Danny woke up to big slobbery kisses all over his face. Blinking blurry eyed into the brown eyes of a small dog Danny tried to make sense of his surroundings.
"Oh, Cujo…" Danny wiped his face with the edge of his sleep before looking around at the neat organized stacks of books, the pile of paper placed neatly on the desk and the photos framed exactly parallel with the walls and ceiling. Danny rubbed his head.
"Why am I in Jazz's room?" he wondered taking the enthusiastic puppy into his arms and standing up. He swayed a little before setting down the hall and going into his own room. His mom was on the bed speaking into a phone in an urgent voice.
"Well of course I looked for him! Look I called you people yesterday night and told you all of this! Do you really think I would purposefully let my son out of my sight! You have the nerve to- Oh no you did not just hang up on me!" Maddie glared at the phone and threw it on the bed spread her hands covering her face as small silent sobs shook her shoulders. Danny walked hesitantly up to her; confused he stretched out his hand to put on her shoulder but caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror above his dresser.
Hesitant and scared green eyes looked back at him, his white hair was a mess from being in bed so long. Danny drew his and back hastily and looked at his mom.
"M-maddie?" Danny asked. Maddie looked up and quickly wiped tears from her eyes.
"Oh, Phantom, I'm sorry I didn't see you there." She said as she stood up and pasted on a smile, "I guess you'll be hungry, you slept like a log last night and Jazz said she couldn't even wake you up when she went to school." Maddie walked out of the room Danny following behind, "I suppose it's time for breakfast then." Maddie smiled walking down the stairs and into the kitchen Danny still holding Cujo and following behind.
"Let's see…" Maddie said opening the fridge door, "how about a-" a large tentacle came out of the fridge and tried to wrap itself around Maddie's head, but suddenly Maddie was holding a gun and casually blew it up while not taking her eyes of the contents of the fridge. Smile still in place Maddie closed the fridge and turned to Danny.
"What do you say we go out to eat?" she beamed. Danny blinked then looked back to the fridge.
"That sounds like a plan." He said, "Um… I'll need to get dressed."
Phantom sat in the front seat of the RV once more; he fiddled nervously with his jeans while casting nervous glances over towards Maddie. Maddie sighed trying to figure out where would be the best place to go without Phantom getting too much attention while still getting enough to eat. In the end she decided on Nasty Burger and they sat idling in line while Phantom gave her the silent treatment. As the moved up in line Phantom decided now would be an ok time to strike up a conversation.
"Sooooo…" he started not making eye contact but instead seeming to be highly interested in the Nasty Nat Menu ahead, "I was wondering… well… what you were planning on doing with me?" Phantom said hesitantly. Maddie blinked. She hadn't quite thought about that.
"Well… I suppose you were still in school when you died." Maddie said, Phantom winced and Maddie took that as a yes, "so as soon and we figure out all the specifics or get you settled with a host family I suppose you'll be going back. You'll probably have to take a placement test." Maddie glanced over at Phantom as she pulled up; he looked half horrified half relieved.
"Wait I'm not going to be staying with you?" He said. Maddie put on a smile.
"Well of course not, we have kids of our own." She smiled. Phantom gulped.
"Well… then who… might I be staying with?" he asked.
"Well… I don't know. We do have an old collage pal who's always wanted a son." Maddie thought aloud then glanced over at Phantom who looked like he's rather be torn apart molecule by molecule.
"I'd rather be torn apart molecule by molecule!" Phantom blurted out. Maddie's eyebrows crunched. Funny… she thought before sighing.
"Well, I never said anything was set in stone, something like this has never happened before."
"Yeah, thank god." Phantom mumbled discontentedly. Maddie sighed.
"Look, I know this isn't easy for either of us, but we have to try." Maddie tried throwing an encouraging smile over, "Let just try to be friends for now."
"Sure, I'll be best friends with the person who's always shooting at me and talking about dissecting my ectoplasmic remains." Phantom said darkly setting his head on his hands and glaring out the window. He glanced over at Maddie and saw something on her face that made him look ashamed.
"Sorry." Phantom said looking down ashamed, "I… I can try." They pulled up to the window and a hand held out their order. Maddie took it and paid for the food checking over to make sure they got everything before driving off. The car was silent then Phantom looked over.
"Did you find him?" He said; the words came out awkwardly, forced and foreign in Phantom's mouth. Maddie looked over.
"No." Maddie sighed. The paper bag crinkled as Phantom shifted positions while holding the food.
"Have you tried the cops?" He asked hesitantly. Maddie swallowed back some anger.
"Yes, but they won't do anything… in fact…" Maddie glanced over at Phantom before turning the corner; "I'm actually headed down to the police station right now." Maddie said. Phantom nodded.
"Mo-Maddie…" Phantom said, "It's blue…" He said blushing slightly and looking out the window.
"What?" Maddie asked looking over at Phantom curiously.
"You asked me what my favorite color was before… it's… well its blue." Phantom said. Maddie felt a smile come to her face and her heart gave a quick squeeze.
"You know what… mine is to." Maddie said with a chuckle.
"Like I couldn't tell." Phantom teased, "Let me guess, Da- uh… Jack's is orange and he has a thing for fudge?" He smiled as if he already knew the answer. Maddie gave a small chuckle.
"I guess that much is obvious." She answered as she pulled up in front of the police station, "Now just stay in here and help yourself to the food while I fill out a missing persons report." The mood suddenly died. Maddie choked on a small sob that had escaped her perfectly constructed mask and Phantom looked as if his dog had been shot, if he had a dog.
"Ok." Said Phantom reaching into the bag as Maddie shut the door and walked into the station.
Danny sat staring after his mom. As she walked into the station Danny folded his arms and leaned back in his seat debating whether or not to tell her that he was her son. Sighing he smacked himself across the face.
"Get a grip." He told himself firmly as he settled in for a long wait.
A disgruntled teen in white hair shimmered in the mirror like clock face before the teen's head slammed onto the desk with exasperation, the scene shifted and a boy covered in mud was walking along the side walk, it shifted again, there was a large amount of green ectoplasm dripping from what looked like a hand, once more the scene shifted and a headstone came into view. "Here lies Danny Phantom." It read.
"His fate is sealed."