Chapter 30:

Danny POV-

Sam and I changed into our human forms right before we entered the hospital. We would have enough questions about Elizabeth's condition without throwing the ghost issue into the mix.

Elizabeth had grown suspiciously quiet on the flight over here and it worried me.

We burst in the front doors of the Urgent Care, asking for help. The waiting room was nearly empty, but the few people who were there looked at Sam and I, astounded, wondering what had put us into such a panic.

I had been here a lot, especially when I was younger, before I became able to heal from almost everything. I'd even been here a couple times with Tucker or Sam. But now was not the time to reminisce.

Several nurses came out into the waiting room trying to figure out what was wrong, and, frantically, Sam and I began to tell them our fabricated story about what happened.

The nurses took Elizabeth from our arms, assuring us that everything would be alright as they lead us into the back.

She was then handed over to a doctor, who assessed her condition; he carefully removed our makeshift bandage, only to see that the blood was still pouring out.

"She's going to need some stiches," he told us, as several Urgent Care workers gathered around, taking her to be prepped for the stiches.

Within a few minutes, and still in a blur, the doctors had rushed her away while we were left waiting in the hall.

Silent tears streamed down Sam's face, there was no doubt she was terrified. I was terrified. Who wouldn't be? My three week old daughter had just been taken to get stiches in her head because of an explosion.

I wrapped my arm around Sam's shoulders while she held her head in her hands, noiseless sobs shaking her body.

The worst part was, I couldn't help but feel some guilt about it. Maybe if I had done things differently, this wouldn't have happened. Maybe if I hadn't decided to use that remote…

Almost like she knew what I was feeling, Sam straightened up, looking at me. Her intense violet stare was misty with tears and the rims of her eyes were puffy and red. Faint lines of black mascara trailed down her cheeks.

"It's not your fault," she whispered quietly. How does she do that?

I sighed. Of course she would say that, she's always trying to make me feel better about things, convincing me that things aren't my fault, but, truthfully, everything that has happened in our lives since we were fourteen has been my fault. Sure, maybe not directly, but, if I hadn't had ghost powers, none of this would ever have happened. The city, probably, would not have been attacked as frequently as it is, all the bad things I've done, even if they were not by my own free will, would not have happened, Sam and I wouldn't have been manipulated into having sex, she wouldn't have gotten pregnant, and, if somehow she still did get pregnant, Vlad wouldn't have had to kidnap our children.

"It was my idea," I whispered back quietly, looking down in shame. She put her hand on the bottom of my chin, making me look at her.

She shook her head, "No. Danny, this is not your fault. This was Vlad's fault. You saved her life. You also couldn't possibly have known what would happen. But, even still, if you hadn't done it, things could have been worse." She breathed out the words quietly, hoping that no one would overhear our conversation and question the story we had already presented: that it had been done by her kidnapper, (considering that new of their kidnapping had probably traveled around the city) who we are now telling everybody was a ghost (in order to explain any ectoplasm they may find in her wound).

She should have healed by now. Maybe it's because she is so young, maybe it's some kind of cruel twist of fate, but, for whatever reason, she hasn't healed yet. I fidgeted in the uncomfortable seat, looking to the double doors every few seconds, waiting for a doctor to emerge.

The hospital was so quiet, at least back here. I hated it.

I wish there were people rushing around, doing something, anything, to would make my mind wander away from my worry for my daughter.

I wondered what we should do now.

Sure, I had caught Vlad in the thermos, which as now back, and secure, with my parents, but we can't keep him in there forever, no matter how much we want to.

Meaning, that, at some point, he will still be a threat to our kids.

I wondered if we should change our names and move. That might be the safest option, for now, but is it really the most practical? At least here we have a support system, an armed support system.

I suppose we could send Elizabeth and Grayson away, so that they never learn about their powers. But that would mean not seeing them grow up. And, after almost losing them today, and, after the threat of possibly losing Elizabeth right now, I'm not sure I could bear willingly giving them up for someone else to raise. And then they would have to grow up, wondering why they were different from everybody else, but not actually knowing why.

No, I couldn't do that.

And, that's assuming that Vlad never finds them. If I could guarantee that they would never be found, it almost, almost, might be worth it. But I can't guarantee it. And, knowing Vlad, and knowing our luck, he would eventually find them.

Which, once again left us at this impasse.

I suppose the best thing to do would be to keep them here, raise them, and train them to use their powers from a young age, so that they can defend themselves. But it would still be several years until we could teach them anything. Several vulnerable years.

I sighed, slumping (as much as I possibly could in the plastic, armless, chair), and once again glancing at the door. Worrying.

…

After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor came out, with Elizabeth wrapped in a blanket. Sam immediately took Elizabeth into her arms.

She blinked up at us, smiling a little.

I breathed a sigh of relief, she was okay. There were several criss-crossing black lines over the wound that I knew were the stiches. It would probably leave a scar, but, so long as she was alright, it didn't matter to me.

We thanked the doctors, taking her home. We didn't have the car, and neither of us exactly felt like flying, so we walked home. We were greeted by no one on the streets, and Elizabeth remained quiet. And, while this was still a little disconcerting to me, I was happy that she was safe.

We walked up the front steps and into the house where my family was waiting expectantly, hoping for good news.

I was glad we were able to give them some.

Shortly afterward, we laid Lizzie and Grayson in their cribs for bed. And we went back downstairs to converse with my parents about what our next move should be.

"What now?" I asked to no one in particular.

No one answered.

"What should we do with the thermos?" Sam added, and my mom stood up to go get it.

Still, we sat in silence.

We were exhausted, all of us. And, after riding the roller coaster of emotions today, battling Vlad, and worrying about Elizabeth, we all definitely had the right to be.

My mom came back into the room, empty-handed. Sam and I shared a look, already knowing what she was going to say, but still desperately hoping that we were wrong.

"It's gone."

Probably just one more chapter in this story, which will be the epilogue, before I start on the one-shots. The one-shots will basically just be a series of cute parenting stories from Danny and Sam's perspectives. But there will also be some stories about things that happen in their lives too, along with what happens in other character's lives, etc. There really won't be a ton of action in these one-shots; they exist purely to get everyone familiar with Grayson and Lizzie before the next story, which will focus entirely on them as teenagers. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Stay tuned for the epilogue.