Danny found Clockwork in the library. He stayed by the door, fidgeting with his gloves, not drawing attention to himself, even though he was sure Clockwork knew he was there. Questions bubbled inside him, heavy yet light, never quite reaching his tongue.

"Clockwork?" he said, finally, taking a step forward.

"Hello, Daniel," said Clockwork, pleasantly, turning away from his shelving.

"About what happened yesterday... I have questions. I... don't understand."

"You understand emotionally," corrected Clockwork. "But you do not have the words to describe your understanding, and therefore are finding it difficult to think about. This troubles you."

"Yes," said Danny. He took a few, deliberate steps forward, closer to Clockwork.

Clockwork nodded in acquiescence and set his books aside. They began to shelve themselves. Danny shivered.

"I have, over the time during which you have known me, arranged things so that you would perceive following my instructions and as being beneficial to your Obsession. This began as soon as our first meeting."

"I didn't follow your instructions then, though."

"That is correct. You ignored my warnings, and a threat to the safety of your friends and family emerged. Luckily, this was the only such negative example you needed. You have been very cooperative." Clockwork paused for a long moment, as if waiting for input from Danny, but continued. "After that, it was not difficult to reinforce the association to the point where you will heed me and pursue my instructions over other, seemingly more straightforward, routes to fulfill your Obsession."

"Because you need my help."

"Yes," said Clockwork.

Danny rubbed his wrists and tugged on his gloves, feeling the need to do something with his hands, to look at something that wasn't Clockwork. It was all... very logical. A simple explanation.

"I stayed in the room," said Danny, "because I knew it was the right thing to do." Because Clockwork wouldn't make Danny listen to, to that without a good reason. Because Clockwork always had a reason, and his reason was usually to keep something bad from happening, or to make something good happen.

"It was a test," said Clockwork. "I know I can trust you, now."

Danny took a deep breath and nodded. "I... feel like I should be upset."

"You are not."

"No." Instead he felt... touched. Grateful.

"That you have learned as a human conflicting with what you are as a ghost."

"I'm not all the way a ghost, though."

"You have an Obsession," said Clockwork, as if that was more than enough. Maybe it was.

But that brought another oddity into focus. "You aren't speaking in riddles." Clockwork was being really blunt, actually.

"There is no need. Would obscuring the truth under these circumstances change it? I speak in riddles when there is need to do so." Another long pause. This time, Danny took advantage of it.

"You said you loved me," he said. "Did you mean that as, you love me as a person, or as, I don't know, as a tool?"

Clockwork raised an eyebrow. "That is a meaningless distinction. You are both. To love you as less than your entire self would be to not love you at all."

Apparently, this response was something Danny had wanted, or at least that some part of him wanted, because he felt something loosen inside himself, some arcane tension unspooling.

"What happens next?" asked Danny, taking another few steps forward, putting himself almost within arm's reach of Clockwork, who had not moved the whole time.

"To your Obsession?"

"Sure," said Danny. "But I didn't know that could, like. Change."

"It cannot. But in the near future, you will no longer be able to emotionally distinguish between loyalty and obedience to me and Obsession."

"Isn't it like that already?"

"Is it?"

Danny thought for a while, then shook his head. Right now, listening to Clockwork lead to him helping people. It wasn't the same thing. Except when it was. "Helping you is still helping."

"Yes, perhaps. But it is only helping me."

A small thrill ran through Danny, seeming to resonate in his core. He took another half step closer.

Clockwork blinked, then looked away, just slightly, frowning. Danny tensed, relaxing minutely only when Clockwork looked at him again.

"You will never be a threat to me," said Clockwork.

Danny opened his mouth to comment on the non-sequitur, because of course, he would never be a threat to Clockwork. Clockwork could control time. The very idea was ridiculous.

But something was shifting inside him again, a tiny change in the arrangement of his psyche - or something more physical, considering what ghosts were like. There was tension again, but a much more bearable, comfortable tension.

He raised a hand to massage the center of his chest, over his heart. "That- What you just said, that did something, didn't it?"

"Yes," said Clockwork. "It is possible to cause a ghost to destroy or remake themselves by convincing them that they are a threat to their Obsession, or a portion of their Obsession. I removed one of the avenues an enemy might take to do so."

"Because I believe you over them."

"Quite so," said Clockwork.

"But," said Danny, thinking, "you didn't say that I won't be a threat to my Obsession at all."

"There are futures where that might yet come about," said Clockwork. "There are possible circumstances under which you would do more good remade into something more useful. I will not lie to you, Daniel. Not about this."

That should not have been the comfort that it was. Not the part about not lying, exactly, but what was implied.

"You'd tell me if I did become a threat?" Danny asked, leaning forward. "You'd... remake me?" His voice cracked, though Danny couldn't tell what emotion it cracked with.

"Yes," said Clockwork, the answer as crisp and clean and true as all his others. "It would be very easy to do so, once your perception of your Obsession progresses."

It was a relief. A weight off his shoulders. A promise that if he ever started to become something like him again, Clockwork would stop him. The guarantee that if there was a way he could be more helpful, Clockwork would show him, would reshape him to fit it, if necessary. A gentle, steady hand, guiding him down the right path.

He shouldn't feel so happy about this.

He closed the distance between himself and Clockwork, leaning against the older ghost.

"Thank you," he said. "I love you, too."

"I'm glad, Daniel," said Clockwork, wrapping the loose folds of his cloak around Danny's shoulders.

Danny snuggled closer.

"Clockwork?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"There are shapeshifters."

"There are. I am one of them," said Clockwork, demonstrating.

"What if- What if a shapeshifter made themselves look like you and told me to do something?"

"If they were convincing enough," said Clockwork, "I suppose you would do it."

A tiny, distressed sound worked its way up from Danny's throat. That felt like betrayal.

"I am pleased you recognize the danger. But once I am incorporated into the framework of your Obsession, you will develop the ability to recognize me."

Danny hummed at the praise, but the idea of being tricked like that left him feeling sick. "I will?"

"Indeed. You have noticed how your powers are all in service of your Obsession? It would be the same."

"Form follows function."

"Better to say, function follows purpose, but the other saying is true in this case as well."

"Can we- Can we make it happen faster?"

"Make what happen faster?"

"Making it so, so you're..." Danny stumbled over the words. Clockwork had said it so easily. "So that when you tell me to do something, it connects. So I know it's part of helping people automatically, and I know if it's you."

It was what Clockwork wanted for him, so it must be a good thing, anyway.

"Is that what you want? Be honest, Daniel." The last was said kindly, softly, with tenderness for all that it was a demand.

Danny opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again. Be honest.

"Yes," he said, firmly, surprised at how much he wanted it. "But... I'm scared."

"It is alright to be scared," said Clockwork, soothingly. "I have a challenge for you."

"A challenge?"

"Based on what you have experienced so far, if you were to try to accelerate the progression of our relationship, how would you do it, if you were me?"

Danny leaned his head against Clockwork's shoulder, thinking. "I would tell me to do things," said Danny. "Lots of things. Most of them would be things that I wouldn't have known about, things that are perfect for me. But some of them would be things that I would have done anyway, without you telling me, or things that I don't understand. But... that's sort of what you've been doing anyway, isn't it?"

"Partially," agreed Clockwork. "But not entirely." He tilted his head so that it rested partially against Danny's. "How would like to assist with the blob ghost migration today?"

Danny pulled back, examining Clockwork's face for evidence that he was joking. Then he smiled. "That would be great."

"Excellent. Let us go to the viewing room."

Danny bounced midair in excitement, and started to fly away. But then he paused, remembering one more, important question.

"Clockwork?"

"Yes?"

"When this happens, I'll still be able to help people in other ways, right? The stuff I usually do, I mean."

"I would not take that from you without cause, and I will hope I never do."

"Okay." Something else occurred to Danny. "Will I have free will?" He might have been surprised at how much of an afterthought the question was, but it felt like something he already had the answer to.

"As much as any ghost does, Daniel," said Clockwork. He sounded tired.

Danny nodded. "That's what I thought."

What was a little extra free will next to being able help people forever, after all? It felt like a choice he'd already made long ago.

When he died, maybe.