Chapter Ninety-Three: Considerations

"I've been thinking that it might be good to move out of the city." Maddie said, taking her oven mitts off and turning to Jack. "I mean…what do we even have here anymore?"

"We can't just leave this city, Maddie." Jack shook his head. "Not with ghosts still attacking it, and Phantom coming back—"

"The only people that Phantom has attacked are us." Maddie said cutting him off. "As for the other ghosts, Valerie is doing a great jo at her work."

"She's only sixteen; her father doesn't like her doing it so often." Jack shook his head. "I'm not leaving, Maddie. There's too much here I can't just leave behind."

"And so much that I want to." She walked over and picked up the picture of Danny. "Axiom Labs has offered me a position…if we're going to stay in town, I may as well take it. It'd be better money, and I just can't hunt ghosts knowing that that's what got Danny killed."

Jack sighed and nodded, getting up from the couch. "That's a good idea, Mads." He walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It'll be a good distraction for you from the emptiness, too. But I…I just can't let go of ghost-hunting. It's been my life for so long, I can't stop now. I'm sorry."

"I know." She said softly, leaning back into his chest. "It's almost Valentine's day…do you want to do anything special?"

"Well, since we don't have the kids' schools to worry about we could take a trip out of the country for it." Jack suggested. "Paris? You've mentioned wanting to go there. Or maybe London?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "That sounds wonderful, Jack. Yes…I think London sounds good. And you don't have to try to remember your French." She smiled teasingly.

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Just us two, no other worries." He kissed her gently.

.

"Ah, yes. The yearly destruction of my kitchen for the sake of making sweets for your significant other." Vlad sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Danielle, I really don't know about this. You haven't been too successful a cook for other things, you know."

"Sam's gonna help me!" Dani insisted. "Please?"

"You don't know how it'll go until it's done, right?" Sam offered.

He set down the newspaper he was reading and looked at the two teenagers. "Very well, but you'll be cleaning up the mess when you're done. I want it spotless when you're finished."

"Yes, daddy!" Dani hopped up from her seat.

"Thank you, Vlad!" Sam got up as well, the two running off to the kitchen.

Vlad sighed, looking at Lucretius who was still tethered to Sam's seat and was gnawing on the coffee table's leg. "And I suppose I'm on babysitting duty, then?"

Lucretius looked up at him and grinned, his tiny baby teeth having left marks on the wood. Vlad let out a heavy sigh and went over to grab the handle of the leash, pulling him away from the coffee table. "Let's go find you something less valuable to chew on, hm?"

"Vaaad?" Lucretius looked up at him.

"Yes, Lucretius?" Vlad asked as he carried him.

"Bowunch's mommy has a…a 'wing'." He tapped his left ring finger. "Why no' mommy?"

Vlad stopped short and groaned. Some days this child seemed like an idiot and sometimes he was much too smart for their liking. "I don't know. Why don't you ask them?"

"Okay." He nodded, squirming in his arms. Vlad released him and let him fly alongside him instead of being carried.

.

"M-Marriage?!" Danny sputtered, nearly dropping his mug in shock.

"Well, Lucretius has noticed that you're not." Vlad said calmly. "He's very confused, and you probably should before you have another."

"A-Another?!" Danny set down the mug quickly.

"The way you two go at it, it's a wonder he's still an only child." Dan remarked, sipping from his own mug.

Danny shot him a look, then looked back at Vlad. "B-But we're not adults yet! Can't it wait—"

"Until he's three years old?" Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"Guh…" Danny pursed his lips.

"The problem is who would we invite to the wedding?" Dan asked. "We can't invite her parents, not if we want to invite our ghost friends or have her marrying 'Danny' instead of 'James'."

"Very well. We'll have a secret wedding soon, and when you feel it's safe to reveal yourself you'll have a proper one with your parents all involved." Vlad said calmly.

Danny slapped his hands to his face. "Wedding…marriage…I'm still only 16!"

"And with parental consent that is a fine age for marriage." Vlad said calmly.

"Uh, her parents didn't consent." Danny frowned at her, lowering his hands. "Seriously, let's wait until we're eighteen!"

Vlad sighed. "Very well. But in two years, you WILL be married." He got up and left the den, leaving the two brothers alone.

"Marriage…" Danny groaned. "The father thing wasn't intended…but this is a 'gotta plan it' thing."

"Well, some people get drunk and marry in Vegas." Dan shrugged. "So, it's not ALWAYS a 'gotta plan it' thing."

"I'm not going to get drunk and marry Sam!" Danny snapped. "Marriage is not a drunken affair!"

"Glad your head is still on straight about THAT." Dan laughed. "Where was it when you slept with Sam that day?"

"I don't know!" He groaned. "She was beautiful, I wanted her, she wanted me, we love each other, and we just did it!"

Dan stretched in his seat and leaned back. "Heh. Yeah, that's why me and Val do it. The difference is that WE are careful."

"Yes, yes. You just keep on rubbing it in." Danny frowned.

"I'll rub your face in it, Danny." Dan grinned.

Danny looked at him, raising an eyebrow, then got up. Before Phantom could move, knowing what he was doing, he was lunging and the two hit the floor, rolling around as they entered a tickle-match. "You can't beat me! I am invincible!" Danny laughed.

"Oh yeah?" Dan grinned. "When have you EVER beaten me in a tickle-match Danny?" He rolled around him with him on the floor before finally pinning him down, leaning over him with a grin.

"Alright, let me up!" Danny struggled in his hold.

Dan grinned, holding him down. "Nope, I won. I get to take my prize now."

"What prize?" Danny struggled, then frowned at him. "Whoa, no. That's not happening, Phantom. You're not doing that!"

Dan leaned down, his lips hovering just inches from Danny's.

"What you doing?" Lucretius said from over them, and Dan quickly pulled away.

"Thank you." Danny looked up at Lucretius. "Uh, Luc? Where's your tether?"

"I narr it off!" He said proudly.

Danny slapped his hands to his face while Dan started busting up laughing.

Danny's phone started vibrating in his pocket and he pulled it out, looking at the name, then held it to his ear as he answered it. "Mr. Brownstone."

"'Stuart', Danny, we've talked about this." Stuart said pleasantly. "I'm just giving you an update on the Fentons. Your mother is taking a position at Axiom Labs, but she told them that she's going to be out of the country with her husband for Valentine's Day week and she'd start when she returned."

"Thanks for updating me on their activities all the time." Danny said, nodding. "Alright, it's good that she's looking at something other than ghost-hunting. How about dad?"

"He's still hunting ghosts." Stuart replied. "Our hidden surveillance told us that he doesn't intend to stop."

"I see." Danny nodded. "Thank you, Stuart. Is that all?"

"Yep. Have a good Valentine's Day, Danny."

"You too, Stuart." Danny nodded, then hung up after Stuart did.

"Out of country, huh?" Dan remarked. "Guess she wanted to take him away from Amity Park."

Danny nodded, putting the phone back in his pocket. "So, about this one 'narr'ing through his tether." He flew up and caught Lucretius around his waist. "Guess we need a stronger one, hm?"

Dan laughed, nodding. "Let's go find Vlad!"

They left the room, passing by Plasmius. He turned to watch them go, his gaze on the snowy-haired teen. He pursed his lips tightly and then entered the den, his thoughts his own.

Curses, Lucretius! You interrupted the PitchPearl moment!
Eh, if Lucretius didn't, then Stuart would've. Cock-blocker.
Uh oh..."marriage"? Yeah, they might want to consider that...in two years. ~ Zone