Chapter 22: Morning
Frostbite waits, unmoving, along the borders of the Far Frozen. Already, the air of the Ghost Zone smells sharply of brimstone, from the lands laid to waste by the Fright Knight and his armies. More refugees appear every day, but he's not sure how many more he can safely shelter here. He racks his mind - should he send some of them to Pandora's palace?
A soldier beside him stretches, rolling his shoulders. Frostbite resists the smile that pulls his lips at the sight. His armor is heavier than he remembers, but its cold weight is somehow reassuring. A younger Yeti may hardly remember wearing it before. He hopes, somewhat absently, that they never get used to it.
He presses a button on the little device the Fentons had bestowed upon him early this morning, their faces pale and drawn. The Great One has truly great progenitors as well, it seems. He wonders why he didn't make them privy to his little secret earlier than he did. Then again, it's not his place to question or pry.
"Frostbite speaking. Perimeter of Far Frozen still clear."
"Good. Val is getting us in with the government suits."
"Since when are you allowed to call her 'Val'?!"
"I've worked with both of you for almost two years now."
"For us, you've worked for us."
"Cold," Burgess mutters flatly, "If you haven't put a ring on it-"
"She still ain't gonna be yours," Valerie interrupts.
"You're not my type anyway. I like sweet girls. I was just giving him a little sense of urgency."
"I'm not sure whether to feel relieved or insulted."
"You're free to feel either."
"Cool down, Tuck," Val coos, "I only have eyes for you...at the moment."
Stormy silence.
"...Tuck? Babe? I was teasing you, hello…"
A harsh click.
"You're going to have to kiss it and make it better," she can hear him smirk over the radio.
"Shut up, Burgess. Keep up the good work, Frostbite."
"Thank you, Huntress. I wish you fair skies."
The buzz in his ear vanishes, and he sighs, rolling his shoulders.
"Sir, you should rest. I can take the next watch."
"Any further word from Blizzard?"
"Not yet, Sir. Shall we prepared to move out?"
"No," he rumbles solemnly, "No. We must remain steadfast and trust him to return to us. We must maintain the border."
"Understood."
ZzzzzzzBREAKzzzzzZ
"I would've thought your home would be a bit busier," Agent L hums, plugging his equipment into the portal.
"Why would you say that?" Maddie raises an eyebrow, covertly slipping a file into her bag.
"Isn't your son getting married?"
"Not with this quarantine going on," she shakes her head, "And here you are, booting us out of our home…"
"We need full access to your lab," he retorts.
"Why, do you suspect us of something? We've been working hand-in-hand with your organization for years. This treatment is appalling!"
"I understand why you might feel that way, Mrs. Fenton, this is your life's work-"
"My research is important, but what I don't like is how you all swoop in here and invade my home. I don't even know how long I need to pack for…"
"Where is your son, anyway?"
"Danny? He's with Sam, of course," she keeps a neutral expression plastered to her face, are they sighting in on Danny?
"Of course. Does he spend a lot of time in the lab?"
Is this...an interrogation? "Not lately, he's been at school. Working when he's not."
"What kind of work?"
"I think he works as a bartender…"
"At a ghost-friendly bar, right?"
They've been keeping an eye on him? She clenches her sweaty hands, "I think so. Danny knows how to handle ghosts, so they pay him really well."
"It seems...that he doesn't hate ghosts."
"But they certainly cause him a lot of trouble," she deflects.
"Even more interesting."
"...Agent L, may I ask what you're implying?" she frowns, crossing her arms, "Enough of this. Why are you asking about my son?"
"Is it that strange to ask about the child of a long-time friend?"
"Cut it!" she snips, "Do you think my Danny has anything to do with this?! How dare you walk into my home, take over my lab, and accuse my son!"
His expression falls, into one almost sad. The next words that drift from his lips are but a whisper.
"What if he's not your son, Mrs. Fenton?"
Ice floods her veins, hearing her own voice from several years ago, as though it echoes from that tiny cavern in the Far Frozen. She twists her face into a scowl to hide the impending tears, "How dare you!"
"Mrs. Fenton-!"
She holds up a finger to silence him, "I am going to walk out of here before I assault a federal agent. When you have a timeframe for when I might be able to get my home back, let me know. Have a nice day, Agent," she whirls on her heel and storms up the steps.
My Danny isn't a ghost, that's for sure!
But he is my Danny, and he is just a little bit ghostly, she smiles to herself. She still feels awful about it, sometimes. The way she handled Danny's little...revelation. But they've gotten past it, and she knows her son better than ever.
She slides back into her room, where Jack is throwing clothing and supplies into his suitcase.
"Honey, you need to fold them," she snickers, pulling all of his hazmat suits back out and beginning to fold them, "They'll fit better that way."
"I couldn't decide which ones to bring…" he pouts.
"I know it's hard to do without the variety, but just take the best-equipped ones."
"And the fudge?"
"Has a duffle-bag all to itself."
"Good, good!" he guffaws, "Well, don't stress yourself too much, Maddie! Everything will be just fine!"
She slips the file she'd pilfered earlier into her lap, using a scanner in her suit to digitize the pages and hide the data away in one of her suit's secret compartments. She doesn't have to time to read it right now, but the words 'suspicious likeness', 'unusual behavior', and 'friendly relations' catch her eye.
The ball of ice the familiar conversation with her husband had lightened seems to condense in her stomach.
They might be on to us, she stills a shaking hand, reorganizes the file, and slips it amongst the GIW's pile of incoming equipment as she and Jack leave their home behind - for the forseeable future.
ZzzzzzzBREAKzzzzzZ
Sam glances over at her fiance, who glares out at the sky beyond the window of their hotel room. With the situation being what it was - and with Pamela on the verge of a major depressive episode - they had thought it best to hide away in a small, hole-in-the-wall, cash-only hotel.
"...Danny?" She wraps her arms around his waist, nuzzling into his broad shoulders. It's a strange pleasure, thinking that she was the only girl who seemed to recognize how handsome the scrawny freshman would become. The only girl who knew how strong he was, how brave.
But she can see it wearing on him.
He doesn't say anything, instead turning to wrap his arms around her in return, resting his forehead on her shoulder with a sigh, "...Sam…" he whispers, "I'm sorry. Can't even have a wedding in peace…"
She runs her fingers through his hair, "It wouldn't be doing our relationship justice otherwise," she smiles.
He hums, laughing somewhere in his mind.
"We wouldn't be able to have Frostbite or Pandora there...Poor Frostbite would melt he'd be so depressed!"
He chuckles softly.
"...You're still being a bit quiet...are you feeling okay?"
::I'm just enjoying the moment,:: he answers, tracing his lips up her neck, ::Pretending I'm just a normal guy who loves his fiancee and doesn't have a war looming over his head,:: he steals her breath away with a kiss, ::One who was looking forward to not having to resist temptation on an hourly basis…:: he looses a little growl as he devours her lips again.
::The one resisting temptation here is me!:: she retorts, pressing her lips to his neck.
::If you're going to leave a mark, leave it where my hazmat suit will cover it. I don't want my identity outed because Phantom has a hickey just like Fenton.::
::I haven't ever seen a concealer that works with 'halfa pallor',:: she snickers.
::Mischievous telepath,:: he kisses the tip of her nose, a bright smile on his face for the first time that day.
"It's the best thing ever," she grins back, "We can talk while we make out!"
He laughs, "Thank goodness your parents aren't here to hear that."
"They don't believe that we've behaved - just as they asked us to. It's so hard," she pouts, "You're just a ball of temptation, my dear ghost."
"After we get through this," he pulls her close again, "...because we will get through it."
"You bet we will! I'm the only one allowed to kill you."
"...Thanks, Sam. I love you," he picks her up, twirling her, "I love you so much!"
"I love you too, you silly halfa!"
They fall onto the bed, laughing.
A/N: LONG TIME NO SEE! I was busy with school, forgot that I have a fanfiction to write...until someone left a string of comments on The Funeral Singer to remind me that I have a live outside of work and school! (I haven't been writing as much as I should!)
Thankfully, I had over half of this chapter done already. ^^ Remember to leave reviews, because A) It helps me remember, B) It motivates me to have an expectant fanbase.
NEXT CHAPTER: Invasion of AP! Will Danny's secret be revealed?! And why is Dani running?! I'm planning for it to be a long chapter, so try to bug the crap out of me so it gets done quick! LOL