I haven't exactly been feeling well lately and been insanely busy so I hope this chapter came out alright! Hope you enjoy and please review!
~CWA


CHAPTER EIGHTEEN


Danny Fenton

Christmas Day causes a lot more drama than I thought was possible. As usual, Ellie wakes up to find the tree covered in gifts from Santa. She's over the moon at all the toys she got and pretty dresses. I spend at least an hour with her doing some extra ghost training during that time of high emotion to practice control. It works. A little bit at least. Then I get my own Christmas gifts from Jazz and Ellie. I pretend to act like the rather eye-displeasing Christmas sweater, or Dad sweater, is pleasant. Even if I have some Dad sweaters of my own, this one takes the cake for the ugly sweater contest. I act like I'm not mouthing curses at Jazz after Ellie tells me that it was 'Aunt Jazz's idea' to get the sweater in the first place. Though it's hard to be upset when Ellie is so happy and proud of the gift. Though her excitement is short lived when she figures out that I'm leaving again. I spend the next thirty minutes consoling her and letting her know that I love her and that I'll be back before she knows it. It takes a while, but eventually she believes me and I find myself back on the plane ride with my luggage and gifts.

It seems like the flight back to San Franskoyo is longer than it was before. Maybe it's just because my heart feels heavy for leaving Ellie and Jazz again so soon. But they understand. I hope. Though I'm not imagining the looks I get from others' as I proudly wear the ugly Christmas sweater around the airport. It must be quite the sight to see a guy with a punkish aura around him with funnily 'dyed' hair and 'freakish' eyes and leather pants….. wearing an ugly Christmas sweater like it's the greatest thing in the world.

Shaking my head, I wander the familiar streets of San Franskoyo with time to spare as I head straight toward the Lucky Cat Cafe. My luggage is being pulled behind me because there's days to spare on Winter Break and I had texted Aunt Cass earlier and with her okay, I'm allowed to stay a few nights there with them until college is back in session. I also made her promise to tell Tadashi that I'm back yet. I'm hoping that if he doesn't know I'm back it'll give me an advantage.

When I finally reach the cafe, I can see Tadashi and Hiro through the window as they sit at a table with big grins on their faces. It looks like they're having a grand time wrapping various last-minute presents and gifts. I can see Fred, Wasabi, GoGo and Honey Lemon conversing around another table too, probably taking a break from their own holiday plans or nonexistent plans to spend time wit friends who may as well be family. Even Jade is with them- even if she looks slightly uncomfortable. My eyes linger on her for a pained second before I move on.

Aunt Cass is behind the counter counting up money. There's a lot of decorations and even a Christmas Tree that's all lit up. Mochi seems pretty content laying under the tree, batting at various decorations on the tree.

With a big grin on my face, I ignore the closed sign as I burst through the front door loudly.

"~On the first day of Christmas Danny returned to us," I sing the play of words of the famous Christmas song loudly and clearly.

I grin wildly as the others visibly jump. Aside from GoGo that is, who just quirks an eyebrow at me as she eyes me up and down, taking in my sweater. Tadashi, however, is the one with the most dramatic reaction as he falls out of his chair and onto the floor, causing us all to laugh.

"Danny," Fred announces and runs to me like one of those chick-flick movies, his arms spread out before he launches himself at me.

"It's….nice to see you too Fred?"

I didn't really expect such a reaction from Fred. With a confused expression on my face, I pat his back hesitantly as he hugs me tightly. If I were taller than him, I have no doubt that he'd be hanging from my neck without any chance of letting go. As I look to the others for help, they only come over and join in on the large group hug. Hiro launches himself at me first and hangs down from my neck with a childish, goofy grin on his face. Nearly all of them are hugging me tightly, but it's Wasabi who manages to practically pick us all up in a huge hug. The hug causes me to drop all the luggage on the ground, but considering nothing is really breakable- and that which is is wrapped tightly in tissue paper and newspaper to protect it.

"Guys, I'm dying in 'ere," I joke as I wheeze a bit at the tight embrace.

It takes a moment, but eventually they all let me go so I can say hello to Tadashi. It feels a bit like a movie as they all kind of part ways so I can get to Tadashi as they stand on the sidelines nervously. It feels like I'm on my way to my own funeral as the tension becomes thick. For a moment, I wonder why they're so nervous about me and Tadashi then I remember that I did leave without letting him know until I was at the airport causing me to pale as I look at him. He's not even looking at me. He looks a bit snotty as he puts his nose up in the air with his arms crossed, a hurt expression in his eyes.

"Heyyy Tadashi," I greet him a bit cautiously and slowly as I approach him, "Would it help if I say that I'm very very sorry and won't do it again?"

He doesn't give me a reaction, causing me to take extreme action. I give him the look. It's been mastered over all the times I've used it on Jazz and Ellie's own little look has helped me improve my own. I give him the best puppy dog look I can manage causing him to falter as he finally just sighs and takes a step forward.

"….Okay, you're forgiven."

Almost instantly all the tension leaves the room as we all breathe a sigh of relief. I give Tadashi a slightly sheepish smile as I give him a somewhat awkward side hug to add to my apology, only for him to twist and lock me into a headlock as he ruffles my hair.

"But don't do it again, knucklehead."

"Hey! I'm not a kid," I protest as I swat at his hands before breaking free of the headlock.

I give him an exaggerated pout, but that only makes him laugh at me.

"-Be nice, you two," Aunt Cass calls from her place at the counter, "-After all, with Danny spending the last few days of Winter Break here…."

She trails off a bit with a spark in her eyes, knowing exactly what she's doing. Her words cause me to give her a face, which she brushes off with a laugh. But it also causes the others to look at me with a bit of surprise at the news before there's smiles all around. I have to say, I'm not sure whose smiling the biggest. Hiro or Tadashi. Either way, I end up in the middle of another hug with both of them.

But just as they pull out of the hug, Tadashi seems to notice what it is that I'm wearing. He eyes me up and down and gets a sly smirk on his face as he nudges my shoulder.

"So…. Who's wearing the Dad Sweater now?"

I stick my tongue out at him mockingly before I go to grab my bags. The look in his eyes tell me that this isn't over and the teasing has just begun… Damn it. Maybe I shouldn't have worn this sweater after all?


It seems like a life time before the others finally leave. I had given them all their gifts (all aside from Tadashi, Aunt Cass and Hiro). A new PDA system for Wasabi so he can organize everything with a press of a button- I don't think I've ever seen him cry like that before. A nice sweater for Jade- a light blue, slightly girly one that I think suits her; she was surprised I had even gotten her something and kept apologizing for not having a gift to give in return. I'm pretty sure I'll be getting something from her later on- she seemed very determined to find me something. GoGo got a skull key chain- she seemed to like it. Honey Lemon got a very nice dress from one of the more high-end fashion stores of New York. Thankfully, I had guessed her size right as she did inform me that it would fit her perfectly. Fred got more comic books and a small ghost detection advice to hook onto his belt loop ( it was slightly adjusted so that it didn't pick me up). Most of them made it pretty clear that, since they weren't expecting me to return today, they'll give me a present later. Though Aunt Cass did give me a nice sweater, claiming it was from her, Hiro and Tadashi. Since diner was about to burn, however, I didn't get a chance to give them their gifts yet. But I did have a chance to change into the sweater they gave me. It fits me like a glove and it is really comfortable, I'll admit.

We all gather around the kitchen table upstairs in the living area. Mochi makes himself comfortable in my lap as I sit at the kitchen table, eying everything slightly since it's the first time I've really been upstairs before. Hiro is practically bouncing in his seat at the table, a big grin on his face as he proudly wears a Christmas hat on his head. Tadashi is laughing a bit at his little brother's antics, shaking his head a bit.

I turn my attention to Aunt Cass as she places various plates on the table, most are typical things that one would see for a Christmas diner. Smoked ham. Mashed potatoes. Green beans. Various types of casseroles. Though I raise an eyebrow at the hot wings briefly before reminding me that nothing about Aunt Cass is really 'normal.' I did offer to help her with the cooking, but she insisted that the best way I could help was to place all my things in the boys' rooms while she cooked. Which I did. Everything but a small bag containing their gifts are stored up in the small split bedroom- which makes me wonder slightly if I'm imposing on them since there's not exactly a lot of room for everyone.

"-And here we go," Aunt Cass places the last dish on the table, "Dig in, everybody!"

"-Actually," I interrupt before they can get too distracted by the food, "I do have everyone's gifts which I-"

I stop briefly as I see the looks on everyone's faces. Tadashi is pouting at me, probably wanting nothing more than to dig into the food. Hiro has a fork stopped half way to his mouth, the blankest look on his face screams dude are you serious this is eating time. Aunt Cass even has the don't you dare interupt my diner look. I swallow thickly and flush slightly,

"-Can do after diner," I finish lamely, causing Aunt Cass to nod with acceptance.

"Exactly," Aunt Cass continues, "And Tadashi and Hiro can take you down to their little lab in the garage after diner."

She nods and makes it clear that no one is going to go against her decision. No one ever argues with Aunt Cass. I gulp a bit thickly and eye the food. It looks good. Smells even better. But maybe I didn't think this plan all the way through because I can't exactly sprinkle it with ectoplasm… Or maybe I can. My hand goes into my pocket where I fiddle with the thin vial of ectoplasm- something I sneaked onto the plane because of my love for those little packets of airline peanuts.

The second I notice that no one is paying attention to me, I turn the vial invisible, just in case, so that the ectoplasm isn't as visible and sprinkle it quickly over the food. I end up putting the first bite into my mouth at the right moment as Aunt Cass turns to me. Seeing that I'm eating, she grins in a pleased manner with a nod of approval.

Oh my God. This food is really delicious. And the best part? It's not going to give me food poisoning.


The second diner is over, I find myself being dragged to the basement/garage/lab area by Hiro. He's quick, but somehow I still manage to leave the small little green box containing a nice necklace for Aunt Cass on the table for her before I'm being whisked away. Hiro's grin is stretched across his face a bit goofy as he talks animatedly about the lab and his battle bots. Tadashi follows us, laughing at me since I'm 'trapped' by a young teen.

'Save me,' I mouth to him as I get dragged away, but it only causes him to laugh louder and stronger as he continues to follow us. I struggle to keep a grasp on the small bag containing their presents in my free hand. Though considering Tadashi's present weighs a ton, it's hard to hold it with my struggle on balance. Heh. Tadashi's present is small but mighty. Funny now that I think about it.

"You'll love the lab," Hiro continues, oblivious to my plea for help, "We even have a 3D printer! And we have everything you could need for some home robotics projects! Tadashi made a majority of Baymax here before he went to SFIT…."

He continues to babble excitedly. It's almost refreshing to see him so genuinely excited like this. Judging from the gleam in Tadashi's eyes, it's refreshing for him too. It's not long before I'm being pulled into the actual garage itself, but as soon as Hiro tries to bring me past the threshold, I hold my ground, causing him to stumble as he struggles to pull me. My feet are firmly planted and it's pretty clear that I'm not going anywhere. Once Hiro realizes that pulling me is pointless, he gives me a big pout.

"~Danny, come on, man~"

"Hiro," I say gently, "I still have presents for Tadashi and you. I can't exactly give them to you if you're going to slip into robotics babble and hold my wrist the whole time."

Hiro flushes slightly, crossing his arms with a little huff. But he doesn't protest against my comment. Tadashi passes me with amusement and enters the lab ahead of me, gesturing for me to sit down on the couch. I nod at him and walk carefully with the presents to go sit down on the couch beside him. Though Hiro is looking at me with mild interest as I start to pull out a small rectangular box from the bag, it's pretty clear he's still being a bit huffy from the redness on his face.

"Don't give me that look, Hiro," I tsk at him, "otherwise I can just… give your gift to Tadashi..."

I trail off a bit slyly as I start to hand the gift off to Tadashi, only for Hiro to snap to attention as he stumbles forward.

"Wait- no, I'm sorry-"

He stumbles to the couch in a hurry and practically snatches the gift away from Tadashi and I as we just look at him in amusement, holding back chuckles at his behavior. He looks at me a bit sheepishly from his outburst, but I just gesture for him to go ahead and open it. With a giddy expression on his face, he plops down on the floor, sitting down in a criss-cross position and tears open the present like a small child.

The second that he takes out a small case with a metallic belt, he looks at me a bit confused. It's clear he's struggling to find something to say, but after a moment, with a confused, slightly forced polite expression, he lets out a small, questionable thank you? Even Tadashi looks a bit confused as he looks at me from the corner of his eyes. I give Tadashi a small little wink and a cheeky grin, knowing that he may not be too happy about this, but Hiro showed such an interest in ghosts, I can't help myself from helping out the little ghost-hunter.

"That, Hiro," I explain, "is a miniature ghost hunting starter kit, made by moi. The belt is a Specter Deflector, wear it, turn it on, and not a single ghost will be able to touch, nonetheless possess, though the term is actually overshadow, you. If a ghost touches you, it will be shocked. In that case, you'll find some miniature ghost equipment- the thermos is actually a ghost containment device, you press the green button to suck them up, the other to release."

He opens the case as I speak, eagerly beginning to check it all out. He even puts on the Specter Deflector, turning it on with ease as he watches it light up with glee. All of these things are old weapons that were in the storage boxes in my room. After some mild tweaks to get rid of some of the flaws, I thought it may make a good present for Hiro since he did show an interest for ghost hunting and how to do it. Not that I'd take him ghost hunting with me for Zone ghosts anytime soon. But this way if/when they show up, he at least has something to protect him.

"-The little wrist band is actually a wrist ray, it shoots out small blasts meant to harm/disable ghosts momentarily. Now, keep in mind, this doesn't mean that we'll go ghost hunting together anytime soon, but it won't hurt to practice before we go out ghost hunting together..."

I trail off a bit as I see the stars in Hiro's eyes, obviously excited at the idea of ghost hunting with me as he eagerly looks over the new technology. Tadashi's expression, however, isn't nearly as excited. There's a small frown on his face as he furrows his brow- his signature, I don't approve look. I nudge him gently, whispering into his ear.

"Hey, chill, Tadashi, the wrist ray doesn't hurt people and it's all kid-friendly, promise."

"That's not why I'm making this face and you know that," he whispers back a bit harshly, "You can't take him ghost hunting."

"He's almost fourteen, 'Dashi, he can make his own decisions," I retort, "And ghost hunting is very, very dangerous so I don't plan on taking him anytime soon."

Our whispered argument has a bit of fire behind it and for a moment, it's like deja vu of back when we fought about the existence of ghosts.

"So why the gifts," he continues to fire back, "Why say you'll take him?"

"Because this way he's safe from them," I tsk, "Ghosts are very dangers without that stuff, they'd easily overpower him and you."

"-but-"

Tadashi doesn't get a chance to finish as Hiro coughs a bit to get our attention. He's sitting there on the floor a bit awkwardly, rolling a bit as he grips his ankles with an expression that says I didn't hear anything.

"Um as nice as this is," Hiro speaks up, "I'm curious what you got my brother."

I blink blankly at him for a moment, realizing that with our little heated argument, I actually forgot about his present. I mumble a small, yeah sure, as I dig through the bag to find Tadashi's present. His was the most expensive present I got this year, aside from Ellie's huge pile of toys. A small anxious bubble starts to form in my gut as I just hope that he likes it. Taking a deep inhale to calm myself, I take out a small black box. The sight of a small black box causes Hiro to bite his lip as he looks on anxiously. Tadashi flushes as I start to hand it to him tenderly, stuttering a bit as he tries to give a simple thanks.

He visibly swallows anxiously, twiddling his fingers a bit as he struggles to get the box open. It takes a moment, but finally, he pulls out a chained necklace. There are three separate little amulets on them- each containing an element symbol (complete with the atomic number and their atomic weight). Nitrogen (N) Erbium (Er). Deuterium (D). Because of their element symbols, the amulets, when together, spell nerd. I figured it was the perfect gift for him.

Hiro is already laughing and it seems Tadashi can't decide if he loves it or thinks it's dorky as he stares at it blankly before finally turning to me with amusement in his eyes,

"Really?"

"Well, you are a science nerd."