As soon as she heard the question, a dozen different answers crowded Dani's mind. Well, really, first there had been surprise; they were really going to let her choose. (Vlad never let her choose anything…. The thought was a stab to her core. And after running away… was it really a choice if she was pushed to act because of necessity, if she never got to enjoy those choices?) But after that….
She could choose! Granted it needed to be in Amity Park… but there was still so much to do. They could stay in and watch tv, play a game, talk, relax. That might be nice but… she could go out with her brother and…. Jazz. (But Dami called her his big sister. And if Jazz was her brother's big sister, then wasn't she also….) Dani pushed away the thought.
They could get out of the house; that's what Dani had been thinking about. And the possibilities! There was the park. Amity had so many restaurants and stores. She'd flown over a huge mall complex…. And there were docks; she'd seen the shore of a large lake while flying overhead. Did that mean there was a beach? Were there museums? A zoo? An aquarium? A space observatory? She didn't even know what the options were. What all did Amity Park have to offer?
That mall complex…. A memory tickled her brain.
It was so hot, it felt like she was melting (even faster than she already was.) The huge square building loamed above with so many people inside, cool air blasting through the doors. Dani wandered through the opening. She followed the smell of food to…. a large area with tables. People crowded around them, eating so many different kinds of food.
"Jamie, look!" An excited voice caught her attention. Dani's eyes flickered… to a girl about her age. "Can we get ice cream?" The girl asked, tugging on a teenage boy's hand.
His eyes sparkled with humor. "I bet we can convince Mom."
Said adult walked up to the pair, pushing a stroller with a wiggly three-year-old boy.
"Mom, can we get ice cream?" The girl immediately asked.
Big eyes and pleading from the three kids, including the toddler who quickly joined the begging, swayed the woman soon enough.
Dani watched from a distant table, feeling her heart ache as the siblings enjoyed their treat. After, toys were pulled out of a colorful shopping bag. With the teen's help, the toddler got into a bag of plastic dinosaurs. The two boys played.
"Oh! You got me!" The older laughed, his brother's T Rex taking out his Triceratops. "Mercy! Mercy!"
The girl hugged a stuffed bear. "Mr. Cuddles loves you very much."
The oldest complained. "Nellie!"
At the same time, the youngest giggled, taken by the attack of plushie kisses.
Dani wished that that was her and her brothers.
She had watched the family leave after that. She'd accepted as many free food samples as she could until the old lady in front of the Japanese food stall demanded she either buy a meal or leave. She had left, planning to sneak some food later, after the mall closed, even as her core clinched with guilt at the thought. She'd wandered around stores for a while… until a concerned employee asked where her parents were and called security to 'help her find them'.
Back in the present, Dani asked. "Can we go to the mall?"
That previously unattainable dream of going to the mall with her brother…. That was within her reach. She could wander around stores without the concerned looks wondering where her parents were, without the disgusted sneers at her dirty clothes and unkempt hair. She could buy food, instead of guiltily sneaking what was left over after closing.
Jazz smiled kindly. "Of course we can."
Dani helped the older two teens with the dishes. Food put away and kitchen clean, the three left the house. They piled into the red-head's car and drove off.
The drive was short and yet paradoxically so long. Dani wasn't used to being in a car. She'd sneaked onto trains and buses while on the run. But her only experience with a car? (A dash of guilt… she had still been with Vlad. He'd taken her in his limo to the airport before they'd flown to Amity Park to kidnap her original.) It was weird, being buckled in like this. The vehicle seemed to sway gently… or not so gently, as Jazz made turns sharply and quickly.
But soon enough, the car arrived in front of the rectangular building. Jazz parked and the three got out of the vehicle, walking to the door. They passed a fountain with bronze statues, metal children playing in the water. And the actual entrance…
Dani stared up, eyes wide. It was huge! The entire side was glass, windows stretching up to the ceiling, to an overhang supported by massive square pillars.
Sensing their approach, the automatic doors opened. Jazz and Danny walked through. Dani followed, smiling at the blast of cool air hitting her. Eager eyes flitted around the area, hungrily taking in everything. One step, two, three deeper into the mall. Slowly, Dani's steps trickled to a stop.
This was incredible. If the outside looked huge, somehow inside was even bigger. Compared to this mall, the one she'd visited before was tiny. A circular area stretched in front of them, bustling with people walking to and fro. A square stage at one side hosted a singular musician with a guitar. Plants in pots lined the stage, more sitting against the pillars supporting the upper floor's walkway.
And on that second floor… a red and yellow neon sign drew her eyes to a uniform rusty brick covered area. A stark contrast from the white and tan facades of various stores, interspersed with their unique logoed splashes of color. What was up there?
"Dani. Dani?" A voice calling her name drew the girl out of her thoughts.
She blinked. "Huh? What?"
Her eyes fixed on her brother, grinning back at her. "Pretty cool, isn't it?"
She nodded, hurrying up to him. "It's so big! And open. Those windows," She waved back at them. "Make everything look so sunny. And there's music and so many people. And the fountain outside was so cool!" She looked up, pointing at the bricked second floor. "What's that?"
The boy chuckled. "That's the food court."
"Food court?!" Somehow, Dani became even more excited at the words. "Can we get something to eat?"
"We just had breakfast." Jazz said, more than a hint of humor in her voice. The older girl half-turned, back to the colorful display she'd been looking at.
"What's this?" The clone girl asked.
"The mall's directory." The red-head smiled down at her. "Where do you want to go first?"
With wide eyes, Dani searched the map. So many fun options….
The first stop (because it was the closest) was the pet store. Inside, birds tweeted and dogs barked. Dani buzzed with excitement.
"Puppies!" She peered through the glass. "They're so cute."
The store had bunnies. "She's so soft." One of the employees let Dani hold one.
And fish! Hamsters! Lizards!
"I think we should get a snake." Dami teased his older sister, eyeing the orange and white creature. (A corn snake, that's what the display said. But it didn't look anything like corn?)
The red-head shook her head, wrinkling her nose. "Ew. No."
"But look at him." The boy brought out the puppy dog eyes. "He looks like he wants to come home with us."
And the kittens!
With big round eyes, Dani stared at the little black cat. She wanted to pet it so badly, to scratch under its tiny chin. The animal batted at a toy stuffed mouse.
"Oh, you like your mousie, don't you?" She cooed. "Don't you?"
It was so cute, she felt like her heart would melt. And at the same time… it squeezed. (There had been a black cat that she'd sometimes see stalking through Vlad's garden. Muscles helped her sneak out water and food to it. The other clone's soft, deep voice… We shouldn't leave her milk, Dani. She can't digest that.)
"Okay, even I'll admit that's cute." Another (though not as familiar?) clone brother's voice.
Dani looked up at the boy (And that, looking up, was still blowing her mind.) "Cute!? This is the most adorable thing I've ever seen."
The boy raised a brow. "I take it you're a cat person then."
The girl nodded. Then… she blinked, her own brow furrowing. She was a cat person, yes. But her brother… "Are you a cat or a dog person?"
It was weird to ask. She didn't know the answer but… she felt like she should have. Tiny had liked the cat who roamed the garden, right? But the way he'd just called her a cat person. Even I'll admit that's cute ? What did that mean?
Her brother blinked, for a moment considering. "A dog person. I think? I always wanted a puppy as a kid. I asked Mom and Dad every birthday and Christmas for years. And I have a ghost dog now, Cujo. You need to meet him too." He smiled. Then, shrugging. "But there's this stray cat Jazz has been feeding. We named her Muffin. She's pretty sweet. And I loved that feral cat that kept showing up at Vlads'." His eyes sparkled with mirth. "Remember that time it caught a baby rabbit for you. Dropped it right at your feet."
For a moment, her heart twisted, confused and overwhelmed by those two responses. So much of that she didn't recognize….
But in the end, Dani laughed. "Yeah. She dropped it, looking up at me like 'look at me, I'm such a good little hunter'… and the poor little guy was still alive! It ran away. She went after it, caught it again, and dropped it back at my feet. But the bunny ran again. She caught it, dropped it… And scowled up at me, like 'why aren't you going after it?'"
"She thought you were a big dumb kitten." Her brother laughed, ruffling her hair. "She was trying to teach you how to hunt."
"I'm not a big dumb kitten." She poked at his side. "You are!"
"Hey, we already established I'm a dog person. I can't be a kitten."
"But you like cats!"
"Okay. So maybe I'm a bit of both." He shrugged. "The cursed cat-dog if you will. Like from that old cartoon."
Dani blinked. "What?"
"Okay so…"
The inane conversation continued as the three left the pet store.
"Let's go there!" Danielle pulled the older two teens towards a colorful store. Large yellow letters boasted 'Toys and Co.'
Big bright eyes took in the crowded scene. The tiled floor was bright yellow, whimsical music flowing through the air. There were so many stuffed animals, action figures, baby dolls, and Barbie dolls. A giant Lego castle!
Dani practically ran to the circular table hosting a bin of colorful blocks. Huddled on the other side were a few other kids, all younger than her, but she couldn't care less about the age difference. The girl grabbed a handful of blocks, starting to build. What should she make? A space-ship? A race car? Her own little castle?
The other two teens joined, making their own little creations while chatting. The clone girl focused on her masterpiece, tongue stuck out in concentration.
"And…. done!" The girl exclaimed.
"What is it?" Damian asked.
"A rocket-castle." She boasted proudly.
"That's great." Jazz congratulated, pulling out her phone. "Let me get some pictures." She snapped a few, asking Dani and Dami to pose.
"Done?" The younger girl asked impatiently.
Jazz barely finished nodding and Dani was off again. So many things to see!
Racing toy cars on the model of Amity Park. Setting up a tea party in the dollhouse display. Banging out a tune on the floor piano mat. It was all so much fun! (It had been so long since she'd just gotten to play.) And even more fun as the older two teens played with her.
"Woah! Jazz, go!" The boy cheered. "Faster!"
The red-head obliged, feet shuffling faster on the mat. A dissonant clash. "Shoot. Wrong Note."
"Faster!" Dani put up her hands.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Jazz argued. But somehow the older girl went faster. Another clashing note hit. "I saw that, you gremlin!" Playfully narrowed eyes flashed to the boy, who withdrew his hand from the highest note with a mischievous grin.
Still, the red-head finished with a flourish. "Ta-da."
"That was awesome!" Dani clapped. So did her brother, and even some other children and adults who had been watching.
Jazz blushed. "It was okay."
"No." The clone girl jumped up and down. "It was so cool!"
The older's face softened, seeming to believe the words. "Thanks Dani." A moment of hesitance… Then Jazz reached out to ruffle her hair. "Do you want to buy something? Like I said, I've got money."
"I can buy something?" The girl blinked up, eyes wide.
"Of course." A kind smile. "Pick out something you want."
Dani searched for several minutes, hesitant herself. Her heart twisted in her chest. Jazz actually wanted to buy her something. She could hardly believe it. (She understood Damian being nice to her. But why was the red-head being so generous too?) But…
"This is perfect." The girl smiled softly, her mind going back to that scene of the three siblings at the food court. She took the bag off the display.
"Why plastic dinosaurs?" Damian asked, brow furrowed.
Dani shrugged, face impassive.
"Let the girl get what she wants." Jazz took the item. "Great choice, Dani."
At the register, the older girl pulled out a plastic card and bought the toys. She gave the youngest the bag. And Dani held it close to her heart, like it was precious.
Next, they visited a huge bookstore. Two stories tall, with escalators in the middle. Dani had never seen so many books!
"I loved this book when I was your age." Her brother picked up a thin paper back with a smile.
The clone girl looked over his shoulder. A majestic lion stared from the cover, two young girl's faces buried in his mane. "The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe?"
"Oh. That's a really good series." Jazz offered. Then her brow furrowed. "That's a different cover than I remember reading."
The boy turned the book over, perusing the back. "Mom's copy is older. From the 90s or something."
"I like the older cover better." The red-head huffed.
"You would." The boy rolled his eyes.
Again, Dani's heart clenched with an odd feeling. So much history and familiarity here, between the two older teens… she felt left out, like last night when they were making dinner. But…..
Her brother looked up, holding out the book to her. "Do you want to give it a read?" A hint of sadness in his smile. "I know you, reading everything you can get your hands on."
That was true enough; before she'd read every book she could find in that cabin. But less for the love of reading and more for voracious curiosity, the desperate need to connect to the world outside those four walls. And from the sad look in his eyes…. Damian knew that as well.
Dani took the book, eyes skimming over the back. (Her heart squeezed. She could imagine reading this to Daniel, sitting on the floor in front of his pod. But he wasn't…)
She shook her head, smiling. "Yeah. It looks cool."
The clone girl ended up leaving with the novel and a book on dinosaurs.
"Oh! This looks interesting." Jazz had offered the book eagerly.
Danielle's heart warmed at the attention, accepting with a smile.
Next was another toy store. Build-a-bear! Jazz and Danny helped her make a stuffed animal, a black dragon with large green eyes and tiny wings. She picked out a tiny saddle for him and a bear-sized Spiderman shirt. After much deliberation, she named him Inky. The nice employee put her new friend in a white box that looked like a little house as Jazz paid.
Then the candle store! It smelled so good. So many of the candles had weird and funny names. She wanted to smell every one. In the end, her brother and Jazz almost had to drag her out.
"You can't smell every candle, Dani." Dami quietly whined, an arm over her shoulder. "People are starting to look at us weird."
"Fine." The clone girl huffed. She squirmed out from under the arm, hurrying out of the store.
Then her eyes flickered to the red-and-yellow neon sign she'd seen earlier. 'A Fork in the Road'…. The food court!
She turned, pointing. "I'm hungry. Can we get food?"
"That sounds good to me." Dami turned to the red-head who nodded.
"Yes!" Excited, Dani ran ahead of the other two.
"You're not supposed to run." Jazz called after her.
"Just let her go." The muttered reply.
Turning the corner, Dani was greeted by a surprisingly rustic scene. As viewed from the entrance, the outer wall was brick. Rows and rows of tables sat in the middle, interspersed with pillars supporting the wood-beam criss-crossed ceiling. And on the inner side and back wall…. The food stalls!
Colorful neon signs offered so many different types of food. It all smelled delicious.
"What looks good?" Her brother said, coming up behind her.
In the end, Dani went with Chinese food.
"So good." The clone girl gushed through her noodles. Jazz and Dami knew good food! She'd said that about every single meal she'd had with them. (It was kinda sad; maybe it tasted better when she didn't have to steal it.)
There in the food court, Dani took a rest to play with her new spoils, coaxing her brother into a dinosaur fight and attacking the other two teens with kisses from the newly named Inky. All the while the three discussed where else to visit on their mall trip.
The arcade and electronics store were fun. There was the Amity Park Gift shop, selling just about any object Dani could think of, with the city name in big letters and little cartoon ghosts. And even more items marked with a familiar insignia.
"Aww. They have Danny Phantom plushies." Jazz jutted her lip out, waving the doll in the boy's face. "Isn't he adorable?"
Dami raised a brow skeptically. "Uh huh…."
The red-head turned sharply, marching towards the checkout. "I'm going to buy him."
The boy's jaw dropped. "Seriously?" Then, crossing his arms as the older teen ignored him… "I didn't authorize this." He muttered.
Dani giggled at the exchange, begging Jazz for her own Phantom plushie. (Even as staring at the miniature likeness of Danny Phantom gave her an odd feeling.)
The three left the tourist shop, passing in front of one of the numerous clothing stores. For just a moment, Dani's eyes lingered on one of the outfits in the window. It wasn't her typical style at all, a sleeveless dress with a flared skirt and a pattern of little flowers. But… an odd squirming in her gut. It was pretty. (Would she- messy, dirty, not good enough, imperfect, a mistake- look cute in it….)
"We can take a look if you want." Dami offered.
"Yes. We should get you your own clothes anyway." Jazz nodded. "Not just our hand-me-downs."
The words shook Dani out of her thoughts. "No. It's fine." The girl frowned down at her feet, crossing her arms. "I don't need new clothes."
Her insides squeezed guilty. Letting Jazz and Dami buy her little fun gifts was one thing but her own clothes… that was… that was too much.
"Dani-" Dami started, reaching towards her with big compassionate eyes.
The girl side-stepped, stomping away towards a big neon sign. Even still, complex feelings swirled in her core. She didn't need help. She didn't need someone to take care of her. (She didn't deserve it.)
No, she couldn't think like that, not when Dami was being so nice to her (after she yelled at him this morning). Her gaze flickered around for a distraction, keenly aware of the footsteps quickly following after her. The clone girl's eyes fixed on-
"What's that?" Dani pointed at the poster. A smiling man and woman sat on a giant pink letter B, in front of a blue background.
Her brother took the bait. "Oh. It's the Barbie movie."
Barbie… like those dolls she saw at the toy store?
Dani's brow furrowed. "Can we see it?"
The older two teens exchanged looks. There was a moment of hesitation, as if the two exchanged silent conversation about whether or not to push the clothing shopping.
Eventually though, Jazz sighed. "Yes, we can." She marched up to a glass window with a teenager sitting behind it. "Three tickets for Barbie at four, please."
The three watched the movie, Dani squirming in excitement in her seat. She munched on the popcorn. Her head tilted, not understanding some of the jokes, but still she grinned and laughed. The girl almost busted a gut during the Ken's song and dance number. She even teared up at the end, as Barbie made her choice. (The question rang in her core…. What was I made for?)
"That was amazing!" Dami gushed star-eyed. "I'm just Ken…" As the trio exited the closing mall, she skipped down the almost empty halls and sang loudly, her previous angst long forgotten.
Another short drive and they arrived back at Fenton Works. The older two prepared a quick meal, after entertaining Dani with some board games. The clone girl went to bed with a smile on her face.