snow white, just like mine does.
Seconds later, she opened her eyes. Neon green.
She whipped around to face the mirror.
"It worked," she said, almost like she didn't believe it herself, "I still have ghost powers!" she cheered, happily. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, before, getting a mischievous look on her face and launching herself into the air.
This time, instead of crashing to the floor, like I had half-expected her to, she flew around my room, before perching herself on top of my bookshelf.
"I need a costume," she decided, I think, mostly to herself. I smiled, imagining her costume now, combat boots and all.
"So who's taking the first ghost, you or me?" I asked as she floated back to the floor and transformed back to normal.
"You're taking the first anything, baby or ghost, I'll take the next one," she said, yawning again and getting into bed.
"Okay," I agreed, climbing into bed beside her. I rested my chin on her shoulder, giving her neck a kiss.
At around three in the morning, Lizzie started wailing. But it wasn't a cry I had ever heard before. For one thing, it was about ten times louder, and it almost reminded me of my ghostly wail. Sam and I immediately sprang out of bed. Sam cast a glance at the screen of the baby monitor.
"There's nothing there," she said.
I looked closer. It was subtle, you would have had to have been looking at it, but the air next to the crib most definitely pulsated, and now Grayson was screaming too.
"Nothing there, my ass," I said, sprinting out of the room, with Sam on my heels. I didn't even bother to open the door, I simply phased through it. For whatever reason, Sam actually opened the door, although I was still too focused on the matter at hand to care. Vlad was looming over my daughter's crib.
"What can I say; she's an excellent judge of character," I said, "I think she gets it for her mother."
Vlad laughed evilly.
"Now step away from my children," I warned, dangerously, my eyes flashing green and my hands glowing.
"Now, Daniel, you don't honestly think I would harm them do you?" he asked, reaching for Lizzie.
In less than a second, I stood inches away from his face, grasping his arm tightly, so quickly, in fact, that even Vlad seemed a little surprised.
"You take one more move towards her and I swear—" I threatened.
"You swear what?" he laughed, "Honestly, Daniel, what can you do to me that I can't do to you?"
I allowed ice to flow from my hand down his arm, effectively freezing it. In any normal human, this would be a case of frostbite by now, and would probably result in the loss of his entire arm, but this was Vlad.
He pulled away quickly, holding his ice-encased arm.
"This is not over, Daniel," he said finally, before disappearing out of the room. Sam and I dove for our children, each picking one of them up. I held my son close to me while Sam held our daughter.
"What happened?" Sam asked, "Why did the security system fail?"
"My guess would be that Vlad has been tampering with it, while we've been at the hospital. We're going to have to have Tucker beef up the firewalls. Until then, I think we should sleep in here," I told her. Sam nodded, handing me Lizzie, until I had one baby in each arm, as she went to get the sleeping bags.
"How did your parents and Jazz not hear that?" Sam wondered walking back in with a sleeping bag under each arm. She dropped the bags to the floor between the cribs and took Lizzie back from my arms. I shook my head.
"I don't know, but my guess would be that Vlad put sleeping pills in their food or something," I told her.
After a feeding and diaper change, both of our children were sleeping soundly again.
"Bedtime sequence: activate," I said, yawning. The music started and the stars swirled around the room as I lay down next to Sam and listened to the quiet breathing of our babies.